WAMC Canadian, First Time Applicant, Low DAT

[lebron23]

Date of submission: July 1st 2020
Overall GPA: ~3.65 (3.7 by time of graduation)
Science GPA: ~ 3.6 (not sure if A&P and statistics count here)
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: ~3.6 (3.7 after retakes)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): Bio: 18, GC: 18, TS: 18, RC: 23, PAT: 19, AA: 20 (I'll be taking the American DAT as soon as I can [Sept?] and the Canadian DAT once again in Nov)
State of Residence: Canada

Undergrad Attended: York University
Major: Psychology (Honors B..Sc)
Minor:
Minority? Indian
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: Shadowed my aunt who is a dentist, for approx. 250 hours over 4 summers.
Volunteering Experience: Vice-President of a government funded non-for profit board (5 million $ of funding) for approx. 3 years/200 hours. Served a helping hand to a local seniors club for 5 years/200 hours.
Employment: Worked as a tutor for my freshman year, worked as a concierge for my junior and senior year. Ran my own IT company on the side.
Research: None
Other Extracurriculars: Competed in national qualifiers for martial arts in my junior and senior year (practice about 25 hours a week). Ran my own information technology copopration during university, secured multiple contracts with large IT companies in my city. (Not sure what to include in this area)
Relevant Honors or Awards: 2 time silver medalist of Canada for the martial arts tournaments (not sure if I can include this lol).
LOR type and strength: Securing one letter from a chemistry professor which I think will be somewhat decent. Going to talk to my biology professor but the quality of this may be in the air. I will be able to secure a great letter from a general dentist. Another good letter can be secured from the CEO of the non-for-profit I volunteer for.
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere: I am starting my 5th year in September. I took 8 courses years 2,3,4 (year 2 can be explained by a school strike, year 4 because of Covid) but I took 3 semesters during the summer.
School list: (PS I understand there's a lot of schools but I really want to secure all my bases)
* Schools 1-7 are a prayer, I hope 8-26 are somewhat in my range*

1. Nova (FL)
2. Michigan (MI)
3. Pacific (CA)
4. Rutgers (NJ)
5. Herman Ostrow (CA)
6. Pennsylvania
7. Pittsburgh
8. Midwestern (AZ)
9. Loma Linda (CA)
10. Midwestern (Il)
11. Indiana (IN)
12. New England (ME)
13. Boston (MA)
14. Tufts (MA)
15. Mercy (MI)
16. New York University (NY)
17. Buffalo (NY)
18. Case Western (OH)
19. Marquette (WI)
20. Touro (NY)
21. Western (CA)
22. Minnesota
23. Temple
24. Howard (DC)
25. Meharry (TN)
26. Roseman (UT)

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[Mr.Smile12]

As a Canadian applicant trying to get into the US, you're good but not a great draw for admissions committees in general. Maybe some of the schools lower on your list might look at you based on your DAT score for a potential first-round offer. Have you checked against the friendliness of the schools on your list to Canadians because I don't think every school on your list is.

 

[lebron23]

As a Canadian applicant trying to get into the US, you're good but not a great draw for admissions committees in general. Maybe some of the schools lower on your list might look at you based on your DAT score for a potential first-round offer. Have you checked against the friendliness of the schools on your list to Canadians because I don't think every school on your list is.

Most of the schools on my list are Canadian friendly. I know a few aren't but I just figured it can't hurt to over apply. Thanks for the advice. Hopefully a better DAT score will increase my odds.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Most of the schools on my list are Canadian friendly. I know a few aren't but I just figured it can't hurt to over apply. Thanks for the advice. Hopefully a better DAT score will increase my odds.

If you are taking a Canadian DAT soon after an American DAT, you need to be sure how the American schools are going to handle it because many will not take your honest disclosure of taking a Canadian DAT as a serious interest in going to the States. I know our process waited for the last eligible DAT score to come in, and in our case, that would be to wait until your November DAT results were reported in FEBRUARY.

 

[lebron23]

If you are taking a Canadian DAT soon after an American DAT, you need to be sure how the American schools are going to handle it because many will not take your honest disclosure of taking a Canadian DAT as a serious interest in going to the States. I know our process waited for the last eligible DAT score to come in, and in our case, that would be to wait until your November DAT results were reported in FEBRUARY.

So are you suggesting that I don't include my upcoming Canadian DAT test date on my application? Though it may be a moot point as my primary goal is admission to a US dental school and taking the Canadian DAT again would not be helping me in anyway for that lol, so probably reconsidering doing that.

Do you know if schools will wait for my American DAT scores to come in before making any decisions?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

So are you suggesting that I don't include my upcoming Canadian DAT test date on my application? Though it may be a moot point as my primary goal is admission to a US dental school and taking the Canadian DAT again would not be helping me in anyway for that lol, so probably reconsidering doing that.

Do you know if schools will wait for my American DAT scores to come in before making any decisions?

With COVID-19, it is better to ask than for me to make my general answer (usually they will).