"Too High of Stats" Theory

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flossoraptor23

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Hey everyone, I have read on multiple different threads now that schools may just pass over applications (at least for pre- December interviews) if your stats are "too high". Is this really a thing? And what would be the reason for it or justification behind using this method when reviewing applications? It doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm curious if anyone else has heard of this and thoughts about it.
 
There's an actual term for this, but I'm drawing a blank right now. The reasoning behind it is that they don't want to hand out an acceptance to someone who's gonna end up choosing a more "prestigious" school over them. They waste their time/effort because they'll eventually have to fill up that spot with another applicant.

Some examples I can think of are newer schools or schools that have much lower stats required for acceptance.

I personally think it's strange for schools to do this because they should want the best and the brightest applicants.
They should put in the extra effort to "sell" their school to the best applicants. But it makes perfect sense in terms of saving money and time for schools.
 
Soleus715 said:
There's an actual term for this, but I'm drawing a blank right now. The reasoning behind it is that they don't want to hand out an acceptance to someone who's gonna end up choosing a more "prestigious" school over them. They waste their time/effort because they'll eventually have to fill up that spot with another applicant.

Some examples I can think of are newer schools or schools that have much lower stats required for acceptance.

I personally think it's strange for schools to do this because they should want the best and the brightest applicants.
They should put in the extra effort to "sell" their school to the best applicants. But it makes perfect sense in terms of saving money and time for schools.
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I think this also happens when an applicant with very high stats has good in-state options (eg. TX residents). The schools may think "oh they're gonna go to their state school anyway." Hard to "sell" their school when it's so much more expensive.
 
I'm personally skeptical that this actually happens. It seems more likely to me that people with very high stats sometimes get rejected for legitimate reasons they may have overlooked in their application (perhaps lacking something specific a school emphasizes, not being from a geographical location the school focuses on, or not being well-rounded in non-academic aspects) than it is qualified applicants being shut out for being 'too good and unlikely to attend'. Schools already know every applicant they want won't necessarily matriculate, and they adjust their number of interviews and the size of their waitlist accordingly. They don't need to toss out applicants that are genuinely desirable just because they may not end up attending.
 
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yeah its all speculation... but what else can we do while we wait for our decisions, besides just driving ourselves insane with crazy theories 🤣
 
Soleus715 said:
There's an actual term for this, but I'm drawing a blank right now. The reasoning behind it is that they don't want to hand out an acceptance to someone who's gonna end up choosing a more "prestigious" school over them. They waste their time/effort because they'll eventually have to fill up that spot with another applicant.

Some examples I can think of are newer schools or schools that have much lower stats required for acceptance.

I personally think it's strange for schools to do this because they should want the best and the brightest applicants.
They should put in the extra effort to "sell" their school to the best applicants. But it makes perfect sense in terms of saving money and time for schools.
Click to expand...

Tufts Syndrome. https://www.quora.com/Is-Tufts-Synd...rad-applicants-because-they-are-overqualified Wash U in St. Louis is notorious for this as well.

Totally unscientific, but I think it is real based on what I see here but like Feralis said, it's likely a combination of those extraordinary stats and something else--geography, lack of research or other "pre-req" that the school might want to see. Unlike undergrad, you really can't demonstrate interest in a school to let them know they are your #1 choice. Sure you can visit and such, but it's just not the same. I don't see it so much with the newer/private schools as you do with the state schools. Overall, however, yield is still an issue with the dental schools and they don't want to offer seats to students that are not likely to attend. There is a reason many of these schools ask where else you have applied, thus the Tufts Syndrome.
 
My experience last cycle:

3.6 GPA, 24 DAT (24 TS, 22 RC, 26 PAT)
NJ Resident, Applied 2nd batch

Pre-December Interviews: Columbia, UConn, Buffalo
Post-December Interviews: UMaryland, NYU, UPenn
Acceptances: Columbia, UConn, Buffalo, UMaryland, NYU (with scholarship), UPenn
Rejections: UoP, UCSF, UMichigan, Case Western, Harvard


I applied to schools I felt "overqualified" for in hopes of getting scholarship offers, but it didn't seem to work out since I flat-out didn't get interviews at the likes of UoP, UMichigan, and Case Western. UMaryland and NYU didn't give me pre-December invites so it was hard for me to consider them as well. If I were to do it again, I would have just applied to schools that I would go to regardless of any scholarships.
 
wan9sta said:
My experience last cycle:

3.6 GPA, 24 DAT (24 TS, 22 RC, 26 PAT)
NJ Resident, Applied 2nd batch

Pre-December Interviews: Columbia, UConn, Buffalo
Post-December Interviews: UMaryland, NYU, UPenn
Acceptances: Columbia, UConn, Buffalo, UMaryland, NYU (with scholarship), UPenn
Rejections: UoP, UCSF, UMichigan, Case Western, Harvard


I applied to schools I felt "overqualified" for in hopes of getting scholarship offers, but it didn't seem to work out since I flat-out didn't get interviews at the likes of UoP, UMichigan, and Case Western. UMaryland and NYU didn't give me pre-December invites so it was hard for me to consider them as well. If I were to do it again, I would have just applied to schools that I would go to regardless of any scholarships.
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No offense but it's not like your stats are high enough to expect scholarship offers from many schools...your DAT and GPA are above average but neither exceptionally so.
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
No offense but it's not like your stats are high enough to expect scholarship offers from many schools...your DAT and GPA are above average but neither exceptionally so.
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The DAT score is way above average (aka exceptional) and the gpa is a notch above average (aka decent). So you're wrong on that one.
 
ajj70 said:
Tufts Syndrome. https://www.quora.com/Is-Tufts-Synd...rad-applicants-because-they-are-overqualified Wash U in St. Louis is notorious for this as well.

Totally unscientific, but I think it is real based on what I see here but like Feralis said, it's likely a combination of those extraordinary stats and something else--geography, lack of research or other "pre-req" that the school might want to see. Unlike undergrad, you really can't demonstrate interest in a school to let them know they are your #1 choice. Sure you can visit and such, but it's just not the same. I don't see it so much with the newer/private schools as you do with the state schools. Overall, however, yield is still an issue with the dental schools and they don't want to offer seats to students that are not likely to attend. There is a reason many of these schools ask where else you have applied, thus the Tufts Syndrome.
Click to expand...
Were you by any chance a member of College Confidential back in the old days when you're were in HS?
 
studentdent00 said:
The DAT score is way above average (aka exceptional) and the gpa is a notch above average (aka decent). So you're wrong on that one.
Click to expand...

A 24 is not "way above average" in the context of how rare scholarships are for dental school. More than enough people make that score (and higher) every year that expecting a scholarship for it is naive.

Given that his GPA is just decent, he'd need an absolutely stellar DAT score to expect scholarship offers on the basis of it alone, as in 26+ at least.
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
A 24 is not "way above average" in the context of how rare scholarships are for dental school. More than enough people make that score (and higher) every year that expecting a scholarship for it is naive.

Given that his GPA is just decent, he'd need an absolutely stellar DAT score to expect scholarship offers on the basis of it alone, as in 26+ at least.
Click to expand...

Smh as usual you have no idea what you're talking about; only 0.3% of all applicants scored above a 26 on the PAT in 2009, and 1% scored above a 24 on TS. Why are you so eager to speak on subjects of which you have no understanding?

EDIT: Here is a user who scored a 27 A.A., 30 TS, and PAT 21 on the DAT and was told that he had little to no reason to expect a full scholarship by multiple members: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...aa-27-full-scholarship.1012951/#post-14148305

Dental schools, unlike medical schools, are not keen on offering scholarships, but it has nothing to do with your DAT scores, which are exceptional to say the least. Another member claimed that Tufts offers dental school students a merit scholarship for a few thousand dollars which they will immediately receive if they have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and an A.A. of 21 or higher.
 
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Frank22 said:
Smh as usual you have no idea what you're talking about; only 0.3% of all test-takers scored above a 26 on the PAT in 2009, and 1% scored above a 24 on TS. Why are you so eager to speak on subjects of which you have no understanding?

EDIT: Here is a user who scored a 27 A.A., 30 TS, and PAT 21 on the DAT and was told that he had little to no reason to expect a full scholarship by multiple members: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...aa-27-full-scholarship.1012951/#post-14148305

Dental schools, unlike medical schools, are not keen on offering scholarships, but it has nothing to do with your DAT scores, which are exceptional to say the least. Another member claimed that Tufts offers dental school students a merit scholarship for a few thousand dollars which they will immediately receive if they have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and an A.A. of 21 or higher.
Click to expand...

I see you're still bitter after your thread about how you wanted to appeal for a higher DAT score "because you swear they made mistakes" backfired. Once again, you seem very confused. The percentage of test takers that achieve a score overall is of little relevance to what score is necessarily impressive enough for a scholarship. I understand that you didn't do as well on the DAT as you wanted and have become very defensive about how high (or not) your score is, but rambling on irrelevant tangents is misplaced here.

Not sure why you're quoting a thread about the guy with a 27 AA/30 TS. That's an exceptionally high score that could receive scholarship consideration. Yours (and the one quoted in the thread here) are simply not. Set up your strawman argument elsewhere. You even botched the relevance of it to this thread: he is told not to expect a full scholarship, which is almost unheard of for dental school. Please get your reading comprehension up to par for civil discussion.
 
Frank22 said:
Smh as usual you have no idea what you're talking about; only 0.3% of all applicants scored above a 26 on the PAT in 2009, and 1% scored above a 24 on TS. Why are you so eager to speak on subjects of which you have no understanding?

EDIT: Here is a user who scored a 27 A.A., 30 TS, and PAT 21 on the DAT and was told that he had little to no reason to expect a full scholarship by multiple members: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...aa-27-full-scholarship.1012951/#post-14148305

Dental schools, unlike medical schools, are not keen on offering scholarships, but it has nothing to do with your DAT scores, which are exceptional to say the least. Another member claimed that Tufts offers dental school students a merit scholarship for a few thousand dollars which they will immediately receive if they have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and an A.A. of 21 or higher.
Click to expand...

That user was lying about his scores.
 
cacajuate said:
That user was lying about his scores.
Click to expand...

Okay. My point about that post is that the abovementioned user didn't not acquire a scholarship because his scores were too low; full-scholarships for dental school are seemingly unheard of and are unlikely to be acquired even if the one's earn a 30 on every section.
 
Frank22 said:
Okay. My point about that post is that the abovementioned user didn't not acquire a scholarship because his scores were too low; full-scholarships for dental school are seemingly unheard of and are unlikely to be acquired even if the one's earn a 30 on every section.
Click to expand...

Nobody in this thread has been talking about full scholarships. You tried to start **** and it backfired. Walk it off.
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
Nobody in this thread has been talking about full scholarships. You tried to start **** and it backfired. Walk it off.
Click to expand...

And a 26 PAT and 24 TS is not too low for whatever few scholarships are available. You sound like a little girl in Middle School who just won a game of Dungeons and Dragons; grow up and don't quote me again.
 
sexylife said:
jesus... you guys are still fighting. get over it
Click to expand...

I will admit that I don't like him, but I only quoted his post because he was promulgating nonsense on the net again. What amazes me is how he complements his farce with a pretentious air of superiority and uses childish phrases like "walk it off" and "I see you're still bitter" as if it is normal for college students, let alone dentists, operate on that level.
 
After noting how immature and childish PlasmaMembrane's posts are, he responds: "You sound like you need to get laid, Frank." :smack:
 
tumblr_maynhfag4b1qkfp0go1_250.gif
 
Seeing members posting memes telling us to knock it off hours after the conversation has ended smh
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
A 24 is not "way above average" in the context of how rare scholarships are for dental school. More than enough people make that score (and higher) every year that expecting a scholarship for it is naive.

Given that his GPA is just decent, he'd need an absolutely stellar DAT score to expect scholarship offers on the basis of it alone, as in 26+ at least.
Click to expand...
.
 
Frank22 said:
Smh as usual you have no idea what you're talking about; only 0.3% of all applicants scored above a 26 on the PAT in 2009, and 1% scored above a 24 on TS. Why are you so eager to speak on subjects of which you have no understanding?

EDIT: Here is a user who scored a 27 A.A., 30 TS, and PAT 21 on the DAT and was told that he had little to no reason to expect a full scholarship by multiple members: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...aa-27-full-scholarship.1012951/#post-14148305

Dental schools, unlike medical schools, are not keen on offering scholarships, but it has nothing to do with your DAT scores, which are exceptional to say the least. Another member claimed that Tufts offers dental school students a merit scholarship for a few thousand dollars which they will immediately receive if they have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and an A.A. of 21 or higher.
Click to expand...

If you look at the acceptance treads from years past, you will see that scholarships, partial, no full, are actually not all that uncommon and a TS of 24 puts someone in the running for some scholarship money. I think you have it wrong, it's medical schools that are not keen on offering scholarships. The biggest scholarship I remember seeing, however, was about $20,000/year, which is serious money over 4 years but still not a full ride. I'd have to double check numbers for Iowa though, it's reported that out of state students taking full loans are offered "scholarships" to bring the price to almost in-state costs so that might actually be more than 20K. With an average DAT of 19.9 for accepted students last year, 24+ on a 30 point scale is WAY above average.
 
ajj70 said:
If you look at the acceptance treads from years past, you will see that scholarships, partial, no full, are actually not all that uncommon and a TS of 24 puts someone in the running for some scholarship money. I think you have it wrong, it's medical schools that are not keen on offering scholarships. The biggest scholarship I remember seeing, however, was about $20,000/year, which is serious money over 4 years but still not a full ride. I'd have to double check numbers for Iowa though, it's reported that out of state students taking full loans are offered "scholarships" to bring the price to almost in-state costs so that might actually be more than 20K. With an average DAT of 19.9 for accepted students last year, 24+ on a 30 point scale is WAY above average.
Click to expand...

So tell that to Plasmamembrane, and good luck having him admit that he's wrong (he's more likely to insult you and tell you to go out more). In another thread he wrongly claimed that a single wrong answer could "never" bring one's score down from a 30 to a 25 in the science sections, then after proving that he had no idea what he was talking about he began to insult me and write with a pretense of superiority. Apparently other members on here like that kind of person, but I have a strong aversion for those who pretend to know what they're talking about and resort to insults when they're shown to be in error.

EDIT: you may be confused regarding who is arguing what. This is what Plasmamembrane said to a user with a 26 PAT and 24 A.A. (note, the user said nothing about scholarships, only about which schools he applied to and which acceptances/rejections he received):

"No offense but it's not like your stats are high enough to expect scholarship offers from many schools...your DAT and GPA are above average but neither exceptionally so."
 
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What would you consider to be "too high"?
 
I hadn't heard back from Louisville last year when a lady came to visit our school and do a predental presentation on Louisville. My stats were well above louisvilles class stats so I was a little disappointed that I hadn't received an invite there. I was frank with the lady though and just asked her why I didn't have an interview. She asked me my stats and upon finding out she got a look on her face like she knew exactly why. She said she was sorry I hadn't but that some of the people in admissions don't think it is beneficial to invite certain applicants who probably won't accept a spot in the class based on their other offers. She didn't agree with this reasoning but she did admit that it happens at Louisville. I had had this same speculation but I didn't believe that schools actually do it until I heard it from the horses mouth. It's unfortunate that some schools assume that someone wouldn't want to go there because the school isn't good enough. In the beginning I really liked the idea of attending Louisville but after this happened, even though she went back and got me an interview, I didn't think as highly of Louisville, and I wasn't as stoked about the idea. If a school believes you're too good for their school, it makes you wonder if you really are. So short answer to your original question, it happens, I don't know all of the places it happens at, but it definitely happens. My advice, attend a school that wants you and realizes you will be an asset to their school, whether your stats or too high or too low!
 
A Pre-dent said:
Who is the "lady" exactly? I don't believe it unless she is on the admissions committee. Otherwise it is still hearsay, even if she is a rep from the school.
Click to expand...

I have "very high stats" (higher than lanzo's), am from a state pretty far from Kentucky and have no ties there, and received an interview invite from Louisville. Maybe the rep just wanted to let him down softly.
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
I have "very high stats" (higher than lanzo's), am from a state pretty far from Kentucky and have no ties there, and received an interview invite from Louisville. Maybe the rep just wanted to let him down softly.
Click to expand...
You have very high stats? Gee, I never would have guessed that, seriously.
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
I have "very high stats" (higher than lanzo's), am from a state pretty far from Kentucky and have no ties there, and received an interview invite from Louisville. Maybe the rep just wanted to let him down softly.
Click to expand...
What are your stats?
 
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