What are my chances w/ low GPA and high DAT?

[techsh]

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Hi everyone, this is my first ever post after reading numerous others! Kind of excited.

I plan to apply to Dental School this cycle!

For context, I have a 2.98 cGPA (not sure on the sGPA yet), but I was diagnosed with a learning disability in my senior year of college (+ entering college during 2020 covid). Before I get bombarded, for context, I did very well academically (getting A's barely studying) and physically (sports) prior to college (I received a full ride coverage, not from sports), which is why it went undiagnosed. My culture has a strong discrimination against mental disabilities, which is why my parents have always told my primary care doctor to not test me. After many years of gaining the courage to go (scared for my life), I was diagnosed (My bio professor who wrote my rec helped me along the way and gave me the confidence). Being undiagnosed greatly crippled my chances when entering college, especially during the height of covid-19 (2020). I didn't do terrible in college, but I never felt like it was my best potential and continuously blamed myself for something I didn't realize I could not control.
After being diagnosed, I slowly gained confidence as I learned how to study and adjusted to my symptoms. Then in my final semester of college, I received a 3.8 GPA while taking high level sciences (Immunology, cell bio, high level psych courses too) while working.

I'm studying for the DAT currently while retaking Ochem II, (Just got my grade back on my first test as a 95 so I think I'll do well this sem). [The cGPA I stated is already including this possible A in ochem II].
Essentially I have been retaking the pre-req courses that I have not completed/need to retake. I retook Bio I & Chem II over the summer (2024) and received an A for both courses. In the fall I retook Ochem I but due to my mom losing her job and student loans, I had to work 4 days a week (full time) with this course, resulting in a C.
I plan to take Biochem during the fall after applying this cycle.

EC's:
- Orthodontic Assistant (1 year now)
- Founded a community youth program and have been actively volunteering for 6 years
- Dental mission caring for patients on the autism spectrum.
- about 200 hours of shadowing
- Have 6 different jobs that Ive done over the course of college
- Climate Change research pertaining to climate migration for 3rd world countries

Recommendations:
2 science professors (very strong, they know of my struggle in undergrad and how I've developed after my diagnosis) - both main sciences
1 english professor (pretty strong i think)
1 dentist (my boss - is also a professor at a dental school)
1 from my community youth program (Very strong)

I received an invite from my college for a commitee letter interview, which is tomorrow!!!! So, I will update how it goes (They have a 3.3 GPA cutoff for commitee letters, but know of my circumstances; I have no idea how they factored my learning disability to place me above 3.3).
Because of this interivew, I have a majority of my application finished (of course with more refining) - personal statement, RC's, etc. etc.

I understand that much can't be said without my DAT!
For my first practice test (~10 days into my review of a 12 week study plan) I got a 19AA
Weak in the sciences (expected)
Bio 18
GC 14 (Most of the Q's were calculations for formulas I had forgotten)
OC 18 (I had just started Ochem II class)
PAT 21 (FYI I learned how to do pattern folding the day before this PT!) I did v well on the sections except for TFE b/c of running out of time (I started with angles)
RC 24
QR 20

I am currently aiming for 26+ on the DAT (I have a strong background in standardized tests) and I am using DAT Booster, Destroyer, and Chad's Prep.

While all said and done, my main concern is: Will I be screened out by admissions before they see my circumstances (learning disability diagnosis)?
I recently spoke with Columbia's admissions and they stated to make it known in the application, but they didn't mention if I will be screened out. I'm just wondering if admissions will be able to see it all before I get screened out (if thats even possible)?

Thank you so much for anyone listening to my ramblind and for your replies in advance. Please let me know if you need to know anything more specifically.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

Have you requested accommodations for courses or the DAT? It is important to know you can succeed with accommodations. Dental schools must keep its technical standards in mind so if you have a confition requiring modifications, they need to make sure they can accommodate you. You cannot be excluded just for the disability; it must relate to technical standards.

Is the community youth program reference from the organization you founded?

 

[techsh]

Welcome to the forums.

Have you requested accommodations for courses or the DAT? It is important to know you can succeed with accommodations. Dental schools must keep its technical standards in mind so if you have a confition requiring modifications, they need to make sure they can accommodate you. You cannot be excluded just for the disability; it must relate to technical standards.

Is the community youth program reference from the organization you founded?

Thank you so much for the reply, I’ll be an honest Im a big fan of yours!
Yes, I received accommodations during the semester that I received the 3.8 GPA. I was waiting for a written letter from the disability services and just received it, just going to submit to AADSAS ASAP for my DAT.
Yes to the community youth program as well. My recommendation came from the coordinator that helped devise our plan for the Youth Group.

I also already have my personal statement completed if you’d like to take a look.

 

[techsh]

Thank you so much for the reply, I’ll be an honest Im a big fan of yours!
Yes, I received accommodations during the semester that I received the 3.8 GPA. I was waiting for a written letter from the disability services and just received it, just going to submit to AADSAS ASAP for my DAT.
Yes to the community youth program as well. My recommendation came from the coordinator that helped devise our plan for the Youth Group.

I also already have my personal statement completed if you’d like to take a look.

To be more specific, the accommodations included class notes and extra time plus a distraction free environment for exams. I believe every dental school has the means for successfully providing the essential accommodations I require.

In addition, I would like to add that I am a first gen student. Just to include, I am Tibetan/Nepali (Not sure if that’s URM or ORM) and my parents highest level of education is highschool. I have always qualified for financial need.

 

[techsh]

Welcome to the forums.

Have you requested accommodations for courses or the DAT? It is important to know you can succeed with accommodations. Dental schools must keep its technical standards in mind so if you have a confition requiring modifications, they need to make sure they can accommodate you. You cannot be excluded just for the disability; it must relate to technical standards.

Is the community youth program reference from the organization you founded?

To build on my reply, will I be screened out of most schools before they see my circumstances because of my GPA? I’m still unclear of how that works and whether there is space on the application to submit documents?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

To build on my reply, will I be screened out of most schools before they see my circumstances because of my GPA? I’m still unclear of how that works and whether there is space on the application to submit documents?

I can't generalize, but many (public) universities do have a minimum threshold for admission to a graduate or professional program. You'll have to ask around. The rest will look for other signs of academic readiness (sGPA, BCP, science last 30-50 credits, etc.).

I don't think AADSAS allows for document uploads, but individual schools may have portals that do.

 

[techsh]

I can't generalize, but many (public) universities do have a minimum threshold for admission to a graduate or professional program. You'll have to ask around. The rest will look for other signs of academic readiness (sGPA, BCP, science last 30-50 credits, etc.).

I don't think AADSAS allows for document uploads, but individual schools may have portals that do.

Hi Mr.Smile12 thank you for the information. I just came back from my committee interview and was ultimately accepted for the letter.

After posing this question to the committee, my dean writing the letter stated that she has spoken to many dental admission officers in conferences/events and in private. They all ensure that applicants are looked upon holistically and are not screened out specifically on gpa alone (meaning applicants need to miss on several other factors to fully be screened out). She was very adamant about me applying this cycle and to not be worried bc of my ec’s, recs, and ps behind me.

 

[techsh]

I can't generalize, but many (public) universities do have a minimum threshold for admission to a graduate or professional program. You'll have to ask around. The rest will look for other signs of academic readiness (sGPA, BCP, science last 30-50 credits, etc.).

I don't think AADSAS allows for document uploads, but individual schools may have portals that do.

I also apologize about my post because I did not realize that there was a specific format to go by in this forum. I was under the assumption that members have been making their own outline

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi Mr.Smile12 thank you for the information. I just came back from my committee interview and was ultimately accepted for the letter.

After posing this question to the committee, my dean writing the letter stated that she has spoken to many dental admission officers in conferences/events and in private. They all ensure that applicants are looked upon holistically and are not screened out specifically on gpa alone (meaning applicants need to miss on several other factors to fully be screened out). She was very adamant about me applying this cycle and to not be worried bc of my ec’s, recs, and ps behind me.

As an admissions professional, it's my job to encourage you to spend money on an application to our program. 🙂

The question I would want to know from your advisor/committee: give me the lowest metrics GPA/DAT of a predental applicant you saw admitted last year. Then drop the name of the schools that interviewed the candidate. Then, what made this candidate desirable for their schools? This way, you give the advisor a chance to "prove" to you that dental schools lean on holistic review. I agree I didn't summarily screen out applicants based on GPA alone unless it was the policy of my university to adhere to a strict GPA cutoff, regardless of my holistic review process.

But we don't have your new DAT score yet. Prove that you can meet your goal of AA 26 (or I guess that converts to a 520+). Low GPA and low DAT will be two strikes against you and get you closer to being screened out. Disclosing the context of your LD will help us pause from pushing the "screen out" button too quickly.

 

[techsh]

As an admissions professional, it's my job to encourage you to spend money on an application to our program. 🙂

The question I would want to know from your advisor/committee: give me the lowest metrics GPA/DAT of a predental applicant you saw admitted last year. Then drop the name of the schools that interviewed the candidate. Then, what made this candidate desirable for their schools? This way, you give the advisor a chance to "prove" to you that dental schools lean on holistic review. I agree I didn't summarily screen out applicants based on GPA alone unless it was the policy of my university to adhere to a strict GPA cutoff, regardless of my holistic review process.

But we don't have your new DAT score yet. Prove that you can meet your goal of AA 26 (or I guess that converts to a 520+). Low GPA and low DAT will be two strikes against you and get you closer to being screened out. Disclosing the context of your LD will help us pause from pushing the "screen out" button too quickly.

Thank you for the detailed reply and will ask the question to my advisor.

Additionally, I’ve had some trouble with the location of disclosing my LD in my application. Should this be in the “Anything else that we should know” section? My personal statement details my skills and experiences (why I want to be a dentist) and is maxed out on characters. I can of course look and bring some space back after removing some words, but really like the way it is.

I also did not detail my mother losing her job and needing to work 4-5 days a week while taking orgo I again in my personal statement. Is this another bit that I should add or should this be more in the activities section?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Additionally, I’ve had some trouble with the location of disclosing my LD in my application. Should this be in the “Anything else that we should know” section? My personal statement details my skills and experiences (why I want to be a dentist) and is maxed out on characters. I can of course look and bring some space back after removing some words, but really like the way it is.

I also did not detail my mother losing her job and needing to work 4-5 days a week while taking orgo I again in my personal statement. Is this another bit that I should add or should this be more in the activities section?

Make sure your prehealth advisors give you advice on your personal statement. You have to learn how to focus your responses on essays and interview questions. A chronological biography is not always the best way to use the personal statement. Stay focused on the prompt about specific experiences indicating your determination to be a dentist.

I overlooked your comment so I'm coming back to it. Tibetan/Nepalese demographically is not common, but we aren't allowed to use URiM in screening or adcom decisions (hint: I've argued it is underrepresented Asian). However, you can disclose how being Tibetan/Nepalese is insightful to the way you will connect with others from different backgrounds with different access to resources. I'm certain the prehealth committee will describe your early journey if you gave them a biography when asking for your committee letter. As a result, you may not need to dig deep into your family challenges if they will cover it with more depth (anything else we should know). Remember, YOU have the character limit; committee letters don't.

 

[techsh]

Make sure your prehealth advisors give you advice on your personal statement. You have to learn how to focus your responses on essays and interview questions. A chronological biography is not always the best way to use the personal statement. Stay focused on the prompt about specific experiences indicating your determination to be a dentist.

I overlooked your comment so I'm coming back to it. Tibetan/Nepalese demographically is not common, but we aren't allowed to use URiM in screening or adcom decisions (hint: I've argued it is underrepresented Asian). However, you can disclose how being Tibetan/Nepalese is insightful to the way you will connect with others from different backgrounds with different access to resources. I'm certain the prehealth committee will describe your early journey if you gave them a biography when asking for your committee letter. As a result, you may not need to dig deep into your family challenges if they will cover it with more depth (anything else we should know). Remember, YOU have the character limit; committee letters don't.

Thank you for the insightful response.
"However, you can disclose how being Tibetan/Nepalese is insightful to the way you will connect with others from different backgrounds with different access to resources."
- This is the exact approach my personal statement takes. I'm focused on the compassion and empathy side of dentistry (from my diverse background) that determined my focus on dentistry (connecting to my experiences). This directly inspired me to pursue dentistry so it is my main focus for the essay.
I'm glad to hear this reinforcement from you!
"I'm certain the prehealth committee will describe your early journey if you gave them a biography when asking for your committee letter. As a result, you may not need to dig deep into your family challenges if they will cover it with more depth (anything else we should know)."
- Thank you for explaining this. I did speak a lot about my family struggles, hence I believe they will include this in the committee letter. After rereading my personal statement, I realized I already connected my family's financial struggle with dental insurance (I needed a crown) and how it resonated with me because of my experience in Nepal (dental mission).

Thank you so much again Mr.Smile12. I will reply to this post if I have any more lingering questions.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the insightful response.
"However, you can disclose how being Tibetan/Nepalese is insightful to the way you will connect with others from different backgrounds with different access to resources."
- This is the exact approach my personal statement takes. I'm focused on the compassion and empathy side of dentistry (from my diverse background) that determined my focus on dentistry (connecting to my experiences). This directly inspired me to pursue dentistry so it is my main focus for the essay.
I'm glad to hear this reinforcement from you!

"I'm certain the prehealth committee will describe your early journey if you gave them a biography when asking for your committee letter. As a result, you may not need to dig deep into your family challenges if they will cover it with more depth (anything else we should know)."
- Thank you for explaining this. I did speak a lot about my family struggles, hence I believe they will include this in the committee letter. After rereading my personal statement, I realized I already connected my family's financial struggle with dental insurance (I needed a crown) and how it resonated with me because of my experience in Nepal (dental mission).

Thank you so much again Mr.Smile12. I will reply to this post if I have any more lingering questions.

Good luck!

 

[LizLemongrab]

Hi everyone, this is my first ever post after reading numerous others! Kind of excited.

I plan to apply to Dental School this cycle!

For context, I have a 2.98 cGPA (not sure on the sGPA yet), but I was diagnosed with a learning disability in my senior year of college (+ entering college during 2020 covid). Before I get bombarded, for context, I did very well academically (getting A's barely studying) and physically (sports) prior to college (I received a full ride coverage, not from sports), which is why it went undiagnosed. My culture has a strong discrimination against mental disabilities, which is why my parents have always told my primary care doctor to not test me. After many years of gaining the courage to go (scared for my life), I was diagnosed (My bio professor who wrote my rec helped me along the way and gave me the confidence). Being undiagnosed greatly crippled my chances when entering college, especially during the height of covid-19 (2020). I didn't do terrible in college, but I never felt like it was my best potential and continuously blamed myself for something I didn't realize I could not control.
After being diagnosed, I slowly gained confidence as I learned how to study and adjusted to my symptoms. Then in my final semester of college, I received a 3.8 GPA while taking high level sciences (Immunology, cell bio, high level psych courses too) while working.

I'm studying for the DAT currently while retaking Ochem II, (Just got my grade back on my first test as a 95 so I think I'll do well this sem). [The cGPA I stated is already including this possible A in ochem II].
Essentially I have been retaking the pre-req courses that I have not completed/need to retake. I retook Bio I & Chem II over the summer (2024) and received an A for both courses. In the fall I retook Ochem I but due to my mom losing her job and student loans, I had to work 4 days a week (full time) with this course, resulting in a C.
I plan to take Biochem during the fall after applying this cycle.

EC's:
- Orthodontic Assistant (1 year now)
- Founded a community youth program and have been actively volunteering for 6 years
- Dental mission caring for patients on the autism spectrum.
- about 200 hours of shadowing
- Have 6 different jobs that Ive done over the course of college
- Climate Change research pertaining to climate migration for 3rd world countries

Recommendations:
2 science professors (very strong, they know of my struggle in undergrad and how I've developed after my diagnosis) - both main sciences
1 english professor (pretty strong i think)
1 dentist (my boss - is also a professor at a dental school)
1 from my community youth program (Very strong)

I received an invite from my college for a commitee letter interview, which is tomorrow!!!! So, I will update how it goes (They have a 3.3 GPA cutoff for commitee letters, but know of my circumstances; I have no idea how they factored my learning disability to place me above 3.3).
Because of this interivew, I have a majority of my application finished (of course with more refining) - personal statement, RC's, etc. etc.

I understand that much can't be said without my DAT!
For my first practice test (~10 days into my review of a 12 week study plan) I got a 19AA
Weak in the sciences (expected)
Bio 18
GC 14 (Most of the Q's were calculations for formulas I had forgotten)
OC 18 (I had just started Ochem II class)
PAT 21 (FYI I learned how to do pattern folding the day before this PT!) I did v well on the sections except for TFE b/c of running out of time (I started with angles)
RC 24
QR 20

I am currently aiming for 26+ on the DAT (I have a strong background in standardized tests) and I am using DAT Booster, Destroyer, and Chad's Prep.

While all said and done, my main concern is: Will I be screened out by admissions before they see my circumstances (learning disability diagnosis)?
I recently spoke with Columbia's admissions and they stated to make it known in the application, but they didn't mention if I will be screened out. I'm just wondering if admissions will be able to see it all before I get screened out (if thats even possible)?

Thank you so much for anyone listening to my ramblind and for your replies in advance. Please let me know if you need to know anything more specifically.

1. congrats on your diagnosis and getting accommodations. There is still a lot of stigma attached to neurodivergence in behavior and identity in a lot of workplace environments from people who do not mean well.
2. Aim to exceed a bare minimum oGPA/sGPA of at least 3.0 to avoid getting screened out. Your differences are secondary and you have to prove that you are managing it successfully. The proof most places want is GPA/standardized exam scores. Many schools screen out under 3.5/3.2; schools I can think of that could give you a fair shake if you can get over that hump are: Touro, NYU, MWU, BU, Howard, Meharry, UNECD, maybe Tufts.

Good luck. It is not impossible. You only need one school you can realistically attend to say yes.