Seeking Advice: Choosing Letters of Recommendation for Dental School Applications

[SOBS]

I've recently started working on my dental school applications and could really use your advice when it comes to selecting letters of recommendation. I've got a bit of a situation here, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Here's what's going on:

I've got six potential options for letters of recommendation, and most of them are pretty strong. To give you an idea, I've given each option a rating from 1 to 10 (10 being super strong):

1- General dentist I'm currently shadowing [Rating: 7]
2- My organic chemistry professor [Rating: 10]
3- A graduate student instructor (GSI) from my biology lab, co-signed by the professor [Rating: 8]
4- My awesome film professor [Rating: 10]
5- The chairman of the department at a university hospital where I volunteered (not a school I'm applying to) [Rating: 5 (possibly higher since he is experienced with LORs)]
6- My direct supervisor, a fellow doctor at the same hospital [Rating: 10]

Now, here's where I need your help:

1- Since different dental schools have different requirements for letters of recommendation, can I mix and match these letters based on each school's preferences? Or do I have to submit the same letters to all schools? I want to meet the minimum requirements while making the biggest impact possible.
2- Which letters do you think I should prioritize the most? I want to make sure I include the ones that will really impress the dental schools.

I really appreciate your insights and advice on this. Your experiences and knowledge will be a huge help as I navigate this application process. Thank you so much for your time and support!

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[Ryxndek]

You’ll want 2 science professors, one from a volunteer/paid role, and then either a dentist or non science. So the letters you want to meet almost all school minimums will be:

2,3,6, and either 4 or 1. Most schools don’t require a dentist LOR so maybe have your film prof instead. You can always have the dentist send it separately

 

[macsak]

I've recently started working on my dental school applications and could really use your advice when it comes to selecting letters of recommendation. I've got a bit of a situation here, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Here's what's going on:

I've got six potential options for letters of recommendation, and most of them are pretty strong. To give you an idea, I've given each option a rating from 1 to 10 (10 being super strong):

1- General dentist I'm currently shadowing [Rating: 7]
2- My organic chemistry professor [Rating: 10]
3- A graduate student instructor (GSI) from my biology lab, co-signed by the professor [Rating: 8]
4- My awesome film professor [Rating: 10]
5- The chairman of the department at a university hospital where I volunteered (not a school I'm applying to) [Rating: 5 (possibly higher since he is experienced with LORs)]
6- My direct supervisor, a fellow doctor at the same hospital [Rating: 10]

Now, here's where I need your help:

1- Since different dental schools have different requirements for letters of recommendation, can I mix and match these letters based on each school's preferences? Or do I have to submit the same letters to all schools? I want to meet the minimum requirements while making the biggest impact possible.
2- Which letters do you think I should prioritize the most? I want to make sure I include the ones that will really impress the dental schools.

I really appreciate your insights and advice on this. Your experiences and knowledge will be a huge help as I navigate this application process. Thank you so much for your time and support!

1 2 4 6
addsas sends all 4 to all schools

 

[SOBS]

You’ll want 2 science professors, one from a volunteer/paid role, and then either a dentist or non science. So the letters you want to meet almost all school minimums will be:

2,3,6, and either 4 or 1. Most schools don’t require a dentist LOR so maybe have your film prof instead. You can always have the dentist send it separately

According to my knowledge, most schools require a dentist LOR. Just to throw names out there: UMich, Detroit, VCU and UMD for example. How does sending a letter separately work?

 

[SOBS]

1 2 4 6
addsas sends all 4 to all schools

Thank you for the info and suggestions!

 

[Ryxndek]

According to my knowledge, most schools require a dentist LOR. Just to throw names out there: UMich, Detroit, VCU and UMD for example. How does sending a letter separately work?

9 schools I applied to didn’t require one. It’s not as common as you think. However usually you’d just ask the admissions team if they accept additional letters. The letter writer will need to send it to admissions, not you, and will have to be on official letterhead and signed. You can ask schools how they’d like it

 

[toyotasupra]

As a dentist, it doesn’t matter. Majority of the weight is based off your DAT score, GPA, and interpersonal skills during the interview. Letters of recommendation is just another dance they want to see you do. Lol