WAMC Next Cycle -- DAT retake?

[inuhbreeze]

Overall GPA: 3.71
Science GPA: 3.58
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20 AA, 20 TS, 22 BIO, 19 OC, 18 GC, 21 RC, 20 QR, 18 PAT
State of Residence: Southeast US

Undergrad Attended: private liberal arts college
Major: Psychology
Minor:
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? Kind of -- in gap year right now after switching from med to dental

Shadowing Experience: 100 general, 30 orthodontist
Volunteering Experience: ~400 hours food bank (started a non-profit organization), ~100 hours tutoring low-income children, ~200 hours hospice volunteer, ~50 hours covid-19 contact tracer
Employment: ~300 hours caregiver for dementia patients, ~350 hours resident assistant. Going to work as a dental assistant during gap year starting this summer
Research: ~250 hours psychology research, presented poster at two national conventions and one local convention; ~150 hours research assistant at hospital cancer institute (no pubs/posters)
Other Extracurriculars: President of pre-health organization, President of religious organization, on Advisory Committee for local non-profit organization, I have an Etsy shop for my artwork (lol not sure if I should even include this)
Relevant Honors or Awards:
LOR type and strength: 1 psychology, 3 biology, 1 religion; very personal. Still need to get a dentist's LOR!
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Switched from medicine to dental so a lot of my experiences are pre-health-geared, not necessarily medical... Should I still mention in my apps/interviews that I was previously pre-med?
School list:
Touro
Tufts
Midwestern-IL
UF
Rutgers
MUSC
LECOM
(Not sure what else to add, want to aim for ~15 schools)

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[macsak]

Overall GPA: 3.71
Science GPA: 3.58
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA:
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20 AA, 20 TS, 22 BIO, 19 OC, 18 GC, 21 RC, 20 QR, 18 PAT
State of Residence: Southeast US

Undergrad Attended: private liberal arts college
Major: Psychology
Minor:
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? Kind of -- in gap year right now after switching from med to dental

Shadowing Experience: 100 general, 30 orthodontist
Volunteering Experience: ~400 hours food bank (started a non-profit organization), ~100 hours tutoring low-income children, ~200 hours hospice volunteer, ~50 hours covid-19 contact tracer
Employment: ~300 hours caregiver for dementia patients, ~350 hours resident assistant. Going to work as a dental assistant during gap year starting this summer
Research: ~250 hours psychology research, presented poster at two national conventions and one local convention; ~150 hours research assistant at hospital cancer institute (no pubs/posters)
Other Extracurriculars: President of pre-health organization, President of religious organization, on Advisory Committee for local non-profit organization, I have an Etsy shop for my artwork (lol not sure if I should even include this)
Relevant Honors or Awards:
LOR type and strength: 1 psychology, 3 biology, 1 religion; very personal. Still need to get a dentist's LOR!
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Switched from medicine to dental so a lot of my experiences are pre-health-geared, not necessarily medical... Should I still mention in my apps/interviews that I was previously pre-med?
School list:
Touro
Tufts
Midwestern-IL
UF
Rutgers
MUSC
LECOM
(Not sure what else to add, want to aim for ~15 schools)

you need to be more specific than "SE US"...

 

[Ryxndek]

I wouldn't mention you made the switch unless you applied to medical school, which it seems like you have not. You could maybe mention how you were interested in medicine early on, but changed to dentistry when you experienced X,Y,Z and how that changed your view on things, but do that in the interviews, if asked, not your application. (I did get asked in one of mine, "why not medicine?", and I told them a story about my experience with medicine, without bashing it, and why I felt there was a better fit for me in the dental field!) You don't want to give schools a reason to possibly screening you out. What have you done to show on your application that dentistry is for you? Do you have an idea of how you plan on going about writing your personal statement?

If you have a religious advisor writing you a letter you might as well apply to Loma Linda as well since they require one, and are a religiously orientated school with religious classes built into their curriculum.

You can only have a maximum of 4 letter writers in AADSAS, so either remove the weakest bio prof or have your dentist send the letter personally to the schools of interest when you apply. You also don't need to aim for 15 schools, that's slight overkill and will cost you probably 3-4k just to apply (not factoring in travel expenses if you get tons of interviews). Shoot for 8-12 solid schools where you meet their mission, will cost a little less. If you're dead set on 15, I would just make sure you have a good selection of schools picked out to maximize your chances.

Definitely include your artwork hobby as a way to answer the fine motor skills prompt, along with other things if you have more fine motor skills.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your list doesn't make sense if your residency is in the Southeast. You should be able to calculate your BCP GPA.

Nothing wrong with coming to the "right side" of being predental. You don't need to point it out though. It happens all the time. See advice from @Ryxndek .

Mention your hobby that you sell on Etsy. Happens a lot too.

 

[inuhbreeze]

Your list doesn't make sense if your residency is in the Southeast. You should be able to calculate your BCP GPA.

Nothing wrong with coming to the "right side" of being predental. You don't need to point it out though. It happens all the time. See advice from @Ryxndek .

Mention your hobby that you sell on Etsy. Happens a lot too.

Hi, thanks for the reply! I am mainly applying to north/northeastern schools because I'm trying to get out of the southeast. I'm in South Carolina.

 

[macsak]

Hi, thanks for the reply! I am mainly applying to north/northeastern schools because I'm trying to get out of the southeast. I'm in South Carolina.

have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at SCarolina d school?

 

[inuhbreeze]

have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at SCarolina d school?

I haven't. Do you think that would make a difference?