Your standard "Do i have a chance" thread

[Anon81]

Hello all,

Id appreciate if you took a moment to check out my stats, and let me know if i have a good shot of getting in this cycle.

ugrad gpa state school 3.2
Gpa grad school (ivy - non science) 3.2
post bacc prereqs 3.8
Dat 20


EC's

50 hours shadowing
300 hours volunteering
vice president fraternity
treasurer fraternity
6 years in the US infantry with 2 years in iraq (combat vet)
featured in a NY times bestseller about my time in iraq
full time job during undergrad
part time job during grad school
Co Chair of Student activities during grad school ( i ran a committee of 30 students and we put on the tailgates, mixers etc).
part time job during post bacc
piano and guitar player
10-15 hours per week as a personal trainer
During grad school I was a graduate teaching assistant where I taught a lab (ivy)

Part time job is managing ~1m money of my clients.
During undergrad I ran a startup clothing business.


My concern is obviously my subpar GPA.

Thanks for your time!

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[Oracle DMD]

Hello all,

Id appreciate if you took a moment to check out my stats, and let me know if i have a good shot of getting in this cycle.

ugrad gpa state school 3.2
Gpa grad school (ivy - non science) 3.2
post bacc prereqs 3.8
Dat 20


EC's

50 hours shadowing
300 hours volunteering
vice president fraternity
treasurer fraternity
6 years in the US infantry with 2 years in iraq (combat vet)
featured in a NY times bestseller about my time in iraq
full time job during undergrad
part time job during grad school
Co Chair of Student activities during grad school ( i ran a committee of 30 students and we put on the tailgates, mixers etc).
part time job during post bacc

Part time job is managing ~200k money of my clients.
During undergrad I ran a startup clothing business.


My concern is obviously my subpar GPA.

Thanks for your time!

play the app process right, i think you're in no problem. maybe not in a state school, but in a private school fasho. apply to 12 schools, i say you interview at 3 and get into 2. hahaha bold predictions. but im in a bold mood.

 

[Anon81]

well either way you just made my day. ill be apping to 15-20 schools (wallet permitting).

Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Futuredds2010]

well either way you just made my day. ill be apping to 15-20 schools (wallet permitting).

Thanks for taking the time.

DAMN!!!!!!! 15-20 I can only afford 5! lol

 

[Oracle DMD]

well either way you just made my day. ill be apping to 15-20 schools (wallet permitting).

Thanks for taking the time.

i applied to 23 (way lower stats then yours tho) and i regretted it. its hard to keep track of it all. i needed a freakin excel sheet! haha seriously stay closer to 15, and focus on getting all your secondaries done, researching the schools (know EVERYTHING you can about the school and faculty), and making the phone calls and emails. you'll do better by not spreading yourself thin. Pick your schools wisely friend!

 

[junkemails44]

I applied 19 schools, and I do not regret it. Sure, there were only handful of first choices, but you never know what schools might like you. In all my interviews, I was pleasantly surprised with different schools that I was not considering. As a matter of fact, my first choice ended up changing to a different school.

 

[Anon81]

i applied to 23 (way lower stats then yours tho) and i regretted it. its hard to keep track of it all. i needed a freakin excel sheet! haha seriously stay closer to 15, and focus on getting all your secondaries done, researching the schools (know EVERYTHING you can about the school and faculty), and making the phone calls and emails. you'll do better by not spreading yourself thin. Pick your schools wisely friend!

im not following. why would you limit the number of schools you apply to? what phone calls and emails (i was under the impression those were unwelcome during the application process). What do you mean get my secondaries done?

 

[Oracle DMD]

im not following. why would you limit the number of schools you apply to? what phone calls and emails (i was under the impression those were unwelcome during the application process). What do you mean get my secondaries done?

OK, so it is really tough to get to know 20+ schools. i sit in on interviews a whole heck of a lot, and i can tell you for sure that it screams out when someone hasn't dug to deep into what the school is all about. the ones who are really prepared outshine everyone else there. your name should be familiar to the school.

its about building a relationship, like dating a girl if you will. you don't want to be the blind date (they've heard all about you but you've never been introduced), you wanna be the boy next door (you're not best friends but you've met plenty and see each other often, even if passing by), you digg?

so what can you do to go that extra mile?
- if they have any pre-dental programs over the summer, you should fight to get into those. they get you shaking hands with faculty, and give you a good idea what going there might be like. schools like UCLA, UNLV, Midwestern, UOP, and many more have these programs.

- you should call to ask questions about the program. "i heard the university is looking to expand its research dept, is that true? details?" "i have heard that your clinic is about to be remodeled, what kind of new technologies are you guys planning to add?!" these types q's can't usually be answered by admin clerks, and are often redirected to deans/ faculty that could answer them better. now you just kinda got introduced to someone who you'd like to get to know. (in the dating analogy, you just moved in next door haha)

- if you're in town, go visit the school! call and set up a tour and often you'll find that you might get an impromtu interview of sorts. maybe even a buisness card to keep them up to date on your app! this happens all time.

- talk to students who go there, often they can invite you to events that everyone is going to. current students might be able to get you involved in a community service or charity event that the school participates in. a bike ride or run/walk for a good cause or something. how nice would it be to see the dean on your interview day and he comes over and shakes your hand and smiles as you recall the race last year. that's a good impression to leave! (you just got sat behind her in homeroom)

next thing you know you're taking the head cheerleader to prom


get involved with your top schools. this is why its really tough to apply (IMO) to a lot of schools. this kind of extra mile will not only give you a leg up that others don't get, you also learn more about what you like more about school x than school Y, or why you could see yourself at one more than the other

...or you could apply to every school and hope your app does all the talking. personally i wanted to talk louder than my app because i believed that my numbers (which were horrible) didn't tell how great of a dentist i thought i would make.

 

[Anon81]

thanks oracle for the great advice!

 

[Oracle DMD]

thanks oracle for the great advice!

i think i'll pop this on a new thread. glad i could help (hopefully!)

 

[somethinpositiv]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=635046

 

[peerless218]

Def apply early. Even though your undergrad and grad GPAs are on the middle lower end of the pool but it's not bad. Plus you really impressed me with your EC activities. I think you're gonna get more then just 3 interviews with your package. I am just gonna assume you're a really strong writer and will have a great personal statement and hopefully good letters of rec. Those together will put a beautiful package for ya.

Even though you said your post bac GPA is a 3.8, but what' the course load per semester/quarter are we talking about here. That's gonna play a factor also. But ya, I don't think you have much to worry about regardless, you're in a good shape at least from what I can see. Good luck!!

 

[Anon81]

post bacc was full courseload of 16 hours per semester

 

[bruinguy083]

I slacked off in college and didn't do so well in my sci. courses blah blah blah, you all know the story. My sci gpa is a 2.9 and my overall gpa is a 3.25. I got a 20/20/20 on my DAT.

BUT!!.... the past 2 years I've opened up a dental lab, or my dad and I did. I've been working on that nonstop. My question is... do I have a shot at getting in to ANY dental school if I apply to 15 to 20? Should I retake the DAT again? Will having a background in the dental field help me at all? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[subdoc]

Anon81,

You'll be fine. You have numbers which are better than avg and you have a resume full of life experiences to back it up. You may have a hard time fitting in everything on your personal statement...and that is a good thing! Just focus on the important activities you have done...Army, Ivy, finance managing, etc., and focus on words like MANAGE, LEADERSHIP, MENTORSHIP which illustrate the uniqueness of your background....

I would not fret as long as you can get a knock 'em dead statement and good LORs. You will be a "non-standard applicant" like myself. Your uniqueness will be very polarizing to Admissions Committees. Some schools will love you for the variety you bring to the class, others will drop you like a hot potato since you don't have the classic, sexy dental background.

Either way, Oracle passed on great advice...STAY ON TOP OF ALL THOSE APPS!! The spreadsheet really does work. Keep a log of all your interactions with notes from the conversations, or even printed out emails, etc.

BTW...your numbers are better than mine, and I got into school (and my background has some similarities to yours.)

Best of luck, and HOOAH!

 

[SkipJohn]

I've been reading a lot of threads and it seems like dental schools are pretty close to wrapping up their interviews. At this point right now are they still in their 2nd or 3rd round of acceptances? Or is it that the classes are pretty much full right now and the people that previously had interviews are waitlisted and just have to wait it out and hope for the rest of the cycle?

 

[subdoc]

Anon81,

You'll be fine. You have numbers which are better than avg and you have a resume full of life experiences to back it up. You may have a hard time fitting in everything on your personal statement...and that is a good thing! Just focus on the important activities you have done...Army, Ivy, finance managing, etc., and focus on words like MANAGE, LEADERSHIP, MENTORSHIP which illustrate the uniqueness of your background....

I would not fret as long as you can get a knock 'em dead statement and good LORs. You will be a "non-standard applicant" like myself. Your uniqueness will be very polarizing to Admissions Committees. Some schools will love you for the variety you bring to the class, others will drop you like a hot potato since you don't have the classic, sexy dental background.

Either way, Oracle passed on great advice...STAY ON TOP OF ALL THOSE APPS!! The spreadsheet really does work. Keep a log of all your interactions with notes from the conversations, or even printed out emails, etc.

BTW...your numbers are better than mine, and I got into school (and my background has some similarities to yours.)

Best of luck, and HOOAH!

Crap, just realized you meant for this cycle...yeah, it's pretty close to the time where the carriage turns back into a pumpkin. If you have not received any interview offers, I would call each school to express your interest in their program and possibility to still interview for this cycle.

 

[Lethstang]

nt

 

[The Anhedonia]

featured in a NY times bestseller about my time in iraq

you wouldn't happen to mean Generation Kill would you?