WAMC NC Resident

[C1nn@m0n]

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Date of submission: 8/25/26
Overall GPA: 4.0
Science GPA: 4.0
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 4.0
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 480AA/500TS/460PAT, 470QR/440RC/470BIO/550GC/470OC/460PAT
State of Residence: North Carolina

Undergrad Attended: NC State
Major: Biological Sciences
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: One general dentist, 180 hours
Volunteering Experience: Hospital, ~140 hours and continuing
Employment: receptionist at tennis club, 720 hours / barista, 700 hours and continuing
Research: none
Other Extracurriculars: Event Coordinator in Vietnamese Student Association for one school year, then senior advisor for one school year / biology and chemistry tutor in school library, 130 hours / other hobbies like pickleball, tennis, crocheting, raving
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? no
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's List 6x (haven't graduated yet)
LOR type and strength: general dentist (strong I think), volunteer supervisor (strong), biology professor, chemistry professor (strong)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
School list:
UNC
ECU
VCU
Rutgers
Pitt
Temple
Buffalo
UMSOD
UIC

I'm just freaking out a little because I feel like I submitted my application very late. I submitted the AADSAS app in late august but didn't get my supplemental fees in until mid september. My essays are only average and not super good. I also feel like my activities/ECs are very average and since schools are very holistic my GPA might not save it.

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: 8/25/26
Overall GPA: 4.0
Science GPA: 4.0
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 4.0
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 480AA/500TS/460PAT, 470QR/440RC/470BIO/550GC/470OC/460PAT
State of Residence: North Carolina

Undergrad Attended: NC State
Major: Biological Sciences
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: One general dentist, 180 hours
Volunteering Experience: Hospital, ~140 hours and continuing
Employment: receptionist at tennis club, 720 hours / barista, 700 hours and continuing
Research: none
Other Extracurriculars: Event Coordinator in Vietnamese Student Association for one school year, then senior advisor for one school year / biology and chemistry tutor in school library, 130 hours / other hobbies like pickleball, tennis, crocheting, raving
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? no
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's List 6x (haven't graduated yet)
LOR type and strength: general dentist (strong I think), volunteer supervisor (strong), biology professor, chemistry professor (strong)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
School list:
UNC
ECU
VCU
Rutgers
Pitt
Temple
Buffalo
UMSOD
UIC

I'm just freaking out a little because I feel like I submitted my application very late. I submitted the AADSAS app in late august but didn't get my supplemental fees in until mid september. My essays are only average and not super good. I also feel like my activities/ECs are very average and since schools are very holistic my GPA might not save it.

which UM is UMSOD?

my biggest issues with your app are the fact that you only shadowed at one GP office
and this:
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? no

that said, your GPA and DAT are awesome, so you may have to just wait and trust the process

are you aware that UIC is IS heavy?

 

[C1nn@m0n]

which UM is UMSOD?

my biggest issues with your app are the fact that you only shadowed at one GP office
and this:
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? no

that said, your GPA and DAT are awesome, so you may have to just wait and trust the process

are you aware that UIC is IS heavy?

UMSOD is University of Maryland.

I'll probably try to find some more offices to shadow at. I did shadow at another dental office a couple times but it was only for like 10 hours so I didn't add it. Should I?

 

[JacquesVallee]

Take off every school besides UNC and ECU

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Why did you submit late?

 

[macsak]

UMSOD is University of Maryland.

I'll probably try to find some more offices to shadow at. I did shadow at another dental office a couple times but it was only for like 10 hours so I didn't add it. Should I?

yes

 

[macsak]

UMSOD is University of Maryland.

I'll probably try to find some more offices to shadow at. I did shadow at another dental office a couple times but it was only for like 10 hours so I didn't add it. Should I?

how come you never met with UNC or ECU admissions?

 

[C1nn@m0n]

Why did you submit late?

I took the DAT late this summer so I was focused on that, then I focused on finishing my application for the rest of summer while also working.

 

[C1nn@m0n]

Take off every school besides UNC and ECU

Why?

 

[C1nn@m0n]

how come you never met with UNC or ECU admissions?

I have met with UNC admissions but it was at an NC State sort of networking event, not an official UNC event so I didn't add it. I'm not going to lie, I didn't research much into ECU's pre-dental events because I just didn't think of it, which is stupid of me.

 

[JacquesVallee]

Why?

Any other school is financial suicide.

 

[macsak]

I have met with UNC admissions but it was at an NC State sort of networking event, not an official UNC event so I didn't add it. I'm not going to lie, I didn't research much into ECU's pre-dental events because I just didn't think of it, which is stupid of me.

have you had follow up meetings with UNC after the predental event?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Okay, so you don't know much about ECU, which is primarily in-state focused to fulfill its mission to serve mostly dental shortage areas around the state. Your activities don't suggest to me much immersion into understanding the challenges of rural or under-resourced North Carolinians. It also doesn't sound like you have had much substantial interaction with Adams UNC SOD, though on metrics your file ought to get some attention. But you lack any community service activities in the profile above. I'm fairly certain being around UNC that you are heavily encouraged to be involved with community service; I see none/not much of that. Maybe you have family members who are dentists who graduated from UNC or maybe another dental school in the US?

Both of those schools (plus High Point, but we won't discuss them right now) are your best chance because you are an in-state applicant, and perhaps that's what you are banking on for an interview. I'm just not sure the lack of community service will get you the interview. If it can't get you an interview with your in-states, the chance as an out-of-state applicant will be extremely small(er).

If you are self-assessing your essays as "average," then I don't know why you are satisfied sending in "C" level essays in a competitive process where you are already at a disadvantage with timing. Anecdotally, there were more submitted applications in the first few weeks of this cycle, which means you are actually further behind than the "average" applicant was in past years. At this point, get everything you can in, and trust the process.

I don't think you understand the concept of "holistic" review if you think it's all about one admissions criteria outweighing another. You are hoping your GPA/DAT? offset your low number of experience hours (dental, volunteer, leadership, research), but that's not how it works. Are you prepared enough for the mission-based education your dental school has created so that you can be equipped for the next phase of your training as a dentist? I'm not entirely sure you have satisfied many programs' "must haves" to get an interview, but we'll see.

I know NC State has a pretty good prehealth advising office, but it sounds like you have not taken advantage. How much help have they given you? What advice have they given you?