APPLYING:APPLICATIONS

AND INTERVIEWS

The Dental School Application Timeline, Part 2

Cornell Pre-Dental SocietyNovember 11, 2010 Lindsey Atiyeh

WHERE SHOULD I APPLY?

FACTORS TO CONSIDER:1. Is the school public or private?

Public State Schools are in agreement by governmental laws to

favor the acceptance of in-state students. So definitely apply

to all your state schools!

State schools also provide cheaper tuition and more

scholarships for in-state residents.

Private schools such as Columbia and UPenn generally have

higher standards for DAT scores, while public schools push

more for higher GPAs.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER:2. What is the location of the school?

Apply to schools that you actually see yourself going to

Make sure you can see yourself living there for 4 years and

possibly after

A lot of dental schools want you to practice in their state

FACTORS TO CONSIDER:3. What is the variety of schools to which you are applying?

Schools with GPA/DAT/extracurricular standards similar to your

own should be target schools.

Apply to a few reach schools.

Try not to let financial costs hinder you from applying to a particular

school; that school might end up having the environment/aspects you

look for.

The average number of schools to apply to is 8-10. However, this

number is very dependent on the individual.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER:4. What is school’s curriculum? Are they involved heavily in

research?

PBL (Problem-Based Learning) Curriculum:

Students learn in small groups and analyze different

cases/scenarios. You utilize facts and generate ideas about the

problem to further your knowledge.

Some schools focus heavily on research. If research is something you

are interested in, you may want to look further into each individual

school to see what they offer.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER:5. School rankings?

There are NO official dental school rankings!

Each school is unique in its teaching style, location, etc. so look

into individual schools you are interested in!

HOW DO I APPLY?

HCEC(HEALTH CAREERS EVALUATION COMMITTEE)

What is it?Cornell’s HCEC serves those who apply to health professional schools that request a university letter of evaluation.

You are not required to use HCEC, but it is recommended.

How do I use this service?You will have to register at Barnes Hall and pay a non-refundable service fee (~$190).

AADSAS(ASSOCIATED AMERICAN DENTAL SCHOOLS APPLICATION SERVICE)

What is it?AADSAS provides a standardized form for applying to dental school.

59 dental schools participate in AADSAS (58 American schools + 1 Canadian school)

When can I access the application?The application for the 2012 Cycle will be available online on June 1, 2011 and will be accessible until February 1, 2012. The closer to June 1 that you send in your application, the better!

STEPS:

1. Create an account on https://portal.aadsasweb.org/

2. Obtain your DENTPIN. If you have taken your DATs before starting your application, you should already have this number.

3. Complete the application.

WHAT IS ON THE APPLICATION?

WHAT DOES EACH SECTION LOOK LIKE, EXACTLY?

To get a breakdown of each section, please visithttp://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aadsas/Documents/How%20to%20Apply%20to%20Dental%20School-2011.pdf

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?

AFTER A SCHOOL RECEIVES YOUR APPLICATION, YOU MAY BE OFFERED AN INTERVIEW:

What will they ask me?

How can I prepare?

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The BASIC Questions – You should expect

to encounter these questions:Why dentistry?How did you initially become interested in

dentistry?Why did you apply to ____ dental school?

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: What do you do in your free time? Why dentistry, why not medicine? Is Columbia your first choice? Why? What was your favorite course?

NYU COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY: Do you think the city will be a distraction? What was an ethical situation you have been in and

how did you handle it? What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? What do you like least about dentistry? The most?

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

HARVARD SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your weaknesses? How would a friend describe you?

UMDNJ: What kind of music do you like? What qualities are you looking for in a dental

school? Why UMDNJ over Columbia? What are your chances of coming here, if accepted?

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS

Dr. Stephen O. Hand, DMDOrthodontist When: Thursday, November 18 at 5 pm Where: RCK105

Instead of utilizing a typical PowerPoint presentation, he will be bringing in models and other visual aids to describe cases he has worked on. This will be a great way to interact with a professional who has ample experience in his field!

The Spring2011-Fall2011 Officer Application is available on our website!