WAMC Low GPA High DAT

[somerandomperson1212]

Date of submission: Jan 11
Overall GPA: 3.29
Science GPA: 3.20
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:
DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA: 27
TS: 26
Bio: 30
GC: 23
OC: 22
RC: 27
PAT: 27
QR: 30
State of Residence: Canada, I have dual citizenship with the US though


Major: Biology
Minority? Yes/No- Asians are NOT a minority
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No - South Asian

Shadowing Experience: 300, at general practice, endo, and OMFS
Volunteering Experience: Around 300
Employment: Tutoring in low income areas
Research: none
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's Honor Role 2022, 2023.
LOR type and strength: I have 2 letters from bio professors, and a LOR from a endo dentist
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
My GPA was not good the first two years on my undergrad (<3.0) and I got quite a few Cs mainly due to personal issues. I was able to raise my GPA to a 3.29 by taking a 5th year and maintaining a 4.0 the last two and a half years of my undergrad. I’m also Canadian and completed my undergrad in a Canadian school, but I am also a dual citizen with the US and plan on applying broadly in the US. I’ve seen a lot of cases where people applying from out of the country with better stats than me not getting in anywhere in the states.

School List:
NYU
Tufts
Buffalo
Case Western
Augusta
University of Minnesota
Midwestern
Meharry
Roseman
LECOM
NOVA
University of Florida

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[Ryxndek]

I'm not sure Georgia fits your app, and I don't think they take many international students. You have most of the border schools so that will help you there. Unsure about Meharry but you might be okay there.

An extremely impressive DAT score, a 30TS is insane. It should help with your GPA, and if you got a 4.0 in your last few semesters, that will show improvement. if you apply broadly I think you can succeed. I'd maybe look at tossing Columbia on the list, while your GPA is low, they love having extremely high DAT scores, and accept a handful of international students. I'd have to look at their GPA ranges to get a better idea. UoP could also be on your radar if you're including roseman.

Just get your app in early in June, and I think you'll get in somewhere. Congrats on the turnaround, this is a big improvement that won't go unnoticed.

Double check your letters, usually I'd recommend 4. If you can snag a letter from your employer, that might help you out there.

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: Jan 11
Overall GPA: 3.29
Science GPA: 3.20
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:
DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA: 27
TS: 30
Bio: 30
GC: 23
OC: 21
RC: 27
PAT: 27
QR: 26
State of Residence: Canada, I have dual citizenship with the US though


Major: Biology
Minority? Yes/No- Asians are NOT a minority
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No - South Asian

Shadowing Experience: 300, at general practice, endo, and OMFS
Volunteering Experience: Around 300
Employment: Tutoring in low income areas
Research: none
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's Honor Role 2022, 2023.
LOR type and strength: I have 2 letters from bio professors, and a LOR from a endo dentist
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
My GPA was not good the first two years on my undergrad (<3.0) and I got quite a few Cs mainly due to personal issues. I was able to raise my GPA to a 3.29 by taking a 5th year and maintaining a 4.0 the last two and a half years of my undergrad. I’m also Canadian and completed my undergrad in a Canadian school, but I am also a dual citizen with the US and plan on applying broadly in the US. I’ve seen a lot of cases where people applying from out of the country with better stats than me not getting in anywhere in the states.

School List:
NYU
Tufts
Buffalo
Case Western
Augusta
University of Minnesota
Midwestern
Meharry
Roseman
LECOM
NOVA
University of Florida

did you just apply today, or you applying next cycle?

 

[somerandomperson1212]

did you just apply today, or you applying next cycle?

Next cycle.

 

[somerandomperson1212]

I'm not sure Georgia fits your app, and I don't think they take many international students. You have most of the border schools so that will help you there. Unsure about Meharry but you might be okay there.

An extremely impressive DAT score, a 30TS is insane. It should help with your GPA, and if you got a 4.0 in your last few semesters, that will show improvement. if you apply broadly I think you can succeed. I'd maybe look at tossing Columbia on the list, while your GPA is low, they love having extremely high DAT scores, and accept a handful of international students. I'd have to look at their GPA ranges to get a better idea. UoP could also be on your radar if you're including roseman.

Just get your app in early in June, and I think you'll get in somewhere. Congrats on the turnaround, this is a big improvement that won't go unnoticed.

Double check your letters, usually I'd recommend 4. If you can snag a letter from your employer, that might help you out there.

I don’t think I would be considered an international student, but as a domestic student since I am a US Citizen through dual citizenship, and I do not need a student visa to study there. I probably would be an out of state applicant for every school I apply to and I’m not sure how applying with an Canadian undergrad affects my chances in the US. I probably have to contact certain schools to clarify my status though.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It's definitely good that you can claim US+ Canadian citizenship. Did you live in the US for any significant period of time? What about your community service... where did you do most of it where you are working closely with people who are in great need?

 

[Ryxndek]

I don’t think I would be considered an international student, but as a domestic student since I am a US Citizen through dual citizenship, and I do not need a student visa to study there. I probably would be an out of state applicant for every school I apply to and I’m not sure how applying with an Canadian undergrad affects my chances in the US. I probably have to contact certain schools to clarify my status though.

Yeah, I saw Canadian and mistyped after reading it over again, oops. Regardless, I'm not sure where the schools will consider your residency, so choosing border states might help with that situation.

 

[somerandomperson1212]

It's definitely good that you can claim US+ Canadian citizenship. Did you live in the US for any significant period of time? What about your community service... where did you do most of it where you are working closely with people who are in great need?

No I did not live in the US for a significant amount of time. I don’t want to give an exact location as to where I did community service, but it’s in the greater Toronto area.

 

[Ryxndek]

No I did not live in the US for a significant amount of time. I don’t want to give an exact location as to where I did community service, but it’s in the greater Toronto area.

doesnt need to be an indenifying place, I think we're wondering more on the lines of what the service was exactly. Working with the homeless, less fortunate, food panty, soup kitchen, etc.

 

[somerandomperson1212]

doesnt need to be an indenifying place, I think we're wondering more on the lines of what the service was exactly. Working with the homeless, less fortunate, food panty, soup kitchen, etc.

It was mainly food distribution and helping with/organizing food banks. In high school and 1st year I helped create free after school STEM/art program for kids from ages 5-10 in low income areas, where I also taught.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Okay. The challenge is going to be how public schools will weigh your application as it sounds like you would likely be OOS for most of them. The border schools you list are good choices, but with the schools you might add, you also want to be comfortable with a lot of the charity care that the schools will volunteer their students to do.

I am sure your transcript (from a Canadian institution) is going to be science-course heavy, and you want to be sure that schools' admissions teams understand that context. It sounds like you have an upward GPA trend. The changes on your list would be:

Remove
Augusta/DCG (as mentioned, in-state highly preferred)
Florida (in-state preferred)
Meharry (HBCU, mostly favors socioeconomically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented races and ethnicities)

Add/consider
UDetroit Mercy
Marquette (close to Chicago and compares to UDM)
University of Pacific (also a 3-year curriculum like Roseman)
Boston University (because you have Tufts)
Touro

Compare costs of attendance and loan amounts. I don't know what your preference is for a location where you want to live and work (lots of work) over 4 years. Connect with ASDA student chapters and talk with anyone who is similar to you as a dual citizen who mostly lived in Canada and what their application experience was like.

 

[somerandomperson1212]

Okay. The challenge is going to be how public schools will weigh your application as it sounds like you would likely be OOS for most of them. The border schools you list are good choices, but with the schools you might add, you also want to be comfortable with a lot of the charity care that the schools will volunteer their students to do.

I am sure your transcript (from a Canadian institution) is going to be science-course heavy, and you want to be sure that schools' admissions teams understand that context. It sounds like you have an upward GPA trend. The changes on your list would be:

Remove
Augusta/DCG (as mentioned, in-state highly preferred)
Florida (in-state preferred)
Meharry (HBCU, mostly favors socioeconomically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented races and ethnicities)

Add/consider
UDetroit Mercy
Marquette (close to Chicago and compares to UDM)
University of Pacific (also a 3-year curriculum like Roseman)
Boston University (because you have Tufts)
Touro

Compare costs of attendance and loan amounts. I don't know what your preference is for a location where you want to live and work (lots of work) over 4 years. Connect with ASDA student chapters and talk with anyone who is similar to you as a dual citizen who mostly lived in Canada and what their application experience was like.

Thank you so much for your advice, I will definitely look into these schools. Other than this, are my stats competitive enough for these schools?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you so much for your advice, I will definitely look into these schools. Other than this, are my stats competitive enough for these schools?

Your community service hours may pose a challenge, even more than your GPA. I don't know your evidence of manual dexterity other than the PAT, which only shows spatial perception. Depends on your mission fit.

 

[somerandomperson1212]

Your community service hours may pose a challenge, even more than your GPA. I don't know your evidence of manual dexterity other than the PAT, which only shows spatial perception. Depends on your mission fit.

What would you consider a good amount of community service hours? I have around 100 community service hours, and the other 200 are hospital/clinic volunteering.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What would you consider a good amount of community service hours? I have around 100 community service hours, and the other 200 are hospital/clinic volunteering.

100 hours community service should be fine as a minimum, especially if it is done in the US. Similarly for clinical experience.

 

[predenthelp]

what did you use to study and how did you study? that’s a very impressive score, good job!