WAMC for Penn

[OriginallyJli]

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Date of submission: AADSAS submitted Mid-July, supplementals submitted 7/26/24 - a bit late bc DAT on 7/12
Overall GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.85
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): AA: 22 // QR: 21 // RC: 19 // Bio: 23 // GenChem: 21 // OChem: 25 // TS: 23 // PAT: 23
State of Residence: New York

Undergrad Attended: SUNY School
Major: Biology
Minor: n/a
Minority? No - Asian
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience:

- 200 hours with 2 General Dentist
- 10 hours with Endodontist
- 10 hours with Periodontist

Volunteering Experience:

- 100 hours as a translator/assistant for 2 elementary kids that recently immigrated to the US. (ongoing)

Employment:

- 280 hours working at local ski resort
- 1110 hours working at local supermarket
- 10 years helping at family restaurant

Research:

- 200 hours researching biofilms - publication/presentation coming next semester

Other Extracurriculars:

- 6 hours as newly elected Treasurer for school's dental club (participated in the club since freshman year)
- 30 hours in badminton club
- 30 hours in tennis club
- 180 hours as EBoard Treasurer in hall government
- 30 hours on Eboard for college's Honors Program
- 135 hours as teaching assistant for genetics, general chemistry and biology

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools?

- 1 week during the summer at StonyBrook Dental School for a dental academic enrichment program. Connected with faculty and students while learning/practicing introductory dental procedures.

Relevant Honors or Awards:

- Dean's List all years
- TriBeta Biology Honor Society

LOR type and strength:

- committee letter (I'd say it's pretty strong)

- 1 from genetics professor
- 1 from OChem professor
- 1 from research professor
- 2 from 2 general dentists

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:

- First Generation
- Low income household
- bilingual
- graduating a year early
- did dual enrollment in high school and I used some of those classes like stats, calc, physics 1, english comp to cover prereqs. (most schools accept this but I applied to some schools that discourages it but will accept)
- maybe not enough volunteering experience. (my school didn't allow cars my first year and transportation on campus was bad, so I only started with volunteer during my second year)

School list:

- Have already applied to all (schools are ranked in priority) - cannot apply to StonyBrook b/c they require completion of prerequisites before application submission, not before matriculation. Also had Tufts in mind but I didn't want to another supplemental. Additionally, I couldn't apply to some schools because I do not plan to take Anatomy and Phys because I'm more focus more on getting my degree complete if I want to graduate in 3 years.

1. UPenn
2. Columbia (probably a reach)
3. UBuff, Touro (state schools)
4. Rutgers, Boston U
5. University of Maryland, UConn
6. University of Illinois
7. NYU
8. Temple, University of Pittsburgh

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: AADSAS submitted Mid-July, supplementals submitted 7/26/24 - a bit late bc DAT on 7/12
Overall GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.85
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): AA: 22 // QR: 21 // RC: 19 // Bio: 23 // GenChem: 21 // OChem: 25 // TS: 23 // PAT: 23
State of Residence: New York

Undergrad Attended: SUNY School
Major: Biology
Minor: n/a
Minority? No - Asian
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience:

- 200 hours with 2 General Dentist
- 10 hours with Endodontist
- 10 hours with Periodontist

Volunteering Experience:

- 100 hours as a translator/assistant for 2 elementary kids that recently immigrated to the US. (ongoing)

Employment:

- 280 hours working at local ski resort
- 1110 hours working at local supermarket
- 10 years helping at family restaurant

Research: Hours and type; any publications or presentations? How many?

- 200 hours researching biofilms - publication/presentation coming next semester

Other Extracurriculars:
- 6 hours as newly elected Treasurer for school's dental club (participated in the club since freshman year)
- 30 hours in badminton club
- 30 hours in tennis club
- 180 hours as EBoard Treasurer in hall government
- 30 hours on Eboard for college's Honors Program
- 135 hours as teaching assistant for genetics, general chemistry and biology

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools?

- 1 week during the summer at StonyBrook Dental School for a dental academic enrichment program. Connected with faculty and students while learning/practicing introductory dental procedures.

Relevant Honors or Awards:

- Dean's List all years
- TriBeta Biology Honor Society

LOR type and strength:

- committee letter (I'd say it's pretty strong)

- 1 from genetics professor
- 1 from OChem professor
- 1 from research professor
- 2 from 2 general dentists

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:

- First Generation
- Low income household
- bilingual
- graduating a year early
- did dual enrollment in high school and I used some of those classes like stats, calc, physics 1, english comp to cover prereqs. (most schools accept this but I applied to some schools that discourages it but will accept)
- maybe not enough volunteering experience. (my school didn't allow cars my first year and transportation on campus was bad, so I only started with volunteer during my second year)

School list:

- Have already applied to all (schools are ranked in priority) - cannot apply to StonyBrook b/c they require completion of prerequisites before application review. Also had Tufts in mind but I didn't want to another supplemental

1. UPenn
2. Columbia (probably a reach)
3. UBuff, Touro (state schools)
4. Rutgers, Boston U
5. University of Maryland, UConn
6. University of Illinois
7. NYU
8. Temple, University of Pittsburgh

i would have advised that you apply to tufts rather than NYU, and you prob didn't have to apply to 12 schools with your stats, but that's done already
good list, maybe a touch public school heavy, but your stats are good enough to make you competitive at OOS publics...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

200 hours of shadowing is a LOT of shadowing (100 per dentist is still a LOT of shadowing). I get that you may not be in a strong position to get more because you seem to be working while in school. While I think you will get some leeway with this, the amount of dental experience still seems light. Volunteering 2 people is fine, but that's not "community service."

I think you should have taken all your prereqs so you could include Stony Brook. Clearly they would have been your best chance to enter dental school. By attending their pipeline program, you don't get leeway from me; you should have taken those prereqs before applying to maximize your chances over the rush to get done with undergrad so quickly.

You sound like you grew up in the NYC area, so Touro and NYU are your friendly schools, with Rutgers possibly being in play. Columbia's one of the toughest dental schools to get into, and your low research and dental hours may not keep you on par with the rest of the pool. Ditto that for Penn.

Illinois doesn't make sense to me. I believe they highly favor in-state. Plus it doesn't appear you want to wander that far away from home. 10 years working at your family restaurant gives you insight into the local area where you grew up. I'm not sure you have convinced me moving to Chicago is in your best interest.

 

[OriginallyJli]

200 hours of shadowing is a LOT of shadowing (100 per dentist is still a LOT of shadowing). I get that you may not be in a strong position to get more because you seem to be working while in school. While I think you will get some leeway with this, the amount of dental experience still seems light. Volunteering 2 people is fine, but that's not "community service."

I think you should have taken all your prereqs so you could include Stony Brook. Clearly they would have been your best chance to enter dental school. By attending their pipeline program, you don't get leeway from me; you should have taken those prereqs before applying to maximize your chances over the rush to get done with undergrad so quickly.

You sound like you grew up in the NYC area, so Touro and NYU are your friendly schools, with Rutgers possibly being in play. Columbia's one of the toughest dental schools to get into, and your low research and dental hours may not keep you on par with the rest of the pool. Ditto that for Penn.

Illinois doesn't make sense to me. I believe they highly favor in-state. Plus it doesn't appear you want to wander that far away from home. 10 years working at your family restaurant gives you insight into the local area where you grew up. I'm not sure you have convinced me moving to Chicago is in your best interest.

sorry, i should have explained community service better, the 2 kids that I help tutor are through my university in helping local schools. The school that I got assigned to saw it as an opportunity to help these 2 kids as I spoke chinese.

Stonybrook was my top school after I attended their program but I had learned about their prereq rule. I tried my hardest to fit it but I couldn't. The prereqs I had left were biochem and physics 2. Unfortunately, I took orgo all of my second year and my college doesn't allow biochem to be taken concurrently. This left physics 2, which I could have taken in the spring of my sophomore year but I didn't want to cram and jeopardize my GPA since Stonybrook wouldn't view the application anyways. My only chance at Stonybrook would have to be next cycle.

For the light dental experience, I thought just shadowing was enough, and being an assistant just extra. I live in upstate NY so there is only 1 dental clinic nearby. They didn't want to hire because I didn't have a license, therefore I just spent the summer shadowing. I don't really have a response for research because I've only got involved in my second year because I wasn't accepted into any first year research programs. I do plan to continue and get a publication and presentation out next semester. Also I heard that research is just an application booster.

The only reason why I want to graduate early is because I came in with a lot of dual enrollment credits and most of it already applied to my degree. So even if I wanted to slow down and take the 4 years, my senior year would consist of me barely making the minimum credits for me to be considered a full time student. Also I would avoid paying a whole year's worth of college which would benefit my family so much.

You are right about the schools in my nearest vicinity. I knew Columbia was a reach at the start, but I had actually though I had a fair shot at UPenn with my app. Currently, UPenn and UBuff are my top schools and I hope I made everything clear in my explanations. Thank you for this detailed opinion!

 

[OriginallyJli]

Hey @Ryxndek, I was wondering if you have any inputs? Thank You!

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[Ryxndek]

Hey @Ryxndek, I was wondering if you have any inputs? Thank You!

​

Illinois was probably a donation, they're just outrageously competitive for OOS candidates, generally admitting less than a handful of students and most come from surrounding states. I think 12 schools is more than enough, agreed you should have finished prereqs to apply to stony. Maximizing all your IS schools is important, but I think UB, Touro, and NYU are definitely in play. Like others have said, Columbia is probably a reach. I think the rest of the list is fine.

But anything can happen, I think you stand a solid chance from my point of view. Just be prepared for potential interviews and do your homework. Lots of resources and info you can find browsing SDN. Just takes time.