WAMC - Low BCP, 23 DAT

[tsw670]

Thank you in advance to anyone reading through all of this! I am planning to apply in June, but I am pretty concerned about my GPA. Suggestions on my school list would also be appreciated!

Undergrad School: Flagship university with its own dental school
Overall GPA: 3.39
Science GPA: 3.40
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 2.97
DAT score (include AA and all sections): PA: 21, QR: 21, RC: 24, Bio: 19, Gen Chem: 28, OChem: 21, Total Sci: 21, AA: 23
State of Residence: California
Major: Anthropology: Human Evolutionary Biology | Anthropology: Medical Anthropology & Global Health
Minority? Filipino?
Shadowing Experience: Shadowed multiple dental students, oral surgeons, and an endodontist
Volunteering Experience:

• General dentistry clinic volunteer (clinical, 100 hours)
• Boy Scouts of America (I still occasionally volunteer even though I “finished” Eagle Scout in high school)
• Braille Institute (Learned excellent communication skills working with blind students)

Employment:

• Non-clinical assistant at my university’s oral surgery clinic. (1600 hours).
• Tutoring students from my high school in various subjects (170 hours)
• Dental Assistant at a private Endo clinic (some chairside experience) (100 hours)

Research:

• Honors Thesis on osteoarthritis (presented at a symposium)
• 3D scanning of small bones/teeth for an evolutionary bio-anthropology lab (126 hours)

Other Extracurriculars: Pre-dental society
Relevant Honors or Awards: Graduating from Honors Department, Eagle Scout (is this relevant?)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere: Fluent in Spanish.
School list:
University of Washington
UCSF
UOP
USC
UCLA
Colorado
Boston University
Virginia Commonwealth
Loma Linda
Tufts
University of Michigan
NYU
Oregon Health & Science University

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[BMH500]

Your application looks well rounded. I am just a bit confused how your sGPA is so much higher than your BCP GPA, which classes did you take that weren't bio, Chem, or physics that brought it up that much. Overall, I think you stand a decent chance as your cGPA and sGPA are fairly competitive and your DAT is fairly competitive as well. I might recommend not bothering apply to Washington since they are so instate heavy. Otherwise, you might want to add some schools like Midwestern AZ, UNLV, or even like Colorado since they aren't super in state heavy and are near by where you currently live.

 

[tsw670]

Your application looks well rounded. I am just a bit confused how your sGPA is so much higher than your BCP GPA, which classes did you take that weren't bio, Chem, or physics that brought it up that much. Overall, I think you stand a decent chance as your cGPA and sGPA are fairly competitive and your DAT is fairly competitive as well. I might recommend not bothering apply to Washington since they are so instate heavy. Otherwise, you might want to add some schools like Midwestern AZ, UNLV, or even like Colorado since they aren't super in state heavy and are near by where you currently live.

Thanks for the feedback! The discrepancy in my sGPA vs BCP is because I have a 4.0 in my major (biological anthropology) which counts toward sGPA, but not BCP unfortunately according to the ADEA.... I’ll definitely look more into those schools, thanks!

 

[1942]

Overall application looks solid tbh. Filipino is also considered an URM which may work in your favor. A strong DAT (22+) would help mitigate some concerns with the low BCP GPA and make you a more competitive applicant but its not absolutely necessary.

I’d remove UW, UM (no research experience), and VCU and add Western, UOP, UCSF, Touro, ASDOH, UNLV, Roseman, and Midwestern (both).

its important to have a mix of reach (limit this), reasonable options, and safety schools.

 

[tsw670]

Overall application looks solid tbh. Filipino is also considered an URM which may work in your favor. A strong DAT (22+) would help mitigate some concerns with the low BCP GPA and make you a more competitive applicant but its not absolutely necessary.

I’d remove UW, UM (no research experience), and VCU and add Western, UOP, UCSF, Touro, ASDOH, UNLV, Roseman, and Midwestern (both).

its important to have a mix of reach (limit this), reasonable options, and safety schools.

Thank for the suggestions. When you say to remove UM do you mean Michigan or Maryland? Do you think my research is not enough for this school even to have done my own thesis and have been part of a lab?

 

[1942]

Thank for the suggestions. When you say to remove UM do you mean Michigan or Maryland? Do you think my research is not enough for this school even to have done my own thesis and have been part of a lab?

I meant Michigan. But I somehow missed your research experience when reading earlier. It would still technically be considered a reach based on your profile but still worth a shot if you want.

Keep Maryland. They interview a lot of students (apparently 800(!) this cycle). Many from CA. High likelihood of receiving an interview.

 

[artist2022]

Thank you in advance to anyone reading through all of this! I am planning to apply in June 2021, but I am pretty concerned about my GPA. Suggestions on my school list would also be appreciated!

Undergrad School: Flagship university with its own dental school
Overall GPA: 3.61
Science GPA: 3.47
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 2.97
DAT score (include AA and all sections): PA: 18, QR: 22, RC: 20, Bio: 22, Gen Chem: 20, OChem: 17, Total Sci: 19, AA: 21
State of Residence: California
Major: Anthropology: Human Evolutionary Biology | Anthropology: Medical Anthropology & Global Health
Minority? Filipino?
Shadowing Experience: I am shadowing multiple dentists through volunteering at my university’s general dentistry clinic. (100 hours)
Volunteering Experience:

• General dentistry clinic volunteer (clinical, 100 hours)
• Boy Scouts of America (I am still actively volunteering even though I “finished” Eagle Scout in high school)
• Braille Institute (Learned excellent communication skills working with blind students and even learned how to read Braille with my fingertips)

Employment:

• Non-clinical assistant at my university’s oral surgery clinic. (1600 hours).
• Tutoring students from my high school in various subjects (170 hours)

Research:

• Honors thesis on osteoarthritis (presented at a symposium and in the works of being published)
• 3D scanning of small bones/teeth for an evolutionary bio-anthropology lab (126 hours)

Other Extracurriculars: Pre-dental society
Relevant Honors or Awards: Graduating from Honors College, honors thesis
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere: Fluent in Spanish.
School list:
University of Maryland*
University of Washington*
Boston University
Virginia Commonwealth
USC
UCLA
Loma Linda
Tufts
University of Michigan
NYU
Oregon Health & Science University

You're right about your BCP GPA, as it's pretty low and you are not a "traditional" science major. Your DAT score is also a little on the weak side, namely your TS which looks like it was dragged down by your OC score. I think the biggest reach on your list is probably UCLA due to GPA/DAT, but I would add Western and UCSF and shoot your shot since IS tuition is what you should aim for. I'd also add UNLV since they do IS tuition after a yr and I'd look into OHSU a little more because I don't know how OOS friendly they are.

I think you could apply this cycle and see how it goes, or retake your DAT by June/July to give yourself a better shot/open the doors to more competitive (and cheaper) schools. Make sure you submit your app early and that your PS/LORs are solid!