WAMC? School list help

[lussekatte]

Date of submission: end of June/early July
Overall GPA: 3.75
Science GPA: 3.67
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.61
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 23AA/22TS/21PAT/20BIO/23GC/27OC/24RC/21QR
State of Residence: North Carolina

Undergrad Attended: NC State
Major: Chemistry
Minor: Dance
Minority? No

Shadowing Experience: ~300 hours (a lot... shadowing was my first real exposure to dentistry + how I decided I liked it) ~180 general, the rest from specialties (40 OMFS, 40 ortho, 20 pedo, 10 endo)
Volunteering Experience: 300 hours with dental clinic for underserved populations (free/reduced price dentures, extractions, comp exams). 100 hours with Meals on Wheels over 4 years (food delivery driving + packaging of boxes)
Employment: Work-study job as a research assistant in biomaterials.
Research: 350 hours from Duke internship (clinical research, gave poster presentation). 200 hours from work study job
Other Extracurriculars: Member of professional chemistry fraternity, pre-dental club and on-campus K-Pop dance group :3 no leadership positions just fun. Worked closely w/my advisor on creating a plant chemistry tour at the campus garden for the past 3 years (designing signs). I am a hobby artist as well!!!
Relevant Honors or Awards: none
LOR type and strength: My orgo professor and advisor (STRONG), my general dentist (Strong), clinical director/prosthodontist at dental clinic (Strong), biochemistry professor (good/normal).
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: I've changed my major three times and have explored a lot of different careers in college. There are a good amount of "random" classes that are on my transcript (coding classes, plant and soil science classes) that don't count towards my degree.
I retroactively withdrew in my second semester freshman year due to extenuating circumstances (medical/personal), so my transcript is all W's for that semester. I retook necessary classes since then and did well. I really worry schools won't think I'm committed enough to dentistry, I've collected all my dental-related hours in just over a year.
I am a legacy applicant to both UNC and Buffalo. I don't know if that will make a difference with those schools but I feel it's important enough to mention here.
School list: Terrified of debt and want to stay on the East Coast so applying mostly to public schools that will offer IS tuition after a year. I have strong family ties to New York. Suggestions are more than welcome, I'm grateful for any and all advice!!! Thank you!!!
- UNC
- ECU
- Buffalo
- Stony Brook
- VCU
- UFlorida
- UMaryland
- UConn

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[Ryxndek]

I do think you have too many state schools, UConn/StonyBrook will be difficult being OOS. I'd maybe include a couple safety just in case. I know the debt is important, but having too many state schools could prevent you from maximizing your chances. I'd maybe throw in MUSC, LECOM, and maybe another safety close by just in case

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: end of June/early July
Overall GPA: 3.75
Science GPA: 3.67
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.61
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 23AA/22TS/21PAT/20BIO/23GC/27OC/24RC/21QR
State of Residence: North Carolina

Undergrad Attended: NC State
Major: Chemistry
Minor: Dance
Minority? No

Shadowing Experience: ~300 hours (a lot... shadowing was my first real exposure to dentistry + how I decided I liked it) ~180 general, the rest from specialties (40 OMFS, 40 ortho, 20 pedo, 10 endo)
Volunteering Experience: 300 hours with dental clinic for underserved populations (free/reduced price dentures, extractions, comp exams). 100 hours with Meals on Wheels over 4 years (food delivery driving + packaging of boxes)
Employment: Work-study job as a research assistant in biomaterials.
Research: 350 hours from Duke internship (clinical research, gave poster presentation). 200 hours from work study job
Other Extracurriculars: Member of professional chemistry fraternity, pre-dental club and on-campus K-Pop dance group :3 no leadership positions just fun. Worked closely w/my advisor on creating a plant chemistry tour at the campus garden for the past 3 years (designing signs). I am a hobby artist as well!!!
Relevant Honors or Awards: none
LOR type and strength: My orgo professor and advisor (STRONG), my general dentist (Strong), clinical director/prosthodontist at dental clinic (Strong), biochemistry professor (good/normal).
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: I've changed my major three times and have explored a lot of different careers in college. There are a good amount of "random" classes that are on my transcript (coding classes, plant and soil science classes) that don't count towards my degree.
I retroactively withdrew in my second semester freshman year due to extenuating circumstances (medical/personal), so my transcript is all W's for that semester. I retook necessary classes since then and did well. I really worry schools won't think I'm committed enough to dentistry, I've collected all my dental-related hours in just over a year.
I am a legacy applicant to both UNC and Buffalo. I don't know if that will make a difference with those schools but I feel it's important enough to mention here.
School list: Terrified of debt and want to stay on the East Coast so applying mostly to public schools that will offer IS tuition after a year. I have strong family ties to New York. Suggestions are more than welcome, I'm grateful for any and all advice!!! Thank you!!!
- UNC
- ECU
- Buffalo
- Stony Brook
- VCU
- UFlorida
- UMaryland
- UConn

what do you mean by "legacy"?

 

[macsak]

what do you mean by "legacy"?

have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at ECU or UNC d schools?

 

[lussekatte]

what do you mean by "legacy"?

One of my parents attended Buffalo for dschool and UNC for ortho residency.

 

[lussekatte]

have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at ECU or UNC d schools?

I have! I've shadowed OMFS faculty and attended virtual shadowing events at UNC. Unfortunately no events at ECU but the clinical director who wrote me a letter was the former director of prosthodontics there... so hopefully that's enough lol

 

[macsak]

One of my parents attended Buffalo for dschool and UNC for ortho residency.

have they been donating to the schools?

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: end of June/early July
Overall GPA: 3.75
Science GPA: 3.67
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.61
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 23AA/22TS/21PAT/20BIO/23GC/27OC/24RC/21QR
State of Residence: North Carolina

Undergrad Attended: NC State
Major: Chemistry
Minor: Dance
Minority? No

Shadowing Experience: ~300 hours (a lot... shadowing was my first real exposure to dentistry + how I decided I liked it) ~180 general, the rest from specialties (40 OMFS, 40 ortho, 20 pedo, 10 endo)
Volunteering Experience: 300 hours with dental clinic for underserved populations (free/reduced price dentures, extractions, comp exams). 100 hours with Meals on Wheels over 4 years (food delivery driving + packaging of boxes)
Employment: Work-study job as a research assistant in biomaterials.
Research: 350 hours from Duke internship (clinical research, gave poster presentation). 200 hours from work study job
Other Extracurriculars: Member of professional chemistry fraternity, pre-dental club and on-campus K-Pop dance group :3 no leadership positions just fun. Worked closely w/my advisor on creating a plant chemistry tour at the campus garden for the past 3 years (designing signs). I am a hobby artist as well!!!
Relevant Honors or Awards: none
LOR type and strength: My orgo professor and advisor (STRONG), my general dentist (Strong), clinical director/prosthodontist at dental clinic (Strong), biochemistry professor (good/normal).
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: I've changed my major three times and have explored a lot of different careers in college. There are a good amount of "random" classes that are on my transcript (coding classes, plant and soil science classes) that don't count towards my degree.
I retroactively withdrew in my second semester freshman year due to extenuating circumstances (medical/personal), so my transcript is all W's for that semester. I retook necessary classes since then and did well. I really worry schools won't think I'm committed enough to dentistry, I've collected all my dental-related hours in just over a year.
I am a legacy applicant to both UNC and Buffalo. I don't know if that will make a difference with those schools but I feel it's important enough to mention here.
School list: Terrified of debt and want to stay on the East Coast so applying mostly to public schools that will offer IS tuition after a year. I have strong family ties to New York. Suggestions are more than welcome, I'm grateful for any and all advice!!! Thank you!!!
- UNC
- ECU
- Buffalo
- Stony Brook
- VCU
- UFlorida
- UMaryland
- UConn

your stats are very good, and you need to do everything you can to get into UNC/ECU
however, OOS public schools may not place a high priority on you since they will assume you will strongly prefer your in-state schools...

 

[lussekatte]

I do think you have too many state schools, UConn/StonyBrook will be difficult being OOS. I'd maybe include a couple safety just in case. I know the debt is important, but having too many state schools could prevent you from maximizing your chances. I'd maybe throw in MUSC, LECOM, and maybe another safety close by just in case

Honestly I have been on the fence about UConn, leaning towards nixing it off my list.
If I take that off and add Nova, LECOM, MUSC and Touro, would that be a good way to maximize my chances?

 

[Ryxndek]

Honestly I have been on the fence about UConn, leaning towards nixing it off my list.
If I take that off and add Nova, LECOM, MUSC and Touro, would that be a good way to maximize my chances?

I think those are good additions. Make sure you research the school's mission and if your experiences line up. But I think they are good safetys and in range schools

 

[Mr.Smile12]

So keep in mind the different missions ECU and UNC have and the clinical experiences each offer. If you are worried about cost, you are right to avoid HPU for the time being. I would take a chance at Buffalo due to legacy ties but don't think of it as any easier path to an acceptance; keep in mind why you would be comfortable as a student there. Adding LECOM, Touro, and Nova would help since they have more seats available, and your high DAT would hopefully work in your favor. Just my thoughts on it.

Are you looking into HPSP or NHSC?

 

[lussekatte]

So keep in mind the different missions ECU and UNC have and the clinical experiences each offer. If you are worried about cost, you are right to avoid HPU for the time being. I would take a chance at Buffalo due to legacy ties but don't think of it as any easier path to an acceptance; keep in mind why you would be comfortable as a student there. Adding LECOM, Touro, and Nova would help since they have more seats available, and your high DAT would hopefully work in your favor. Just my thoughts on it.

Are you looking into HPSP or NHSC?

Thank you! I would really love to stay in North Carolina and practice here. I've only ever lived here and I can't really imagine myself living anywhere else long-term if it's up to me. I'm really only applying to schools out of state to cast a wider net, if I could apply to just those two schools and get away with it I would lol. I might not be comfortable going OOS but I can suck it up if I have to...!
I really like the focus ECU has on community practice, but I also love the curriculum UNC has to offer and their focus on craniofacial research. Buffalo also has robust research opportunities similar to UNC, and I would like to do research through dschool.

I have not looked extensively into HPSP or NHSC programs Silly as I say I'm scared of debt. I'll get onto that!

 

[lussekatte]

your stats are very good, and you need to do everything you can to get into UNC/ECU
however, OOS public schools may not place a high priority on you since they will assume you will strongly prefer your in-state schools...

What would you recommend I do to establish a stronger connection with my in-state schools? I've tried maximizing my chances by staying in contact w/ associate faculty, alums and dental students I know from both schools. Pls let me know if there's more stuff I could be doing !!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What would you recommend I do to establish a stronger connection with my in-state schools? I've tried maximizing my chances by staying in contact w/ associate faculty, alums and dental students I know from both schools. Pls let me know if there's more stuff I could be doing !!

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