Canadians accepted to U.S. dental schools

[dentcan2012]

Could you please post your stats? oGPA, BCP GPA, sGPA... DAT

 

and the schools you were interviewed/accepted at

 

I am feeling depressed as I do not think I am competitive anymore

 

Thank you in advanced

[cleanup]

cGPA 3.9

Sci GPA 3.87

AA 23

PAT 26

RC 26

 

Interviewed: NYU, USC, UMN, Case

Accepted: All

 

I applied really really late though (September). If I applied earlier I would've done better. Early is important. You can get started on your AADSAS app now and submit on June 4. Get crackin!

[IamIDP]

cGPA 3.9

Sci GPA 3.87

AA 23

PAT 26

RC 26

 

Interviewed: NYU, USC, UMN, Case

Accepted: All

 

I applied really really late though (September). If I applied earlier I would've done better. Early is important. You can get started on your AADSAS app now and submit on June 4. Get crackin!

 

You should have applied to Ivy league schools with those stats.

[diu12345]

Hey, as cleanup has said, applying early is CRUCIAL, submit it in early June is a MUST. I also applied late (AADSAS finalized in mid-late September)

 

Interviewed: NYU, Detroit Mercy, Pittsburgh (I really like Pittsburgh actually =P)

Accepted: NYU, Detroit Mercy, Waitlist at Pitt

 

Stats: 4.0 GPA, American DAT: AA23+ (or 25), PAT 19

 

Hope this helps!

[1pi]

gpa 3.95, dat 24AA

 

schools I didnt get interviews: bu, uop, maryland, tufts

interviews:nyu,udm,umn,nova,case,penn

accepted at: all the ones I interviewed at

 

dont know which one to choose udm or penn (probably roll the dice today).

[1pi]

Hey, as cleanup has said, applying early is CRUCIAL, submit it in early June is a MUST. I also applied late (AADSAS finalized in mid-late September)

 

Interviewed: NYU, Detroit Mercy, Pittsburgh (I really like Pittsburgh actually =P)

Accepted: NYU, Detroit Mercy, Waitlist at Pitt

 

Stats: 4.0 GPA, American DAT: AA23+ (or 25), PAT 19

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

Hey diu12345 how did you like nyu and udm?

 

I have narrowed my choices to udm and penn. Penn is really expensive, although it might have the upper hand for specializing. From reading sdn it seems UDM is a strong clinical school, and overall a really good school. I really dont know if its worth another 100k to have an ivy degree or a better shot at specializing. What caught your eye at pitt?

[cleanup]

You should have applied to Ivy league schools with those stats.

 

I did. I applied to 13 schools. I think my late application did me over and removed my chances for Ivies. I have a friend with nearly identical stats who interviewed at Harvard, with a much earlier application.

[happymeal]

How are the American dental school interviews like? It seems like all of you killed it to be accepted to most schools they interviewed at.

[diu12345]

Hey diu12345 how did you like nyu and udm?

 

I have narrowed my choices to udm and penn. Penn is really expensive, although it might have the upper hand for specializing. From reading sdn it seems UDM is a strong clinical school, and overall a really good school. I really dont know if its worth another 100k to have an ivy degree or a better shot at specializing. What caught your eye at pitt?

 

UDM clinical is strong. I picked NYU in the end just because I don't think I can stand living in Detroit for four years. Having said that, I like the UDM dental building (a gym for dental students ). And every one is really really friendly there. Outside the campus though, the city can be a little bit dangerous (even the faculties admit to this). Umm in terms of Pittsburgh, it was a combination of prospects (Pittsburgh also has quite high of specialization rate, offer a concurrent MPH program at no extra cost) and the city.

 

If I were you though, I really would choose Penn without second thoughts just because of its reputation =D. I am sure the training you receive in Penn is going to be very good and you leave yourself a wide window for specializing if you choose for it in the future.

[phy241]

Hey, as others said previously apply early! My app. got complete near mid-end October.

Applied: UPenn, NYU, Case, Boston, Michigan, Columbia, Maryland and Harvard.

Rejected: Michigan, Columbia and Harvard

Accepted: Penn (I got interview offers from NYU and Case but I turned them when I got into Penn, and withdrew my app from other schools).

 

US schools care more about trend and your last few years as opposed to your overall GPA (at least that's what I was told at Penn, first year marks didn't really mean anything to them). My DAT was 25TS and 25AA, BCP and oGPA were both around 3.7. My first year was not good at all, but my last 3 years were around 3.98 (4.2 something/4.33), I took full course load, mostly science classes and did well. Anyhow, even if your overall GPA is low, I wouldn't let it bring me down, you still have time to turn yourself around and prove yourself.

 

 

Could you please post your stats? oGPA, BCP GPA, sGPA... DAT

 

and the schools you were interviewed/accepted at

 

I am feeling depressed as I do not think I am competitive anymore

 

Thank you in advanced

[IamIDP]

Hey, as others said previously apply early! My app. got complete near mid-end October.

Applied: UPenn, NYU, Case, Boston, Michigan, Columbia, Maryland and Harvard.

Rejected: Michigan, Columbia and Harvard

Accepted: Penn (I got interview offers from NYU and Case but I turned them when I got into Penn, and withdrew my app from other schools).

 

US schools care more about trend and your last few years as opposed to your overall GPA (at least that's what I was told at Penn, first year marks didn't really mean anything to them). My DAT was 25TS and 25AA, BCP and oGPA were both around 3.7. My first year was not good at all, but my last 3 years were around 3.98 (4.2 something/4.33), I took full course load, mostly science classes and did well. Anyhow, even if your overall GPA is low, I wouldn't let it bring me down, you still have time to turn yourself around and prove yourself.

 

Congrats! Penn is an Ivy league school right?

I personally would have chosen Penn over any school in Canada. Congrats

 

Btw, did you apply to UofT and UWO?

[phy241]

Hey, thanks:), yup Penn is Ivy. I applied to both UofT and UWO, I just got into UofT, so I will be turning down Penn most likely. The only thing that's a turn off for me is the price tag for Penn, otherwise, it's a great school.

 

Congrats! Penn is an Ivy league school right?

I personally would have chosen Penn over any school in Canada. Congrats

 

Btw, did you apply to UofT and UWO?

[IamIDP]

Hey, thanks:), yup Penn is Ivy. I applied to both UofT and UWO, I just got into UofT, so I will be turning down Penn most likely. The only thing that's a turn off for me is the price tag for Penn, otherwise, it's a great school.

 

Congrats on your admission to UofT as well.

I'm just wondering what made you choose UofT instead of Penn? Most people would go with Penn despite the high costs since its an Ivy league school + other benefits such as networking.

 

P.S. And what year are you in? and which school did you do UG?

[DKS]

My stats are definitely on the lower end of the ppl on this forum...but I applied to 16 schools in the states (app was complete end of august) and only heard from 4 pre Dec 1. Rejected NOVA, interviews at buffalo, usc and minnesota.

 

stats are oGPA- 3.54, sGPA - 3.5, bcp - 3.62 and non sci 3.7.... first two years were really bad (2.8s)..the rest all 4.0. (including 2 years of masters grades). US dat scores were not the best either AA 19, PAT 21..canadian was better but the US schools didn't see those.

 

got into buffalo and usc, will be going to buffalo providing i dont get into the canadian schools im waiting hear about post interview...probably wont hear anything good though since my GPA is probably the lowest of the interviewees!!

 

what's nice about the US apps is they want to know more about your other experiences, and I've had over 2000 hrs in the dental office, and have been doing research for 5 years now...and you can put down your volunteering and things like that..

 

definitely apply to the states!! Im under the impression they aren't accepting as many canadians as they used to..but it still increases your chances of getting in.

[reddishh]

Congrats on your admission to UofT as well.

I'm just wondering what made you choose UofT instead of Penn? Most people would go with Penn despite the high costs since its an Ivy league school + other benefits such as networking.

 

P.S. And what year are you in? and which school did you do UG?

 

I think you're misunderstood. Most people would choose ANY canadian schools (it doesn't even have to be UofT) over UPenn because it's much cheaper and unlike business schools, patients won't care which school their dentists went for dental school. So reputation won't matter too much unless you want to specialize. The cost difference is around $250K and with this money, you can start your own practice anywhere.

The people who say they would choose american schools over canadian schools are those that aren't competitve enough to get into canadian schools.

[IamIDP]

I think you're misunderstood. Most people would choose ANY canadian schools (it doesn't even have to be UofT) over UPenn because it's much cheaper and unlike business schools, patients won't care which school their dentists went for dental school. So reputation won't matter too much unless you want to specialize. The cost difference is around $250K and with this money, you can start your own practice anywhere.

The people who say they would choose american schools over canadian schools are those that aren't competitve enough to get into canadian schools.

 

 

UPenn is an Ivy League school, not just "any" American school. Ivy league schools are looked very highly upon anywhere in the world and are recognized almost in every corner of this planet...which is why he's probably considering it. Also, like you said, if you want to specialize, any American school (especially an Ivy league school) is a better choice but more costly. But you have to realize that specializing in Canada is very fierce and a risk that might not happen. Anyways, my point is that $250,000 is nothing if you manage to specialize. Penn would give him a very high chance of specializing in comparison to UofT which is why i'm asking what made him choose UofT.

 

P.S. And I think your misunderstood, most people would choose Ivy League schools anyday than any Canadian school. Are you saying you would choose UofT over Harvard/Yale/Penn/Columbia/Dartmouth/Brown/Princeton/Cornell? Money isn't important since it can always be made when practicing, but an opportunities like these come once in a lifetime and no price can be placed on it. But that's just my opinion

[MCATwannabe]

UPenn is an Ivy League school, not just "any" American school. Ivy league schools are looked very highly upon anywhere in the world and are recognized almost in every corner of this planet...which is why he's probably considering it. Also, like you said, if you want to specialize, any American school (especially an Ivy league school) is a better choice but more costly. But you have to realize that specializing in Canada is very fierce and a risk that might not happen. Anyways, my point is that $250,000 is nothing if you manage to specialize. Penn would give him a very high chance of specializing in comparison to UofT which is why i'm asking what made him choose UofT.

 

P.S. And I think your misunderstood, most people would choose Ivy League schools anyday than any Canadian school. Are you saying you would choose UofT over Harvard/Yale/Penn/Columbia/Dartmouth/Brown/Princeton/Cornell? Money isn't important since it can always be made when practicing, but an opportunities like these come once in a lifetime and no price can be placed on it. But that's just my opinion

 

You do realize Penn costs 100K per year right? That's 400K, given that Canadians don't get any public american loans , can only get private american loans with U.S. co-signor, and most Canadian loans are at 200-250k max, it's significantly difficult to get the funds for Penn. Even Harvard is not as expensive as Penn.

[reddishh]

UPenn is an Ivy League school, not just "any" American school. Ivy league schools are looked very highly upon anywhere in the world and are recognized almost in every corner of this planet...which is why he's probably considering it. Also, like you said, if you want to specialize, any American school (especially an Ivy league school) is a better choice but more costly. But you have to realize that specializing in Canada is very fierce and a risk that might not happen. Anyways, my point is that $250,000 is nothing if you manage to specialize. Penn would give him a very high chance of specializing in comparison to UofT which is why i'm asking what made him choose UofT.

 

P.S. And I think your misunderstood, most people would choose Ivy League schools anyday than any Canadian school. Are you saying you would choose UofT over Harvard/Yale/Penn/Columbia/Dartmouth/Brown/Princeton/Cornell? Money isn't important since it can always be made when practicing, but an opportunities like these come once in a lifetime and no price can be placed on it. But that's just my opinion

 

I think you're confused between dental school and business school.

 

And yes, I'm saying MANY canadian students would choose UofT over Harvard/Yale/Penn, etc (and not all Ivy schools have dental schools as well). In fact, most of them would choose uoft over any american schools including UPenn. I've barely seen ppl choosing Upenn over UofT (but there's a few exception i'm not saying everyone would choose this). But I've seen tons of students choosing UofT over uPenn or ivy schools.

 

No patient would care what school their dentist went. All they'll care about is "how much is it" and "will it hurt?"

 

Again, I think you're deeply misunderstood about this. Also, in general, it's much more competitive to get into canadian schools than to get in american schools including UPenn and other ivy league schools. If you see someone going to the states for dental school (including ivy league schools), you can assume they weren't competitive for canadian schools (well, 90% of the time)

[In2Infinity]

Hey guys, those of you who applied to these US schools...did you take the CAN DAT or the US DAT? Is there a big advantage to taking one or the other? Most private US schools accept the CAN DAT, should I only bother doing the CAN one?

 

thanks!

[cleanup]

Hey guys, those of you who applied to these US schools...did you take the CAN DAT or the US DAT? Is there a big advantage to taking one or the other? Most private US schools accept the CAN DAT, should I only bother doing the CAN one?

 

thanks!

 

Some schools prefer the American DAT. Most northeast schools will accept the Canadian DAT. Contact schools you're interested in to make sure.

[temp44]

I think you're confused between dental school and business school.

 

And yes, I'm saying MANY canadian students would choose UofT over Harvard/Yale/Penn, etc (and not all Ivy schools have dental schools as well). In fact, most of them would choose uoft over any american schools including UPenn. I've barely seen ppl choosing Upenn over UofT (but there's a few exception i'm not saying everyone would choose this). But I've seen tons of students choosing UofT over uPenn or ivy schools.

 

No patient would care what school their dentist went. All they'll care about is "how much is it" and "will it hurt?"

 

Again, I think you're deeply misunderstood about this. Also, in general, it's much more competitive to get into canadian schools than to get in american schools including UPenn and other ivy league schools. If you see someone going to the states for dental school (including ivy league schools), you can assume they weren't competitive for canadian schools (well, 90% of the time)

 

I think that this is a very naive way of looking at the dental school admissions process. It happens to be the case that, in Canada, getting into dental school is a numbers-game -- get a 4.0 + superb DAT, get into dental school. Sure, that 4.0 probably reflects focus and hard work, and, sure, there's an interview but even so, personal/professional qualities play only a minor role in the grand scheme of things. Many Canadian dental schools are conjoining the early dental curriculum with that of the medical school in an attempt to integrate dentistry into the medical field and allow it to be viewed as a more medically-based profession (rather than business-based, perhaps). Yet leadership, service and other personal qualities that play a substantial part in medical school admissions appear to be of minimal interest to dental admissions. I think that this is where the American system differs, in that it considers these factors, AS WELL AS the academic aspects of an application.

 

Without trying to endorse or condemn any one country's admissions process, I think people need to keep in mind that what qualifies as a "highly competitive" applicant will vary (sometimes greatly) with each school.

[cleanup]

Also, in general, it's much more competitive to get into canadian schools than to get in american schools including UPenn and other ivy league schools. If you see someone going to the states for dental school (including ivy league schools), you can assume they weren't competitive for canadian schools (well, 90% of the time)

 

Have you applied to Americna schools? I don't think you really know what you're talking about.

 

You're misinterpreting the exodus of Canadian students to America as a sign that these students (myself included) are uncompetitive or unworthy. That couldn't be further from the truth. Many students may not be competitive for Canadian schools from a pure numbers perspective (really, it's just their GPA), but it's an arbitrary standard. Canadian schools have pigeonholed their admissions process into being completely absorbed and concerned with having high grades, and IMO this is a rather poor way of looking at applicants.

 

Yes, Canadian schools have higher standards in terms of coursework and GPAs. Keep in mind, however, that U of T drops your lowest year. Keep in mind that the American grading system is based on letter grades, such that 90-100 is an A, and 80-89 is a B, unlike in many Canadian schools where the A-bracket is much larger (80-100). Suffice to say, getting above a 3.5 GPA in an American school is no easy feat. I used to think "Wow, these kids only have a 3.6? Ha!" and now I realize, that the grading systems are different to the point where an American student with a 3.65 would probably have a 3.75-3.85 here in Canada (on an OMSAS scale), given the same percentage grades.

 

Besides that, to get into American schools you need to demonstrate a lot of other qualities; interest and knowledge of the profession, engagement outside of the classroom (both in academic and non-academic pursuits), and research experience. Each applicant generally needs to supply 2-3 reference letters per school, and thus ends up submitting 4 total on AADSAS just to cover their bases. It's a long and arduous process, applying to American schools, and it really reveals how much all that extra work outside of the classroom and library pays off. Grades STILL play a large role (it's just not as hard and fast as Canadian schools), but the bulk of your application is in fact, intangible, unquantifiable, subjective things that you need to put a lot of time and effort into.

 

If by "easier" you mean you don't necessarily need a 3.9-4.0 to even land an interview, you're right. However, you do need to bring SOMETHING to the table, often reflected through your commitment and hard work in various aspects of your life. Schools take this as an indication that you are hardworking and intelligent in ways that don't involve a textbook; in ways that involve people, social responsibility and experiential knowledge. These are things that are certainly not to be taken lightly.

 

Either way, I think that students who apply for both Canadian and American schools are smart. Sure, everyone wants to stay in Canada, but the reasons are mostly economic and personal (it's cheaper, and it's home), rather than academic (Canadian schools are "better" because they have higher matriculant GPAs... ha!).

[Unknown111]

I was wondering if anyone knows how much of an impact would a mediocre recommendation letter have towards your application? I've heard that weak letters often play a negative role on the application...

 

 

I appreciate it!

[reddishh]

Have you applied to Americna schools? I don't think you really know what you're talking about.

 

You're misinterpreting the exodus of Canadian students to America as a sign that these students (myself included) are uncompetitive or unworthy. That couldn't be further from the truth. Many students may not be competitive for Canadian schools from a pure numbers perspective (really, it's just their GPA), but it's an arbitrary standard. Canadian schools have pigeonholed their admissions process into being completely absorbed and concerned with having high grades, and IMO this is a rather poor way of looking at applicants.

 

Yes, Canadian schools have higher standards in terms of coursework and GPAs. Keep in mind, however, that U of T drops your lowest year. Keep in mind that the American grading system is based on letter grades, such that 90-100 is an A, and 80-89 is a B, unlike in many Canadian schools where the A-bracket is much larger (80-100). Suffice to say, getting above a 3.5 GPA in an American school is no easy feat. I used to think "Wow, these kids only have a 3.6? Ha!" and now I realize, that the grading systems are different to the point where an American student with a 3.65 would probably have a 3.75-3.85 here in Canada (on an OMSAS scale), given the same percentage grades.

 

Besides that, to get into American schools you need to demonstrate a lot of other qualities; interest and knowledge of the profession, engagement outside of the classroom (both in academic and non-academic pursuits), and research experience. Each applicant generally needs to supply 2-3 reference letters per school, and thus ends up submitting 4 total on AADSAS just to cover their bases. It's a long and arduous process, applying to American schools, and it really reveals how much all that extra work outside of the classroom and library pays off. Grades STILL play a large role (it's just not as hard and fast as Canadian schools), but the bulk of your application is in fact, intangible, unquantifiable, subjective things that you need to put a lot of time and effort into.

 

If by "easier" you mean you don't necessarily need a 3.9-4.0 to even land an interview, you're right. However, you do need to bring SOMETHING to the table, often reflected through your commitment and hard work in various aspects of your life. Schools take this as an indication that you are hardworking and intelligent in ways that don't involve a textbook; in ways that involve people, social responsibility and experiential knowledge. These are things that are certainly not to be taken lightly.

 

Either way, I think that students who apply for both Canadian and American schools are smart. Sure, everyone wants to stay in Canada, but the reasons are mostly economic and personal (it's cheaper, and it's home), rather than academic (Canadian schools are "better" because they have higher matriculant GPAs... ha!).

 

I think you misinterpreted my point here. I was just saying that many people would choose canadian schools over american schools and I NEVER said that it's bc canadian schools are harder to get in. It's a separate statement and I was just looking at GPA and DAT when I say "competitive". I agree that there are more than just GPA and DAT for american schools, but you'd still need HIGHER GPA and DAT for canadian schools.

 

Anyway, it wasn't even my main point. My main point was that people would choose canadian schools over american schools which IamIDP didn't agree. Since he didn't reply back on me, I'm assuming he now gets that most people would choose canadian schools over american schools (including ivy league schools)

[reddishh]

I guess I wasn't more specific when I said it's more competitive to get in canadian schools, but it's true that most canadians apply to the states for their backup.

 

Now, can someone give their input on this statement "anyone in the world would choose UPenn over UofT"? I thought most canadians would choose UofT over Upenn even though it's an ivy league school.