WAMC CA Resident 26-27 Cycle

[ace27]

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Date of submission: Upcoming 2026-2027 cycle
Overall GPA: 3.752
Science GPA: Similar to Bio-Chem-Physics, not sure which additional courses to include for calculation
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.663
DAT score (include AA and all sections): Planned exam date is June 2nd (yeah I know, but my booster is expiring shortly before)
State of Residence: California

Undergrad Attended: a CSU (California State University)
Major: Molecular Biology
Minor: Chemistry, Business, Communication Studies
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: ~250 hrs, four dentists all general practice
Volunteering Experience: ~150 hrs dental assistant internship, ~20 hrs mixed volunteering (school-related, food sort center)
Employment: 80 hrs as a Dental Assistant
Research: ~165 hrs, Undergraduate Student Researcher (What does type mean?), No publications/presentations
Other Extracurriculars: N/A
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? N/A
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's Scholar 3x (past 3 semesters)
LOR type and strength: 1 Science Department Dean (also my PI), 2 Professors (Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry (lab)), 1 Dentist
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: B's in both Gen Chems + B+'s in Ochem 2, Ochem lab, and Calc 1. Only other B+ was a business class, everything else A- and above. I'm in my third year so I plan on increasing volunteering + Dental Assisting hours in between now and the application cycle. Still haven't taken Physiology Lab + Anatomy Lecture + Lab, otherwise have all other reqs + other upper level science courses.
School list:
In no ranking order:

Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Howard University College of Dentistry
Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine
University of New England College of Dental Medicine
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine
New York University College of Dentistry
Marquette University School of Dentistry
University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
California Northstate University, College of Dental Medicine
Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry

Help!! Nobody in my family is any kind of doctor, I'm going in blind aside from advice from old (age-wise) dentists. Obviously studying for the DAT right now and doing the best I can to prepare for a good score, my research looks weird because the lab closes down at the end of this semester. As a junior I still have my capstone classes + finishing up Physio and Anatomy as mentioned above. I did business and communication studies minors because I wanted to more thoroughly understand the community I served at both dental offices I experienced from both a provider and patient viewpoint, as well as be able to serve patients of differing backgrounds. I started volunteering at school events + at the food sort center for the same reason. I love hands-on learning, hence the research hours even without publications. I desperately would love some advice/thoughts about my list + narrowing it down/adding different programs. I know everything for my application is more dependent on my DAT, LORs, and volunteering hours, but I am trying to get those. Any other pieces of info or opinions on my stats would be greatly appreciated. Be harsh if needed, I am prepared to take a gap year (unfortunately) because I pivoted away from Dental a year ago and turned back over the winter. Planned graduation is Spring 2027. Thank you!

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: Upcoming 2026-2027 cycle
Overall GPA: 3.752
Science GPA: Similar to Bio-Chem-Physics, not sure which additional courses to include for calculation
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.663
DAT score (include AA and all sections): Planned exam date is June 2nd (yeah I know, but my booster is expiring shortly before)
State of Residence: California

Undergrad Attended: a CSU (California State University)
Major: Molecular Biology
Minor: Chemistry, Business, Communication Studies
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: ~250 hrs, four dentists all general practice
Volunteering Experience: ~150 hrs dental assistant internship, ~20 hrs mixed volunteering (school-related, food sort center)
Employment: 80 hrs as a Dental Assistant
Research: ~165 hrs, Undergraduate Student Researcher (What does type mean?), No publications/presentations
Other Extracurriculars: N/A
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? N/A
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's Scholar 3x (past 3 semesters)
LOR type and strength: 1 Science Department Dean (also my PI), 2 Professors (Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry (lab)), 1 Dentist
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: B's in both Gen Chems + B+'s in Ochem 2, Ochem lab, and Calc 1. Only other B+ was a business class, everything else A- and above. I'm in my third year so I plan on increasing volunteering + Dental Assisting hours in between now and the application cycle. Still haven't taken Physiology Lab + Anatomy Lecture + Lab, otherwise have all other reqs + other upper level science courses.
School list:
In no ranking order:

Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Howard University College of Dentistry
Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine
University of New England College of Dental Medicine
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine
New York University College of Dentistry
Marquette University School of Dentistry
University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
California Northstate University, College of Dental Medicine
Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry

Help!! Nobody in my family is any kind of doctor, I'm going in blind aside from advice from old (age-wise) dentists. Obviously studying for the DAT right now and doing the best I can to prepare for a good score, my research looks weird because the lab closes down at the end of this semester. As a junior I still have my capstone classes + finishing up Physio and Anatomy as mentioned above. I did business and communication studies minors because I wanted to more thoroughly understand the community I served at both dental offices I experienced from both a provider and patient viewpoint, as well as be able to serve patients of differing backgrounds. I started volunteering at school events + at the food sort center for the same reason. I love hands-on learning, hence the research hours even without publications. I desperately would love some advice/thoughts about my list + narrowing it down/adding different programs. I know everything for my application is more dependent on my DAT, LORs, and volunteering hours, but I am trying to get those. Any other pieces of info or opinions on my stats would be greatly appreciated. Be harsh if needed, I am prepared to take a gap year (unfortunately) because I pivoted away from Dental a year ago and turned back over the winter. Planned graduation is Spring 2027. Thank you!

how did you come up with this list?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hard to say without a DAT score, but I agree... how did you get this list?

Have you done any community service that is not related to dentistry? Food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation? You need at least 100 hours of food bank work total.

You haven't visited dental schools, so have any of your dentist-mentors connected you with younger dentists who have a more contemporary view? Have you seen the dental clinics or talked with current students? Have you gone to CDA or regional meetings?

 

[ace27]

Hard to say without a DAT score, but I agree... how did you get this list?

Have you done any community service that is not related to dentistry? Food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation? You need at least 100 hours of food bank work total.

You haven't visited dental schools, so have any of your dentist-mentors connected you with younger dentists who have a more contemporary view? Have you seen the dental clinics or talked with current students? Have you gone to CDA or regional meetings?

Sorry for delayed response, I had class.

I made the list based on my GPA + where I realistically would be willing to live for 4 years + overall class residency instate(CA) or outstate % + no Casper. I was trying to do research on which schools preferred research or community service or dental clinic experience but didn’t find much.

Yes, the ~20 hours volunteering are unrelated to dentistry, the other 150 were an unpaid internship at a dental office. I am still volunteering at a food sort center which gets distributed to those in need and plan to continue to do so. The school event volunteering is a yearly event where we host a science fair for high school students and younger.

The primary dentist I shadowed has kids who are recent dental grads (20-30 years old) but they didn’t offer much advice besides “study for the DAT”. The 150hr internship and 250hr shadowing were all in a dental office, and I started working as a dental assistant in January. I’ve gone to pre-dental club meetings where current dental students share about their experiences. If clinic is referring to hospital/school setting, then no. No CDA or regional either.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Sorry for delayed response, I had class.

I made the list based on my GPA + where I realistically would be willing to live for 4 years + overall class residency instate(CA) or outstate % + no Casper. I was trying to do research on which schools preferred research or community service or dental clinic experience but didn’t find much.

Yes, the ~20 hours volunteering are unrelated to dentistry, the other 150 were an unpaid internship at a dental office. I am still volunteering at a food sort center which gets distributed to those in need and plan to continue to do so. The school event volunteering is a yearly event where we host a science fair for high school students and younger.

The primary dentist I shadowed has kids who are recent dental grads (20-30 years old) but they didn’t offer much advice besides “study for the DAT”. The 150hr internship and 250hr shadowing were all in a dental office, and I started working as a dental assistant in January. I’ve gone to pre-dental club meetings where current dental students share about their experiences. If clinic is referring to hospital/school setting, then no. No CDA or regional either.

Thank you for sharing.

First off, you need more non-clinical community service. Being a dentist gives you a window to socioeconomic disparities, so being aware of what those needs are contextualizes the help you can give to the patients you will most likely see in the dental school clinic. Get more food bank hours in before you apply again (recommended 100 hours minimum by submission).

As a California applicant, you can't rely on a home-state advantage, so your profile needs to be persuasive as a strong student who can handle being displaced all the way to the other side of the country to do dentistry. Again, without a DAT score, I don't think we can give you more confidence in your ability to apply to brand-name dental schools. But you need to look up costs of attendance at each school and begin calculating how much debt you are willing to take on to finish dental school. You're likely looking at $600K+ in four-year attendance, maybe even three-year for the appropriate programs.

 

[ace27]

Thank you for sharing.

First off, you need more non-clinical community service. Being a dentist gives you a window to socioeconomic disparities, so being aware of what those needs are contextualizes the help you can give to the patients you will most likely see in the dental school clinic. Get more food bank hours in before you apply again (recommended 100 hours minimum by submission).

As a California applicant, you can't rely on a home-state advantage, so your profile needs to be persuasive as a strong student who can handle being displaced all the way to the other side of the country to do dentistry. Again, without a DAT score, I don't think we can give you more confidence in your ability to apply to brand-name dental schools. But you need to look up costs of attendance at each school and begin calculating how much debt you are willing to take on to finish dental school. You're likely looking at $600K+ in four-year attendance, maybe even three-year for the appropriate programs.

Thank you, I definitely will try to prioritize getting more hours at the food center. Aside from that, any opinions on the school list?

 

[macsak]

Sorry for delayed response, I had class.

I made the list based on my GPA + where I realistically would be willing to live for 4 years + overall class residency instate(CA) or outstate % + no Casper. I was trying to do research on which schools preferred research or community service or dental clinic experience but didn’t find much.

Yes, the ~20 hours volunteering are unrelated to dentistry, the other 150 were an unpaid internship at a dental office. I am still volunteering at a food sort center which gets distributed to those in need and plan to continue to do so. The school event volunteering is a yearly event where we host a science fair for high school students and younger.

The primary dentist I shadowed has kids who are recent dental grads (20-30 years old) but they didn’t offer much advice besides “study for the DAT”. The 150hr internship and 250hr shadowing were all in a dental office, and I started working as a dental assistant in January. I’ve gone to pre-dental club meetings where current dental students share about their experiences. If clinic is referring to hospital/school setting, then no. No CDA or regional either.

you get interview invites and acceptances by having mission fit with a school
you need to research schools more carefully to look for mission fit
dental school admissions can be regional also, so you have some schools that you are less likely to be competitive at (but you said you researched CA acceptances, so i give you that)

are you aware that howard is an hbcu?

 

[macsak]

Thank you for sharing.

First off, you need more non-clinical community service. Being a dentist gives you a window to socioeconomic disparities, so being aware of what those needs are contextualizes the help you can give to the patients you will most likely see in the dental school clinic. Get more food bank hours in before you apply again (recommended 100 hours minimum by submission).

As a California applicant, you can't rely on a home-state advantage, so your profile needs to be persuasive as a strong student who can handle being displaced all the way to the other side of the country to do dentistry. Again, without a DAT score, I don't think we can give you more confidence in your ability to apply to brand-name dental schools. But you need to look up costs of attendance at each school and begin calculating how much debt you are willing to take on to finish dental school. You're likely looking at $600K+ in four-year attendance, maybe even three-year for the appropriate programs.

i agree that more volunteer hours outside of dental will be helpful
a "dental internship" is more like an unpaid job than truly volunteering...

 

[macsak]

Thank you, I definitely will try to prioritize getting more hours at the food center. Aside from that, any opinions on the school list?

why are you looking for "no casper"?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you, I definitely will try to prioritize getting more hours at the food center. Aside from that, any opinions on the school list?

No opinions without a DAT. Do your homework about student support. Because you know which schools take in a lot of California applicants, you should know how they adjusted.

Don't blow off the comment about cost of attendance. I noticed you may have a few Kira Talent schools, if you are avoiding Casper?

The HPSA 2025 Profile of the Accepted Applicant suggests that applicants with accountability partners, mentors, and champions tend to have a better probability of acceptance. Your original description suggests you don't have that.

 

[ace27]

why are you looking for "no casper"?

I only had two schools in my original pool of potential schools that required it so I didn’t want to take it just to apply

 

[macsak]

I only had two schools in my original pool of potential schools that required it so I didn’t want to take it just to apply

is one of them utah?
UU makes more sense for you than most of your list...

Howard University College of Dentistry
University of New England College of Dental Medicine
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
New York University College of Dentistry
Marquette University School of Dentistry
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry