WAMC 2024 Cycle :')

[dentgc2025]

Date of submission: 3/27/2024
Overall GPA: 3.85
Science GPA: 3.8
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: ~3.8
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 26AA 24TS 25PAT
State of Residence: Maryland

Undergrad Attended: University of Maryland
Major: Biology and Economics double
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 245 total including 60 hours of shadowing different specialties
Volunteering Experience: 24 hours on dental brigade to Panamá, 140 hours at a pregnancy clinic as MA, 18 at food pantry (these are estimated hours by time of application)
Employment: 292 dental assisting hours, GenChem Lab TA
Research: researched for a school year abt 5-7 hours a week, 2 presentations
Other Extracurriculars: Intramural volleyball, predental club (vice president), Global Dental Brigade club (VP of fundraising), skate club
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's list
LOR type and strength: 2 clinical (from shadow and work) and research professor LOR that are good, science professor that is not very personal

School list (Not very solidified yet, open to suggestions!):
Maryland
Penn
Columbia
Harvard? just for fun
Midwestern Illinois
Tufts or BU
UCLA
Touro
Case western
Pitt
VCU
NYU

Thank you so so much in advance!

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[macsak]

Date of submission: 3/27/2024
Overall GPA: 3.85
Science GPA: 3.8
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: ~3.8
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 26AA 24TS 25PAT
State of Residence: Maryland

Undergrad Attended: University of Maryland
Major: Biology and Economics double
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 245 total including 60 hours of shadowing different specialties
Volunteering Experience: 24 hours on dental brigade to Panamá, 140 hours at a pregnancy clinic as MA, 18 at food pantry (these are estimated hours by time of application)
Employment: 292 dental assisting hours, GenChem Lab TA
Research: researched for a school year abt 5-7 hours a week, 2 presentations
Other Extracurriculars: Intramural volleyball, predental club (vice president), Global Dental Brigade club (VP of fundraising), skate club
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's list
LOR type and strength: 2 clinical (from shadow and work) and research professor LOR that are good, science professor that is not very personal

School list (Not very solidified yet, open to suggestions!):
Maryland
Penn
Columbia
Harvard? just for fun
Midwestern Illinois
Tufts or BU
UCLA
Touro
Case western
Pitt
VCU
NYU

Thank you so so much in advance!

take off NYU and MW-IL
and prob tufts/bu...

 

[dentgc2025]

take off NYU and MW-IL
and prob tufts/bu...

Could I ask why? Do you have any other school suggestions?

 

[macsak]

Could I ask why? Do you have any other school suggestions?

yield management

i suggest you research schools and select a few reach schools, mostly in-range schools and one or two safety schools
your list will have to be a little longer if you are going to have 4 reach schools on it...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your Achilles heel is your lack of community service that is not health-adjacent. Yes, you can be an MA in a pregnancy clinic to complement your dental observation/experience, but you place a lot of your "service" on your Global Brigades involvement. It's a potential impediment to an otherwise fantastic application that could have get you into "brand" school status (though you could always use a bit more research to get there too).

BTW, you don't have much more on the global health front, and there is always a concern of voluntourism and inappropriate/unethical activity. If you had backed up this experience with a series of Mission of Mercy volunteering in Maryland or Virginia, that would strengthen your position IMO. The dentists you have shadowed or worked with likely also volunteer at local free clinics or could set you up.

I think you aren't a great fit for the Ivy schools (community service and maybe research deficiency?). Your competition (who likely get interviews) have at least 100-200 hours serving their communities in food pantries, homeless shelters, job/tax preparation, housing assistance/rehabilitation, or transportation services.

I understand. Maryland's a tough state to apply as a predent. You should be considering your Philly schools (Temple more reasonably). You have the two Boston privates.

Midwestern isn't a geographic fit. NYU gets too many applicants and will likely yield protect you. I am intrigued by your selection of UCLA and want you to research it more. I'm also not sure if Louisville could also be a possible add instead of Midwestern IL. You have the metrics to try for Ohio State as an OOS applicant, but mission fit... Maybe check if other schools have Global Brigades too?

I don't know what your fine manual dexterity competency is.

 

[Ryxndek]

I agree with what others have said, I'd love to see more hours in the food pantry if you can try and squeeze some more in. I'd also like to add that 1 science prof isn't going to be enough for some of those schools. Especially Columbia which is one school which requires 3 science professors (you'd have to have the third prof personally email Columbia their letter) the other ones you have are good. I'd maybe take off one of the clinical profs and get another science letter if you can. Double check other schools to make sure your letters fit their requirements, each school is different.

Stats wise, you're great. We just gotta round out those volunteer hours if at all possible. Right now it looks like you're a beast in didactics but slightly lower in things outside of school that would put you at a more competitive edge if you had them. Louiseville would be a better substitute than MW-IL, you could also look into UBuffalo, UNE, Stony Brook, and/or Rutgers.