Chance me? And school list?

[dck8511]

Hi, guys! I was wondering if I have a good chance at mid-tier dental schools. I need help with making a school list.
School: top 30 college
Major: neuroscience and biology (double major)
Minor: philosophy
Residency: Massachusetts
Ethnicity: Asian
cGPA: 3.4 sGPA: 3.3
DAT: 22
Extracurriculars:
Leadership positions for 2 clubs for 2+ years
200+ hours non-clinical community service with refugee organizations
100+ hours dentist shadowing
300+ hours neurophysiology lab assistant
School admissions office tour guide/chatter for 3 semesters
I'm taking a gap year so I was wondering what ECs I could improve on during my gap year so I can talk about it in my interviews?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Badgers2]

Do you have a nonprofit dental clinic that takes uninsured or Medicaid patients near you? Getting involved there could boost your ECs.

 

[dck8511]

Do you have a nonprofit dental clinic that takes uninsured or Medicaid patients near you? Getting involved there could boost your ECs.

I might be able to find one through refugee organizations I've been working with. I'm sure there is one since Boston is a big city haha
Do I have a reasonable chance for mid-tier schools?

 

[dent_wannabe]

I assume you may want to include Boston and Tufts on your list.

 

[TheDentalDude]

sGPA and GPA are a little low. You may have a shot at some mid-tier schools because your DAT makes up for them. Be prepared to have a long list of schools.

 

[dck8511]

I assume you may want to include Boston and Tufts on your list.

Yes. Am I being too optimistic haha what other mid-tier schools in east coast should I apply?

 

[dck8511]

sGPA and GPA are a little low. You may have a shot at some mid-tier schools because your DAT makes up for them. Be prepared to have a long list of schools.

What schools do you recommend in east coast and cali?

 

[GoOU]

Well if this helps, I had a 3.5 GPA, got a 22 DAT, and will be attending school in the fall! Just apply broadly and make sure you throw in a couple schools with lower stat requirements. I’m sure with your EC’s you’ll get in somewhere! I barely had any shadowing or volunteering to be honest

 

[Krentist_72]

Re: gap year. I would get a job, and not even necessarily one dental related.
I taught for my gap year (subbing that turned fulltime) and without a doubt this was the most talked about thing at all of my interviews. No joke, I could see the interviewers faces of relief and interest when I talked about working full time since they encounter so many applicants who have never worked more than just like tutoring or something. Get a job that requires you to work with people and you can spin that in interviews about how it’s taught you how to be a better dentist.
And then save, save, save.

 

[dent_wannabe]

Re: gap year. I would get a job, and not even necessarily one dental related.
I taught for my gap year (subbing that turned fulltime) and without a doubt this was the most talked about thing at all of my interviews. No joke, I could see the interviewers faces of relief and interest when I talked about working full time since they encounter so many applicants who have never worked more than just like tutoring or something. Get a job that requires you to work with people and you can spin that in interviews about how it’s taught you how to be a better dentist.
And then save, save, save.

So a full time job, even if completely non dental related, can be very helpful, even though that caused me to have to give up my dental related activities because my Monday through Friday 8 to 5 is completely booked?

 

[helloboys]

Re: gap year. I would get a job, and not even necessarily one dental related.
I taught for my gap year (subbing that turned fulltime) and without a doubt this was the most talked about thing at all of my interviews. No joke, I could see the interviewers faces of relief and interest when I talked about working full time since they encounter so many applicants who have never worked more than just like tutoring or something. Get a job that requires you to work with people and you can spin that in interviews about how it’s taught you how to be a better dentist.
And then save, save, save.

Oh wow, with average GPA and DAT, you sure were able to get into great schools!

 

[Krentist_72]

So a full time job, even if completely non dental related, can be very helpful, even though that caused me to have to give up my dental related activities because my Monday through Friday 8 to 5 is completely booked?

I mean in my experience yes... once I submitted the app, I didn't do anything dental related. But I mean if you would prefer more dental volunteering and shadowing and don't need to save a salary, then do you!! The hard part is finding a job that's gonna be flexible with your interviews and understanding that you'd likely leave in a year, which is why I looked into subbing in the first place.

Oh wow, with average GPA and DAT, you sure were able to get into great schools!

lmaoo I'm still just as surprised as you are! That's the only reason why my signature is so annoying and immodest... I want to show that acceptances are likely more holistic than SDN lets on. Crazy stats aren't everything, and you never know how the cycle will go.