When will it be my turn?

[jkb53433]

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okay id like to vent...so please endure and hopefully give some productive advice...

ive been pursuing dentistry for a while...okay i was 18. went into undergrad knowing id want to be a dentist someday ( going to be 25 this year). ive had my fair share of dental experience...i went to dental assisting school while being a fulltime undergrad student during my sophmore year (had zero life for 9 months). have a lot of ec in dental offices, done research, been in leadership positions with undergrad organizations. im a bio major (nothing out of the ordinary there) my gpa is 3.5ish both science and non science. my dat scores were low when i applied in the past 17AA/18TS...just retook them last month and now they are 21AA/22TS...my question is what more can i do to get in this year...i feel like im trying so hard but its not going anywhere. granted i just improved a lot on my dat score is there anything else i can do to make my app better. im working as a dental assistant ...i dunno... im applying to post-bacc/master's programs that end in a year but i dont even know if that is necessary ...blah any help?

 

[glo1984]

Don't apply to masters or post-bacc, are you kidding me?

Your first set of DAT scores weren't competitive enough therefore you got weeded out. How many schools did you apply to the first time? Your GPA should easily be enough therefore you need to be applying to a few more schools than 5. I would say a safe number should be 10-12.

Also, did you apply late the first cycle? You need to apply right when the cycle begins in June. Don't let anything delay the process.

Whats your lowest score on the DAT? Your new set of scores are very nice so you definitely will get a few interviews this next cycle.

 

[jkb53433]

Don't apply to masters or post-bacc, are you kidding me?

Your first set of DAT scores weren't competitive enough therefore you got weeded out. How many schools did you apply to the first time? Your GPA should easily be enough therefore you need to be applying to a few more schools than 5. I would say a safe number should be 10-12.

Also, did you apply late the first cycle? You need to apply right when the cycle begins in June. Don't let anything delay the process.

Whats your lowest score on the DAT? Your new set of scores are very nice so you definitely will get a few interviews this next cycle.

I applied to 20 schools in the past n my lowest score was rc (16) n now it's 24. I applied end of July so that was pretty late 🙁 this time I'm submitting my app June 1st n asking for my lor's way in advance n getting all that good stuff taken care of right away. What else can I do? I got interviewed n waitlisted last time...I think I let my nerves get the best of me at my interview 🙁 blah ...i knw masters will b a lot of money...it's like $20k at the school I applied to ...that's a lot of amount ...maybe if I work three jobs this year n save up before dental school that would be a better idea...I just don't want to lose my chance this year at any cost...I have to get in this year I knw I've worked hard n deserve it

 

[healthcaree]

you said you re-took the DAT last month. chances are schools probably did not see this. if you really want in this cycle, then you might want to directly contact the schools and let them know individually.

if you apply early this coming cycle, i'm pretty sure you'll have multiple acceptances with those stats. NO POST-BACC NEEDED! good luck 🙂

I'm also a re-applicant. The only thing I did was re-take the DAT and I did improve. My GPAs stayed the same b/c I've been out of school since 2009. First cycle I interviewed at two schools, waitlisted at both of them. This cycle I landed with 8 interviews, went to 7 of them, and 4 acceptances (BU even offered me scholarship). you can do this!!!

plus, my cGPA/sGPA are both below 3.5. so do not lose hope!! (you can find my stat on predents.com, ID is the same as SDN)


::edit:: my app was completed end of August, so end of July isn't THAT late. I still got all those interviews, a lot of them were just post-december. so yes, it is better to submit ASAP, but as long as you have a decent stat, you should be able to receive those interviews.

 

[youknowthedrill]

Practice you interview skills. Get a close friend or family member to role play and interview you or there may be someone you could hire to help you develop better skills. How's your personal statement? Contact the schools where you interviewed and ask them for specifics on improving your application. Good Luck!

 

[321931]

I applied to 20 schools in the past n my lowest score was rc (16) n now it's 24. I applied end of July so that was pretty late 🙁 this time I'm submitting my app June 1st n asking for my lor's way in advance n getting all that good stuff taken care of right away. What else can I do? I got interviewed n waitlisted last time...I think I let my nerves get the best of me at my interview 🙁 blah ...i knw masters will b a lot of money...it's like $20k at the school I applied to ...that's a lot of amount ...maybe if I work three jobs this year n save up before dental school that would be a better idea...I just don't want to lose my chance this year at any cost...I have to get in this year I knw I've worked hard n deserve it

The 16 did you in. Now that you have good scores, you will have a better shot for the next cycle. Don't worry about doing masters etc. Your gpa/dat plus an early app will spell success. Work on the interviewing skills and you'll do fine.

For those upcoming 2011 AADSAS new applicants... please take heed. It's better to apply with a satisfactory score- 18+ then to risk not getting in at all. RC and PAT is IMPORTANT. To many times, I read "its fine, my 3.X/19/20AA will overlook the 15RC, plus I will apply to 20+ schools." Some end up getting in barely, and some don't get in at all. I'm not trying to be a SDN "elitist", but I'm just giving out the reality of the situation.

 

[KillaCam]

I definitely wouldn't do a Masters/Post-Bacc. The point of doing this, if your end goal is to be a dentist, is to raise your GPA to get into dental school. You do NOT need this and your stats and experience make you competitive. Just submit early, apply smartly by applying to schools based off the requirements and OOS/In-State friendly, and write a great Personal Statement. You have a lot of dental experience that many others have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing and probably have a unique insight into the world of dentistry. Use that to your advantage and Good Luck! You can do this and do NOT let anyone tell you otherwise

 

[dentalWorks]

okay id like to vent...so please endure and hopefully give some productive advice...

ive been pursuing dentistry for a while...okay i was 18. went into undergrad knowing id want to be a dentist someday ( going to be 25 this year). ive had my fair share of dental experience...i went to dental assisting school while being a fulltime undergrad student during my sophmore year (had zero life for 9 months). have a lot of ec in dental offices, done research, been in leadership positions with undergrad organizations. im a bio major (nothing out of the ordinary there) my gpa is 3.5ish both science and non science. my dat scores were low when i applied in the past 17AA/18TS...just retook them last month and now they are 21AA/22TS...my question is what more can i do to get in this year...i feel like im trying so hard but its not going anywhere. granted i just improved a lot on my dat score is there anything else i can do to make my app better. im working as a dental assistant ...i dunno... im applying to post-bacc/master's programs that end in a year but i dont even know if that is necessary ...blah any help?

I have high-lighted why you WILL get accepted this year

Thats a serious DAT improvement 👍, Every school is going to recognize this. Just relax, you'll have a party on December 1st

I wouldn't do post-bacc or masters, why? Those are programs mostly for students who need some fixing to do...

Anyways, if you REALLY wanna put your mind at ease, instead of worrying about post-bacc or masters.... apply to alot of safety schools (its not really needed). I think 10-15 schools is very ideal for someone with your stats, throw a few more safeties if you wanna sleep better.

 

[MechZZ]

You do not have a GPA problem, so don't get a M.S. You just fixed your DAT problem so just apply early this next cycle.

 

[duvaldentist]

I have high-lighted why you WILL get accepted this year

Thats a serious DAT improvement 👍, Every school is going to recognize this. Just relax, you'll have a party on December 1st

I wouldn't do post-bacc or masters, why? Those are programs mostly for students who need some fixing to do...

Anyways, if you REALLY wanna put your mind at ease, instead of worrying about post-bacc or masters.... apply to alot of safety schools (its not really needed). I think 10-15 schools is very ideal for someone with your stats, throw a few more safeties if you wanna sleep better.

Hey dental works i keep seeing "safety schools" can you or anyone else make a list of these so called schools.


And JKB as everyone else has already stated youl be fine, especialy with the good GPA and much improved DAT scores

 

[anonymouse1]

your in state schools most of the time.

 

[dentalWorks]

Hey dental works i keep seeing "safety schools" can you or anyone else make a list of these so called schools.


And JKB as everyone else has already stated youl be fine, especialy with the good GPA and much improved DAT scores

oh thats just a silly terminology I use... it basically means "apply to more schools".

So basically, say there are like 7 schools you are very interested in (for whatever reason, could be low cost, home state, family lives near by etc etc). But you also feel that 7 isn't enough, so you add a couple of "safety" schools JUST IN-CASE all your favorite 7 reject you.

Take me for example, I applied to 18 schools, out of them, Mercy, Michigan, Buffalo, Temple, Nova, NC, and Case Western were my top picks. The rest were my "safety" schools. I realized now, that was wayyy over-kill, oh well, I had the money.

 

[jkb53433]

thank you everyone for super supportive words. I have applied past two cycles and not gotten in. ive been working in an ortho office for about two years now...do u think that could lessen my chances of gettin in??? ive worked with a general dentist too but not for such a long period of time. i dunno any opinions?

Oh n should i take more science classes this summer and fall just to keep myself going with school? =/


yah im workin on my interview skills..its funny when it comes to applying for jobs and gettin interviews im a pro...when it comes to dental schools i get all nervous 👎 =(

 

[jkb53433]

you said you re-took the DAT last month. chances are schools probably did not see this. if you really want in this cycle, then you might want to directly contact the schools and let them know individually.

if you apply early this coming cycle, i'm pretty sure you'll have multiple acceptances with those stats. NO POST-BACC NEEDED! good luck 🙂

I'm also a re-applicant. The only thing I did was re-take the DAT and I did improve. My GPAs stayed the same b/c I've been out of school since 2009. First cycle I interviewed at two schools, waitlisted at both of them. This cycle I landed with 8 interviews, went to 7 of them, and 4 acceptances (BU even offered me scholarship). you can do this!!!

plus, my cGPA/sGPA are both below 3.5. so do not lose hope!! (you can find my stat on predents.com, ID is the same as SDN)


::edit:: my app was completed end of August, so end of July isn't THAT late. I still got all those interviews, a lot of them were just post-december. so yes, it is better to submit ASAP, but as long as you have a decent stat, you should be able to receive those interviews.

i was going to apply this year but with my previous dat scores i decided not to at the last moment. so i dedicated myself to my dat for a few months...i didnt start cracking books hard until jan of this year so

i looked at ur predents...ur ec scares me lol im thinking of adding more to my ec...possibly start volunteering more...

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

i was going to apply this year but with my previous dat scores i decided not to at the last moment. so i dedicated myself to my dat for a few months...i didnt start cracking books hard until jan of this year so

i looked at ur predents...ur ec scares me lol im thinking of adding more to my ec...possibly start volunteering more...

EC's don't really count that much in the equation from what I've seen. It's really a GPA/DAT game. Research is nice but it's not really necessary. Volunteering/shadowing look good, but as long as you've done a decent amount of them (~100 hours for both), you really don't need to go above and beyond that. Spend that extra time studying.

 

[Winter Wind]

I have high-lighted why you WILL get accepted this year

Thats a serious DAT improvement 👍, Every school is going to recognize this. Just relax, you'll have a party on December 1st

I wouldn't do post-bacc or masters, why? Those are programs mostly for students who need some fixing to do...

Anyways, if you REALLY wanna put your mind at ease, instead of worrying about post-bacc or masters.... apply to alot of safety schools (its not really needed). I think 10-15 schools is very ideal for someone with your stats, throw a few more safeties if you wanna sleep better.

^Agreed. You will definitely get accepted this year. Just make sure your personal statement is great and you ace your interview.