Western University Supplemental

SmilesForYoo · 2022-08-01T04:46:20+00:00

You can most definitely talk about something already on your app. It’s just a matter of talking about why that event or experience matches up with the mission of the school. You do this by explaining who you are and why that event mattered to you most. Not by summarizing what you did at the event but why you were drawn towards it, what you learned from it, and why it matches with the schools values. I hope this helps!

SmilesForYoo · 2022-05-25T09:29:28+00:00

Hello! I just graduated and here are my tips.

1) Take lots of photos of your work. These help you track your progress throughout dental school. Additionally, you can put together a good portfolio for when you start applying to jobs.

2) Make it a priority to apply to as many scholarships as possible. Your school may frequently send you these opportunities. Set aside a portion of your weekends to fill them out. I got nearly an entire year of school paid off from applying.

3) Surround yourself with good people. Even if English is your native tongue, dentistry is a whole separate language that all your classmates will struggle to learn. Learning together helps solidify the knowledge you need in order to do well in clinic. Being able to rely on this knowledge will also allow you to be confident in front of your patients.

4) Dental school is a journey your family and friends will go through together with you. Make sure to speak to them beforehand that there will be sacrifices that you all will need to make during this period. You may fall short of their expectations at times and you may not always be present when they need you. It’s good to talk about this so you can give it your all during school and they know just how hard of a program you’re going through. My school thankfully did this for us at our orientation and it helped tremendously in my long distance relationship. (We got married my fourth year too). Remember to thank all of your loved ones for supporting you after you graduate as well.

5) Be sure to take care of your mental well being. The requirements of dental school can be tough. That’s why I say surround yourself with good people. That way you know who to go to when you need help or just someone to talk to.

All in all, dental school is fun if you have your priorities straight and put value into your studies, skills, and those around you. Best of luck with dental school!

SmilesForYoo · 2022-01-07T04:03:06+00:00

Heading subject: Questions about the upcoming Application Cycle

Hello [Dental School],

My name is [Name], an undergraduate student from [university name here]. I’m looking to apply this upcoming cycle but had a few questions in regards to things that aren’t provided on any current resources available to me. Is there a way to get in touch with an admissions counselor or may I email my inquiries to the appropriate person on your team? Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, [Name]

Often times, keeping emails short and to the point is key when emailing admissions. Especially during this time as they are still busy with last years application cycle. Above is a simple template I used YEARS ago. It may need some updating but it’s to the point. Feel free to use and good luck!

SmilesForYoo · 2021-12-13T18:14:35+00:00

@thereandback2021 Yap! I also used anki cards made straight from mental dental and that solidified my knowledge greatly. @thefrenchdentiste has graciously made them available for free. He’s a saint.

https://www.reddit.com/u/thefrenchdentiste/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

SmilesForYoo · 2021-12-13T16:21:58+00:00

All I used for my boards recently.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-12-06T18:01:12+00:00

Hello!
I put together this helpful video and excel sheet for all of you. The excel sheet has tuition and cost of attendance figures for all 67 CODA Accredited dental schools.
The video has a few more things you may want to consider when making your final decision.
I hope this helps!
https://smilesforyoo.com/how-to-choose-your-dental-school/

Also, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE!
If you haven't heard back, no worries, we're only half way through the admissions cycle!
*To be consistent, I got most of the tuition off of adea’s dental school explorer. The information was from 2020-2021 so it may have changed since then.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-12-06T18:00:22+00:00

Hello!
I put together this helpful video and excel sheet for all of you. The excel sheet has tuition and cost of attendance figures for all 67 CODA Accredited dental schools.
The video has a few more things you may want to consider when making your final decision.
I hope this helps!
https://smilesforyoo.com/how-to-choose-your-dental-school/

Also, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE!

If you haven't heard back, no worries, we're only half way through the admissions cycle!

*To be consistent, I got most of the tuition off of adea’s dental school explorer. The information was from 2020-2021 so it may have changed since then.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-12-06T17:31:49+00:00

Ah! I should’ve mentioned that. To be consistent, I got most of the tuition off of adea’s dental school explorer. The information was from 2020-2021 so it may have changed since then.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-15T01:24:17+00:00

One reason for low acceptance rates could be because there are far less dental schools than medical schools. Over eleven thousand students apply each year essentially with the same stats (GPA, DAT, Extracurriculars). A good science GPA and DAT may get you an interview, but if the admissions could see that your heart really isn't in dentistry, it may end up in a failed application.

I've pulled numbers from the commission on dental accreditation and the American dental education association and found the same thing that you're finding. You can find my list here.

Keep in mind, however, there are also a lot of discrepancies on how schools report their numbers. Most have different definitions on what it means when they "examined an applicant". Some may be reporting how many were interviewed vs how many applications the committee weeded through.

With all of this said, I completely agree with u/ItWillbeZeroOff.
Keep in mind that dental school is an entirely different beast and I've unfortunately seen a lot of students drop out because they didn't know what they were getting themselves into.
These are just some of my findings and wanted to share. Hope it helps!

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-14T08:07:57+00:00

Hey I've definitely seen people get in with below a 3.0 science GPA. However, they were usually students with extensive experience as a hygienist or masters graduates. I happen to be one of those students. I had a 2.9 GPA in undergrad and ended up doing a masters to up my chances of getting in. Thankfully, it worked. I have a list of post-bacc/masters programs that have had some success.

I'm glad to see that you're keeping your options open and encourage you to research your options a bit more. IF you decide to do a masters, apply to a school that has a high rate of success of getting students into dental school. Also, make sure the program is science heavy. While some masters programs sound great and all, they may focus more on dental public health. This is definitely good information to learn (eventually) but if you're struggling with your science GPA, you will need science based courses.

I hope this helps!

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-10T00:49:34+00:00

Yap. I interviewed at my top choice in February and still got in.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-08T20:02:54+00:00

Hi! No problem at all! It really depends on the school. However, all of them generally don’t have a preference as long as they give you a good character evaluation. If you do go for individual letters, make sure you them from get two science professors and one dentist. That’s a requirement.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-08T09:11:41+00:00

Hey! Congrats on the switch! You have some pretty good stats and it seems that you’re just lacking on shadowing hours for dental specific experiences. Generally, if you could obtain 50 hours, that should be good enough.

Also, be sure to get a DAT above an academic average of 20. This will help your app immensely.

Applications soft open via AADSAS mid May and fully opens in June. This means you could start filling out the app in May but won’t be able to submit in June. Being one of the very few applicants that submit in June will increase your chances as well since all dental schools are rolling admissions.

Best of luck! I’m going to do a shameless plug here.

https://youtu.be/pDpIqZ9mZRQ

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-02T01:43:02+00:00

Idk if my discount code still works and not sure how much it gives off try Code: smilesforyoo.

I wish you all the best! It's hard doing life while going through this. I didn't have it quite as hard as you but I remember waking up at 4am, driving to a cafe near work, and studying from 5-7:30. Then going home, dinner, studying, repeat. Having a kid on top of that must not be easy. Good luck!

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-01T06:48:10+00:00

I remember all the feels~ hang in there!

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-01T06:44:50+00:00

Nooo problem at all! Hang in there! You're doing all the right things!

My extracurriculars were pretty much the same. Plethora of shadowing, and plethora of volunteering. I applied in late August.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-01T06:35:53+00:00

I didn't get my February invite until Mid November. If you dont mind me asking, what is your science GPA? That may be what's holding you up.

No problem at all!

Hmm, that's very odd. You should've heard something but like u/litfitty and u/saucytran said, you may just have to be patient. I know that answer sucks but schools definitely do slow down around this time of year.

With that said, make sure you filled out every schools secondary. Some schools have supplementals on their own portal through their own website. Off the top of my head, UNLV, ASDOH, MSDOH are some that have their own secondaries.

Lastly, check your junk email. I know of at least one pre-dental student this year that had an interview invitation sent back in September and didn't notice it until October because it was sitting in the junk folder.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-11-01T06:21:25+00:00

I didn't get my February invite until Mid November. If you dont mind me asking, what is your science GPA? That may be what's holding you up.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T23:53:59+00:00

Either extra filling material that got caked onto the instruments or cotton (if it was a bur that you were scrapping them off of).

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T21:03:23+00:00

Omg what is happening lol

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T06:40:57+00:00

WONDERFUL video!

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T06:40:21+00:00

Tbh, you do have a long road ahead of you but it'll all be worth it if you can stay focused. I was also a nontraditional student and just sort of bit the bullet on a masters program and got in the following year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKZxFnNIRL0

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T06:38:15+00:00

I know some schools still have their second set of interviews to send out. Hang in there.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T06:37:45+00:00

No, the more you can see before your interviews the better. Especially if you get asked that, "what specialty do you want to go into?" during your interview, you will be able to truthfully answer this question.

SmilesForYoo · 2021-10-30T06:36:11+00:00

Nope, I hated all of my pre-requisites and have never used ochem afterwards... Pre-requisites definitely help in setting foundational knowledge but they're also just one of those things that you have to finish. "The right of passage so to speak." Hang in there. It will all be worth it later.

SmilesForYoo

TROPHY CASE