Should I apply for 08 or wait till 09 read my story

[rusky]

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I have Biomedical Engineer degree from USC and masters in EE this summer from State School. I graduated in 01 from sc so its been some time. I have taken all the prereqs but they are all atleast 7 years old (maybe more). I haven't taken DAT yet nor have I started studying but I am sure I can study "enough" next 2 month or so. I don't have LOR from anyone but I think I can get them in time. Incase I don't do well enough on DAT should I still take it or should I wait since schools might look down on me taking DAT more then once. What do you guys think. Honest opinions only please.

 

[AlphaQUp]

Sorry, I can't help you but I'm curious why you're going from engineering to dentistry.

 

[rusky]

Sorry, I can't help you but I'm curious why you're going from engineering to dentistry.

I will give you generic response "I like to work with my hands and help people" and since bodyshop is out of question this is only other job I can think of

 

[amichail]

If I were you, I would try to get in contact with some old proffessors ASAP, to obtain those letters. Bust a$$ for the next 2-3 months studying for the DAT, work on your personal statement ASAP. And after you take the test, lets say Junish-July, if you feel confident with your scores, send in your AADSAS application right then and there! IF not, then maybe an extra year wont be so bad... However if I were you I wouldn't want to waste NE more time! GOOD LUCK

PS. they say people with engineering background usually do very well in dentistry

 

[ddhm]

I have Biomedical Engineer degree from USC and masters in EE this summer from State School. I graduated in 01 from sc so its been some time. I have taken all the prereqs but they are all atleast 7 years old (maybe more). I haven't taken DAT yet nor have I started studying but I am sure I can study "enough" next 2 month or so. I don't have LOR from anyone but I think I can get them in time. Incase I don't do well enough on DAT should I still take it or should I wait since schools might look down on me taking DAT more then once. What do you guys think. Honest opinions only please.

If you can put together all the different parts required for a complete application together, maybe you ought to take a chance and apply this year. Unless you have strong reasons to feel that you have very little chance of being successful this cycle (and if you feel your chances justify the application costs), why don't you take a shot.

Some potential problems though might be the length of time that has passed since your prereqs were taken. In case schools feel like it's been too long since you completed your prereqs, do you think the courses that composed your recent master's in EE would reassure adcoms of your ability to get through the biological sciences you'll encounter during the first two years of dental school?

As for the DAT, I don't think schools would look down upon anyone for having taken it twice, as long as you've made significant improvements with each sitting. And I think if you've got two months to study for it, most people would agree that's enough time for you to get back up to speed on all the subjects.

So unless you've got strong reasons to feel unconfident in your chances this year, I'd encourage you to take a shot this year and come up with solid backup plans to strengthen your application for '09. Good luck.

 

[AlphaQUp]

I've actually heard that some schools won't accept pre-reqs older than 5 yrs. I could be completely wrong so someone else might want to verify this. Either that or call the schools you are interested in to see if it will be a problem.

 

[diane07]

Some schools it's 5 years, others it's 7 . . .

Go to the school's website and they'll spell out their requirements.

 

[lemoncurry]

If you apply this year, you're out a thousand bucks or two if you don't get accepted. If that's a loss you can handle, then go for it.

If you're not sure about your handle on the old pre-reqs, you could consider taking the DAT first and then applying or not based on your scores, but you don't have to have the DAT finished to apply, so technically you could take it twice after you apply.

Get your hands on TopScore pro or some other DAT sample testing software and test out your abilities. If your scores are all 18 or less, then I would be concerned, simply because the applicant pool is so friggin huge and those scores would be on the low end.

Either way it is up to you. If you feel you are ready to get going in '08, then go for it. My opinion is that with things being so competitive lately, I'd want to do my best to be a desirable applicant, which means I'd probably retake the prereqs and get a kickass score on the DAT.

 

[Nasem]

Being a non-trad applicant for the 2009 cycle, I am pretty sure they are going to ask you why you decided to change majors when you NEVER even worked in your field to begin with....

You have a degree in Biomedical Eng (which by the way is going to be the hottest growing field in the Engineering and Programming market combined) and a masters in EE which makes you a VERY VERY strong candidate for the entire I.T field.... Theyr going to ask you how can give all this up for good-ol-dentistry......

Shoo If I was an adcom, I'd defenetly be interested in hearing one hell of an answer.

My suggestion for you is, Get a job in your degree for 1 to 2 years tops, then come back and re-take your pre-reqs (again), take your DAT and apply for a late cycle (maybe 2012 +), that why when they ask you "why did you decide on dentistry" you can tell them that you have worked in your field and didn't enjoy it much.

 

[goosestuff]

You can get it together in time, just start gathering LORS now. And perhaps a review course like Kaplan would bring back all those organic reactions you've cleaned out of the ol brainsky. Assuming that your pre-reqs are still good, don't wait any longer than you have to.

Being a non-trad applicant for the 2009 cycle, I am pretty sure they are going to ask you why you decided to change majors when you NEVER even worked in your field to begin with....

And btw, there's no problem being a non-trad. If anything, maturity and all that jazz is a plus. I'm just about as non-trad as it gets, and I never got the impression that adcomms didn't believe my sincerity. You didn't change majors, you completed 2 very nice degrees while you figured out what you really want. GL!

 

[xdianaax]

Also don't worry about re-taking the DAT, it's not rare that people re-take, it's actually quite common, and it's not really looked down upon, it shows your growth.