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AlecGaro

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Hey everyone, you have probably seen me around here lately. Unfortunately I have only got 1 interview invite (at UNLV) so far and that is set for January.. so it's not looking too great for me. I'm trying to stay positive and am hoping that I will do well on that interview and maybe even get more invites in the coming months.

Additionally, I am trying to be smart and plan ahead for the next cycle, just in case I don't get in this cycle. So what I ask all of you is.. Which aspects of my app MUST I improve within this next year if I plan to apply again next cycle?

AADSAS Submitted: July 29
AADSAS Mail-out: August 12th
Secondaries completed: Early September (immediately after they were originally sent to me)

Current Stats listed on AADSAS:
-Major: Kinesiology
-GPA: 3.69 (oGPA), 3.72 (sGPA), 3.70 (BCP GPA). All grades from a "CSU" and GPA's are with +/-. Also, a huge upward trend of 3.9 average GPA for every semester other than my freshman year.
-DAT: 21 AA, 20 TS, 20 OC, 22 GC, 19 BIO, 22 RC, 21 QR, 21 PAT
-Shadowing: 550 total hours. 300 hrs at General Dentist (220 of those hours from my father and uncle with the same last name), 100 from Oral Surgeon, 150 from Orthodontist.
-Non-Dental Volunteering: 220 hours at my old Saturday School (stopped participating in 2014)
-Dental-Related Volunteering: 160 hours (80 hours from UCLA School of Dentistry volunteer program, 80 hours from many multi-day dental outreach events in California)
-Research: 9 months with a microbiology lab at my CSU university.
-LOR's: 7 strong letters (1 from each: Health Professions Committee, Oral Surgeon, Chemistry Professor, Math Professor, Research Lab P.I., UCLA School of Dentistry [from volunteer program I completed], and a priest)
-Personal Statement: Strong with no red flags (got it checked out by current dental students and health professions counselors).
-Clubs/Honor Societies: Student Health Professions Association member for 4 years (just started to serve as Dental Chair leadership position), Pre-Dental Society member for 3 years (just started to serve as Dental Chair leadership position), Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society for the Health Sciences for 4 months, Pre-Dental ASDA member for 1 year
-Manual Dexterity: Extensive proof of proficient manual dexterity, including playing guitar for 10+ years, actively doing playing card magic tricks for 10+ years, and taking a tooth waxing/denture setup course at UCLA.
-Work: Father's Dental Office as Receptionist/Front Desk Clerk, Car Dealership Customer Relations Manager, Hollister Sales Associate
-Awards/Honors: Dean's Honor List (last 6 semesters), Kappa Omicron Nu Sciences Honor Society Invitation, Outstanding Volunteer Award (at Saturday School), Pre-Dental Society Member of the Month, Intramural Basketball Champion


Now that you have seen the stats for my application which I submitted above.. What can I do to improve my application for the start of next cycle? I will give some starting suggestions of what I have thought of so far.

*If you agree with some of my suggestions or disagree completely and think it is a waste of time, PLEASE TELL ME!
*If you think of something completely different that I should do which would help me out PLEASE TELL ME!
*By the way, assume next year I will apply to MANY more schools (at least 15), since this year I only applied to UCLA, WesternU, USC, UOP and UNLV. Also, I will apply on June 1st!

Suggestions which I am not sure about:
-Shadowing?: I want to shadow more dentists, specifically general dentists who do not share my last name. I already have about 80 hours with a general dentist not related to me, but I am assuming more would be better?
-DAT Retake?: I already have a 21AA, 20TS, 21 PAT, with my lowest score being a 19 QR. Like I said, I am going to apply to about 15 schools next cycle, but my top choices are UCLA and WesternU. Is it worth retaking in this case?

Suggestions which I am sure about:
-Improve GPA: Since I am still taking classes, by the time I apply again I should improve my oGPA from 3.69 to a 3.76, my sGPA from a 3.72 to a 3.81, and my BCP GPA from a 3.70 to a 3.72).
-Volunteering: I want to participate in many hours of volunteering (both dental and non-dental) with ONE specific organization for each category. I specifically say "with one specific organization" because the AADSAS app only has a limited number of places to put volunteer experiences. If I stack on a lot of hours at one dental organization or something like a food shelter, I can list many more hours in fewer slots on the application.
-Research: I want to continue my microbiology research at my university. By the time I apply again I will have 1 year and 8 months of research experience if I continue until next cycle. Also, I might even be a co-author on a publication by then.

Please let me know what you guys think! Thank you in advance for all of your help :)

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Both your GPA and DAT are fine. No need to retake your DAT and I still don't understand why you have only 1 interview.
I feel like you will end up getting lots of post-dec interviews! so keep your head up.
 
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Both your GPA and DAT are fine. No need to retake your DAT and I still don't understand why you have only 1 interview.
I feel like you will end up getting lots of post-dec interviews! so keep your head up.
Thank you. I really do hope so :) and let me know if you think any of those other suggestions I should complete or not, and also if you have any other suggestions!
 
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Thank you. I really do hope so :) and let me know if you think any of those other suggestions I should complete or not, and also if you have any other suggestions!
I feel like your application is very well-rounded, and do not see any areas for improvements. I have seen from last year's thread where someone had 0 pre-dec interviews and ended up getting 8 post-dec interviews. Hope that makes you feel better!
 
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I feel like your application is very well-rounded, and do not see any areas for improvements. I have seen from last year's thread where someone had 0 pre-dec interviews and ended up getting 8 post-dec interviews. Hope that makes you feel better!
That is very good to hear!!
 
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You have a very strong chance of getting into UNLV with your stats. Focus on killing the interview.
 
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I think your GPA and DAT are fine. Also you're volunteering hours are good enough. I got 6 interviews with 0 hours of volunteering. Research is fine if you would like to continue. I didn't have any hours of research either. I think you have a decent shot of getting into at least one school this cycle. But if you don't, I would think this would be your best shot at "improving" your application.

Shadowing?: I want to shadow more dentists, specifically general dentists who do not share my last name. I already have about 80 hours with a general dentist not related to me, but I am assuming more would be better?

I don't know if its true but I heard that schools don't like to see a lot of hours shadowing at a relative's practice. It may also vary by schools. I would recommend to get a job or shadow at another general dentist office. I think that would give your app the most edge. That is to say, only if you don't get in this cycle, which you probably will. Also apply to more schools cause most people apply to 7 or more. I applied to 10.
 
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The relative thing may have hurt you. I would shadow more and apply to 15 schools +apply in June and you should be golden
 
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The relative thing may have hurt you. I would shadow more and apply to 15 schools +apply in June and you should be golden
I have heard mixed things. Sometimes schools may see it as good or bad. I heard mostly that if you had other experience, then it should be a problem. But thank you!
 
The relative thing may have hurt you. I would shadow more and apply to 15 schools +apply in June and you should be golden

I would disagree, even if you were to nullify the hrs observed w/ relatives OP still has 80hrs of shadowing with a general dentist on top of 250hrs split between two specialists. Just from a quick glance you seem like a solid, well rounded candidate.
 
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Your application seems pretty strong. I would just relax for now and see what happens post-December. If you're itching to do something in the meantime, perhaps pick up a new hobby or job that commands some manual dexterity. You can always include it in an update letter. Good luck!
 
Doesn't seem like anything sticks out that you need to improve on. Very solid applicant. Maybe some clinical experience and refine your PS? Good luck man. I feel you'll get post-dec interviews though.
 
For people wondering what they should improve on...I keep seeing the same trend, not applying to enough programs. For starters, apply to at least 15 programs. Applying to 4-5 programs in your region does not provide enough insurance.
 
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Sorry to hear this, I'd say maybe just have your application turned in the day the next cycle starts. Aside from this I don't see anything wrong. Keep your head up, you have a lot on that application to be proud of!
 
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