Competitive 2017-2018 Dental Applicant?

[lette012]

Hey guys, I am looking to apply to dental school on June 1st and I feel like I am a fairly good candidate. However, my science GPA is a little lower than I would like and I was wondering if anyone had gotten in with similar stats? Or if anyone has any advice on how to bump up my application for the future in case I don’t get a call back this year. I plan to apply broadly and to a lot of schools.


College: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Overall GPA: 3.45

Science GPA: 3.25

DAT score: 19AA, 21TS, 19PAT

Extracurriculars:

· A summer interning in an orthodontics practice (300+ hours unpaid)

· Two years of peer mentoring at college

· Two years of tutoring general chemistry at college

· 100+ hours of volunteering

· 100+ hours of shadowing (variety of experiences like a community clinic, hospital setting, private practice)

· 2 years working in an ecology lab

· Pre-dental club (I am a pretty passive member though. I usually just attend meetings)

· Apart of a leadership program within my college

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[Frankenstein777]

I think you'll definitely get some interviews. That 21 TS definitely helps that lower than ideal science GPA. Yiur ina great position to apply right away, which is a lot more important than I realized when I applied this past year.

 

[845302]

You should definitely apply to UMN where you will probably have a really good chance of getting in (I'm guessing you're a MN resident). I think you should have a good chance as long as you do really well at the interviews. You have to apply broadly and 15-20 schools. You could also do some research about which schools accept people with stats like yours. Maybe someone on this forum can give you some insight

-Fyz

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Depends on how you define 'competitive'. Your AA and your science GPA are both on the lower side but if you apply broadly you should still be successful.

 

[m3mann]

I have almost identical stats as you and I received zero interviews. Applied to 14 schools last round.

slightly higher GPA and very similar extracurricular. I have one publication.

 

[lette012]

Thank you all for your replies! I am definitely applying to the UMN, plan to apply to about 15 schools, and am now looking into matching my stats with particular places.

m3mann, what are you doing to boost your stats for next cycle? Sorry to hear that you didn't get any interviews

 

[jg4318]

definitely apply early to maximize your chances, and apply to places like tufts, lecom, roseman, western, touro. If you don't get in this cycle, your best choice would be to do a postbacc program, and possibly retake and do better on the DAT.

 

[845302]

Depends on how you define 'competitive'. Your AA and your science GPA are both on the lower side but if you apply broadly you should still be successful.

I thought 19-21 AA was pretty average! Huh... Things must've changed lol.

-Fyz

 

[m3mann]

Thank you all for your replies! I am definitely applying to the UMN, plan to apply to about 15 schools, and am now looking into matching my stats with particular places.

m3mann, what are you doing to boost your stats for next cycle? Sorry to hear that you didn't get any interviews

Im doing another research project at my lab and contemplating on retaking the DAT.
My GPA is 3.41overall/3.30sci

definitely apply early to maximize your chances, and apply to places like tufts, lecom, roseman, western, touro. If you don't get in this cycle, your best choice would be to do a postbacc program, and possibly retake and do better on the DAT.

Would you say its more important to apply early or apply around late July with a 21 ish DAT? I currently have 19AA/21PAT/20TS.

 

[shwayne]

What's your full DAT breakdown..? Some schools (e.g. UConn) won't even look at your app if you have a sub-18 science section.

 

[lette012]

So this is my full DAT breakdown. I did fairly well on everything and then I obviously fell apart on the math section. I had been testing fine on that section while studying, but I think I got rattled by the first few questions which ended up messing with my head through out the entire 45 minutes.

PAT: 19
QR: 16
RC: 20
BIO: 21
GC: 20
OC: 20
Total Science: 21
Academic Average: 19