What are my chances?

[Guest YYCdentboi]

Cumulative Academic Average: 3.50

DAT Scores:

Reading 20

Academic 20

Perception 18

Carving 22

 

Do most schools prefer science professors as references?

[Guest LestatZinnie]

hi there

 

based on your gpa and dat score, i'd say you have a 'fair chance'. you probably won't fare well in u of t because as i understand they place strong emphasis on gpa, i.e. better to have 3.8+. mcgill also solely use gpa as cut-off for interview (doesnt look at dat for interview purposes). you dat scores are in the acceptance range, but it won't hurt to retake in order to distinguish yourself from the crowd (aim for at least 22 in all subjects). also interview and reference letters are important. if you have avg dat n' gpa, it's better to stand out in the reference and interview. best to get reference from science professors as i know people who scored poorly for references because they asked a non-prof to write it.

 

as with any professional admission process it's 60% preparation and 40% luck. you can do everything right and not get in, or vice versa. the bottom line is that many people believe stats are everything. for some schools such as u of t, that's definitely true. but for most others, personality also goes a long way. just looking at my med/dent classmates, i know not everyone of them got 85%+ in undergrad...but they got the persona of a future professional. not many 'nerdy types', i.e. cradle their books at lunchtime and has 4.0 avg, in my class of 170 ppl.

 

if you want to specify what schools you're interested in, I may be able to provide more detailed info. most important of all is not to let stats get in your way and you may be surprised what you can achieve

[Guest YYCdentboi]

Thanks LestatZinnie!!

 

I was thinking about applying to all four Western province schools - UBC, UofA, USask & UofM. Do you think I would fair well at these schools with my average stats? Should I even bother applying to UofT or McGill with my GPA? What are the stats for Eastern schools (incl. Dalhousie) in accepting OOP students? Also, I graduated with my BSc. in 1999 so I am sure that many of my undergrad profs will not remember me at all :\ How do science profs write references for a previous student if all they have to refer to are grades the student received in their class?

[Guest LestatZinnie]

hello...i'll try to answer your questions since i'm so bored studyding basis of medicine here....:\

 

ok...for UBC you can check entrance stats at their website. However if you are out of province they only take around 4 students. U of S takes quite a lot of out of province students but you have to pay a lot more $$ than in province students. i know nothing about u of mannitoba.

 

i'd say dont let stats deter your application to western, mcgill, or u of t. you never know what would happen because as i said admission is 40% luck. in addition, your 3.5=80% is a very fair mark to get you in the admission door. whether you step through the door or not will likely depend on your dat as well as interview. these are the only two factors you can control now since gpa is pretty much set in stone. but as i said b4, many many people i know in dent or med DO NOT have competitive GPA's. of course the higher it is, the better, but don't let it deter you in anyway ^__^

[Guest LestatZinnie]

with regards to references...if your profs can only refer you via your grades i suggest that you don't bother. the referees are supposed to know you as a person, i.e. your personality, etc, and a reference letter that says student x did well in my class becuz he/she got x % does not say much. if you have had work experience i don't see why reference by supervisors would hurt (anybody dissents?) or even a dentist you've shadowed? however i would at least get 1 academic referee......