Which of these applicants would adcoms prefer?

[AlecGaro]

Hey everyone, so I have a question for you all that I have been thinking about recently. Out of these 3 types of general applicants, which do you think is the one that a dental school would most likely prefer to interview?

Keep in mind this is PURELY discussing GPA/DAT stats, and nothing else. Yes I know there are obviously many other factors that come into play.

Also, please assume that all candidates have practically the same quantity/quality of college major/workload, EC's, LOC's, PS's, research involvement and other dental-related experiences. Basically they are all on relatively the same starting plane.

Regarding the candidates that I listed below, I can see positives and negatives for each situation. Which do you think is the most attractive from an adcom's perspective? Let me know what you think, or if you have heard of similar situations from actual adcoms or previous applicants. Also please explain your reasoning!


Candidate 1: Lower GPA (~3.3)/Fantastic DAT (~24AA/23 TS/22PAT)

Candidate 2: Amazing GPA (~3.9)/Okay DAT (~19AA/19 TS/19 PAT)

Candidate 3: Above average GPA (~3.7)/Above average DAT (21 AA/20 TS/21 PAT)

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[8_man]

I think candidate 3 has the edge due to his or her consistent performance.


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[AlecGaro]

Thank you! Anyone else heard otherwise?

 

[mcbnerd]

Candidate 3, in my opinion.

 

[ptiskyq127]

3.

With 1, they say okay he's smart enough, so why did he get a 3.3? They question your work ethic, commitment, etc.

With 2, they say okay, great GPA but low test score.. Does this person just sit in the library 24 hours a day? How might they do when they can't focus tons of time on every single class?

That's why you gotta go for the 3.9 and the 24

 

[AlecGaro]

3.

With 1, they say okay he's smart enough, so why did he get a 3.3? They question your work ethic, commitment, etc.

With 2, they say okay, great GPA but low test score.. Does this person just sit in the library 24 hours a day? How might they do when they can't focus tons of time on every single class?

That's why you gotta go for the 3.9 and the 24

Hahah yeah seriously!!

 

[OrphanageCaretaker]

Don't worry aper, you'll get in also from your profile, yes gitem vor du yerort candidatenes. Mi mtatsi

 

[AlecGaro]

Don't worry aper, you'll get in also from your profile, yes gitem vor du yerort candidatenes. Mi mtatsi

Haha i hope so! Same for you!

 

[tony729]

What if it's between the first two options?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

What if it's between the first two options?

Candidate 1 upon first glance. GPA inflation may be a part of candidate 2. You would need a story to tell and explain your performance

 

[personalstatementsbyeric]

What if it's between the first two options?

#2 heartbeat

 

[Tatu78]

To me, candidate 3 is the most obvious choice if they all have the same ecs, locs and whatnot. If it was between 1 and 2, obviously 2 because I would want a student who can handle the rigor of dental school.

I think you would have gotten a variety of answers if you changed up the level of ecs, ps, lors. Like if candidate 3 had those stats but all they had was a few half done ecs while candidate 2 stayed very consistent with their ecs ( let it be one or few), then I would definitely choose candidate 2 as it shows their commitment and dedication. Candidate 3 would just look like a bookworm who either couldn't handle the responsibility or couldn't manage their time well.