Unique Situation-Help with School List?

[Changedude21]

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So I am applying for a third time to dental school. I am applying to 25 schools currently. My situation is unique since I have competitive stats (3.69 sgpa, 23 aa, 170 shadowing hours, 300 volunteer hours, 150 research hours, etc.). HOWEVER, I was suspended from Jan to May of 2012 for attempting to take my roommate's final exam in December 2011. I have written about the incident in my PS and have contacted each school directly (some haven't responded, some say it will affect me, others say they will look at entire app). So, knowing this limited info, what do you think of the schools? any I should take out? cause 25 is definitely a lot. thank you! Btw, I am an NC resident.

UNC
ECU
Columbia
UOP
NYU
VCU
Maryland
Boston
LECOM
suny buffalo
south Carolina
uconn
Detroit mercy
roseman
Louisville
case
usc
Tufts
mosdoh
Georgia
new England
western
nova
iowa
Midwestern il

 

[xbite]

So I am applying for a third time to dental school. I am applying to 25 schools currently. My situation is unique since I have competitive stats (3.69 sgpa, 23 aa, 170 shadowing hours, 300 volunteer hours, 150 research hours, etc.). HOWEVER, I was suspended from Jan to May of 2012 for attempting to take my roommate's final exam in December 2011. I have written about the incident in my PS and have contacted each school directly (some haven't responded, some say it will affect me, others say they will look at entire app). So, knowing this limited info, what do you think of the schools? any I should take out? cause 25 is definitely a lot. thank you! Btw, I am an NC resident.

UNC
ECU
Columbia
UOP
NYU
VCU
Maryland
Boston
LECOM
suny buffalo
south Carolina
uconn
Detroit mercy
roseman
Louisville
case
usc
Tufts
mosdoh
Georgia
new England
western
nova
iowa
Midwestern il

Given your situation, I don't think you are in a comfortable position to really remove any schools. If anything, I would add more. I'm sure you've learned from your mistake, but ethics is huge; schools would rather take someone with lower stats, but higher ethical standards. Whichever school said it would affect you, definitely cross those off your list and replace those with other schools. Add schools with extensive supplemental applications, where they give you a chance to explain problems in undergrad, like Minnesota and Penn. I know you touch on that in your PS, but who knows if they read those thoroughly enough to outweigh a red flag on your academic record.

 

[Ionz]

Not to be a bitch, but brutally honest opinion is that it will be very very low to no chance that any dental school will take you with that kind of red flag. You do have competitive stats, but that's assuming you don't have that ethical breach against you. I'd guess you would need like perfect stats all around to get past that. I know some schools overlook personal charges like DUI and possibly marijuana related charges, but anything academic would spell disaster for any professional school for that matter.
If you're truly adamant about dental school then I say retry with more schools as advised above

 

[mmmsteakdinners]

i am assuming you applied last cycle with the same violation on your record? what has changed on your app since then?

 

[Glimmer1991]

If this is your third time applying and you haven't had any luck before, this is the one instance in which I would recommend applying to even more schools. However, I'd keep any schools that only accept in-state students off the list.

Normally, that would be absolutely preposterous, but the ethical situation is a huge red flag to dental schools. Since you've tried this for three years, it does really seem to be your dream--I'd just put all of my chips in this year. Personally, I don't know that I'd apply for more than three years straight, so I'd want to make sure that I gave it everything I could on my last try.

 

[hunterx2]

How would they know if you were suspended? Is there literally a big red flag on your transcript? Or is it something you are volunteering? Don't volunteer this info if you don't have to.

 

[hunterx2]

BTW I forgot to mention I had a friend from high school who had a FELONY CONVICTION and also saw a psychiatrist and took meds. I'm assuming he withheld all that on his applications since the state expunges old records when you become an adult. He's in med school somewhere right now 🙂

 

[emorypredent]

I really do not have much advice to give about what you can do. But for what it's worth, see if whoever is the head of your honor committee/council (or whoever found you guilty) could maybe put in a good word for you.

Wish I could help more...

Needles to say, what you did was wrong. However, SOME adcoms need to get off their high horse. I could make a 2 page list of unethical stuff present in the admissions process at some schools.

The difference between you and them? You regret your mistake, they keep on making their mistakes.

 

[Muggs]

The problem I see with this kind of a situation is that it puts your entire GPA into question. To be clear, I am not saying that you cheated before this incident, but it makes it seem that such an act was more likely to have occurred in the past and you simply did not get caught. Therefore, it's probably very difficult for an adcom to look past something like this, regardless of you having learned from your mistake.

 

[periopocket]

I think 3rd time will be the charm. But I would add about 5 more schools. Add the new ones. time heals all.

 

[emorypredent]

The problem I see with this kind of a situation is that it puts your entire GPA into question. To be clear, I am not saying that you cheated before this incident, but it makes it seem that such an act was more likely to have occurred in the past and you simply did not get caught. Therefore, it's probably very difficult for an adcom to look past something like this, regardless of you having learned from your mistake.

In my opinion it doesn't. He wasn't caught getting unauthorized assistance, he was taking a test for someone else. An extreme example of giving assistance. His DAT is also good. If anything it shows him as very academically gifted, despite the act being unethical. But that's just my opinion....adcoms might not see it the same way.

 

[Changedude21]

Thank you everyone for your advice and help so far! Obviously it does not matter if you believe me or not (only that the adcoms believe me), but I really have matured since that incident. I appreciate all of the comments.

First, I did mention this incident last year as well. I received 3 interviews out of 16 schools applied. no acceptances yet.

What has changed on my app? about 1200 more hours of work experience, 50 more hours of shadowing, 30 more hours of volunteering. Additionally, my PS addresses the situation (last year, my PS did not talk about the incident). And, I have contacted each school through email about the incident with a detailed explanation of the incident. Last year, most schools only saw the 600 characters allowed on the application to explain academic dishonesty.

And yes, I am volunteering this info because I want to be completely honest and trustworthy. I have learned from it and want adcoms to know that I have changed.

Finally, what other schools are new? I thought I put all of the new schools on my list? Please let me know what specific schools I should apply to. Thank you!

 

[periopocket]

Add temple and Midwestern-az for starters (not new). Michigan, Penn, USC would not hurt either.

 

[Muggs]

In my opinion it doesn't. He wasn't caught getting unauthorized assistance, he was taking a test for someone else. An extreme example of giving assistance. His DAT is also good. If anything it shows him as very academically gifted, despite the act being unethical. But that's just my opinion....adcoms might not see it the same way.

Oh. I read OP's post incorrectly. I thought he was saying that he got caught attempting to take, as in steal, his roommate's take-home exam. Although still unethical, it does change the situation a bit. Out of curiosity, it'd be interesting to hear how the various adcoms of the 3 dental schools that offered you interviews approached you in asking you about the situation, especially because they haven't offered you admission as of yet. In that regard, to me, it seems like adcoms overlooking something like this is quite rare.