WAMC - 18 DAT

[dental135]

Date of submission: August 3rd (took DAT June 30th)
Overall GPA: 3.47
Science GPA: 3.0-3.1 (not exactly sure but definitely in between here)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 18 AA (18 PAT / 19 RC / 19 QR / 17 BIO / 18 GC / 16 OC / 17 TS)
State of Residence: CA

Major: Human Biology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 100+ hours (2 general dentist, 1 oral surgeon)
Volunteering Experience: 500 hours (mix of educational based service & hobbies that are more personal to my creative interests)
Employment: 160 hours (worked at my university during the summer)
Other Extracurriculars: 1200+ hours (leadership positions in 2 dental clubs, founder of non-dental related organization, & sticker business)
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's Honors Awards x2
LOR type and strength: 1 from general dentist (very strong letter of rec), 1 from oral surgeon, 2 from lower & upper level bio professors
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: My extracurriculars are very strong and they include both dental-related activities as well as things that showcase both my interests & manual dexterity. I also feel like my personal statement is very strong. However, my GPA is pretty low and there was a class I had a D in, but retook and got a B+. I also got a 16 in ochem on the DAT. I know my stats are not competitive, but I really wanted to apply this cycle due to personal reasons. Is there a chance that I get into at least one of these schools? Are there any other schools I should add to my list?

School list:
LECOM
ASDOH
BU
USC
Loma Linda
Marquette (?)
Nova
Oregon Health & Science
Roseman
Rutgers
Tufts
Temple
Buffalo
UNLV
UOP
Western U
CNU (?)
NYU (?)

I've already heard advice about retaking, but for this post I hope to hear advice about applying with these stats. Anything helps & thank you!

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[LFA20]

I advise retake. Anything can happen and no one can prevent you from applying but you will significantly improve your chances of you get a 20+

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I know my stats are not competitive, but I really wanted to apply this cycle due to personal reasons. Is there a chance that I get into at least one of these schools? Are there any other schools I should add to my list?

How much networking have you done before applying? What is your personal journey to dentistry? Obviously you had to work while in school, so did you qualify for FAP or fee reduced DAT?

I agree your path to Dental School will liikely need a stronger DAT score as well a strong mission fit.

Did your access the DSE? Your chances are likely at dental programs with large class sizes and are likely to be really expensive. NYU, LECOM, USC, AZDOH come to mind. Your GPA/DAT doesn't help you with the 3 year schools (Roseman or Pacific) which demands academic accomplishment with the shorter timeline. If you are extremely religious, Loma would be interesting.

 

[dental135]

How much networking have you done before applying? What is your personal journey to dentistry? Obviously you had to work while in school, so did you qualify for FAP or fee reduced DAT?

I agree your path to Dental School will liikely need a stronger DAT score as well a strong mission fit.

Did your access the DSE? Your chances are likely at dental programs with large class sizes and are likely to be really expensive. NYU, LECOM, USC, AZDOH come to mind. Your GPA/DAT doesn't help you with the 3 year schools (Roseman or Pacific) which demands academic accomplishment with the shorter timeline. If you are extremely religious, Loma would be interesting.

Do you think I have a chance of getting in with my current DAT score? I was considering a retake too, but with my application already being submitted, I am not sure I will be able to raise my overall DAT score up enough before the deadline for most schools (& I am scared I might score lower).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do you think I have a chance of getting in with my current DAT score? I was considering a retake too, but with my application already being submitted, I am not sure I will be able to raise my overall DAT score up enough before the deadline for most schools (& I am scared I might score lower).

I can't tell because
1) You haven't precisely told me your AADSAS sGPA. You need to be able to calculate this from the AADSAS rules, knowing that often your school GPA is NOT going to be the same.
2) In-state schools will pick based on mission fit, and often they will accept lower DAT scores because there are fewer in-state applicants to fill all of their seats. Whether your DAT will be satisfactory... California is not going to be that kind. So the alternative is to apply to large-volume expensive privates like NYU or USC to see if you have a shot. But is retaking the DAT worth avoiding $700K in debt?

 

[Ryxndek]

So the alternative is to apply to large-volume expensive privates like NYU or USC to see if you have a shot. But is retaking the DAT worth avoiding $700K in debt?

Absolutely 100% yes, the difference between 4,500 a month for 10 years or breaking 6,000/month for 20 years if you can get a higher DAT score.