WAMC CA First Time Applicant High DAT Low Hours

[Cpat29]

Grateful for any advice on schools I should add or remove from my list given my stats. Thank you

Date of submission: As soon as 2025-2026 application cycle opens
Overall GPA: 3.9
Science GPA: 4.0
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 510 AA (25)
Quantitative Reasoning: 500 (24)
Reading Comprehension: 470 (24)
Biology: 480 (23.5)
General Chemistry: 520 (25.5)
Organic Chemistry: 560 (28)
Total Science: 520 (26)
Perceptual Ability: 500 (23)
State of Residence: CA

Undergrad Attended: Jessup University
Major: Biology (Human Health Concentration)
Minor: Bible and Chemistry
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 115- five different general dentists 5- one endodontist (Will get some more specialty shadowing before applying)
Volunteering Experience: 55- church ministry 40- food bank 25- random stuff
Employment: Chipotle- 4500 hours barn door company- 200 hours
Research: none
Other Extracurriculars: Developmental basketball team at school, men's bible study, church, sacramento state dental club (20 hours), tooth waxing course (100 hours)
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? UC Davis Pre-Health Conference: 8 hours UCSF Dental Impressions Conference: 8 hours
Relevant Honors or Awards: Just lots of scholarships
LOR type and strength: 2 bio profs, 1 dentist, 1 from tooth waxing workshop teacher; all should be very strong
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Married, plan on doing HPSP
School list:
UoP
UCSF
Loma Linda
UCLA
WesternU
Utah State
Creighton
Midwestern Arizona
Midwestern Illonois
Iowa

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[macsak]

Grateful for any advice on schools I should add or remove from my list given my stats. Thank you

Date of submission: As soon as 2025-2026 application cycle opens
Overall GPA: 3.9
Science GPA: 4.0
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 510 AA (25)
Quantitative Reasoning: 500 (24)
Reading Comprehension: 470 (24)
Biology: 480 (28)
General Chemistry: 520 (25.5)
Organic Chemistry: 560 (28)
Total Science: 520 (26)
Perceptual Ability: 500 (23)
State of Residence: CA

Undergrad Attended: Jessup University
Major: Biology (Human Health Concentration)
Minor: Bible and Chemistry
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 115- five different general dentists 5- one endodontist (Will get some more specialty shadowing before applying)
Volunteering Experience: 55- church ministry 40- food bank 25- random stuff
Employment: Chipotle- 4500 hours barn door company- 200 hours
Research: none
Other Extracurriculars: Developmental basketball team at school, men's bible study, church, sacramento state dental club (20 hours), tooth waxing course (100 hours)
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? UC Davis Pre-Health Conference: 8 hours UCSF Dental Impressions Conference: 8 hours
Relevant Honors or Awards: Just lots of scholarships
LOR type and strength: 2 bio profs, 1 dentist, 1 from tooth waxing workshop teacher; all should be very strong
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Married, plan on doing HPSP
School list:
UoP
UCSF
Loma Linda
UCLA
WesternU
Utah State
Creighton
Midwestern Arizona
Midwestern Illonois
Iowa

a 480 in Bio is a 28???
there is no utah state dental school
why creighton?
why the 2 midwesterns?
why iowa?

 

[Cpat29]

a 480 in Bio is a 28???
there is no utah state dental school
why creighton?
why the 2 midwesterns?
why iowa?

Oops 23.5 sorry forgot to change that one.

University of Utah School of Dentistry

Creighton is known for making good general dentists and I have heard the same for the midwesterns and that they let their students do real complex cases.

Iowa because the area seems nice and the students get to be hands-on pretty early.

 

[macsak]

Oops 23.5 sorry forgot to change that one.

University of Utah School of Dentistry

Creighton is known for making good general dentists and I have heard the same for the midwesterns and that they let their students do real complex cases.

Iowa because the area seems nice and the students get to be hands-on pretty early.

ok, thanks
are all the rest of them correct?

you get interview invites and acceptances from having mission fit
none of what you listed about those schools are mission fit

creighton should be left because it is a religious school
the midwesterns place a huge value on outreach/volunteerism, plus they are $$$ and you will likely suffer from yield management there...

 

[macsak]

there are better public choices than iowa that are closer to CA, and are more likely friendly to CA residents...

Oops 23.5 sorry forgot to change that one.

University of Utah School of Dentistry

Creighton is known for making good general dentists and I have heard the same for the midwesterns and that they let their students do real complex cases.

Iowa because the area seems nice and the students get to be hands-on pretty early.

 

[Cpat29]

ok, thanks
are all the rest of them correct?

you get interview invites and acceptances from having mission fit
none of what you listed about those schools are mission fit

creighton should be left because it is a religious school
the midwesterns place a huge value on outreach/volunteerism, plus they are $$$ and you will likely suffer from yield management there...

Yeah the rest are correct.

Well yeah, if those were the reasons I gave the schools. I would obviously have a lot more to say in the application/secondaries.

Left as in taken off?

Why would I suffer from yield management? Does that mean my stats are too high for them?

Thanks for the help

 

[Cpat29]

there are better public choices than iowa that are closer to CA, and are more likely friendly to CA residents...

Where would you recommend?

 

[macsak]

Where would you recommend?

i recommend you do more research...

 

[macsak]

yield management
each dental school has a limited number of interview invites and acceptances to give out
they need to give these to people who are likely to attend
a high stat CA resident is likely to choose UCSF, UCLA, or UOP
or a closer, cheaper school
or in your case, LLU and Creighton are included with the first 3 CA schools

Yeah the rest are correct.

Well yeah, if those were the reasons I gave the schools. I would obviously have a lot more to say in the application/secondaries.

Left as in taken off?

Why would I suffer from yield management? Does that mean my stats are too high for them?

Thanks for the help

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You have some good activities, so I think it's articulating your "why dentistry" or what motivates you that caused you to go nil for interviews. Yes, the competition is tough, but if you accurately described your activities in the WAMC and wrote appropriately strong activity descriptions, I'm intrigued why you got nowhere.

You should apply to two schools and should look at private schools. Many midwest schools I think might take a look at you, especially if you go with NHSC or HPSP. Pass ideas through your family, of course.

 

[Cpat29]

You have some good activities, so I think it's articulating your "why dentistry" or what motivates you that caused you to go nil for interviews. Yes, the competition is tough, but if you accurately described your activities in the WAMC and wrote appropriately strong activity descriptions, I'm intrigued why you got nowhere.

You should apply to two schools and should look at private schools. Many midwest schools I think might take a look at you, especially if you go with NHSC or HPSP. Pass ideas through your family, of course.

Thanks for the response. I'm a first time applicant though 🙂

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I guess I was under a different impression that you applied before.

The only other area is your non-clinical community service. Keep building there with your food bank hours (at least get them to 100 if you can); the internal church activities are community building within your circle and can help with Loma Linda, but most other schools won't consider those activities community service.

 

[Cpat29]

I guess I was under a different impression that you applied before.

The only other area is your non-clinical community service. Keep building there with your food bank hours (at least get them to 100 if you can); the internal church activities are community building within your circle and can help with Loma Linda, but most other schools won't consider those activities community service.

If I hypothetically could not get any more, how bad would that hurt me? I may start a job next week and all I'd have time to do is work and fill out the application.

 

[macsak]

Yeah the rest are correct.

Well yeah, if those were the reasons I gave the schools. I would obviously have a lot more to say in the application/secondaries.

Left as in taken off?

Why would I suffer from yield management? Does that mean my stats are too high for them?

Thanks for the help

creighton left meaning leave it on your school list...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If I hypothetically could not get any more, how bad would that hurt me? I may start a job next week and all I'd have time to do is work and fill out the application.

You have to roll the dice. Understand you will be compared with others with more hours than you, and hope that it doesn't just boil down to the person with higher numbers vs. better reflections on the value of their experiences.