So WhatAre The Reasons For Getting Rejected?

[doc3232]

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I know a low GPA or DAT score is a reason. But I am wondering if you are a bit lower than the school's averages, why you would be rejected. I know a lot of people have the average scores for the school and end up getting rejected, Why? (Awkward Question, I know)
🙂🙂

 

[mantraman1010]

even with a high GPA, a low DAT score can hurt. I have an 18AA and 17TS and had three early august interviews and a rejection, with no news from the other two interviews. I would say DAT is placed in high regards at MOST schools, which is why I will be retaking and reapplying in 09. good luck to you.

 

[jigabodo]

Not doing well during interviews can also cost ya. 🙂

 

[Danny289]

sometimes DAT and GPA is not everthing. interview is important as last post. also some schools want to see some courses in your transcripts( upper level Bio courses) this situation apply for students other than Biology majors.

 

[Hysteria24]

With the sheer number of students applying for limited spots it ends up being a bit of a crap shoot. There will be many students who all have the same GPA/DAT so it will come down to the other sections off the app. Things like the personal statement, work/research/extracurricular/dental activities, and interview, and exact classes taken all factor in beyond what the numbers alone may show.

 

[jcdent27]

At one of my interviews they really stressed having upper division bio's. I had taken several (ie. anatomy, neuro, immunology) and they still suggested that I should take more including micro and histo. When it comes down to it though you could be the "ideal" applicant and be rejected. Just depends on the school I suppose.

 

[1992Corolla]

my first time: Low GPA and DAT (3.2/18) for applying w/o bachelors degree. Over the next year retook DAT and did better and raised GPA to 3.4, and added in better LOR's, better AADSAS essay, shadowed GP more and networked with schools better. Joined more clubs, etc.

If you are in this position call each school and ask them what you can improve. I had a couple of schools tell me to raise my GPA to a 3.8 - I obviously did not reapply to those schools. I thought it was a good hint.

 

[UCSF2012]

I got rejected to a couple schools cuz my DAT and GPA were too high, and I went to a top tier school.

 

[caffeinehigh]

I think you could be rejected if you don't show a genuine interest in dentistry. Interview, LOR, Personal Statement etc. can all be used to determine this. In the end, you have to sell the product (yourself)

 

[caffeinehigh]

I got rejected to a couple schools cuz my DAT and GPA were too high, and I went to a top tier school.

BTW, what the hell does that even mean? Not sure you can be "overqualified" in academics.

 

[UCSF2012]

BTW, what the hell does that even mean? Not sure you can be "overqualified" in academics.

It means by backup schools never gave my application a second look while I got into my top choices.

 

[1992Corolla]

You're not a good spammer if you have to explainyour sarcasm 😀

I always thought it was fun to post in the dental forum about the MD's and then link to all the trash the predental students were talking in the MD forum and watch the chaos ensue. I was bored the summer before matriculation...

 

[UCSF2012]

You're not a good spammer if you have to explainyour sarcasm 😀

I always thought it was fun to post in the dental forum about the MD's and then link to all the trash the predental students were talking in the MD forum and watch the chaos ensue. I was bored the summer before matriculation...

Would I be a good spammer if I take every opportunity to post? even if it's about nothing?

 

[UCSF2012]

...like this!

 

[dentistin2011]

Hey,
UCSF2012
your answer can NOT be any help to Doc3232.

 

[doc3232]

SOOOOO, back to the thread....thanks for the replies.
I don't understand how someone who is anywhere above the 0th% (meaning they were the weakest applicant that could get in) would get rejected. I know its a very awkward question. I want to know what to do to not mess up my chances of getting in.
THANKS
😀😀

 

[alanan84]

I don't know, I think it's pretty simple. Not EVERYONE can become a Dentist. You have to jump through the hoops and succeed. They just can't accept 10000 people a year.

 

[loved]

choked up during the interview 😱

 

[airsimon]

Telling the dean he smells like beef and cheese... not great for a 1st impression

 

[SuiteGrl]

Telling the dean he smells like beef and cheese... not great for a 1st impression

LOL 😀 Which dean was that?

 

[zoom12]

.

 

[dentstd]

In either respect, I highly doubt you can be overqualified for a school. For instance, my girlfriend who is 'better qualified' than me stat-wise did get an interview at Boston. Just goes to show you that a lot of the process has more to do with than what's on your paper.

The statement "I highly doubt you can be overqualified for a school" isn't quite supported by "my girlfriend who is 'better qualified' than me stat-wise did get an interview at Boston." If she got a lower score, then it would.

 

[zoom12]

The statement "I highly doubt you can be overqualified for a school" isn't quite supported by "my girlfriend who is 'better qualified' than me stat-wise did get an interview at Boston." If she got a lower score, then it would.

Hi there, sorry I was confusing. However, what I was trying to say is that if two people's stats are above average for any school, and if that school considered some students overqualified, then the higher stats would not get an interview (which was not the case) because they would be the most 'overqualified.'

If she had lower stats and got an interview, that would support the fact that you could be overqualified because the person with the higher stats did not get an interview. I am disagreeing with this statement and claiming that if I did not get an interview somewhere, it was because of faults in other areas of my application - not solely grades and/or test scores.

Yes anecdotal evidence does not do much, but it can prove in many situations that having GPA and DAT scores that surpass a school's average will not even guarantee you an interview, let alone an acceptance. This similarly applies to being below average such that statistically speaking (approximately) 1/2 of the class will be below those average scores.

 

[doc3232]

So what do we do to give them that warm fuzzy feeling, im in cali and i want to stay in cali (yes I know everyone will say just leave cali)?
thanks for replies everyone

 

[Tsrshorty]

why do you think people would tell you to just leave california?

 

[Lopyswine]

i got into a moderately heated argument with my interviewer at NYU. hahaha I was wait listed.

At the time of my interview I already had acceptances from my 1st and 2nd choice schools. I just went to NYU to check it out and see if it would win me over. Needless to say, it didn't.

the interviewer hated me, I hated him. we went back and forth over and over... the interview lasted over an hour. good times.

 

[SHC1984]

It means by backup schools never gave my application a second look while I got into my top choices.

This is actually true. Some schools with lower average stats know that people with high stats will never go there so they will not even interview them.
Thats why people with 25AA end up not getting interviews at some dental schools....

 

[allstardentist]

for me, gpa prevented me from getting interviews at few schools. I had a pretty high DAT score(24AA) but my GPA was around 3.4 and I got more rejections and accpetances.

 

[Amalgam4U]

Last year for sure it was the late application and LOR mixup. I applied super late b/c my LOR's didn't get in until about mid December.

Also, interview skills are pretty important I think too. My first 2 interviews I got waitlisted (my stats are a little above average) but after that practice I got into my next two schools outright. Interviewed at UOP then Columbia, then UCLA and USC. I didn't receive interviews at Case, Creighton, Harvard, OHSU, UW, or Houston. I turned my application in this year in August-ish.

 

[doc3232]

Last year for sure it was the late application and LOR mixup. I applied super late b/c my LOR's didn't get in until about mid December.

Also, interview skills are pretty important I think too. My first 2 interviews I got waitlisted (my stats are a little above average) but after that practice I got into my next two schools outright. Interviewed at UOP then Columbia, then UCLA and USC. I didn't receive interviews at Case, Creighton, Harvard, OHSU, UW, or Houston. I turned my application in this year in August-ish.

How can your GPA be higher than 4??

 

[Amalgam4U]

i lied.

lol, no i'm really not sure. I think they count A+'s as 4.3's or I also had honors credits. Not sure, but that's the GPA AADSAS gave me when I stuck all my grades in.

 

[doc3232]

i lied.

lol, no i'm really not sure. I think they count A+'s as 4.3's or I also had honors credits. Not sure, but that's the GPA AADSAS gave me when I stuck all my grades in.

Can someone further explain effect of A+s and honor classes?

 

[KinKs]

There are a multitude of answers to this question and knowing all of them will not necessarily help your application as many of the factors that influence adcom decisions are beyond your control. For example, some adcoms look on whether or not you will fit in the atmosphere of the school. If they think you fit great if you don't you don't. Why do you ask such an open ended question and what pupose do you wish to accomplish.

 

[Amalgam4U]

in the gpa calculation A+'s count as 4.3 instead of 4.0. I don't think the honors classes count as 5.0's like AP's in HS.

 

[blankguy]

Well if we take it one step further having an affair with the dean's wife/husband will get you shot. 😛

 

[Montserrat]

Biggest mistake I've seen some people make at interviews -

Not asking any questions. It's one thing to avoid being a pain in the butt by not bombarding people with questions, and it's another to show apathy by not asking anything at all. I should thank them, because comparatively, they made me look better.

I've had a number of job interviews, so having that experience paid off.

Also, another mistake I made was having a sense of humor with an interviewer who wasn't having any of it. I'm typically reserved during interviews, but I tried to be more social and bit beyond what I normally would do. Bad idea - I went for the icebreaker, and he went for my jugular. Awkwardness ensued 🙁

 

[blankguy]

Biggest mistake I've seen some people make at interviews -

Not asking any questions. It's one thing to avoid being a pain in the butt by not bombarding people with questions, and it's another to show apathy by not asking anything at all. I should thank them, because comparatively, they made me look better.

I've had a number of job interviews, so having that experience paid off.

Also, another mistake I made was having a sense of humor with an interviewer who wasn't having any of it. I'm typically reserved during interviews, but I tried to be more social and bit beyond what I normally would do. Bad idea - I went for the icebreaker, and he went for my jugular. Awkwardness ensued 🙁

I agree.
No questions in interview---->not well prepared
Joking during the interview---->dangerous and can backfire on you.
Play it safe.

 

[jigabodo]

Biggest mistake I've seen some people make at interviews -

Not asking any questions. It's one thing to avoid being a pain in the butt by not bombarding people with questions, and it's another to show apathy by not asking anything at all. I should thank them, because comparatively, they made me look better.

I've had a number of job interviews, so having that experience paid off.

Also, another mistake I made was having a sense of humor with an interviewer who wasn't having any of it. I'm typically reserved during interviews, but I tried to be more social and bit beyond what I normally would do. Bad idea - I went for the icebreaker, and he went for my jugular. Awkwardness ensued 🙁

Asking them questions can also avoid them asking you very difficult questions instead. It keeps the interviewer's mind occupied.

 

[blankguy]

Asking them questions can also avoid them asking you very difficult questions instead. It keeps the interviewer's mind occupied.

yeah, and in a way it preempts the questions that are going to be asked.

 

[Montserrat]

Asking them questions can also avoid them asking you very difficult questions instead. It keeps the interviewer's mind occupied.

Your doughboy is as white as they get - I'd poke him, but i think I'd miss.

 

[rimmies]

attempting to get in a year early with 2 years of cc....doesn't work 🙂