What are my chances????

[gael hopefull]

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Here is my profile:

I am a senior, health science major from St. Mary's College (ranked 60-65th best colleges in the nation by Forbes) with 3.52 overall GPA, 3.56 science GPA.

For my DAT I got 17 AA, 19 PAT, 20 quantitative reasoning, 18 reading comprehension, 17 biology, 15 general chemistry, 17 organic chemistry, 16 total science.

I have 60 hours volunteering at a very hands on dental clinic for homeless children (ASDOH students do a rotation at this clinic), and 18 hours doing other service work.

I have 24 general dentistry observation hours, and 8 hours each observing the following: perio, ortho, oral surgery, and endo.

I have a research paper currently being published, it was through the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii in the public health field.

I have a committee letter, which my advisor says turned out very well. My other letter of recommendation is from the head dentist at the dental clinic that ASDOH students do a rotation at that I've known for 3 years.

I was late in the application process, submitting my AADSAS application in September. I slowly submitted my secondary applications as they came.

I applied to 13 schools: ASDOH, Midwestern, Western, Loma Linda, USC, Oregon, University of Colorado, Louisville, Tufts, Creighton, UNLV, Case Western, and Marquette.

I have yet to hear back from any school about an interview...

So... What do you think? Will I get in? Am I SOL? Be honest...

 

[DentalTrain]

that Chem score might get ya, but other than that, looks dec

 

[PDizzle]

As you might know,..its becoming more like med school admittance. I.E. a #'s game.

You prob won't make it because:

1) DAT too low. 17AA and a 16TS is way low
2) You only applied to 13 schools.

With stats like that you need to carpet bomb the schools!


Suggestion: Retake the DAT, shoot for 20+ in most, if not all, sections. Then prepare to drill!!

 

[MrBeans]

I think you have a decent chance, but I would suggest boosting your DAT scores.

You GPA looks good, but not good enough to warrant your DAT scores.

TAke the DAT again. 😉

 

[BiomajorPreDent]

def retake DAT. You want to be 20+ in all sections. And nothing under a 19 atleast

 

[gael hopefull]

I forgot to mention I won the general chemistry award at my college my freshman year. So I was hoping that might make my low general chemistry DAT score not look as bad.

Also, I am re-taking the DAT in December. So I hope to boost my scores so I get in.

Thanks for the honesty though.

And PDizzle, I applied to 13 schools, not 7. You are right though, I probably should have applied to more.

 

[wantVCUdental]

are you URM? If you are a URM, i think you will definitely get in this cycle

 

[dmd87]

Here is my profile:

I am a senior, health science major from St. Mary's College (ranked 60-65th best colleges in the nation by Forbes) with 3.52 overall GPA, 3.56 science GPA.

For my DAT I got 17 AA, 19 PAT, 20 quantitative reasoning, 18 reading comprehension, 17 biology, 15 general chemistry, 17 organic chemistry, 16 total science.

definitely need to rewrite the DAT. jus curious did you study a lot or did you just wing it? I don't understand how a 3.5 gpa can correlate to a 17AA unless your school has major grade inflation.

 

[UofT09]

definitely need to rewrite the DAT. jus curious did you study a lot or did you just wing it? I don't understand how a 3.5 gpa can correlate to a 17AA unless your school has major grade inflation.

Totally agreed, even if you winged it, 17AA is really bad, 3.5 gpa and can't pull off 19+, INFLATION, but then again, your school ranks 60 something, that's pretty low...
better retake. If chem was your lowest score and you still own the chem award, don't even list that on your award list, it'll make you look like you are from one of those grade-inflated schools.

 

[MrBeans]

I forgot to mention I won the general chemistry award at my college my freshman year. So I was hoping that might make my low general chemistry DAT score not look as bad.

Also, I am re-taking the DAT in December. So I hope to boost my scores so I get in.

Thanks for the honesty though.

And PDizzle, I applied to 13 schools, not 7. You are right though, I probably should have applied to more.

I wouldn't count on an award making your chem score on the DAT look better.

 

[SS22]

re-write the DAT. You'll be fine this time!
Best of Luck!! 🙂

 

[FutureDent020]

ASDOH let in a 14 DAT last year. Now they may have very well been a URM, but still.

And Forbes newest ranking has it at #52 ahead of #55 Davidson, #56 Emory, and #57 Rhodes (hehe my school). That's a weird table though b/c it also has Hampton Sydney ahead of the three mentioned above, and I know that should not be the case. Haha and Brown is in the 60's. What kind of rankings is Forbes putting together. I'm looking at best overall private colleges by the way.

But back to the point. Take the DAT again and this will not even be an issue. ASDOH may be your only hope though

 

[cowboy17]

.

 

[lphiewok]

you have an avg. GPA and very low DAT.

dental school will want good GPA and good DAT although they will take avg. GPA and good DAT or good GPA and avg. DAT depending on ECs, URM, etc.

Each of schools you have listed have at least received 2000 applicants. There are going to be too many good GPA and good DAT applicants. Retake DAT and get at least around 20 for AA and TS then you should have chance.
Sorry if people here sound too harsh but I did not get in my first try (with 21AA and 20TS with over 3 years working as dental assistant and better ranked undergrad. btw forbes rank is a joke lol) and I don't want to give you false hope.

You have DAT coming up in December, try your hardest to bring it up (if you score similar to your old score, then it's going to be very hard for you to explain) and apply early as possible if you do not get in this year.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Slacker24]

.

 

[Gbrando2]

I've got 4 pre-dec interviews already with a 17 Dat. Grade inflation my ass, I worked hard in college. The DAT is a stupid test which anyone can do well on it given they took the Kaplan course, or bought all those review books. Don't talk about something you don't know buddy.

Well I'll go ahead and say anyone with a 3.5+ science GPA should be able to get at least a 18 TS on the DAT, regardless of how much they studied. Granted, there are extenuating circumstances (sick on DAT day etc.) but for the most part that should be true. If it's not, you gotta wonder a little tiny bit about that GPA...

 

[bhind]

I've got 4 pre-dec interviews already with a 17 Dat. Grade inflation my ass, I worked hard in college. The DAT is a stupid test which anyone can do well on it given they took the Kaplan course, or bought all those review books. Sorry about your 16 but he's still got a chance unlike you. lol

The irony of your username and signature is thick.

 

[dentista123]

I've got 4 pre-dec interviews already with a 17 Dat. Grade inflation my ass, I worked hard in college. The DAT is a stupid test which anyone can do well on it given they took the Kaplan course, or bought all those review books. Don't talk about something you don't know buddy.

just wondering, what's your GPA? A 17 on the DAT is not the worse thing that could ever happen. But a 15 in a science..that's not pretty. Did you have a 17 with all of your sciences at least at a 16 or 17? I think there's a BIG difference in AA's. You can't go by the AA, end of story. I think most people are shocked by that 15 in Ochem. But, at the end of the day..don't take anything too personally because no one is saying they know all, they are just giving opinions to a person that asked for it.👍

 

[dentista123]

The irony of your username and signature is thick.

...I saw that too...

 

[Slacker24]

Yep, Ironic indeed. lol Relax, It's only a screen name. Why not have fun with it.

 

[uclaDDS101]

Well I'll go ahead and say anyone with a 3.5+ science GPA should be able to get at least a 18 TS on the DAT, regardless of how much they studied. Granted, there are extenuating circumstances (sick on DAT day etc.) but for the most part that should be true. If it's not, you gotta wonder a little tiny bit about that GPA...

I feel the exact same way..

 

[wantVCUdental]

for those who says DAT is a stupid test, i agree, there are also many stupid tests in life that you must pass! if you get a 17 in DAT (which is a joke of a test compare to the NBDEs) how can schools take you? I wonder how you will pull off a passing grade on THAT stupid test 🙄

 

[Iowafan180]

In state= sitting pretty solid
out of state=not so great
private=looking ok

Honestly your stats are boarderline, but your extra's are legit. I wouldn't worry to much, especially if you are aiming for an instate school, you should def get a spot for instate.

Dat isn't everything, remember it is a compliment to your GPA and you GPA is pretty good. Some of the people on this forum are crazy ahead in the numbers game and forget that the national average is a 17 and the national acceptance is 19. You are around 17 with the extra's to back you up. If you can retake the DAT and get a higher score that would solidify you a spot next year if this year doesn't work out.

 

[Iowafan180]

"Well I'll go ahead and say anyone with a 3.5+ science GPA should be able to get at least a 18 TS on the DAT, regardless of how much they studied. Granted, there are extenuating circumstances (sick on DAT day etc.) but for the most part that should be true. If it's not, you gotta wonder a little tiny bit about that GPA..."

I think this is a overstatment, some people just aren't that great at standarized tests. I didn't do so hot my freshman year of college and ended up with a 3.3 and then as a sophomore/JR I have maintained a 4.0 at a public university. I have been at the top of some of my classes. I don't think it's inflation that I only got a 17 on my DAT and have a 3.6, I think I have less of an ability to recall information in that type of environment. I think its also possible that my freshman year I learned less and therefore took a hit on the basic sciences....

I have meet alot of "stupid" people who do better than me on standarized test, but I out perform them in the classroom.

 

[Gbrando2]

I think this is a overstatment, some people just aren't that great at standarized tests. I didn't do so hot my freshman year of college and ended up with a 3.3 and then as a sophomore/JR I have maintained a 4.0 at a public university. I have been at the top of some of my classes. I don't think it's inflation that I only got a 17 on my DAT and have a 3.6, I think I have less of an ability to recall information in that type of environment. I think its also possible that my freshman year I learned less and therefore took a hit on the basic sciences....

I have meet alot of "stupid" people who do better than me on standarized test, but I out perform them in the classroom.

Alright, I guess I don't understand how a standardized test is different than an Ochem final, but that's just my ignorance since I have never had any problems with testing. Maybe some people do have issues with only standardized tests, but that's probably something that you should work on before the board exams come along...

 

[adizzle87]

for those who says DAT is a stupid test, i agree, there are also many stupid tests in life that you must pass! if you get a 17 in DAT (which is a joke of a test compare to the NBDEs) how can schools take you? I wonder how you will pull off a passing grade on THAT stupid test 🙄

The ADA actually concluded there was a strong correlation b/w TS and performance in D1/2 didactic courses. The same could be said of the PAT and dental techniques performance.

http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/dat_validity_rpt_1_2.pdf

So unless OP decides to retake, the TS is really whats stopping you from getting in. Your GPA is good (above average) but you did apply late on top of having a 16TS. I hope you decide to retake, best of luck.

 

[PDizzle]

The ADA actually concluded there was a strong correlation b/w TS and performance in D1/2 didactic courses. The same could be said of the PAT and dental techniques performance.

http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/dat_validity_rpt_1_2.pdf

So unless OP decides to retake, the TS is really whats stopping you from getting in. Your GPA is good (above average) but you did apply late on top of having a 16TS. I hope you decide to retake, best of luck.

Gonna have to strongly disagree with ya on that bold one!! I know peeps that got 28+ on the PAT and had no better skillz(sometimes even worse) with a drill. I didn't take the time to read the linked article, but I'm standing by, "The PAT doesn't really mean much" philosophy.

 

[gael hopefull]

I studied for the DAT quite a bit, but not the science section. I took a few practice tests and got 18+ on all of the science sections every time so I didn't worry much about it. I spent most of my time studying math because on the practice tests I only would finish about half of that section. The studying paid off as you can see on my math score, but unfortunately I should have focused more on the science sections.

Also, I sprained my ankle the day before my test so I probably wasn't 100% focused. Furthermore, I was so nervous on test day that I was puking in the bathroom up until it was time to start. Not trying to make excuses, but everyone seems to be wondering about my studying and what went wrong for me...

And for those of you who claim grade inflation, I'd invite anyone on this forum to take the biochemistry class I'm in right now. I have the head of the biochemistry department at my school and he has NEVER given an A and he's been at SMC for a looong time. And I had the highest grade in my gen chem class when I got the gen chem award, which was a b+. How is that inflation? St. Mary's students have had 80% acceptance into med school and 100% dental school acceptance in the last 10 years, so I believe it has a pretty good rep with med/dental schools. Unfortunately I might be the first to fail in a while 🙁

Why is my DAT considered so low? The avg DAT accepted at the schools I applied to was not far off from my scores... at least according to ADEA's 2009 dental school guide. And my GPA is slightly above the average GPA of those accepted to the schools I applied to. Are any of you taking into account the schools I applied to or are you strictly looking at my numbers?

I'm not taking any of this personally. I know my GPA is only decent and my DAT is slightly below avg. I'm just hoping my research/publication/awards/hands on dental experience are enough to get me in.

 

[BShimel]

A fellow Gael! Greetings! As for the DAT...

I think this is a overstatment, some people just aren't that great at standarized tests. I didn't do so hot my freshman year of college and ended up with a 3.3 and then as a sophomore/JR I have maintained a 4.0 at a public university. I have been at the top of some of my classes. I don't think it's inflation that I only got a 17 on my DAT and have a 3.6, I think I have less of an ability to recall information in that type of environment. I think its also possible that my freshman year I learned less and therefore took a hit on the basic sciences....

I have meet alot of "stupid" people who do better than me on standarized test, but I out perform them in the classroom.

I totally agree here. I think some of you are kind of ignoring a few salient facts about standardized tests in general. I've tutored mostly high school kids for the SAT and then done some DAT tutoring most recently for about three years now, and one of the things you realize straight away is that some people are just natural test takers and some aren't. That does NOT mean the people who aren't normally good at it can't GET good at it (like me as a perfect example), but it's silly to go straight to calling St. Mary's inflated just because one guy got a 17AA.

As for:

Alright, I guess I don't understand how a standardized test is different than an Ochem final

...I think that could be the length of the test, the fact that it's computerized and as such different from most normal tests you'd take in college. For someone who is naturally good at tests it seems strange that another person would struggle so mightily if they know the information. I guess I've just seen enough of it that it's commonplace.

 

[adizzle87]

The average TS (arguably the second most significant DAT score) is a little more than 19 (19.Xish) for accepted students. A 16 is 3pts from that, a 2 pt difference is considered by many to be a significance difference. Yes, your GPA is no problem but DAT scores, and applications in general, are evaluated as a whole. A 17AA in combination with a 16TS is a deal breaker for most schools I think.

I would give admissions a call and ask them what they think. It seems as though you wanted some positive feedback to put your mind at ease. Even though SDNers are generally biased about what is competetive, they are generally good at giving input on what is not competitive. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but you should know that awards won't justify low scores on your DAT, they may even contradict them. I really do hope you decide to retake, if you were to get a 20AA and maybe a 19TS I would say you would have a shot at post-Dec interviews at some of the schools you applied to.

 

[BShimel]

I really do hope you decide to retake, if you were to get a 20AA and maybe a 19TS I would say you would have a shot at post-Dec interviews at some of the schools you applied to.

Despite defending my alma mater, I totally agree with this. I know I had somewhat of the reverse situation last year in that I applied late as well but have a low gpa with an 'above average' DAT. I applied thinly and received no interviews. I think the OP will be hurt by the late status of application, especially in that I believe some schools (Marquette?) are done or at the very least done for pre-dec 1st interviews. Anyone care to chime in on whether that's correct info?

 

[justwu86]

I dunno...Dats are low, GPA is slightly above average, there are a lot peeps out there with much higher stats and whom went to more competitive undergrads(I doubt dental schools care about Forbes..its all in the name as sad as it sounds-->did i just start another trainwreck?😱), who are still getting rejected.

I also think considering your average stats, you really need to kill your ECs. I mean your dental exp seems pretty sparce, and your volunteer hrs aren't great either.

For example one dude on this forum, has decent/above average stats but his ECs are ridiculous, 1000 hrs of everything, super involved yadayada he has gotten interviews from some very good dental schools.

I say work on your stats and get those volunteer/dental hours up. Your research looks good and your GPA ain't bad. DATs might need a retake though..

Honestly my stats are averagish, dental experience decent(500+), volunteer hrs-bit lacking(100ish) and I am pretty worried about getting accepted this coming cycle.

 

[junkemails44]

Let me put this into perspective. I went to a no-name school. My gpa is 3.9 and the dat score is 22/23/22 with 18 being the lowest section score. So far, I have 7 interviews. So, the dat score is more important than the name of your school, period.

 

[FutureDent020]

Let me put this into perspective. I went to a no-name school. My gpa is 3.9 and the dat score is 22/23/22 with 18 being the lowest section score. So far, I have 7 interviews. So, the dat score is more important than the name of your school, period.

Please don't get people started..

 

[FutureDent020]

Alright, I guess I don't understand how a standardized test is different than an Ochem final, but that's just my ignorance since I have never had any problems with testing. Maybe some people do have issues with only standardized tests, but that's probably something that you should work on before the board exams come along...

Standardized tests cover a broader spectrum of knowledge and require lots of studying and practice due to the time component. An organic final is a year's worth of information on one subject allowing your brain to stay on a one way track. So a few days of studying or less will suffice.

Now I do agree with you here. "Maybe some people do have issues with only standardized tests, but that's probably something that you should work on before the board exams come along..." Although some people are worse at standardized testing, it is not a good excuse to use because that is exactly what the boards are and you are only making yourself look bad. People who struggle with standardized tests just need to practice practice practice

 

[skiphotsauce]

Honestly my stats are averagish, dental experience decent(500+), volunteer hrs-bit lacking(100ish) and I am pretty worried about getting accepted this coming cycle.

500+ hours of dental experience is only "decent" and 100 hours of volunteering is "lacking"? I have seen some people with crazy hours of EC's on this forum, but that is far from the norm. Plus, dental schools only want to see that you have enough shadowing hours where they know you have put in your time.

I have 60 hours of shadowing, and nothing else, and that is well above the requirements for any dental schools. My stats are slightly above the average and I have interviews so far. I have talked to a few people on admissions committees and I get the impression that shadowing a dentist is required, but you really don't need hundreds of hours of observing (I mean how much standing around and watching do you possibly need to figure out this profession is for you?).

Back to the OP, your hours are more than fine. Your AA is low, but you might be able to sneak in to some of the private schools that give a lot of post-Dec 1st interviews. If money isn't an issue, there is nothing to lose in applying.

Of course, all your questions can be more adequately answered by just calling each school you want to apply to. Unless admissions committee members are lurking around these forums...

 

[justwu86]

Maybe I was exaggerating a little but my 500 hrs are from WORKING at a oral surgeon's office and shadowing a little at a GP. But do you guys really think 60 shadowing hours is equal to working in a dental office for 1 year? NO WAY! I really don't know what the requirements for school are, but in this day and age its seems that many people have quite a bit more than 60, I could be wrong... schools require above 16 DATs, 19 is well and above that, but I'd say that a 19 its at best an average score.

If your stats aren't that good, schools will be worried about if you can handle the academic load of being a dental student. The only way to prove to them that you not only can but are willing, is to show how dedicated you are to the cause. This means having really good ECs, you need to prove to them that you REALLY want to become a dentist.

I'm not even going to respond to the schools name thing, I'm just going to say it plays a factor, whether or not it is suppose to, IT DOES FOR SOME SCHOOLS. I've been told by multiple deans that it does. But since St. Mary's is a great school, im sure this is in your favor.

If your GPA is a 3.6+ and your DAT is 20+ it doesn't really matter since your stats are great. But if your borderline 3.2ish 19ish DATs, going to a "more competitive undergrad" can do nothing but HELP.

 

[skiphotsauce]

Maybe I was exaggerating a little but my 500 hrs are from WORKING at a oral surgeon's office and shadowing a little at a GP. But do you guys really think 60 shadowing hours is equal to working in a dental office for 1 year? NO WAY! I really don't know what the requirements for school are, but in this day and age its seems that many people have quite a bit more than 60, I could be wrong... schools require above 16 DATs, 19 is well and above that, but I'd say that a 19 its at best an average score.

If your stats aren't that good, schools will be worried about if you can handle the academic load of being a dental student. The only way to prove to them that you not only can but are willing, is to show how dedicated you are to the cause. This means having really good ECs, you need to prove to them that you REALLY want to become a dentist.

I'm not even going to respond to the schools name thing, I'm just going to say it plays a factor, whether or not it is suppose to, IT DOES FOR SOME SCHOOLS. I've been told by multiple deans that it does. But since St. Mary's is a great school, im sure this is in your favor.

If your GPA is a 3.6+ and your DAT is 20+ it doesn't really matter since your stats are great. But if your borderline 3.2ish 19ish DATs, going to a "more competitive undergrad" can do nothing but HELP.

I agree with your feelings that all of the hours prove your commitment to becoming a dentist. And 60 shadowing hours is in no way the same is working in a dental office. My point is that if you have that many hours, that shouldn't be a point of concern on your application. If you are worried about getting in, focus more of your energy on improving DAT scores or raising GPAs, because that is what makes or breaks your application, not only having 500 hours of dental experience. And judging by your predents, it doesn't seem like you should worry about that either.

Those hours will carry weight if you are comparing two basically identical applicants in stats. But at the same time, so will the personal statement and LORs.

And I agree with you about the undergrad playing a factor. Whether it should or not is another issue. But what is the point of going to a top-tier school if it doesn't play a factor? Most people perceive these schools as delivering a higher level of education.

 

[gael hopefull]

Thanks everyone for the info. I learned a lot from all of your comments. Hopefully I can do better on the DAT the second time around to ensure that I can get in. Anyone have good advice/a cheap way to improve my scores?

 

[gael hopefull]

The census was that my DAT scores were low, so I retook them. Now what are my chances? Still no interviews so far 🙁

new dat stats:
PAT: 18
QR: 21
RC: 19
BIO: 19
GEN CHEM: 23
O CHEM: 17
TS: 19
AA: 20

Here are the old specs too. I posted these in the first post of this thread but for the lazy people that don't want to scroll up, heres what else I have going.

I am a senior, health science major from St. Mary's College (ranked 60-65th best colleges in the nation by Forbes) with 3.52 overall GPA, 3.56 science GPA.

For my DAT I got 17 AA, 19 PAT, 20 quantitative reasoning, 18 reading comprehension, 17 biology, 15 general chemistry, 17 organic chemistry, 16 total science.

I have 60 hours volunteering at a very hands on dental clinic for homeless children (ASDOH students do a rotation at this clinic), and 18 hours doing other service work.

I have 24 general dentistry observation hours, and 8 hours each observing the following: perio, ortho, oral surgery, and endo.

I have a research paper currently being published, it was through the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii in the public health field.

I have a committee letter, which my advisor says turned out very well. My other letter of recommendation is from the head dentist at the dental clinic that ASDOH students do a rotation at that I've known for 3 years.

I was late in the application process, submitting my AADSAS application in September. I slowly submitted my secondary applications as they came.

I applied to 13 schools: ASDOH, Midwestern, Western, Loma Linda, USC, Oregon, University of Colorado, Louisville, Tufts, Creighton, UNLV, Case Western, and Marquette.

I have yet to hear back from any school about an interview...

So... What do you think? Will I get in? Am I SOL? Be honest...

 

[wantVCUdental]

Your new scores are solid, no one knows what this cycle is like, just sit tight and wait for jan 15.
Good luck

 

[gael hopefull]

I feel stupid for asking, but what happens on Jan 15?

 

[wantVCUdental]

I feel stupid for asking, but what happens on Jan 15?

On Jan 15, God forgives those of us who have sinned, he then washes away our sin and we are once again reborn!

Though some others say it's the date on which first round accepted students make their decisions.Psh... yeah... right...🙄

 

[cjb04]

Those new DAT scores with that GPA should get you in somewhere, though not necessarily this cycle. Best of luck, and congrats on raising your scores

 

[gael hopefull]

So on Jan 15 some dental schools will be offering more interviews? Are any schools known for giving late interviews?

Also, should I do anything to get my scores to the dental schools faster? I've heard of faxing them- but I've also heard that schools don't accept anything but the official scores.

 

[cjb04]

A few interview spots are still available, especially at the expensive private schools with big class sizes. The schools may need more "waitlisted" students as backups as they fill open spots in the class from the initial waiting list. As for your DAT scores, call every school you applied to and find out if they would like your DAT scores faxed. You still need to send the official score reports, but at least they can make a more informed decision on your file, and this late in the cycle, time is of the essence!

So on Jan 15 some dental schools will be offering more interviews? Are any schools known for giving late interviews?

Also, should I do anything to get my scores to the dental schools faster? I've heard of faxing them- but I've also heard that schools don't accept anything but the official scores.

 

[gael hopefull]

So...

It's official! I'm OHSU class of 2014!!!!

 

[spud daddy]

Congrats! Its a good feeling! Good job on improving your DAT scores.

 

[sarora11]

So...

It's official! I'm OHSU class of 2014!!!!

I love reading happy endings on SDN. Congrats future dentist!

 

[nuartywayne]

woah...try not to apply to 20+ schools. Look at the schools that your stats would fall into. Get the Dental School stats book from the ADA it includes all the statistics High, Low, Avg of DAT Scores and GPA. Some schools look at # of schools apply and they question why you chose them when you applied to so many. I would suggest to retake the DAT and make sure you do better in the science. I only applied to 7 programs so far I'm accepted into 3 and interviewed at 6 of the 7. My GPA was 3.0. DAT of 20's. It may help to get a Masters with science focus so it solidifies your background in those subjects...will help in Bio mostly. Look at the MA program at Midwestern. Good luck. Message me if you have any questions. Don't listen to those that say it isn't possible and suggest to apply to a ton of schools. It really doesn't help to do that. It costs you unnecessary money. Apply to the right schools.