9671111 Posted March 3, 2020 Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 Hi everyone, Unfortunately, this application cycle didn't work out so well for me. I can't quite figure out what went wrong, and as I consider what to do until the next cycle, I am wondering where I should focus my attention to improve my application (perhaps some fresh eyes might help). UWO 2 year average: 89% | UofT OMSAS GPA: 3.86 DAT: 21 RC / 19 PAT / 21AA I am currently completing a 1-year course-based Master of Bio-Medical Science. My extracurriculars include 200+ hours of dental shadowing and assistantship and good work experience. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fentist Posted March 3, 2020 Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 It might be your essay/personal statement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasar021 Posted March 3, 2020 Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 gpa for UofT is on the low side. did u get an interview? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9671111 Posted March 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 24 minutes ago, nasar021 said: gpa for UofT is on the low side. did u get an interview? Sadly, I didn't. I was hoping that the master's would be enough to compensate based on what I've seen/heard. I haven't yet completed the masters, so perhaps after completion, whatever boost it may be associated with will come into effect (?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasar021 Posted March 3, 2020 Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 7 minutes ago, 9671111 said: Sadly, I didn't. I was hoping that the master's would be enough to compensate based on what I've seen/heard. I haven't yet completed the masters, so perhaps after completion, whatever boost it may be associated with will come into effect (?) yeah once you finish your masters that should help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamR Posted March 3, 2020 Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 I had a similar gpa to yours but my DAT score was a little bit better so if you could bring up that score and improve your essay I have no problem seeing you make it, especially once you've finished your masters. Don't give up! Your EC's are great! patrickstar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9671111 Posted March 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2020 26 minutes ago, SamR said: I had a similar gpa to yours but my DAT score was a little bit better so if you could bring up that score and improve your essay I have no problem seeing you make it, especially once you've finished your masters. Don't give up! Your EC's are great! Thanks so much! Do you mind sharing what resources you used to study for the DAT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon12223 Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 Hey! I had around 89.5% or 3.94/4 applying for Western - so pretty similar to yours. This is my first time applying, and I ended up getting an interview. I don't really know what I'm talking about because as I said this is my first time applying. But, I think the biggest thing I would say is improve your DAT score - esp your RC & AA...it seems like they care a lot about RC. I ended up scoring a 24 AA & 25 RC on my first try, and so hopefully I can offer you some helpful info! So I took the Nov 2019 DAT, and I previously took the MCAT the summer before....when I wasn't super sure what I was doing with my life. But, I think the CARS section on the MCAT made it seem like the DAT RC wasn't super bad. I'm not saying you need to do the MCAT obvs...don't do that, but I think what helped with me is the relative easiness. I think also making sure that you're regularly reading is very important, specifically scientific articles. The main challenge I found with the DAT RC was running out of time. The questions weren't hard, but the timing made everything more difficult. So, a general technique I had was going through the article once super fast - literally just skimming as fast as possible, but still gathering info. Then, I would answer the questions that I could, and I would move onto the next passage and do the exact same thing. By the time I reached the last passage, I ended up having a lot of time to spare, so that's when I would go back and answer all the questions that I left blank. My main resource was DAT Crusher, and I personally think it's the best prep for the DAT. It was the only resource I used for all sections, along with the DAT Destroyer book for bio and chem. Also your EC's are strong, but it may be good to get something that makes you stand out? Even if it's a hobby or something...or really just anything to make your application stand out. Again, first time applying, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about, but I hope this helps either way. Keep going, you'll get there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamR Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 20 hours ago, 9671111 said: Thanks so much! Do you mind sharing what resources you used to study for the DAT? Primarily datcrusher for practice but I did a lot of self learning with kaplans DAT prep book. I would set aside at least an hour everyday to just watch khan academy or similar channels that cover the harder topics in Bio. Practice is key!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred VanVleet's Tooth Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 On 3/3/2020 at 10:19 AM, 9671111 said: Hi everyone, Unfortunately, this application cycle didn't work out so well for me. I can't quite figure out what went wrong, and as I consider what to do until the next cycle, I am wondering where I should focus my attention to improve my application (perhaps some fresh eyes might help). UWO 2 year average: 89% | UofT OMSAS GPA: 3.86 DAT: 21 RC / 19 PAT / 21AA I am currently completing a 1-year course-based Master of Bio-Medical Science. My extracurriculars include 200+ hours of dental shadowing and assistantship and good work experience. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9671111 Posted March 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 4 hours ago, Fred VanVleet's Tooth said: My stats were nearly identical to yours and I got into both uwo and u of t while also doing the same degree as you (master of biomedical science). Sometimes it's just not your year I guess :/ I'm pretty frustrated and feeling a little defeated because I thought I checked the boxes. Not sure what more I can do. Thanks for the info though. It's encouraging to know that I may have what it takes, and my application might have just been overlooked. Can I ask if your degree completed, or in progress? I'm wondering if next year when it is complete, then a bonus may be applied? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulDDS Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 48 minutes ago, 9671111 said: I'm pretty frustrated and feeling a little defeated because I thought I checked the boxes. Not sure what more I can do. Thanks for the info though. It's encouraging to know that I may have what it takes, and my application might have just been overlooked. Can I ask if your degree completed, or in progress? I'm wondering if next year when it is complete, then a bonus may be applied? I agree your stats are enough to at least get an interview so it must come down to the subjective aspects of your application. U of T interview invites are so GPA heavy that it's a bit perplexing how you didn't even interview if there are accepted applicants with approximately the same stats. Because Western is more holistic the subjective side is likely the culprit for them. Are there any red flags you can think of? Perhaps a bad reference letter you weren't aware of, weak personal statement (rushed, unoriginal, bad intent), any issues from undergrad that may show up on your transcript, maybe a bad Casper score for U of T, or possibly even some social media red flag? Perhaps you over looked a prerequisite or didn't adhere to the full load requirements set by each school? Miscalculated your GPA conversions putting it lower than you thought? That's a lot of issues, going through them and using the process of elimination can help narrow your scope for improvement. It's a long shot but I would try to get in touch and ask admissions of each school directly what you can do to be a better applicant and better prepare yourself to be a successful dental student. Best case scenario, you know exactly what needs to be addressed. Worst case scenario, they know you're committed to dentistry and their school by showing continued interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred VanVleet's Tooth Posted March 5, 2020 Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 9 hours ago, 9671111 said: I'm pretty frustrated and feeling a little defeated because I thought I checked the boxes. Not sure what more I can do. Thanks for the info though. It's encouraging to know that I may have what it takes, and my application might have just been overlooked. Can I ask if your degree completed, or in progress? I'm wondering if next year when it is complete, then a bonus may be applied? It was in progress, I finished August 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Censored Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 From what I have read on forums, 3.86 is barely on the line of receiving interview at U of T. Because your DAT is on the average side, given fluctuating standards of applicants in any given year, you may not have made cutoff. as I heard they do give bonuses for master students, perhaps finishing that can help you GPA wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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