What are my chance to get in (applying incoming cycle)?

[DATlongshui]

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I may have underestimated the difficulty of applying for Dental School in US, so I listed my brief background below and would like to hear what you would think about my chance.

1) I graduated from a non US or Canada university. I read somewhere else that transcripts from college outside US and Canada will greatly affect the application. Is it true?
2) My DAT: PAT-28; QR-25;RC-19; BIO-26; GC-21; OC-26;TS-23;AA-23
3) I have green card, so I am not really an international applicant.
4) I should be able to get strong LORs from my former and current research advisers; also I should be able to get a LOR from a dentist whom I did shadowing with.

Any comments or suggestions will be really appreciated!

 

[SuperTank]

I may have underestimated the difficulty of applying for Dental School in US, so I listed my brief background below and would like to hear what you would think about my chance.

1) My undergraduate college is very good/famous university in China; however, it is not a college in US or Canada. I read somewhere else that transcripts from college outside US and Canada will greatly affect the application. Is it true?
2) I got a Ph.D degree in biology from a pretty good university in US (ranks like 20s). Needless to say, I have tons of research experience, including about 3 years of postdoc in research after Ph.D. Will that be a pro or con to my application?
3) My DAT: PAT-28; QR-25;RC-19; BIO-26; GC-19; OC-26;TS-23;AA-23
4) I have green card, so I am not really an international applicant.
5) I should be able to get strong LORs from my former and current research advisers; also I should be able to get a LOR from a dentist whom I did shadowing with.

Any comments or suggestions will be really appreciated!

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=635046

 

[DATlongshui]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=635046

Thanks for reply!
I have read the post before posting mine. My concern is really that I don't have a US/Canadian BS transcript, and an international transcript won't be scored by AADSAS. Does that signal to most dental schools for an automatic rejection, even though I seem to have strong background, DAT scores and permanent residence status?

 

[Blue Panther]

What is your state residency?

What schools are you planning on applying to?
Use http://predents.com/ as a guide and purchase the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools 2010, for Students Entering in Fall 2011: https://access.adea.org/adeassa/ecs...serno=&p_order_serno=&p_promo_cd=&p_price_cd=

 

[DATlongshui]

What is your state residency?

What schools are you planning on applying to?
Use http://predents.com/ as a guide and purchase the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools 2010, for Students Entering in Fall 2011: https://access.adea.org/adeassa/ecs...serno=&p_order_serno=&p_promo_cd=&p_price_cd=

I live in MA, so no public schools. 🙁 I am planning to apply for Harvard, BU, Tufts, and UCONN (which I really dream to get in). I will apply for several more schools, which I still haven't decided. After taking the DAT, I felt pretty good. Then the more I read online, the more I am worried that not being graduated from a US/Canadian college will give my applications a really hard time. Therefore, I am asking for comments whether that's indeed true or not; also, what else I should do to improve my chances?

Many thanks!

 

[dentalWorks]

The only problem I see is, schools like to see student complete thier pre-dental courses from US or canada.

However because you did so well on the DAT, they might take it easy with you.

the BEST thing you can do is to call up schools directly (or go to them) and explain to them your situation. See what they say

 

[Lethstang]

with that dat i dont see how any school wouldnt accept you

 

[hausee]

The problem here is that he/she does not have min. 90 credits from US/CAN undergraduate school. So the best thing is to try call each school and listen to their advices. I am pretty much have same background as yours, but with only MS in biology from China and worked for like 7 years in US! I am trying to finish up my 90 hours in US undergraduate by next spring so I can at lease showing up on dental schools' radar.

good luck and message me, we can exchange info.

🙂

 

[DATlongshui]

The problem here is that he/she does not have min. 90 credits from US/CAN undergraduate school. So the best thing is to try call each school and listen to their advices. I am pretty much have same background as yours, but with only MS in biology from China and worked for like 7 years in US! I am trying to finish up my 90 hours in US undergraduate by next spring so I can at lease showing up on dental schools' radar.

good luck and message me, we can exchange info.

🙂

I actually got a reply email from Harvard admission office and the person said my BS in china will be counted for the BS degree requirement. Also, prerequisites are required to be taken at a university in US or Canada. I sent an email back and ask whether that's an absolute requirement with no exception. Cause even if I JUST need to take those prerequisites, it is still too long and may not be realistic for me. I am old enough now and certainly don't want to graduate from dental school in my 40s.

 

[Blue Panther]

This is bizarre and unnecessary if they want you to take undergrad level prereqs while you have earned a PhD in Biology in the U.S!!!!

 

[hausee]

This is bizarre and unnecessary if they want you to take undergrad level prereqs while you have earned a PhD in Biology in the U.S!!!!

True! But it will be a lot of work to convince EACH admission committee to waive all the classes 🙁

 

[Predoctalk]

I think you should contact the schools and explain your situation. Your TS score is great and you have a PhD for crying out loud. You have definitely proved your academic abilities and I would think some schools would waive this "requirement."

 

[doc toothache]

If you are a candidate that a ds wants, the requirements will probably vanish. With a Ph.D. from a US university, it is hard to imagine any Dean of Admission, requesting that you go back to school and take any undergraduate courses unless you have no background in (organic) chemistry. However, you need to decide what is more important- getting into ds (with or without requisite courses) or getting into Harvard.

 

[DATlongshui]

If you are a candidate that a ds wants, the requirements will probably vanish. With a Ph.D. from a US university, it is hard to imagine any Dean of Admission, requesting that you go back to school and take any undergraduate courses unless you have no background in (organic) chemistry. However, you need to decide what is more important- getting into ds (with or without requisite courses) or getting into Harvard.

As of things stand now, I just hope that I will get in ANY school. I began going to each ds website, and quite a few clearly say those prerequisites must be taken in US/Canada university. Should I just forget about those, even though my DAT score is impressive? Also, I have all those prerequisites (including lots of chemistry courses), from my university in China, and I can have my transcript evaluated, if they take it. However, I am just not sure whether those schools will automatically reject me because my GPA is not calculated by AADSAS. Is there a way to let the dean of admission know beforehand to reduce my chances of being eliminated before they review my application? Thanks so much!

 

[Blue Panther]

I don't think anyone on here can answer your question. You need to contact and speak with the dean of admissions of every school you are interested in applying and tell them your situation specifically at once, write down all of your questions before the phone call.

 

[Lethstang]

even though we can logic this out all day (hes got a US phd in bio along with killer dats - the guy deserves to go to d school) its the cold hard truth that the decisions are made by administrators and bureaucrats. They only know they have a rulebook they must follow.

Case in point - a friend of mine received a masters from an ivy league school. When he went back to do his pre reqs, the state school wouldnt write him a committee LOR because he didnt have any upper level science courses, and they "wouldnt be comfy writing him a letter without knowing how hed perform in upper division science courses".

If you dont get in this cycle bro its a travesty and you should publish your story somewhere.

 

[DATlongshui]

Thank you all for taking time and giving me valuable advice! As many of you suggested, I will call up each school and find out whether they make exceptions given my circumstance.
Do any of you have any experience of calling the deans of admission office? Do they like you to provide all the information up front? Will it benefit to spend time to explain things to them, or will it make worse (like they remember me when I apply and will reject me immediately)?
Really appreciate it!

 

[doc toothache]

As of things stand now, I just hope that I will get in ANY school. I began going to each ds website, and quite a few clearly say those prerequisites must be taken in US/Canada university. Should I just forget about those, even though my DAT score is impressive? Also, I have all those prerequisites (including lots of chemistry courses), from my university in China, and I can have my transcript evaluated, if they take it. However, I am just not sure whether those schools will automatically reject me because my GPA is not calculated by AADSAS. Is there a way to let the dean of admission know beforehand to reduce my chances of being eliminated before they review my application? Thanks so much!

You appear to have misinterpreted the previous post. Most if not all US ds require undergraduate education to have been done in the States not because they believe that bio, chem and physics are quite different in Bangladesh or China but simply because it is difficult to compare an international student's performance vis a vis the usual domestic variety. Scanning the websites or the ADEA Official Guide to DS Admission for requirements is a start, but your goal should be to first make a list of schools that you would be interested in attending and contacting them regarding your concerns.

They only know they have a rulebook they must follow.
Case in point - a friend of mine received a masters from an ivy league school. When he went back to do his pre reqs, the state school wouldnt write him a committee LOR because he didnt have any upper level science courses, and they "wouldnt be comfy writing him a letter without knowing how hed perform in upper division science courses".

You may be right and there may be some clinically brain dead adcom, but you are selling most deans a little short. As for your friend, it sounds like he may have a hard time finding his/her way out of a box with only one wall and no top.

 

[Polo429]

Why are you so set on a school in America. Why not try a dental school in China such as School of Stomatology at Wuhan University.

 

[hausee]

Why are you so set on a school in America. Why not try a dental school in China such as School of Stomatology at Wuhan University.

It is like asking why you come to US.👎