Wondering what my chances are

[SugarNaCl]

First time I applied to dental school was in 2004. I had an undergrad GPA of about a 3.0, 3.2 in my required prereqs and not that great of DAT scores... They were as follows. Bio 17, Chem 15, OChem 17, CR 16, PAT 16, QR 14, AA 16. Applied to 5 schools, no interviews. SOOOOO... I went for my Masters degree in Biology and had an overall GPA of 3.6. I just took my DATs over again. This time, they are as follows : Bio 20, Chem 19, OChem 16, PAT 18, RC 21, QR 15..and ran out of time. AA=18, Tot Sci= 18. I have been working at a Cancer Research hospital for 1.5 yrs now and just got a promotion from Lab Technician to Research Technologist. I have also been shadowing a dentist every Sat from 8am-12pm and am continuing to do so. Anyone have any thoughts?

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[Generallee]

First time I applied to dental school was in 2004. I had an undergrad GPA of about a 3.0, 3.2 in my required prereqs and not that great of DAT scores... They were as follows. Bio 17, Chem 15, OChem 17, CR 16, PAT 16, QR 14, AA 16. Applied to 5 schools, no interviews. SOOOOO... I went for my Masters degree in Biology and had an overall GPA of 3.6. I just took my DATs over again. This time, they are as follows : Bio 20, Chem 19, OChem 16, PAT 18, RC 21, QR 15..and ran out of time. AA=18, Tot Sci= 18. I have been working at a Cancer Research hospital for 1.5 yrs now and just got a promotion from Lab Technician to Research Technologist. I have also been shadowing a dentist every Sat from 8am-12pm and am continuing to do so. Anyone have any thoughts?

I think you have a decent shot. Although, I gotta tell ya, that you are by no means a sure in. After going through this cycle with similar stats, I would have to say that if you are not going to retake for a third time, then picking the right schools is crucial. Make sure you apply to NYU. For me, it was the only school that I got into. I was put on waitlist at two others. What you have going for you is the fact that you improved your application tremendously by doing well in masters program and raising your DAT's significantly, as well as doing research. I heard many schools now have a cutoff of 19's on the DAT. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but if I were you, I probably would take the DAT's a third time and shoot for 19's. This way, I would feel like I'd be in a much better position to getting in next cycle. Everyone always says that the competition just increases and increases every year.

 

[SugarNaCl]

Thanks for your thoughts Generallee, and congrats at getting into dental school!

 

[deejay]

Apply early and stay on top of everything. Basically maximize your chances of getting interviews, I think once you got your foot in the door, you'll be fine, especially with your new experiences. Good luck.

 

[L8DYV]

Chances are slim. Apply to 20 schools!