What Are my Chances? Canadian applicant with few ECs but amazing DAT

[richezzy]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all,

So i was just wondering what my chances are in terms of getting an interview at this point. I had tried to get my application in before the end of august to officially be in the ADEA early applicants "deadline" but i didnt realize that transcript verification would take as long as it did. I suppose that means my app was only submitted to the school around Sept 28?

In terms of GPA, they're very subpar in terms of Canadian d-school applicants, which are typically a 3.9 at least. I had tried to make up for it by studying like an absolute demon for the DAT and hopefully it shows. I did however, sign up for the Canadian soap carving section, but shortly before the test date, I was told it didn't matter so I skipped practicing and studied more instead. Will the 9 on my DAT be impactful whatsoever?

Also in terms of timeline, I hadn't realized that I would be interested in applying to dental school until the end of my undergrad, so I had written the DAT in the first year of my masters. As such, my masters has taken up most of my time and I have been finding it difficult to get any shadowing hours, and therefore I have almost none. Obviously if I don't get in this cycle, I will hopefully finish my masters in the summer and try to cram in some shadowing hours before next years application cycle and hopefully round out my application.

Date of submission: August 20th 2018, but transcript was not verified until Sept 28
Overall GPA: 3.51
Science GPA: 3.54
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:3.66
DAT score (include AA and all sections): RC 23/BIO 25/CHEM 30/ Science 27/ AA 26/PAT 24 / MDT 9
State of Residence: Canada
Undergrad Attended: University of Western Ontario
Major: Honors Biochemistry
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? Yes? I am currently a Masters Candidate in Biochemistry
Shadowing Experience: None
Volunteering Experience: 40 public service hours (ie short term volunteer for day programs)
Employment: Some restaurant type jobs during summers mostly part time
Research: Currently in second year of full time research masters, also completed a 4th year Honors Thesis in undergrad
Other Extracurriculars: Not many

School list:
UPenn
Case Western
Temple Dental
Boston U

 

[artist2022]

Shadowing Experience: None
Volunteering Experience: 40 public service hours (ie short term volunteer for day programs)

This is your biggest red flag. "How does he know he wants to pursue dentistry if he hasn't even shadowed a dentist?" is what schools are asking themselves. Also, you applied to too few schools, as a Canadian applicant trying to get into a US school. Even with your "amazing DAT", I think your chances are pretty much none for this cycle, and unfortunately you'll have to be a reapplicant for next cycle. You'll need to up your shadowing, up your volunteering, and definitely apply to more schools. Your DAT can only carry you so far.

 

[Iroh]

Check to see that those schools accept the Canadian DAT, check to see if those schools have a minimum Shadowing requirement.

 

[richezzy]

This is your biggest red flag. "How does he know he wants to pursue dentistry if he hasn't even shadowed a dentist?" is what schools are asking themselves. Also, you applied to too few schools, as a Canadian applicant trying to get into a US school. Even with your "amazing DAT", I think your chances are pretty much none for this cycle, and unfortunately you'll have to be a reapplicant for next cycle. You'll need to up your shadowing, up your volunteering, and definitely apply to more schools. Your DAT can only carry you so far.

Yeah, what you're saying is what I was afraid of. My plan was to apply to more schools next cycle after getting some shadowing hours put in. My initial thinking in applying to so few schools was to choose Dental schools nearby that if I did get an interview, I would be able to get there easily within a day, as I am most likely unable to take too much time off because I have to start wrapping up and defending my thesis in the coming months.

I realize now that I may have been a bit optimistic on the number of interviews I would get this cycle, but I didn't want to invest too much time this round when I know I was still a weak applicant.

 

[richezzy]

Check to see that those schools accept the Canadian DAT, check to see if those schools have a minimum Shadowing requirement.

When I applied, the schools I had chosen had placed shadowing hours under the "Recommended" category based on the ADEA school explorer. I had to forego applying to other northeastern schools that had placed it under the "Required" category like UDM and Tufts.

 

[jLaws]

You need to shadow, period. I had a better DAT and similar GPA and am confident I wouldn't have gotten in anywhere if I had zero shadowing. Where have you gotten your information about the profession?

 

[Progeny]

Just saw your post, if you apply again would dental schools know that you're applying twice?

 

[artist2022]

Just saw your post, if you apply again would dental schools know that you're applying twice?

Yes- you mark so on the application with the list of schools you applied to. If he applies to the same schools, they'd also be able to compare his applications.

 

[richezzy]

You need to shadow, period. I had a better DAT and similar GPA and am confident I wouldn't have gotten in anywhere if I had zero shadowing. Where have you gotten your information about the profession?

I had started looking at dentistry seriously as a career choice at the tail end of my undergraduate degree; so i had no summer times to take the opportunity to shadow. I knew that having no shadowing was going to put me at a large disadvantage applying, which is part of the reason why I applied to schools that didn't have a hard requirement on shadowing hours (according to the ADEA explorer) as sort of a hail mary. I'm fully prepared to and was actually expecting to have to apply again the next cycle.

The source of my actual professional information is 2 family members of mine who are dental hygienists. One of which took me on a sort of semi/informal tour of her school and I got the opportunity to talk to some of her professors/dentists. I have talked to both at lengths about the pros and cons of the careers and whether or not it was something that would fit me as a person. I didn't think however this would qualify as actual shadowing hours, which is why I still consider myself having none.

 

[Faefly]

Seriously, why are we even talking about this?

Just start shadowing right away!

It's not easy, I printed the names of 25 dentists in my area and went to their offices until I found someone who said yes you can come.
I didn't scare them by saying I will shadow you for a month or so. I just said I will shadow you for a day or so.
and then after the end of the first day, I always asked for more!

So, don't waste any more time. Boston has already invited you, you have 8 days to have shadowing hours, you can do it!

And FYI: Almost nobody puts none.
If they went to a dentist for an hour, they would put it as well.

Shadowing is a big deal!

So, if you did something that is sort of like shadowing, put it there.

 

[macsak]

Seriously, why are we even talking about this?

Just start shadowing right away!

It's not easy, I printed the names of 25 dentists in my area and went to their offices until I found someone who said yes you can come.
I didn't scare them by saying I will shadow you for a month or so. I just said I will shadow you for a day or so.
and then after the end of the first day, I always asked for more!

So, don't waste any more time. Boston has already invited you, you have 8 days to have shadowing hours, you can do it!

And FYI: Almost nobody puts none.
If they went to a dentist for an hour, they would put it as well.

Shadowing is a big deal!

So, if you did something that is sort of like shadowing, put it there.

Boston invited him to an interview?

 

[macsak]

Boston invited him to an interview?

oh, I see it now
congrats on the interview

 

[richezzy]

Seriously, why are we even talking about this?

Just start shadowing right away!

It's not easy, I printed the names of 25 dentists in my area and went to their offices until I found someone who said yes you can come.
I didn't scare them by saying I will shadow you for a month or so. I just said I will shadow you for a day or so.
and then after the end of the first day, I always asked for more!

So, don't waste any more time. Boston has already invited you, you have 8 days to have shadowing hours, you can do it!

And FYI: Almost nobody puts none.
If they went to a dentist for an hour, they would put it as well.

Shadowing is a big deal!

So, if you did something that is sort of like shadowing, put it there.

hey Faefly, thanks for the advice, I'll definitely try to get in contact with some dentists for some shred of shadowing asap. I think even an hour or so would be a good thing to have going into my interview.