I’ll be straightforward, dental school is not an easy task when it comes to getting an acceptance letter. There are thousands of undergraduate students applying every year and sometimes it can be daunting to think about the likelihood of getting in.
DO NOT LET THAT CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT APPLYING.
I cannot guarantee anyone entrance into school, but I can give you the best tips possible to increase your chances of getting accepted.
1. Keep your GPA up
Maybe this is obvious, but a higher GPA is critical for getting in. There are probably tons of people who will post on SDN (Student Doctor Network) with their GPA and ask if its good enough to get in. There are a lot of moving parts to a good applicant, but GPA is definitely one of the more important ones. Averages for most dental schools range around 3.5, with smaller schools closer to 3.3 and Ivy League schools pushing into 3.9. If you have a 3.0 don’t count yourself out, just make sure to pay attention to the other 7.
2. Get solid DAT scores
The second most critical piece to a strong application is a solid DAT score. Again, just because you don’t have an amazing score does not mean you can’t get in to dental school. Averages are typically 19 AA (Academic Average) and 20 PAT (Perceptual Ability). There are lots of students who get accepted with 17, 18 and 19 averages. You’ll see people post that you need at least 21 and that is horribly inaccurate.
3. Get 3-5 solid letters of rec
Now you don’t have to go and be the biggest teacher’s pet to your professor in order to get a letter of recommendation. Best advice for this: Joe Biden that shit. In other words, be there: go to office hours, ask a question sometimes after class (even if you know the answer), and just be there. That way, when you ask for a letter of recommendation, they can at least recognize your face like, “oh I’ve seen that person before.”
4. Research
Some people will tell you not to worry about research. I’m not one of those people. With a lot of students applying, this is one way to really stand out on an application. Its also a good way to meet faculty in that department, gain confidence in that field of study, and for applying to scholarships (yeet).
5. Job Shadow
This is typically required by a lot of dental schools now, but don’t drive yourself nuts over this one. Just ask your family dentist if you can shadow a couple times over the summers and email a few surrounding dentists and/or specialists to shadow them for a few hours also.
6. Volunteer in the community
This is another solid standout for your application. People in healthcare love those who help others. It will help you gain experience in personal skills and, again, for scholarships. This is incredibly rewarding and can be done in so many ways: joining a club at school, churches, etc.
7. Practice your interview skills
I will be frank about this one: DO NOT PANIC! A lot of students try to “overdo” it for their interviews. The people who are interviewing you are usually full-time faculty who are taking time out of their weekend to get to know you. They have already seen your application, so you don’t have to prep 843 things to share with them about how awesome you are. They already know you are and that is why you are being interviewed. Show them that you are down-to-earth (hopefully you naturally are) and that you are a true fit for healthcare. This is where joining student organizations and job shadowing will pay off.
8. Be personable and well-rounded
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! You can be an incredibly smart person with a great GPA, DAT scores and amazing letters of recommendation, but without a likeable personality you will fall short. Do not show up to your interview like a robot. Be professional, but show people that your normal, kind and a good person. Remember: you are not a GPA-grinding machine. If you get into school (fingers crossed) you need to communicate with your patients and fellow professionals, NOT become a droid.
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment. A lot of people like to post GPA, DAT scores and want someone to tell them if they have good enough stats to get into school (I understand because I was also one of those people), so if you are in that boat feel free to comment, too.
-GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE-
The Dapper Dentist 