WAMC for 2020-2021 cycle?

[Flapjack Octopus]

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Overall GPA: 3.95
Science GPA: 4.00
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 4.00
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 28 AA/ 30 TS/ 19 PAT
State of Residence: Texas

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

Shadowing Experience: ~60 hours at 2 General Dentist Clinic and 4 hours at Periodontist Clinic

Volunteering Experience: ~20 hours volunteering at a Community Dental Clinic

Employment: ~150 hours as a tutor for science courses

Research: ~200 hours, one presentation and looking to finish one publication at the end of this year

Other Extracurriculars: N/A

Relevant Honors or Awards: Full tuition scholarships awarded when entering college

LOR type and strength: 2 strong LOR from 2 science professors + 1 strong LOR from a general dentist. I'm looking for a 3rd one from another science professor.

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere: I plan to concentrate my studying and finish my DAT before my junior year (which I did) so I can focus on extracurricular later. But the COVID-19 outbreak turns out interrupting my plan. I do understand that I have competitive academic numbers, but I am worry that my low hours in Volunteering could be a big hindrance on my application.

School list:
Texas A&M College of Dentistry
UTSD Houston
UTHSC San Antonion

Ivy School (maybe):
Harvard
Columbia

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hobbies or EC's involving fine motor skills? What did you do at that community dental clinic?

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

Hi @Mr.Smile12, thank you for your response!
My hobbies that involving fine motor skills are PC builder, also I like to open and fix mechanical stuffs in the house.
Besides, at my community dental clinic, I sometimes helped admitting patient in, measuring their blood pressure, taking X-Ray. Sometimes, I also help looking for patient records for treatment.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi @Mr.Smile12, thank you for your response!
My hobbies that involving fine motor skills are PC builder, also I like to open and fix mechanical stuffs in the house.
Besides, at my community dental clinic, I sometimes helped admitting patient in, measuring their blood pressure, taking X-Ray. Sometimes, I also help looking for patient records for treatment.

Great. Get a lot of people to help you with your personal statement and your interview skills. If your responses here are representative, you really need to shape up your professional English skills or you might fail your interviews and thus fail to be as successful in your admissions process than expected.

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

Hi @Mr.Smile12, I extremely appreciate your feedback and recommendation. I have never noticed about how my professional English skills need to be improved until you pointed it out.
Once again, thank you for your input!

 

[ToothJockey]

3.95 GPA, 28 AA . You could defecate on the interviewers notes during the interview and you would probably still get accepted

"what are my chances" lmao

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

Hi @ToothJockey, although I understand I have high academic stat, I still think that dental schools look more than that in an applicant. I saw there were people with high stat but low volunteer hours still not get accepted or even be interviewed though. My volunteer hours and shadowing are on the low side, and it is my fault for that so I have my reason to worry though.

 

[TheBookCookout]

Hi @ToothJockey, although I understand I have high academic stat, I still think that dental schools look more than that in an applicant. I saw there were people with high stat but low volunteer hours still not get accepted or even be interviewed though. My volunteer hours and shadowing are on the low side, and it is my fault for that so I have my reason to worry though.

I'm in a pretty similar situation to yourself, with high stats and poor extracurriculars (shadowing, volunteering, student activities, etc.) I only wish my stats were as high as yours though... I'm a Texas resident as well, and I know that the schools here really value well rounded applicants. Luckily, it is a lot easier to fix poor extracurriculars than poor stats. From now until the time you apply, just focus on strengthening those weak areas. Volunteer more, join an organization, and shadow as much as possible. If you do all this, you should be in really good standing.

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

I'm in a pretty similar situation to yourself, with high stats and poor extracurriculars (shadowing, volunteering, student activities, etc.) I only wish my stats were as high as yours though... I'm a Texas resident as well, and I know that the schools here really value well rounded applicants. Luckily, it is a lot easier to fix poor extracurriculars than poor stats. From now until the time you apply, just focus on strengthening those weak areas. Volunteer more, join an organization, and shadow as much as possible. If you do all this, you should be in really good standing.

Thank you for your recommendation! Volunteering and shadowing are my goals until the application cycle starts. I hope the pandemic's effects wear out soon so everything will return to normal. It is good to know that you are applying to Texas School as well! Let's do our best and I hope someday we will meet in dental school!

 

[TheBookCookout]

Thank you for your recommendation! Volunteering and shadowing are my goals until the application cycle starts. I hope the pandemic's effects wear out soon so everything will return to normal. It is good to know that you are applying to Texas School as well! Let's do our best and I hope someday we will meet in dental school!

You and I are in the same boat for sure! This virus sure puts a damper on professional plans. Best of luck to you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Many of us on SDN's premed forums are trying to still encourage pre-applicants to still look for volunteering opportunities in the current context. There is a great need for delivering groceries to vulnerable, high-risk populations (Meals of Wheels, food banks) and blood donation is highly encouraged. We're monitoring other possibilities that are needed and yet still adhere to physical distancing recommendations. We are fairly certain clinical options will not be available unless one is fully trained with the needed skills.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Many of us on SDN's premed forums are trying to still encourage pre-applicants to still look for volunteering opportunities in the current context. There is a great need for delivering groceries to vulnerable, high-risk populations (Meals of Wheels, food banks) and blood donation is highly encouraged. We're monitoring other possibilities that are needed and yet still adhere to physical distancing recommendations. We are fairly certain clinical options will not be available unless one is fully trained with the needed skills.

Aren't all those non-clinical volunteering?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Aren't all those non-clinical volunteering?

Yes. OP listed "N/A" for extracurriculars and didn't really itemize any non-clinical volunteering experience.

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

Many of us on SDN's premed forums are trying to still encourage pre-applicants to still look for volunteering opportunities in the current context. There is a great need for delivering groceries to vulnerable, high-risk populations (Meals of Wheels, food banks) and blood donation is highly encouraged. We're monitoring other possibilities that are needed and yet still adhere to physical distancing recommendations. We are fairly certain clinical options will not be available unless one is fully trained with the needed skills.

Thank you for the information! I have never heard of these programs, and I should have searched more about them. I only knew about volunteering opportunity information through my Pre-Dental Society. It would be great to go out and help other people in this situation while still being able to protect ourselves by keeping physical distancing!

 

[predent2024]

You’re in with those stats especially for in state. Don’t worry.

 

[Quinque]

https://www.tmdsas.com/Forms/10-Year-Dent-EY19.pdf

If you haven’t seen this before ^ Average for TX schools for EY 2019 was 3.74 gpa 21.3 DAT

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

@predent2024 : Thank you for your kind words!
@Quinque : Thank you for the information!

 

[LeagueofLigTies]

3.95 GPA, 28 AA . You could defecate on the interviewers notes during the interview and you would probably still get accepted

"what are my chances" lmao

Thank you for making my night

 

[MR.GG]

Overall GPA: 3.95
Science GPA: 4.00
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 4.00
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 28 AA/ 30 TS/ 19 PAT
State of Residence: Texas

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

Shadowing Experience: ~60 hours at 2 General Dentist Clinic and 4 hours at Periodontist Clinic

Volunteering Experience: ~20 hours volunteering at a Community Dental Clinic

Employment: ~150 hours as a tutor for science courses

Research: ~200 hours, one presentation and looking to finish one publication at the end of this year

Other Extracurriculars: N/A

Relevant Honors or Awards: Full tuition scholarships awarded when entering college

LOR type and strength: 2 strong LOR from 2 science professors + 1 strong LOR from a general dentist. I'm looking for a 3rd one from another science professor.

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere: I plan to concentrate my studying and finish my DAT before my junior year (which I did) so I can focus on extracurricular later. But the COVID-19 outbreak turns out interrupting my plan. I do understand that I have competitive academic numbers, but I am worry that my low hours in Volunteering could be a big hindrance on my application.

School list:
Texas A&M College of Dentistry
UTSD Houston
UTHSC San Antonion

Ivy School (maybe):
Harvard
Columbia

Be ready to be asked about those 20 hours of volunteer work in the interview, but as others of already said you are basically already in. Just don't act like a total dweeb at your interviews and you'll be fine. To reassure you, I was accepted to all the Texas schools with a 23 DAT, 3.68 GPA, and ~150hrs volunteer.

Sent from my SM-G975U using SDN mobile

 

[Flapjack Octopus]

@MR.GG : Thank you for your reassurance!