WAMC high stats but mid ECs -- need school list help!!

[bookgirlpearl23]

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Date of submission: planned to 06/17/2026
Overall GPA: 3.96
Science GPA: 3.87
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.8
DAT score:
AA: 500
QR: 490
RC: 520
Bio: 490
GC: 510
OC: 470
SNS: 490
PAT: 490

State of Residence: Illinois
Undergrad Attended: University of Michigan
Major: Biology

Shadowing Experience: 190 hours total (half with general dentists half with specialties)
Volunteering Experience: 250 hours volunteer EMT, 40 hours volunteer with nursing home, 20 hours service dental clinic
Employment: medical assistant, private tutor, nanny, pizza restaurant, swimming instructor, fundraising for university, farmer’s market vendor
Research: social sciences research freshman year
Other Extracurriculars: Affinity club leadership, ANAD eating disorder support group facilitator, sexual assault prevention and awareness curriculum development, Donate a Spice Here
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No
Relevant Honors or Awards: graduated with high distinction (top 10 percent of class)
LOR type and strength:
P chem professor: moderately strong
Infectious disease professor: moderate
Urgent care RN and supervisor: strong
General dentist: not sure

School list as of right now need to cut some:
Southern Illinois (IS)
University of Illinois Chicago (IS)
University of Michigan (my undergrad)
Colorado
Uconn
UMD
BU
OSU
Tufts
Penn
Buffalo
Upitt
Kentucky
Marquette
Tufts
UCSF
UoP
Harvard
Iowa

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: planned to 06/17/2026
Overall GPA: 3.96
Science GPA: 3.87
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.8
DAT score:
AA: 500
QR: 490
RC: 520
Bio: 490
GC: 510
OC: 470
SNS: 490
PAT: 490

State of Residence: Illinois
Undergrad Attended: University of Michigan
Major: Biology

Shadowing Experience: 190 hours total (half with general dentists half with specialties)
Volunteering Experience: 250 hours volunteer EMT, 40 hours volunteer with nursing home, 20 hours service dental clinic
Employment: medical assistant, private tutor, nanny, pizza restaurant, swimming instructor, fundraising for university, farmer’s market vendor
Research: social sciences research freshman year
Other Extracurriculars: Affinity club leadership, ANAD eating disorder support group facilitator, sexual assault prevention and awareness curriculum development, Donate a Spice Here
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No
Relevant Honors or Awards: graduated with high distinction (top 10 percent of class)
LOR type and strength:
P chem professor: moderately strong
Infectious disease professor: moderate
Urgent care RN and supervisor: strong
General dentist: not sure

School list as of right now need to cut some:
Southern Illinois (IS)
University of Illinois Chicago (IS)
University of Michigan (my undergrad)
Colorado
Uconn
UMD
BU
OSU
Tufts
Penn
Buffalo
Upitt
Kentucky
Marquette
Tufts
UCSF
UoP
Harvard
Iowa

how did you come up with this list?
how many are you willing to apply to?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

With your solid metrics, I understand why you would want to apply out, but you haven't attended any recruitment sessions to know what you need to look for.

Sure, your metrics might be "too high" for UDM, but I'd throw them an application. I would need more of an idea of your purpose as a physician; you should also do your homework why you want to apply to some of the public schools on your list (Ohio State, Buffalo, Kentucky, UCSF, Maryland, Colorado); I'm not sure you need all of them. Southern Illinois works if you did not grow up in Chicago and prefer more rural settings. I would think Iowa, Minnesota, and Creighton make sense.

The average number of schools is around 10 per applicant.

 

[bookgirlpearl23]

how did you come up with this list?
how many are you willing to apply to?

I created that list based mainly on location of school and from speaking to students. I looking to apply to 15ish max.

 

[macsak]

I created that list based mainly on location of school and from speaking to students. I looking to apply to 15ish max.

you get interview invites and acceptances by having mission fit with a program
to a lesser extent, geography plays a role
the ones that make the least sense to me on your list are colorado and kentucky
then tufts/bu (are you willing to pay that much for school?)

how come you have not participated at dental school events or visited/interacted with admissions at umich or your IS schools?

 

[bookgirlpearl23]

you get interview invites and acceptances by having mission fit with a program
to a lesser extent, geography plays a role
the ones that make the least sense to me on your list are colorado and kentucky
then tufts/bu (are you willing to pay that much for school?)

how come you have not participated at dental school events or visited/interacted with admissions at umich or your IS schools?

Gotcha. thank you for your input.

I have visited/interacted with admissions at Umich and have spoken with 2 professors at one of my IS schools. I also went to a Umich impressions workshop. Is there more I should do now?

 

[macsak]

Gotcha. thank you for your input.

I have visited/interacted with admissions at Umich and have spoken with 2 professors at one of my IS schools. I also went to a Umich impressions workshop. Is there more I should do now?

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No
is there anything else you missed in your original post?

what did your IS school and Umich tell you about your application?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Gotcha. thank you for your input.

I have visited/interacted with admissions at Umich and have spoken with 2 professors at one of my IS schools. I also went to a Umich impressions workshop. Is there more I should do now?

This still doesn't explain why you didn't go to the UDM Impressions Day or apply to them.

 

[macsak]

This still doesn't explain why you didn't go to the UDM Impressions Day or apply to them.

you know i don't like to disagree with you, but IMO OP does not need to apply to UDM at all...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

you know i don't like to disagree with you, but IMO OP does not need to apply to UDM at all...

I did say, it's probably worth throwing an app even though the metrics are probably too high for them (and is likely yield protected since OP isn't a Michigan resident). It depends how much the OP wants to be close to "home." I generally encourage visiting other schools' dental clinics on recruitment days just like I encourage that predents shadow more than one dentist.

I would encourage the OP to connect with the UIC team, even prior to applying. You could even request a tour (apparently, see the weblink). There's no good reason why OP hasn't taken advantage of recruitment events.

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