WAMC for the 2025-2026 cycle? High DAT, mediocre GPA, normal ECs applicant

[jigglypianodude]

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Please let me know how I can improve my app before next year, and especially how to address the red flag I mentioned at the end.

Overall GPA: 3.87 - assuming I get straight A’s my junior year. Right now it’s a 3.81.
Science GPA: 3.84 - also assuming
BCPM GPA: 3.81 - also assuming.
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 25 AA, 25 TS, 23 PAT, 27 QR, 24 RC, 24 Bio, 23 Chem, 30 Orgo | took in July 2024
State of Residence: Illinois

Undergrad Attended: OOS top public school (think Berkeley/Michigan)
Major: Kinesiology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 80 hours with a general dentist, starting with a second dentist this fall to bring to a total of ~160 hours by time of app
Volunteering Experience: Crisis Counselor (150 hours) Periodontist Office (100 hours) Homeless Shelter (150 hours) Elementary School Science Outreach (150 hours) Mobile Clinic Coordinator (200 hours) - affiliated with school club

Employment: Piano teacher (300 hours), Microbiology TA (200 hours), Summer full time CNA (400 hours).
-No dental assisting hours at the time of application but I will mention on my app that I have a senior year internship working as a full time DA lined up.

Research: Hours and type; any publications or presentations? How many? Research at a natural history museum for 700 hours since freshman year. Currently finalizing my paper to submit for publication this fall. Three presentations and possibly one publication if accepted by the time of application.

Other Extracurriculars: Hours and type; includes athletics, military, leadership, etc. -Interned at a music festival company this past summer while I finished studying for the DAT (just for funsies) ~300 hours
-Worked as an intern to run auctions for the homeless shelter I volunteer at ~300 hours -> raised over 150k this past year.
-Served on science outreach board for my school’s elementary volunteering club, same hours as the volunteering I mentioned plus 30 for club meetings.
-Member of our school’s predent society, nothing too crazy here ~50 hours.

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? networking, volunteering in a D-school clinic, shadow faculty, etc. — Attended UNLV simulation event this past summer. Attended my undergrad’s dental school event as well. Met with adcoms at both schools. Joined the email list for predents interested in UIC dentistry and fingers crossed there’s an event there too.

Relevant Honors or Awards: _______ Alumni Club Scholarship (city name redacted for privacy but you can probably guess which one based on my state haha), Research Scholarship/program at my school, Deans List in every semester except one.

LOR type and strength: One from my orgo 2 professor, one from a dentist I shadowed, one from my research lab’s PI, and hopefully a fourth one from one of my upper division classes I take since some schools require a 4th LOR if you don’t have a committee letter.

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Two W’s in Human Anatomy (retook for A), a gen ed course (also retook for A), and a C in orgo I in my sophomore fall semester — major yikes. However, I did make an A in orgo 2 and a 30/30 on the Orgo DAT section as I mentioned above.

School list: I do not have a definitive list of schools yet and plan to add places I’m above the average GPA at, but I’d like to know my chances for any amount of these programs: UIC, SIU, Midwestern IL, UNLV, UCLA, UCSF, UOP, UPenn, Columbia, UMich. I’ll take recommendations of schools I could apply to as well.
I'd like to try my chances at top schools but will NOT apply to Harvard since my gpa is too low.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The most sensible list starts from geography. As an Illinois resident, your in-state options are in platform, but remember SIU prefers non Chicagoland applicants due to mission.

Try for all the Ivy Schools. There are only 3. If your are set to specialize or stay in academic dentistry or do something financially lucrative with physicians or dental technology, why not. This ain't medical school admissions, so a 3.8 ... why not. Mission fit.

Community service looms large in your profile along with dental experience (though more is helpful IMO). I'm a fan of natural history museums (academic activity)... around plenty of teeth.

Keep networking. I'll have to think of your other schools on your list.

 

[jigglypianodude]

The most sensible list starts from geography. As an Illinois resident, your in-state options are in platform, but remember SIU prefers non Chicagoland applicants due to mission.

Try for all the Ivy Schools. There are only 3. If your are set to specialize or stay in academic dentistry or do something financially lucrative with physicians or dental technology, why not. This ain't medical school admissions, so a 3.8 ... why not. Mission fit.

Community service looms large in your profile along with dental experience (though more is helpful IMO). I'm a fan of natural history museums (academic activity)... around plenty of teeth.

Keep networking. I'll have to think of your other schools on your list.

thank you! I’m honestly not sure how to get any more dental experience than I already have because I feel like there’s really nothing else I could do besides go on a mission trip… unless you mean increase my number of hours?

also, I was wondering if you felt that my chances of getting into my undergrad’s dental school are slightly higher than if I didn’t attend undergrad there? even though I’m OOS I wonder if attending there for undergrad gives me a small boost. it’s worth noting that my undergrad has one of the most competitive dental schools in the country though and a GPA average above 3.8.

 

[macsak]

Please let me know how I can improve my app before next year, and especially how to address the red flag I mentioned at the end.

Overall GPA: 3.87 - assuming I get straight A’s my junior year. Right now it’s a 3.81.
Science GPA: 3.84 - also assuming
BCPM GPA: 3.81 - also assuming.
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 25 AA, 25 TS, 23 PAT, 27 QR, 24 RC, 24 Bio, 23 Chem, 30 Orgo | took in July 2024
State of Residence: Illinois

Undergrad Attended: OOS top public school (think Berkeley/Michigan)
Major: Kinesiology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 80 hours with a general dentist, starting with a second dentist this fall to bring to a total of ~160 hours by time of app
Volunteering Experience: Crisis Counselor (150 hours) Periodontist Office (100 hours) Homeless Shelter (150 hours) Elementary School Science Outreach (150 hours) Mobile Clinic Coordinator (200 hours) - affiliated with school club

Employment: Piano teacher (300 hours), Microbiology TA (200 hours), Summer full time CNA (400 hours).
-No dental assisting hours at the time of application but I will mention on my app that I have a senior year internship working as a full time DA lined up.

Research: Hours and type; any publications or presentations? How many? Research at a natural history museum for 700 hours since freshman year. Currently finalizing my paper to submit for publication this fall. Three presentations and possibly one publication if accepted by the time of application.

Other Extracurriculars: Hours and type; includes athletics, military, leadership, etc. -Interned at a music festival company this past summer while I finished studying for the DAT (just for funsies) ~300 hours
-Worked as an intern to run auctions for the homeless shelter I volunteer at ~300 hours -> raised over 150k this past year.
-Served on science outreach board for my school’s elementary volunteering club, same hours as the volunteering I mentioned plus 30 for club meetings.
-Member of our school’s predent society, nothing too crazy here ~50 hours.

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? networking, volunteering in a D-school clinic, shadow faculty, etc. — Attended UNLV simulation event this past summer. Attended my undergrad’s dental school event as well. Met with adcoms at both schools. Joined the email list for predents interested in UIC dentistry and fingers crossed there’s an event there too.

Relevant Honors or Awards: _______ Alumni Club Scholarship (city name redacted for privacy but you can probably guess which one based on my state haha), Research Scholarship/program at my school, Deans List in every semester except one.

LOR type and strength: One from my orgo 2 professor, one from a dentist I shadowed, one from my research lab’s PI, and hopefully a fourth one from one of my upper division classes I take since some schools require a 4th LOR if you don’t have a committee letter.

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Two W’s in Human Anatomy (retook for A), a gen ed course (also retook for A), and a C in orgo I in my sophomore fall semester — major yikes. However, I did make an A in orgo 2 and a 30/30 on the Orgo DAT section as I mentioned above.

School list: I do not have a definitive list of schools yet and plan to add places I’m above the average GPA at, but I’d like to know my chances for any amount of these programs: UIC, SIU, Midwestern IL, UNLV, UCLA, UCSF, UOP, UPenn, Columbia, UMich. I’ll take recommendations of schools I could apply to as well.
I'd like to try my chances at top schools but will NOT apply to Harvard since my gpa is too low.

your GPA is neither "mediocre" nor too low for harvard...

 

[jigglypianodude]

your GPA is neither "mediocre" nor too low for harvard...

pre dent board members at my school have told me it’s on the lower end and might screen me out of top programs.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

pre dent board members at my school have told me it’s on the lower end and might screen me out of top programs.

Where are they getting that information? Cite sources. Sure you are also assuming GPA at submission, but have you talked with their admissions teams?

 

[jigglypianodude]

Where are they getting that information? Cite sources. Sure you are also assuming GPA at submission, but have you talked with their admissions teams?

i have talked with admissions teams and honestly they didn’t really give me anything more than I got online. said it was holistic person to person gpa should be competitive usual stuff.

 

[drDental_]

Where are they getting that information? Cite sources. Sure you are also assuming GPA at submission, but have you talked with their admissions teams?

I think they must be referring to the 5th - 95th percentile GPA ranges specified both in the DSE and Official Guide for Harvard (Science 3.76-4.0 and Total is 3.79-4.0). They are the only school with their 5th percentile GPAs set this high.

 

[macsak]

pre dent board members at my school have told me it’s on the lower end and might screen me out of top programs.

"might" is different than "too low"

 

[jigglypianodude]

"might" is different than "too low"

regardless, my point still stands that my GPA is in the mediocre to low range

 

[macsak]

Please let me know how I can improve my app before next year, and especially how to address the red flag I mentioned at the end.

Overall GPA: 3.87 - assuming I get straight A’s my junior year. Right now it’s a 3.81.
Science GPA: 3.84 - also assuming
BCPM GPA: 3.81 - also assuming.
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 25 AA, 25 TS, 23 PAT, 27 QR, 24 RC, 24 Bio, 23 Chem, 30 Orgo | took in July 2024
State of Residence: Illinois

Undergrad Attended: OOS top public school (think Berkeley/Michigan)
Major: Kinesiology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 80 hours with a general dentist, starting with a second dentist this fall to bring to a total of ~160 hours by time of app
Volunteering Experience: Crisis Counselor (150 hours) Periodontist Office (100 hours) Homeless Shelter (150 hours) Elementary School Science Outreach (150 hours) Mobile Clinic Coordinator (200 hours) - affiliated with school club

Employment: Piano teacher (300 hours), Microbiology TA (200 hours), Summer full time CNA (400 hours).
-No dental assisting hours at the time of application but I will mention on my app that I have a senior year internship working as a full time DA lined up.

Research: Hours and type; any publications or presentations? How many? Research at a natural history museum for 700 hours since freshman year. Currently finalizing my paper to submit for publication this fall. Three presentations and possibly one publication if accepted by the time of application.

Other Extracurriculars: Hours and type; includes athletics, military, leadership, etc. -Interned at a music festival company this past summer while I finished studying for the DAT (just for funsies) ~300 hours
-Worked as an intern to run auctions for the homeless shelter I volunteer at ~300 hours -> raised over 150k this past year.
-Served on science outreach board for my school’s elementary volunteering club, same hours as the volunteering I mentioned plus 30 for club meetings.
-Member of our school’s predent society, nothing too crazy here ~50 hours.

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? networking, volunteering in a D-school clinic, shadow faculty, etc. — Attended UNLV simulation event this past summer. Attended my undergrad’s dental school event as well. Met with adcoms at both schools. Joined the email list for predents interested in UIC dentistry and fingers crossed there’s an event there too.

Relevant Honors or Awards: _______ Alumni Club Scholarship (city name redacted for privacy but you can probably guess which one based on my state haha), Research Scholarship/program at my school, Deans List in every semester except one.

LOR type and strength: One from my orgo 2 professor, one from a dentist I shadowed, one from my research lab’s PI, and hopefully a fourth one from one of my upper division classes I take since some schools require a 4th LOR if you don’t have a committee letter.

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Two W’s in Human Anatomy (retook for A), a gen ed course (also retook for A), and a C in orgo I in my sophomore fall semester — major yikes. However, I did make an A in orgo 2 and a 30/30 on the Orgo DAT section as I mentioned above.

School list: I do not have a definitive list of schools yet and plan to add places I’m above the average GPA at, but I’d like to know my chances for any amount of these programs: UIC, SIU, Midwestern IL, UNLV, UCLA, UCSF, UOP, UPenn, Columbia, UMich. I’ll take recommendations of schools I could apply to as well.
I'd like to try my chances at top schools but will NOT apply to Harvard since my gpa is too low.

wait, you're a sophomore?

 

[jigglypianodude]

wait, you're a sophomore?

yes. I’ve taken the DAT and all my prereqs but I still have junior year. I will be graduating next year too, so i’ll be applying while working as a DA for what would be my senior year

 

[macsak]

yes. I’ve taken the DAT and all my prereqs but I still have junior year. I will be graduating next year too, so i’ll be applying while working as a DA for what would be my senior year

are you applying this cycle or next cycle?

 

[jigglypianodude]

are you applying this cycle or next cycle?

next cycle

 

[macsak]

next cycle

i suggest you spend the next year getting in contact with your target schools and creating relationships there and learn your chances from them rather than listening to peers

your list contains your IS schools, which should be your priority
but the rest of your list (UCs, UOP, ivies, UMich) are all in the top 10 most difficult schools to get into in the USA
so they are reaches despite your stats
your job is to look into your mission fit with these programs and show it in your ECs, PS and secondaries
your one public (UNLV) makes no sense geographically
you should look into publics closer to IL and see your mission fit there...

 

[jigglypianodude]

i suggest you spend the next year getting in contact with your target schools and creating relationships there and learn your chances from them rather than listening to peers

your list contains your IS schools, which should be your priority
but the rest of your list (UCs, UOP, ivies, UMich) are all in the top 10 most difficult schools to get into in the USA
so they are reaches despite your stats
your job is to look into your mission fit with these programs and show it in your ECs, PS and secondaries
your one public (UNLV) makes no sense geographically
you should look into publics closer to IL and see your mission fit there...

forgot to mention that I have connected with UNLV admissions multiple times including in person and UNLV admits 70% of their class from people with “nevada ties” which I qualify for based on my dad’s residency there. my bad, I should have added that additional context to explain why I visited the school and am applying there

regarding contacting other schools, how would I initiate that and what exactly should I ask them?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

forgot to mention that I have connected with UNLV admissions multiple times including in person and UNLV admits 70% of their class from people with “nevada ties” which I qualify for based on my dad’s residency there. my bad, I should have added that additional context to explain why I visited the school and am applying there

regarding contacting other schools, how would I initiate that and what exactly should I ask them?

Well that would have helped us. We aren't psychics, and it doesn't help us if you withhold information to surprise us later. Adcoms hate surprises.

 

[jigglypianodude]

Well that would have helped us. We aren't psychics, and it doesn't help us if you withhold information to surprise us later. Adcoms hate surprises.

huh…? I gave more than enough info for people to judge my relative competitiveness as an applicant… obviously there’s going to be things I haven’t mentioned initially because this is a forum post, not an autobiography. the adcoms would know that info when I applied, no one is being surprised here.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

huh…? I gave more than enough info for people to judge my relative competitiveness as an applicant… obviously there’s going to be things I haven’t mentioned initially because this is a forum post, not an autobiography. the adcoms would know that info when I applied, no one is being surprised here.

That's fair. You mentioned you attended their simulation program at first.

On your question about having an advantage being a graduate at a university with a dental school: it should be a plus, not a guarantee.

Finally, you are calculating your application GPA to AADSAS rules? You only have the C in organic chemistry, and everything else are A's (and your two W's)? If so, stop believing your GPA is :mediocre." Your ECs are solid.

Your list: you could try both 3-year schools (Pacific, Roseman). You could add Marquette and Creighton, the two regional privates in your area. Western if California is desired. Network with your listed schools your haven't met with yet.

 

[jigglypianodude]

That's fair. You mentioned you attended their simulation program at first.

On your question about having an advantage being a graduate at a university with a dental school: it should be a plus, not a guarantee.

Finally, you are calculating your application GPA to AADSAS rules? You only have the C in organic chemistry, and everything else are A's (and your two W's)? If so, stop believing your GPA is :mediocre." Your ECs are solid.

Your list: you could try both 3-year schools (Pacific, Roseman). You could add Marquette and Creighton, the two regional privates in your area. Western if California is desired. Network with your listed schools your haven't met with yet.

I have two B’s as well. i calculated GPA with AADSAS rules, it’s the same gpa as my college GPA, same weight system. So yes I’m aiming to have a 3.87gpa at the time of application, which is unfortunately not as high as I’d hope to have but I’ll make do with it.