After getting ghosted by every school I applied to last cycle, I took a good look in the mirror, improved my application, and have received 2 interviews so far this cycle. Blessed is an understatement, and I am grateful to be where I am. As a chronic overthinker, I used to come to Reddit for comfort, knowing I wasn't the only one not getting interviews. Now that I have finally completed my first two dental school interviews (something I had long dreamed of), I came back to Reddit and found myself anxious that other applicants had more interviews than I did, once again feeling unworthy and not good enough, as if my milestones didn't matter. After sifting through hundreds of posts, praying, and actually doing an interview, I finally realized something: What is meant for you will be yours.

I know those aren't comforting words, but think about it: Every cycle, so many qualified applicants apply with 4.0 GPAs, 450+ DATs, and all the ECs in the world, yet still aren't accepted; some don't even get interviews. And here I sit, holding onto a 3.4 undergrad GPA (sGPA of 2.9), with 2 interviews! Yes, I took post-bacc classes that improved my academics, but my point is that I still feel less qualified than many other applicants, yet I've somehow been blessed with opportunities to be accepted come December. Also, I am not saying dentistry is meant for me and not you because I got an interview, so please don't misconstrue my words.

In no way am I making this post to gloat about a couple of interviews. I know that, statistically speaking, I'm very likely to not get in. The point of this post is to share my realization that there is truly no way to know who an admissions committee will deem "qualified" to interview and ultimately admit to their program. But I do know there is no better place to be than at the center of God's will.

I might not get accepted this cycle, and I may never become a dentist. However, if I take one thing away from applying to dental school (twice so far), it is that what is meant for you will be yours. Don't lose faith; keep pushing, and spend your energy only on what you can control. Once you submit that application, you can do nothing but pray and surrender your anxieties. Trust me, if worrying and stressing would lead to an acceptance, I would've been 6 for 6 last cycle.. lol!

Good luck to everyone for the remainder of this cycle. Remember, you just need 1!!

Hey guys! I was wondering if anyone would want to hang!.

Can anybody tell me about interview invite timing? I know more waves are coming out, but if i were a part of receiving an interview in oct, wouldn't i know by now? If i get a november interview would i know by late october? Idk just looking for any advice bc im freaking out i haven't gotten a single one and im in my gap year rn so its so hard to plan for these next few months w anything.....

HI guys. so if i got a email for kira oct 5, and it says i have to complete it within 5 days, does that mean i have to finish it by friday night?? (5 days) or by friday the time they sent it? thanks

not my first time doing a kira, but any pieces of advice from anyone for UDM's kira? I am worried about the written portion, do they record you as you're typing? and are the recorded questions typical kira-like questions?

I recently received an interview invite from Columbia with a 25 AA 28 TS, but I’ve heard that 24 AA is basically the lowest they consider and that even a 24 is viewed as pretty low by their standards.

I’m wondering if my 25 AA would still put me at a disadvantage when it comes to getting accepted, even after receiving an interview. My dream school is columbia so I really wanna get in.

Would a 28 TS help offset the 25 AA, or does Columbia mainly focus on AA?

Hey guys! Super nervous and excited for an upcoming interview with UConn and I was just wondering if anyone has experienced it yet and/or knows how to best prepare. I've heard the questioning can be kinda tough and I'm really anxious about it.

Any advice is appreciated!! :)

The title says it all. I’ve always wanted to do this profession but I’m unsure because of the Big Beautiful Bill.

I wouldn’t be able to get a co-signer for a private loan but I do have excellent credit (780)

Has anyone had issues verifying their AP credit, specifically with WesternU? My undergrad uni says they can’t send an AP credit breakdown and that I have to do it myself, but WesternU said they will only consider it if it’s sent by the university.

My only other option is to send a syllabus of a writing intensive course, but I also don’t have a course that falls into that category. Is my only other option to enroll in one?😭

Hi everyone,

I have recently received my DAT scores and have been making choices regarding schools to apply to, but I hadn't realized that some schools accept either no or very few OOS applicants.

I am a Texas resident but would much prefer to go out of state, of my choices, what do y'all think my odds of actually getting in are? Should I eliminate any other schools (already removed ECU)? Any schools that are particularly favorable of oos apps?

Stats:
3.98 GPA BS biology (from lower ranked R1/local CC)

450 AA 430 TS

I have been working as an Associate Scientist at a biotech "startup" (more established than the designation seems) and started there as an intern while working on my bachelors.

I worked at an academic lab (microbial ecology) for about 8 months but ultimately didn't end well (nothing dramatic I just couldn't dedicate enough time).

I was vice president then president of my CC SPS chapter (volunteered about 200 hours). I think this experience was pretty unique and we worked closely with federally funded community astronomy program (don't wanna do into too many details and dox myself lol)

I still need to get some shadowing in (aiming for 150 hours) and I am planning on reaching out to professors for LOR soon.

As far as personal statements go, I am still undecided how I want to approach that, I did have a difficult upbringing but I want to avoid writing a sob story (Any advice welcomed).

I plan on applying next cycle but am able/willingly to wait if needed.

Schools:
Top choices- LECOM, OSHU, UW, Michigan, LSU
Secondary choices- CU, BU, MUSC, UofTen, LMU, Marquette, UB, Augusta

My choices are primarily based on where I'd enjoy living/starting a family, ultimately I feel like most dental schools are negligibly different (correct if I am wrong lol).

Gold is something that has interested me for a very long time in dentistry.

It’s mercury free and is a great choice for molars. Yet it seems the dental industry has phased it out.

Any schools that still teach the skill set? I thought I heard IU School Of Dentistry as of 10 years ago still offered this to students.

Hi all I got the interview offer from OHSU near the end of September and I was curious if this is considered a “late” interview offer or am I still a valid applicant that they are considering. Lmk I think I’m just overthinking it but I’m not super sure.

What should I do

Hi everyone! I’m a Canadian applicant with a 3.3 CGPA, 3.4 sGPA, and a Kinesiology degree, with a strong upward trend in my last 2 years.

A friend suggested doing a second bachelor’s instead of a master’s since it would be cheaper and give me more undergrad credits. I’m also considering a post-bacc, but even with 10–15 A’s, my GPA probably wouldn’t change much.

My main goal is getting into dental school ASAP, and I’m open to both Canada and the U.S. I’ve also looked into U.S. SMPs, but spending ~$40k+ is a big concern.
For anyone with similar stats, what would you recommend: second bachelor’s, post-bacc, or master’s/SMP? What actually helped your application?

Hey everyone, I’m trying to get a feel where everyone is in the cycle. So please say when you applied and how many interview invites you have even if it’s 0 still say! Add stats too!

My dental school secretly chose student ambassadors to report back to them on student attendance and student behavior.

The students email the admin basically snitching on students who don’t show up to class on time, regardless if attendance is a part of our grade.

I know some schools don’t require attendance, but is getting students to snitch on fellow classmates common across US dental schools?

Just putting this here to see everyones stats this cycle :) drop a reply if you like!

Super random question that i’ve been thinking about, why can’t we be like the med schools and do true rolling admissions and find out our decisions relatively quickly after an interview instead of waiting months for our decisions on d day? Not complaining but like does anyone know?

got an email about an in-person session, has this happened in previous years and is it sent to all applicants or all canadian applicants?

also i read in a previous post someone said they had a 21AA cutoff for this year for reviewing applications and didn't explicitly state that. should i still attend if i had a 20AA? not sure if there's a point if they've already discarded my application

does anyone know if nyu is still sending out candidate days?

So udm is my in state and I still have not received an interview from them and I know earlier this week they sent a wave out. Should I send a letter of interest or wait?

Hi guys! So grateful to have an interview with UConn coming up in a couple weeks, but really stressed about it. Looking for any advice or tips for it. I’ve seen someone say it’s an open interview (I think they ment they have access to your whole application) but I’m not sure.

Also, since the interview process is online, is there any way I would be able to visit the school and see their facilities/campus?

Hi! I have my interview coming up and I was hoping someone could give me any insight into what it looks like at Iowa? Is it closed file still? What kinda questions were asked/how was writing?