Should I start withdrawing apps?

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I have only received 1 interview and 2 rejections (I applied to 11 schools). I submitted my apps in August and the chances of me getting any acceptance/more interviews is increasingly unlikely. Nevertheless, the suspense of waiting for interview invites or an acceptance is distracting me from my volunteering and post-baccalaureate. Should I withdraw my apps except from the one school where I interviewed?

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You already paid the money man. It's only the end of January, and there are many stories of people getting accepted March through even August.

If you are that distracted by this application cycle, my advice would be to hop off of this website and any other cycle related facebook/social groups. While great for sharing information before interviewing or after receiving an offer/matriculating, these groups offer minimal utility to someone who has already applied and is still waiting on responses from schools. At this point all they do is make you feel even worse when comparing yourself to others.

So until you hear something positive, stop worrying about what you can't change. Keep it moving. Ace your classes, make the most of your volunteering experiences, learn a new skill. Do anything besides spend hours on websites that only create negativity in your life.

And if that positive news doesn't come this cycle, keep your head up. Learn from your mistakes and set new, better goals for yourself in order to be successful next time around.
 
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Like the above commenter said, many people get in through the Summer. My best friend (who graduated dental school last year) got in, I kid you not, in August of 2016 and had about 2 days prior to classes starting (someone dropped out last minute). A guy in my class got in in July and we started in late August. Hold on to that hope
 
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I have only received 1 interview and 2 rejections (I applied to 11 schools). I submitted my apps in August and the chances of me getting any acceptance/more interviews is increasingly unlikely. Nevertheless, the suspense of waiting for interview invites or an acceptance is distracting me from my volunteering and post-baccalaureate. Should I withdraw my apps except from the one school where I interviewed?
trust the...
 
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You have nothing to gain and a potential acceptance to lose from withdrawing. Why would you even consider that an option if dental school is something you truly want?
 
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You have nothing to gain and a potential acceptance to lose from withdrawing. Why would you even consider that an option if dental school is something you truly want?
Because it’s not going to happen, it’s very simple
 
Because it’s not going to happen, it’s very simple
With this reply, it sounds like you're fishing for something. But you've already received lots of encouragement that you could still get in, so I'm not sure what you're looking for...



If there's no reason to withdraw an application, then just don't. Why even put in effort into something that actively goes against what you want? If you give up so easily when something isn't immediately going your way, that's not a good sign for when you get into dental school (where, from what I've heard, a lot of things won't go your way).
 
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With this reply, it sounds like you're fishing for something. But you've already received lots of encouragement that you could still get in, so I'm not sure what you're looking for...



If there's no reason to withdraw an application, then just don't. Why even put in effort into something that actively goes against what you want? If you give up so easily when something isn't immediately going your way, that's not a good sign for when you get into dental school (where, from what I've heard, a lot of things won't go your way).
Because anxiety and disappointment
 
... I don't think schools are gonna like you if you withdraw and then reapply to the same schools next cycle... (I know it's hard but) stay positive :)
As long as they get their money they don't care about that
 
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Your excuse that it's too much anxiety is not good enough. I get it. It's a stressful process and it's insane how much anxiety you can get, but we were all in your shoes and we all overcame it. If you can't even handle something that every dental student has gone through, how will you handle the test in dental school where every week is finals week, or your first patient, or matching into residency, or looking for jobs? If your anxiety is really THAT bad then you should be finding ways to manage that anxiety. Find ways to manage your anxiety or go seek professional help instead of just giving up because if not, then you won't get anywhere in life.
 
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Your excuse that it's too much anxiety is not good enough. I get it. It's a stressful process and it's insane how much anxiety you can get, but we were all in your shoes and we all overcame it. If you can't even handle something that every dental student has gone through, how will you handle the test in dental school where every week is finals week, or your first patient, or matching into residency, or looking for jobs? If your anxiety is really THAT bad then you should be finding ways to manage that anxiety. Find ways to manage your anxiety or go seek professional help instead of just giving up because if not, then you won't get anywhere in life.
completely agree. dental school, and real life dentistry is 10x more stressful. pressures of HR, overhead $$, cases that go wrong, etc etc.

Gotta learn to manage it.

Just this past few days we had a crazy pt screaming and going nuts that we didn't have an appointment for her and she was in so much pain. We rescheduled a bunch of people and rearranged our schedule...only for her to no show. Then there was a person who was really rude to the front desk and refused to pay. Then I did a #2-D on a pt who kept trying to lick the bur and there was zero visibility. Then explaining to a pt that he needs a full mouth rehab when he doesn't want to pay for anything (we ended up only putting SDF). Then a pt repeatedly claiming to be in pain only coming in for a narcotic prescription. Then a crown that wouldn't seat and we needed to re-impress and send off to the lab to be remade. **** happens in dentistry that is significantly more stressful that this process.
 
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Agree with what's being said. And if you think schools won't take notice of you withdrawing your application, you're dead wrong. That shows them you're either not committed or you're not cut out for dental school (or both).

While yes, schools want your money, they also want people who show the gumption to get through dental school. If you choose to withdraw, you're giving those schools a big red flag to not trust you staying through the ACTUAL hard part for 4 years.

You need to find ways to manage your anxiety and you need to listen to the advice of your peers. You can overcome your mental state; all of us have been there, are there, or are soon going to be there. And maybe knowing that you're not the only one who's stressed and feeling inadequate will help. I had to remind myself constantly that people smarter than me had to try 2-3 times, so why should I take it personally if I have to go through the same experience?

Fight for what you want; don't expect the life you want to be handed over easily or steadily.
 
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I’m curious, is this your first app cycle or are you a reapplicant? Nevertheless it really can’t hurt to just leave the apps as is and try to focus on school as much as possible. Anxiety can be a pain but potentially missing out on an interview, or even an acceptance, bc you withdrew so early would be even worse.
 
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Three-feet-from-gold.jpg

Don't give up. I'm in the same position as you, and haven't gotten accepted anywhere yet either. Yes it sucks checking your email a million times a day waiting for a response, but unfortunately this is apart of the process. You have to annihilate all doubt in your mind, and really believe in yourself. Quitting is not an option.
 
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agreed with what people have said. tbh, i have it better than you in the sense that i've been interviewed at 4 schools, but i've also been waitlisted at 3. one school said they will get back to me next month. the schools i'm waitlisted at, more recently interviewed applicants are getting accepted in 4 days. it does feel like the waitlists i'm in aren't being looked at or considered and it sucks. i'm almost convinced that these schools don't even really need their waitlists and that their waitlists are very long lol. this is my second time applying too and like you, i really want this to be the year. you can do it. it's not easy or fun when you have to take extra time while others can do it in one shot, but gotta do what you gotta do.
 
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completely agree. dental school, and real life dentistry is 10x more stressful. pressures of HR, overhead $$, cases that go wrong, etc etc.

Gotta learn to manage it.

Just this past few days we had a crazy pt screaming and going nuts that we didn't have an appointment for her and she was in so much pain. We rescheduled a bunch of people and rearranged our schedule...only for her to no show. Then there was a person who was really rude to the front desk and refused to pay. Then I did a #2-D on a pt who kept trying to lick the bur and there was zero visibility. Then explaining to a pt that he needs a full mouth rehab when he doesn't want to pay for anything (we ended up only putting SDF). Then a pt repeatedly claiming to be in pain only coming in for a narcotic prescription. Then a crown that wouldn't seat and we needed to re-impress and send off to the lab to be remade. **** happens in dentistry that is significantly more stressful that this process.

I’ll see your crown that didn’t fit, and raise you a perio patient that was upset that her #20-DOB resin didn’t fill the embrasure when she has 6mm of recession on the distal. Seriously tho. Your description is dead on.
 
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Stop this pity party you are having. Yeah it sucks that you have not gotten in thus far and I am sure you are looking at others posts thinking "I'm a better candidate, how did they get accepted over me?" The truth is only the admin committee would truthfully answer that question and won't for obvious reasons. More people have been there than you think (myself included), but opt to stay positive. As many have said before, improve your application and come back next year (assuming you don't get in this year), but more importantly IMPROVE YOUR ATTITUDE. Doesn't take one very much effort to see all of your recent posts. What are you trying to get from them? Great advice has been given to you, but you would rather sulk and troll SDN. My advice is what has already been given, LEAVE SDN for awhile as you are toxic and are closed minded. SDN will only sour your views for those that have better success currently. Come back when you have cooled down, an open mind, and a more appreciative view for those that are trying to help. Hopefully in that time you will also gain success with a program.
 
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I’ll see your crown that didn’t fit, and raise you a perio patient that was upset that her #20-DOB resin didn’t fill the embrasure when she has 6mm of recession on the distal. Seriously tho. Your description is dead on.
100%. This is a stressful career.

Did I mention that our only assistant gave her 2 weeks notice and the FD didn't show up? fun times.

so much of dentistry is people management, team building and HR skills. They never teach for this in d school, and the selection process has nothing to do with it either. Sometimes I also feel like a psychologist for crazy pts. Other times I almost feel like a salesman and convince them they have huge infections that need fixing to better their health.
 
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Boo hoo. Dental school is full of disappointments and anxiety. If you’re already giving up this quick, maybe schools could see that and that’s why you haven’t gotten accepted.
 
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We believe in you, hang in there! :)
 
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100%. This is a stressful career.

Did I mention that our only assistant gave her 2 weeks notice and the FD didn't show up? fun times.

so much of dentistry is people management, team building and HR skills. They never teach for this in d school, and the selection process has nothing to do with it either. Sometimes I also feel like a psychologist for crazy pts. Other times I almost feel like a salesman and convince them they have huge infections that need fixing to better their health.
Do you mean a "psychiatrist"?
 
You’re in MY thread... take a big step back
Actually you’re in MY thread. You asked for advice, and have been provided some excellent and encouraging feedback. The hostility won’t help you. And BTW, I received a March acceptance when I applied to dental school.

As for everyone else, do not allow yourself to be baited. Do not engage with someone you see trying to start a flame war. You can unwatch the thread and place the user on ignore.

Now let’s get this conversation back on track so I don’t have to resort to locking it. Thank you.
 
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