WAMC? - Should I add more schools

[tucker404]

Date of submission: 7/6/24 for first application
Overall GPA: 3.96
Science GPA: 3.94
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.89
DAT score (include AA and all sections):

PAT: 20
QR: 22
RC: 21
BIO: 25
GC: 22
OC: 22
TS: 23
AA: 22

State of Residence: PA

Undergrad Attended: Penn State
Major: Biobehavioral Health
Minor: Biology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: Worked as dental assistant for 330 hours in a general dentist private practice, completed 40 hours of shadowing in general dentist clinic (continued experience)
Volunteering Experience: 424 (Teaching Assistant, Penn State THON)
Employment: Dental assistant, worked as delivery driver in HS, was a Patient Care Tech for 200+ hours after my freshman year (wasn't set on dental yet)
Research: In honors college so completing honors thesis this upcoming year, will spend a lot of time on it but haven't done too much yet. Studying biobehavioral aspects of dental hygiene routines.
Other Extracurriculars: Involvement in Business Fraternity, THON, holding multiple leadership roles in both
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? The dentist I worked for and the other dentist I shadowed for both have ties to Pitt (alum, worked there in the past, etc)
Relevant Honors or Awards: In the honors college
LOR type and strength: 2 science (one from TA prof, one from anatomy prof from freshman year, not sure how strong) and one from the dentist I worked for which should be extremely strong!
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: I used AP credit for physics 1
School list:
Please include a list of schools you are interested in applying to! It is much easier for users to help you when you have taken the time to construct your own school list first!
Already applied to...
Pitt
Temple
Penn
Maryland
LECOM
Boston
Buffalo
Michigan
VCU

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[macsak]

Date of submission: 7/6/24 for first application
Overall GPA: 3.96
Science GPA: 3.94
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.89
DAT score (include AA and all sections):

PAT: 20
QR: 22
RC: 21
BIO: 25
GC: 22
OC: 22
TS: 23
AA: 22

State of Residence: PA

Undergrad Attended: Penn State
Major: Biobehavioral Health
Minor: Biology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: Worked as dental assistant for 330 hours in a general dentist private practice, completed 40 hours of shadowing in general dentist clinic (continued experience)
Volunteering Experience: 424 (Teaching Assistant, Penn State THON)
Employment: Dental assistant, worked as delivery driver in HS, was a Patient Care Tech for 200+ hours after my freshman year (wasn't set on dental yet)
Research: In honors college so completing honors thesis this upcoming year, will spend a lot of time on it but haven't done too much yet. Studying biobehavioral aspects of dental hygiene routines.
Other Extracurriculars: Involvement in Business Fraternity, THON, holding multiple leadership roles in both
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? The dentist I worked for and the other dentist I shadowed for both have ties to Pitt (alum, worked there in the past, etc)
Relevant Honors or Awards: In the honors college
LOR type and strength: 2 science (one from TA prof, one from anatomy prof from freshman year, not sure how strong) and one from the dentist I worked for which should be extremely strong!
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: I used AP credit for physics 1
School list:
Please include a list of schools you are interested in applying to! It is much easier for users to help you when you have taken the time to construct your own school list first!
Already applied to...
Pitt
Temple
Penn
Maryland
LECOM
Boston
Buffalo
Michigan
VCU

2 reaches
4 in range
3 safeties

hopefully you will be ok
i wish you would've attended at least one or some d school events though...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your community service is likely your weakness in your application. It is campus centered and not focused on addressing needs directly (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job and tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation). You need 100+ hours by submission, so if you don't wind up being successful, focus there or your interview skills.

 

[tucker404]

2 reaches
4 in range
3 safeties

hopefully you will be ok
i wish you would've attended at least one or some d school events though...

Ive attended some virtual things for some of the schools like admissions info sessions. Never got to do anything in person unfortunately. Which are you classifying as reaches, in range, and safeties?

 

[tucker404]

Your community service is likely your weakness in your application. It is campus centered and not focused on addressing needs directly (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job and tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation). You need 100+ hours by submission, so if you don't wind up being successful, focus there or your interview skills.

I'm not sure how much you know about it which is okay but THON is extremely involved with giving back to families impacted by childhood cancer and I directly raised money for my organization and provided emotional support throughout each year. It goes far beyond the campus so I am not sure what you mean by that, any clarification would be helpful!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm not sure how much you know about it which is okay but THON is extremely involved with giving back to families impacted by childhood cancer and I directly raised money for my organization and provided emotional support throughout each year. It goes far beyond the campus so I am not sure what you mean by that, any clarification would be helpful!

I am thoroughly aware. So is Relay for Life. All of these fundraisers offer a lot, but as for demonstrating service orientation, they don't have the same cachet that adcoms want. You can be a great fundraiser for our alumni office, but that won't help you here.

 

[macsak]

Ive attended some virtual things for some of the schools like admissions info sessions. Never got to do anything in person unfortunately. Which are you classifying as reaches, in range, and safeties?

you're not aware which ones are which?

UPenn and UMich are reaches, not because of your stats, but because they are difficult for everyone to get into
the publics are in-range (provided you checked their OOS/PA percentages) - Pitt, Maryland, Buffalo, VCU
Temple is kind of a safety, and LECOM and BU are definitely safeties