what are my chances w/ averg DAT and high GPA, strong app (2025-2026 cycle)

[elle k]

I would like to know what my chances are of getting into a dental school, please feel free to add any suggests of schools i should add. I would like to not retake the dat and instead use my gap yr to work on my app and getting more volunteering hrs and work experience to apply early. Rather than taking the dat and possibility scoring the same or lower and then not having my app together to be able to apply early.

Date of submission: next cycle will apply very early
Overall GPA: 3.9
Science GPA:3.85
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:3.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 18 AA, 18 TS, 18 PAT, 20 OC, 18 GC, 17 Bio, 17 RC, 17 QR
State of Residence: MI

Major: neuroscience
Minority? Yes
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 280 hrs (shadowed 3 general dentist)
Volunteering Experience: 250 volunteer (about 80 in person, 170 hrs zoom with kids tutoring them)
Employment: 800 hrs as dental assistant
Research: yes 20 hrs (did not enjoy it and it was temp position)
Other Extracurriculars: held various leadership positions on three clubs (marketing coordinator and involved in student body government), also a freshmen mentor for 3 years
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? attended impression day and pre-dental day
Relevant Honors or Awards: dean list
LOR type and strength: 1 general chem (strong), 1 bio professor (average), 1 dentist (very strong)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: took 1 and a half yr gap year to increase volunteering and work more, average DAT, most of volunteering on zoom
School list: detroit mercy, umich, tufts, pitts, mwu li, meharry
I am bilingual but english is my first lang

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[Mr.Smile12]

Could you better identify your minority status? If you are Black/African or Hispanic, I would add all the HBCU dental schools on your list, not just Meharry. Where did you attend impression day/pre-dental campus visit day?

I would like more details about your volunteering and community service. Tutoring is overrepresented as an activity among prehealth students, so zoom tutoring doesn't help you. We value face-to-face interactions since dentistry by zoom has limits.

Yea, I think you can do much better on the DAT, especially if your science scores are low. Now, you have to decide if you want to retake the DAT with the new three-digit scores, but your current score may relegate you to potentially be interviewed later in the cycle or perhaps be on interview-hold/waitlist.

It is also holistic review: what life circumstances did you have to navigate or overcome, and how do they affect your career choice of dentistry?

 

[elle k]

volunteer: tutoring: tutoring elementary school kids after school on zoom for 50 minutes, twice a week on reading comprehension, fluency and helping them write a summary of what they are reading. also helped them with pronunciation and spelling.
i am from the middle east. i am first gen college student and am supporting my family. I care for my grand parents as well. my family was facing financial hardships when i was growing up so access to care was limited to only sites that accepted state insurance. i have throughout my entire childhood i have helped my mom with translation. i have always wanted to go into healthcare due to having a passion for science and learning about the human body, but i choose dentistry because it combines my hand skills to providing care to patients in pain.

 

[macsak]

average DAT is generally around 20.5
you should add more schools if you do not plan to retake DAT...

I would like to know what my chances are of getting into a dental school, please feel free to add any suggests of schools i should add. I would like to not retake the dat and instead use my gap yr to work on my app and getting more volunteering hrs and work experience to apply early. Rather than taking the dat and possibility scoring the same or lower and then not having my app together to be able to apply early.

Date of submission: next cycle will apply very early
Overall GPA: 3.9
Science GPA:3.85
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:3.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 18 AA, 18 TS, 18 PAT, 20 OC, 18 GC, 17 Bio, 17 RC, 17 QR
State of Residence: MI

Major: neuroscience
Minority? Yes
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 280 hrs (shadowed 3 general dentist)
Volunteering Experience: 250 volunteer (about 80 in person, 170 hrs zoom with kids tutoring them)
Employment: 800 hrs as dental assistant
Research: yes 20 hrs (did not enjoy it and it was temp position)
Other Extracurriculars: held various leadership positions on three clubs (marketing coordinator and involved in student body government), also a freshmen mentor for 3 years
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? attended impression day and pre-dental day
Relevant Honors or Awards: dean list
LOR type and strength: 1 general chem (strong), 1 bio professor (average), 1 dentist (very strong)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: took 1 and a half yr gap year to increase volunteering and work more, average DAT, most of volunteering on zoom
School list: detroit mercy, umich, tufts, pitts, mwu li, meharry
I am bilingual but english is my first lang

 

[Dental_Dude120]

volunteer: tutoring: tutoring elementary school kids after school on zoom for 50 minutes, twice a week on reading comprehension, fluency and helping them write a summary of what they are reading. also helped them with pronunciation and spelling.
i am from the middle east. i am first gen college student and am supporting my family. I care for my grand parents as well. my family was facing financial hardships when i was growing up so access to care was limited to only sites that accepted state insurance. i have throughout my entire childhood i have helped my mom with translation. i have always wanted to go into healthcare due to having a passion for science and learning about the human body, but i choose dentistry because it combines my hand skills to providing care to patients in pain.

volunteer: tutoring: tutoring elementary school kids after school on zoom for 50 minutes, twice a week on reading comprehension, fluency and helping them write a summary of what they are reading. also helped them with pronunciation and spelling.
i am from the middle east. i am first gen college student and am supporting my family. I care for my grand parents as well. my family was facing financial hardships when i was growing up so access to care was limited to only sites that accepted state insurance. i have throughout my entire childhood i have helped my mom with translation. i have always wanted to go into healthcare due to having a passion for science and learning about the human body, but i choose dentistry because it combines my hand skills to providing care to patients in pain.

I might be mistaken, but i thought people from the middle East were considered ORM. If that’s the case, I’d take off Meharry. UMich and Pitt are a stretch with current DAT scores.

 

[elle k]

what schools should i add to my list, prefer to be in the mid-west, and northeast

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I might be mistaken, but i thought people from the middle East were considered ORM. If that’s the case, I’d take off Meharry. UMich and Pitt are a stretch with current DAT scores.

You are correct. Middle Easterners are very well represented in dentistry (and general medicine). Like Asians, there may be specific groups that might be underrepresented within the diaspora, but in general, they are ORM.

Read

"Overrepresented Minorities": A Brief History - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

On applying to HBCU dental schools like Meharry or Howard, I don't have issues if the OP grew up in a marginalized community especially if the family moved from a conflict-torn region, provided there is a strong awareness of the history of health disparities among Black or similar under-resourced communities in the US. To that end, it makes sense to go for the in-state programs (Michigan, Detroit Mercy) though the stats suggest UDM is more likely (but you probably need a better DAT to seal the deal for an interview).

I would also want to see more face-to-face community service and less tutoring. Every prehealth student does some tutoring or mentoring, so it doesn't help you stand out. Ideally I'd like to see at least 100 hours in this area doing food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation.

The OP said they took 1.5 gap years to increase volunteering and working (800 hours dental assistant I presume). My issue is that the hours don't add up to show you have made headway here. Working "full-time" (whether paid or unpaid) is 2000 hours over a year, and I don't see the hours adding up to 2000. You shouldn't be doing any campus-related activities, so I'm not looking at those hours. So where did the other 1000+ hours go?

 

[elle k]

Date of submission: July 2025
Overall GPA: 3.9
Science GPA:3.85
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:3.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 18 AA, 18 TS, 18 PAT, 20 OC, 18 GC, 17 Bio, 17 RC, 17 QR
State of Residence: MI

Major: neuroscience
Minority? Not sure tbh what qualifies for this, any insight would help
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 280 hrs 3 general dentist)
Volunteering Experience: 300 volunteer (approx 100 in person, rest virtual) with food pantry, w/ kids
Employment: 1000 hrs as dental assistant
Research: yes 50 hrs
Other Extracurriculars: held various leadership positions on three clubs (marketing coordinator and involved in student body), also a college mentor for 3 years
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? attended impression day and pre-dental day
Relevant Honors or Awards: dean list
LOR type and strength: 1 general chem & 1 bio professor (strong), 1 dentist (very strong)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: currently in my gap year to work more & volunteer
School list: detroit mercy, tufts, neomed, umkc, mwu-li, une, maryland, atsu mosdoh, Louisville, kentucky, roseman, lincoln memorial, howard, meharry, case western, west virigina, kcu, minnosota, Touro, boston

 

[macsak]

how did you come up with this list?

what is your racial background?

Date of submission: July 2025
Overall GPA: 3.9
Science GPA:3.85
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:3.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 18 AA, 18 TS, 18 PAT, 20 OC, 18 GC, 17 Bio, 17 RC, 17 QR
State of Residence: MI

Major: neuroscience
Minority? Not sure tbh what qualifies for this, any insight would help
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 280 hrs 3 general dentist)
Volunteering Experience: 300 volunteer (approx 100 in person, rest virtual) with food pantry, w/ kids
Employment: 1000 hrs as dental assistant
Research: yes 50 hrs
Other Extracurriculars: held various leadership positions on three clubs (marketing coordinator and involved in student body), also a college mentor for 3 years
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? attended impression day and pre-dental day
Relevant Honors or Awards: dean list
LOR type and strength: 1 general chem & 1 bio professor (strong), 1 dentist (very strong)
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: currently in my gap year to work more & volunteer
School list: detroit mercy, tufts, neomed, umkc, mwu-li, une, maryland, atsu mosdoh, Louisville, kentucky, roseman, lincoln memorial, howard, meharry, case western, west virigina, kcu, minnosota, Touro, boston

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What's changed? I see more employment hours, but what else is different? Schools would want to know how you improved your application "significantly" to address concerns.