Some advice for applicants in next years cycle

[avangusva]

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After reading some threads about people not having interviews, or no acceptances, I felt compelled to make a thread that outlines some KEY points that are floating around these forums which are very important but some people seem to miss completely.



-This is what I would do if I could do it all over again:

-I would have taken the DAT in April/May.

-I would have had my professors/doctors write my LOR in late May.

-I would have started my AADSAS application on June 1st.

-I would have had my transcripts sent to AADSAS on June 1st, as well as the LOR's.

-I would do anything in my power to have my application complete and sent out as EARLY as possible. I don't think people understand how important that is.

-I would apply strategically. I would definitely apply to a minimum of 8 schools, assuming I had (what I thought to be) excellent numbers, both DAT and GPA. If I had anything less than a 3.5 GPA or a 20AA 20TS, I would apply to at least 10 schools, if not more. I personally, as you can see on my pre-dents profile, applied to 17 schools.

-I would attend EVERY single interview I received, despite how many pre-december interviews I had. At the very least, I would schedule the interviews I didn't really care for to be after December 1st. I would never flat out reject an interview unless I had an acceptance in hand.

-I would make sure to follow SDN and if other pre-dents who were in the same AADSAS batch mailing as I was had a "file complete", and I didn't, I would find out why.

-I would make sure to prepare well for my interviews and try my best.



And lastly, I would learn how to wait... and wait... and wait... and wait... all patiently, of course.
🙂 Good luck to all of you applying next year. Congratulations to those of us fortunate enough to have received good news today. Stay motivated and optimistic to those of us who are still waiting to hear word.

👍👍

 

[FROGGBUSTER]

Great thread.

Here are something I've learned.

#1. Don't be afraid to take the DAT in August if you feel you need the summer to prepare. Obviously, if you're ready you should take it as soon as you can, but don't take it in May for the sake of sending out your app on June 1. It's always better to get that score you want in your first try. I actually had an SDNer snarkily tell me that I should only take the DAT in August if I don't want to get accepted this year (3 acceptances today says otherwise!). Disregard all that - August isn't early, but it's not too late at all.

#2. Start doing mock interviews very early on. Know how to answer all the commonly asked questions, but most importantly know how to talk about yourself confidently. Others may not agree, but I believe in preparing extensively for interviews. Some people say it makes you come across rehearsed, but if you truly believe in the things that you're saying, it will come out as genuine anyways.

#3. SMILE during interviews. Be funny and personable. Make your interview conversation-like. It DOES make a difference to be likable.

#4. "Once people get interviews, everyone is on equal footing" - don't listen to this, it's BS imo. It may be more true for schools like UCLA & UOP, which accept 90+% & almost 99+%, respectively, of all the students they invite for an interview, but in general, I believe they do go back and look at your application as a whole, taking your interview into consideration.

#5. Your grades and DAT are most important. Nothing else even comes close.

#6. Another interview tip: demonstrate how knowledgeable you are about the field. Follow current dental issues, talk to a lot of dentists and get their input on things, etc. I had an interviewer tell me how impressed he was that I had explored the field so thoroughly, and I think that made a difference when he was writing his notes for me. SHOW how passionate you are for the field.



I'll add more if I can think of anything else...

 

[jvolcano]

After reading some threads about people not having interviews, or no acceptances, I felt compelled to make a thread that outlines some KEY points that are floating around these forums which are very important but some people seem to miss completely.



-This is what I would do if I could do it all over again:

-I would have taken the DAT in April/May.

-I would have had my professors/doctors write my LOR in late May.

-I would have started my AADSAS application on June 1st.

-I would have had my transcripts sent to AADSAS on June 1st, as well as the LOR's.

-I would do anything in my power to have my application complete and sent out as EARLY as possible. I don't think people understand how important that is.

-I would apply strategically. I would definitely apply to a minimum of 8 schools, assuming I had (what I thought to be) excellent numbers, both DAT and GPA. If I had anything less than a 3.5 GPA or a 20AA 20TS, I would apply to at least 10 schools, if not more. Personally, as you can see on my pre-dents profile, applied to 17 schools.

-I would attend EVERY single interview I received, despite how many pre-december interviews I had. At the very least, I would schedule the interviews I didn't really care for to be after December 1st. I would never flat out reject an interview unless I had an acceptance in hand.

-I would make sure to follow SDN and if other pre-dents who were in the same AADSAS batch mailing as I was had a "file complete", and I didn't, I would find out why.

-I would make sure to prepare well for my interviews and try my best.



And lastly, I would learn how to wait... and wait... and wait... and wait... all patiently, of course.
🙂 Good luck to all of you applying next year. Congratulations to those of us fortunate enough to have received good news today. Stay motivated and optimistic to those of us who are still waiting to hear word.

👍👍👍

Sorry to be the devil's advocate but this is also another strategy that worked well for me.

- Take the DAT in August (You have the entire summer to study and you can fully concentrate on the DAT and not other school work)

- Spend the summer job shadowing as well and working on your AADSAS application

- I asked my professors to write me a letter of recommendation in June. I told them I would need it by early Sep. They fulfilled my demands.

- I don't think it's a good idea to rush and get your application in by June if that means a 19 AA. I would rather submit my application in Sep with a 22 AA.

- FYI my application was completed and mailed out by AADSAS on Sep 16th.

- I totally agree with the rest of your points.

 

[Bereno]

Great thread! I would like to add a few things though:

First, you can fill out your AADSAS application before June 1st. Just open up an account in spring, fill it out the best you can (including personal statement). Do this, so when you need to set up an account on June 1st, you can just copy, paste, submit

A second thing is don't make your list of schools to apply to till after you have your DAT score. I applied before i took the DAT, and after I got my score i was annoyed that some of the schools I applied to were now wasted money. Essentially, apply to schools that you would be "competitive" in.

 

[jvolcano]

Great thread.

Here are something I've learned.

#1. Don't be afraid to take the DAT in August if you feel you need the summer to prepare. Obviously, if you're ready you should take it as soon as you can, but don't take it in May for the sake of sending out your app on June 1. It's always better to get that score you want in your first try. I actually had an SDNer snarkily tell me that I should only take the DAT in August if I don't want to get accepted this year (3 acceptances today says otherwise!). Disregard all that - August isn't early, but it's not too late at all.

#2. Start doing mock interviews very early on. Know how to answer all the commonly asked questions, but most importantly know how to talk about yourself confidently. Others may not agree, but I believe in preparing extensively for interviews. Some people say it makes you come across rehearsed, but if you truly believe in the things that you're saying, it will come out as genuine anyways.

#3. SMILE during interviews. Be funny and personable. Make your interview conversation-like. It DOES make a difference to be likable.

#4. "Once people get interviews, everyone is on equal footing" - don't listen to this, it's BS imo. It may be more true for schools like UCLA & UOP, which accept 90+% & almost 99+%, respectively, of all the students they invite for an interview, but in general, I believe they do go back and look at your application as a whole, taking your interview into consideration.

#5. Your grades and DAT are most important. Nothing else even comes close.

#6. Another interview tip: demonstrate how knowledgeable you are about the field. Follow current dental issues, talk to a lot of dentists and get their input on things, etc. I had an interviewer tell me how impressed he was that I had explored the field so thoroughly, and I think that made a difference when he was writing his notes for me. SHOW how passionate you are for the field.



I'll add more if I can think of anything else...

Totally agree! You touched on the stuff that I just mentioned. I took the DAT in August and got 3 acceptances. Congrats on yours!

 

[FROGGBUSTER]

Totally agree! You touched on the stuff that I just mentioned. I took the DAT in August and got 3 acceptances. Congrats on yours!

Congrats!

August DAT club. 🙂
3 acceptances club. 🙂

 

[jvolcano]

Hey Bereno,

Out of curiosity why did you choose UConn over NYU so quickly? (I got accepted to NYU as well and I'm just weighing options)

 

[avangusva]

Awesome! I'm very glad that people are coming in and giving their own opinions. The reason I recommended the earlier DAT of April is so that a re-take is possible, so also take that into consideration before taking the DAT. I think it's still very important to have your application in as early as possible. Like mentioned, this shouldn't mean have it rushed, but the worst feeling is waiting on one more LOR or waiting for the transcripts to be sent in. I would recommend getting those out of the way quickly, since they take up so much time.

I would also like to highlight another point someone made about exploring dentistry. I learned SO much from shadowing different dentists in various practices and across multiple specialties. It really does make a huge difference when you have had exposure to the different types of offices. I think many would be surprised to see just how different each office is. This also has very good practical applications should you want to open your own office upon graduation.

Congratulations to you guys. Three acceptances as well. 🙂 We did something right, I guess!

 

[Bereno]

Hey Bereno,

Out of curiosity why did you choose UConn over NYU so quickly? (I got accepted to NYU as well and I'm just weighing options)

I usually try to keep threads on topic, so you have a friendly PM 👍

 

[jvolcano]

Congrats buddy!

My mentality for the DAT was to take it once and be done with it forever. I wanted to avoid the retake which would save like 320 dollars, haha.

Overpriced exam!

 

[jvolcano]

No problem just got the notification. Thanks Bereno!

 

[avangusva]

Also, with regards to applying to school that you're competitive for, I agree!

If I was going to apply to 9 schools, I think I would pick 3 schools that had an incoming class with lower stats than mine, 3 schools with similar stats, and probably 3 schools that I would consider "reach" schools. That strategy seems to work well, and you'll be surprised how many "reach" schools offer you an interview compared to the so called "safety" schools. There is no such thing as a safety school, in my opinion.

 

[jvolcano]

Which school are you leaning towards?

 

[grb2sos]

Another thing I would add to the above (which may seem obvious to some) is make sure you have TONS of research experiance, shadowing, and volunteering. I was lacking in those areas and thought that 3000+ hours of work during school and in the summer would be an okay supplement. Got asked about the three former ALOT during interviews, but not much about the latter.

ADDITION: It is awesome seeing so many people being supportive towards one another through this rough experiance. Won't normally find that on forums and comment sections of other websites.

Also, I would somewhat argue that DAT and grades get interviews, but E.C.s and personality result in acceptances. Just my take on the whole experiance.

 

[06132008]

I have at least three semesters before finishing my undergrad, probably graduating May 2013 but NOT sure. should I apply this summer? Please, any kind of advice will be a huge favor...

 

[OCDFlosser]

Another thing to add, which I found VERY important...

Don't take more than 12 credit hours during the Fall of your application cycle.

I took 16 (13 credits of sciences) and subsequently had to turn down interviews due to time constraints and the expense (I had already taken too much time off work to afford it all).

 

[persenmi]

Aside from applying early, I think the most important thing is to apply strategicaly. Spend the $40 on the ADEA Handbook and use the data to optimize your applications.

 

[Coenobita]

I want to add:

-write hand written thank you cards if the school does not explicitly say to not send thank you notes.

-apply for an american express a year before you plan to apply. This way you can hopefully get a card, but raise the maximum a few months later.

-get a check book before june.

-give your professors a month deadline before you actually want your letters of recs

-buy a pack of about 15 stamps before june. (i ended up making like 7 drives to the post office because I bought only one at a time)

good luck to all!

 

[SupDanLOL]

I've seen some of the most organized, well-planned applicants get in trouble and fall behind because their LORs were late and holding up their application. Thankfully for me, my school required them all by February so the pre-health office could draft up my committee letter. LORs are probably the most important thing following DAT and GPA, in my opinion... you want to ensure you have these properly taken care of. Point is-- DON'T delay on getting this taken care of. Even if you submit to AADSAS a bit later as a result, just remember that one of these is dependent on other people and snail mail, while the other is finished and sent in the click of a button... and your application isn't complete until both are finished.

Also...thank you cards? Amateurish. I got accepted to every school I interviewed at without them. So at the very least we can deduce that they are not necessary. Maybe send an email if you feel so inclined... a thank you card is over the top in my opinion. Plenty of people disagree here, so do whatever you feel is best given the demeanor of the interviewer/interview.

 

[Enchant16]

Great thread.

Here are something I've learned.

#1. Don't be afraid to take the DAT in August if you feel you need the summer to prepare. Obviously, if you're ready you should take it as soon as you can, but don't take it in May for the sake of sending out your app on June 1. It's always better to get that score you want in your first try. I actually had an SDNer snarkily tell me that I should only take the DAT in August if I don't want to get accepted this year (3 acceptances today says otherwise!). Disregard all that - August isn't early, but it's not too late at all.

#2. Start doing mock interviews very early on. Know how to answer all the commonly asked questions, but most importantly know how to talk about yourself confidently. Others may not agree, but I believe in preparing extensively for interviews. Some people say it makes you come across rehearsed, but if you truly believe in the things that you're saying, it will come out as genuine anyways.

#3. SMILE during interviews. Be funny and personable. Make your interview conversation-like. It DOES make a difference to be likable.

#4. "Once people get interviews, everyone is on equal footing" - don't listen to this, it's BS imo. It may be more true for schools like UCLA & UOP, which accept 90+% & almost 99+%, respectively, of all the students they invite for an interview, but in general, I believe they do go back and look at your application as a whole, taking your interview into consideration.

#5. Your grades and DAT are most important. Nothing else even comes close.

#6. Another interview tip: demonstrate how knowledgeable you are about the field. Follow current dental issues, talk to a lot of dentists and get their input on things, etc. I had an interviewer tell me how impressed he was that I had explored the field so thoroughly, and I think that made a difference when he was writing his notes for me. SHOW how passionate you are for the field.



I'll add more if I can think of anything else...

I definately agree about not being afraid to take the DAT in August. ( I took mine mid August) I was one of those people that just didnt feel ready in July and decided to push it back but I was afraid it would have a huge impact on the application process. And it DEFINATELY didnt. Im so happy I waited I felt so much more prepared which is key !!!!

 

[SupDanLOL]

I definately agree about not being afraid to take the DAT in August. ( I took mine mid August) I was one of those people that just didnt feel ready in July and decided to push it back but I was afraid it would have a huge impact on the application process. And it DEFINATELY didnt. Im so happy I waited I felt so much more prepared which is key !!!!

Agreed. Took the DAT late July. It payed off big.

 

[LaFleur]

Another thing I would add to the above (which may seem obvious to some) is make sure you have TONS of research experiance, shadowing, and volunteering. I was lacking in those areas and thought that 3000+ hours of work during school and in the summer would be an okay supplement. Got asked about the three former ALOT during interviews, but not much about the latter.

3000+ hours of work experience and they still asked you mainly about research, shadowing, and volunteering?!? 😱 Wow! I really hope you got in despite lacking in the research, shadowing, and volunteering areas, as 3000+ hours of work experience while in taking classes is...well, quite impressive IMO (possibly even more than the R, S, V combo...no offense to anyone else!).

ADDITION: It is awesome seeing so many people being supportive towards one another through this rough experiance. Won't normally find that on forums and comment sections of other websites.

Agreed. I love the pre-dental section of this website.

Also, I would somewhat argue that DAT and grades get interviews, but E.C.s and personality result in acceptances. Just my take on the whole experiance.

This would make sense, since by virtue of giving out an interview, they are saying that you're good enough stats-wise to gain acceptance to the institution...did anyone think this held true for any of the schools you interviewed at?

 

[LaFleur]

#1. Don't be afraid to take the DAT in August if you feel you need the summer to prepare. Obviously, if you're ready you should take it as soon as you can, but don't take it in May for the sake of sending out your app on June 1. It's always better to get that score you want in your first try. I actually had an SDNer snarkily tell me that I should only take the DAT in August if I don't want to get accepted this year (3 acceptances today says otherwise!). Disregard all that - August isn't early, but it's not too late at all.

- Take the DAT in August (You have the entire summer to study and you can fully concentrate on the DAT and not other school work)

I definately agree about not being afraid to take the DAT in August. ( I took mine mid August) I was one of those people that just didnt feel ready in July and decided to push it back but I was afraid it would have a huge impact on the application process. And it DEFINATELY didnt. Im so happy I waited I felt so much more prepared which is key !!!!

Do you guys think this holds true even for people with a lower than average GPA/sGPA? I would think in this case that scoring super well on the DAT would be more important, however, it's also important to send your application out early in this case...how do you guys think this balancing act plays out? I'm thinking higher DAT = more important, because then at least you don't have to retake that for the next cycle, should you not get in.

 

[amh137]

I would recommend taking the DAT after your sophomore year of undergrad. That way, ochem will be fresh and gen chem/bio won't be too old to remember. Although not needed, I think it would be good to have some upper level bio courses before taking the DAT, but that's just my opinion.

 

[SEAirLand]

congrats!

August dat club. 🙂
3 acceptances club. 🙂

+1

 

[mc719]

Another thing I would add to the above (which may seem obvious to some) is make sure you have TONS of research experiance, shadowing, and volunteering. I was lacking in those areas and thought that 3000+ hours of work during school and in the summer would be an okay supplement. Got asked about the three former ALOT during interviews, but not much about the latter.

ADDITION: It is awesome seeing so many people being supportive towards one another through this rough experiance. Won't normally find that on forums and comment sections of other websites.

Also, I would somewhat argue that DAT and grades get interviews, but E.C.s and personality result in acceptances. Just my take on the whole experiance.

This is probably the most helpful post on this thread for future applicants. I am in the same situation, I've worked a ton during undergrad but I only had a few shadowing hours and no real dental related volunteer work.

I would also suggest to really focus on doing good E.C. activities throughout your time in undergrad.

Do a lot of research on different schools and don't be afraid to apply to a lot of them. When you research different schools look at their acceptance rate of students that are in your same situation, oos or in state for example. Also, look at how much they cost. And show a lot of interest in every school that you apply to. They really, really, really look for students who show a lot of interest in the school because they don't want to accept students who they don't think are likely to even attend.

 

[amalgamgrillz]

If I was applying for the first time next year, I'd submit a BS application right now to a school I didn't care about; that way, all my AADSAS stuff would be saved, and I could submit ASAP.

 

[dantemac]

I'd like to add another one: Ask meaningful questions. Don't ask about how many pass the boards and how many get to graduate on time. Have faith in the school.

At my Penn interview, I got in the room and the first words out of her mouth were "So, I have your file and I know you pretty well, so what do you want to know about us?"

Schools like when you take an interest deeper than what you can find on the website.

 

[Rutgers2015]

They should make this thread "sticky" so next year's applicants can find/read/benefit from it!

 

[chippy]

I totally agree with taking the DAT the summer after your sophomore year. That way, you have all of that summer to study and focus on it, and all you have to worry about your post-junior summer is getting those applications in ASAP then you can chill for a couple months 🙂

Also, I understand that some people just really want to get in, no matter what or where the school is, but I would like to politely argue that. Don't sell yourself short. You've been working your tail off for years to get to this point in your life, so don't settle for just some school. Apply to the ones you would legitimately be excited and comfortable to attend, and believe that you are worth those schools. Fight your ass off to make them notice you and make them believe you are worth it too. Get what YOU want, not what just gets dealt to you after throwing thousands of dollars at aadsas and app fees. Apply smart, apply confident, and go get 'em.

 

[MuskieMan33]

I totally agree with taking the DAT the summer after your sophomore year. That way, you have all of that summer to study and focus on it, and all you have to worry about your post-junior summer is getting those applications in ASAP then you can chill for a couple months 🙂

This would have been a great idea, had I have taken gen chem and orgo prior. But I'm a junior, taking organic, now and I know a lot of people don't get around to orgo til their junior year. But yes, it would have been nice to already have it out of the way. Now I have to find some time to squeeze in DAT prep, finals, summer courses. So either I take it March/April or wait til the summer while I'm taking summer courses or wait til after summer classes and fit in prep before fall 2012 semester starts 🙁

 

[seattlesun]

If I was applying for the first time next year, I'd submit a BS application right now to a school I didn't care about; that way, all my AADSAS stuff would be saved, and I could submit ASAP.

Personally, I would not do this because on the year when you truly intend to apply you will not be considered a first-time applicant any more. You can just print everything, or for the short answers you can copy in a word file. You don't want to be considered a second time applicant when it's your first. You may get questions at an interview of what happened that you didn't get in in the previous year.

 

[kamepan]

My issue was forgetting that each school asks for different LORs. I was scrambling late September to get a fourth letter from an academic professor since some schools didn't want one from a dentist.

Actually, my advice is to get on REALLY REALLY good terms with professors or people you'd like to write your letters for you. Start this early- most people don't think about it until it's too late, or they might only have one solid rec from a PI. On SDN, people have great stats and ECs for the most part, and I'm sure everyone is decent at an interview- yet not everyone gets in. I think that LORs play a bigger role than most people think (or remember). Stuff that might make a difference- essay (even these probably start to sound the same), LOR, interviews (of course this is later). Everyone has the numbers and EC.

Take the DAT summer after your third year........

Definitely apply to a several schools since they're so unpredictable...

 

[FLOSS UR TEETH]

After reading some threads about people not having interviews, or no acceptances, I felt compelled to make a thread that outlines some KEY points that are floating around these forums which are very important but some people seem to miss completely.



-This is what I would do if I could do it all over again:

-I would have taken the DAT in April/May.

-I would have had my professors/doctors write my LOR in late May.

-I would have started my AADSAS application on June 1st.

-I would have had my transcripts sent to AADSAS on June 1st, as well as the LOR's.

-I would do anything in my power to have my application complete and sent out as EARLY as possible. I don't think people understand how important that is.

-I would apply strategically. I would definitely apply to a minimum of 8 schools, assuming I had (what I thought to be) excellent numbers, both DAT and GPA. If I had anything less than a 3.5 GPA or a 20AA 20TS, I would apply to at least 10 schools, if not more. I personally, as you can see on my pre-dents profile, applied to 17 schools.

-I would attend EVERY single interview I received, despite how many pre-december interviews I had. At the very least, I would schedule the interviews I didn't really care for to be after December 1st. I would never flat out reject an interview unless I had an acceptance in hand.

-I would make sure to follow SDN and if other pre-dents who were in the same AADSAS batch mailing as I was had a "file complete", and I didn't, I would find out why.

-I would make sure to prepare well for my interviews and try my best.



And lastly, I would learn how to wait... and wait... and wait... and wait... all patiently, of course.
🙂 Good luck to all of you applying next year. Congratulations to those of us fortunate enough to have received good news today. Stay motivated and optimistic to those of us who are still waiting to hear word.

👍👍

Great thread.

Here are something I've learned.

#1. Don't be afraid to take the DAT in August if you feel you need the summer to prepare. Obviously, if you're ready you should take it as soon as you can, but don't take it in May for the sake of sending out your app on June 1. It's always better to get that score you want in your first try. I actually had an SDNer snarkily tell me that I should only take the DAT in August if I don't want to get accepted this year (3 acceptances today says otherwise!). Disregard all that - August isn't early, but it's not too late at all.

#2. Start doing mock interviews very early on. Know how to answer all the commonly asked questions, but most importantly know how to talk about yourself confidently. Others may not agree, but I believe in preparing extensively for interviews. Some people say it makes you come across rehearsed, but if you truly believe in the things that you're saying, it will come out as genuine anyways.

#3. SMILE during interviews. Be funny and personable. Make your interview conversation-like. It DOES make a difference to be likable.

#4. "Once people get interviews, everyone is on equal footing" - don't listen to this, it's BS imo. It may be more true for schools like UCLA & UOP, which accept 90+% & almost 99+%, respectively, of all the students they invite for an interview, but in general, I believe they do go back and look at your application as a whole, taking your interview into consideration.

#5. Your grades and DAT are most important. Nothing else even comes close.

#6. Another interview tip: demonstrate how knowledgeable you are about the field. Follow current dental issues, talk to a lot of dentists and get their input on things, etc. I had an interviewer tell me how impressed he was that I had explored the field so thoroughly, and I think that made a difference when he was writing his notes for me. SHOW how passionate you are for the field.



I'll add more if I can think of anything else...

Well said OP and FROGGBUSTER. I must also add that I took the DAT in August too and sent my application in on June 3rd. I received 11 PRE-December interviews. I actually had to move 4 of them to post-december. The whole concept of getting your application in early is just that. Your DAT does NOT need to accompany your application right away and despite popular belief, schools will actually start reviewing your app even w/o DAT scores. Also, I faxed over my Unofficial Score Report right after taking it to the dental schools and received 3 interview invites a few days later. Don't forget it takes 2-3 weeks for the schools to receive your Official scores. August was perfect for me. There was no way in hell I was going to score well on it w/o taking advantage of the summer. You DO NOT want to have to take the test more than once so do it right the first time.

Also, I would like to bust another myth. You do NOT have to be white to do minority summer programs such as SMDEP, UCLA PREP, & UNC MED. Many caucasians are scared to apply to these programs because of the color of their skin. My advice is don't be scared and APPLY. I was accepted to 3 of these programs and I am a white traditional student. I did a DAT prep one which was the best decision I have ever made and two where you take a "mini" dental semester. These programs also tend to feed their students into the respective school you are doing it at and pay you thousands of dollars. Not to mention boost your application.

For your personal statement and EC:

It took me 1 year to complete my personal statement. Go to your writing center at school as much as you can and get as many people you possibly can to read it. You will be surprised how much you can fit into 4500 characters. Every sentence should be packed with details that are PERSONAL hence the name, personal statement. Also, do not forget what your PS should be revolving around. Why Dentistry? I have seen way to many PS that don't even answer the question. You must answer why you want to go into dentistry and put your best foot forward. As far as EC's go, I personally researched my top schools and saw what kind of community service they did. I then modeled that exact community service and did it 4 years in a row. I also did another community service experience that showed manual dexterity for four years. All my interviewers were excited to hear my experiences with these. Also consider research. There are many summer research programs and I did one where they payed me nearly 5,000 dollars and gave me a free plane ticket to another country to do research! Granted this specific program can only be done through my school but there are so many programs out there like this one and that are willing to pay great money for students to do research in the summer. It also allows you to get yourself published in some insane journals, that was my case at least!

Major:

Pick whichever major that you love and will give you the highest GPA. You can major in literally anything even beer brewing (this is actually a major lol). However, IMO it is easier to do Biology or some other science because it will most likely cover all the pre-reqs and possibly help you a little more on the DAT but its nothing too big. On the other hand, 1 philosophy major does stand out a bit against 100 biology majors.

LOR:

Get these from people who know you very very well and you are 100% certain that they will give you a great LOR. Also, look into using a website called Interfolio. It was awesome because it allowed me to store and collect my LOR's months before I wanted to send my application in. This is good for one reason: complete control over your LOR's. YOU send them to AADSAS, not your professors (i.e. they get in on time). I gave them a deadline which was months before AADSAS opened up and 90% of them missed it by at least a month. This will most likely happen to you as well so definitely give them a way earlier deadline and consider looking into Interfolio which is a cheap method to insure you get those LOR's in quickly.

I can't think of anything else but if I do I will post it. This thread is great by the way.

 

[doc toothache]

Your DAT does NOT need to accompany your application right away and despite popular belief, schools will actually start reviewing your app even w/o DAT scores. Also, I faxed over my Unofficial Score Report right after taking it to the dental schools and received 3 interview invites a few days later. Don't forget it takes 2-3 weeks for the schools to receive your Official scores. August was perfect for me. There was no way in hell I was going to score well on it w/o taking advantage of the summer. You DO NOT want to have to take the test more than once so do it right the first time.

There are only 10 ds that will "consider" an application without the DAT scores.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=774287

 

[FLOSS UR TEETH]

There are only 10 ds that will "consider" an application without the DAT scores.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=774287

ok so send it to those 10 ds.....

by the way, one of the school's that sent me an interview the day after I gave them my unofficial score report is NOT on that list of yours.

 

[dantemac]

Another thing I'd suggest is requesting transcripts to be sent out immediately. I waited a little bit thinking I'd fill the application out and finish my personal statement first.

WRONG.

Work on your personal statement early! Send out your transcripts ASAP! Aadsas takes forever processing.

 

[flourish09]

Another thing I'd suggest is requesting transcripts to be sent out immediately. I waited a little bit thinking I'd fill the application out and finish my personal statement first.

WRONG.

Work on your personal statement early! Send out your transcripts ASAP! Aadsas takes forever processing.

definitely agree. i kept revising my personal statement & it took wayy longer than i had planned/hoped and caused me to not be able to submit my application until way late :/ ha so yes definitely work on that early !