Dental School?

I want to apply to dental school in 2011. I was wondering if dentists or dental school students could give me advice on ways that i can get into dental school besides a good science GPA and a good DAT.


Also how many schools did you apply to? and how many of them did you get into?


How hard was the overall process and did you ever doubt yourself and feel like you couldnt get in?


I know that you can have any major you want and science majors do cover most of the classes but what do you think is a overall good major for the profession?

Dental School?
Making yourself a strong candidate for dental school is an admirable goal. You already understand the importance of good grades and test scores. The real trick is standing out from the pack. What makes you different/better than the other candidates that would make you a great dentist? What unique experiences have you had in your life, or unique talents? When the admission committee is sorting through hundreds of applications, there should be something unique that grabs their eye and take notice of yours. A lot of that can be conveyed in your personal statement. Spend time writing yours and have a lot of people read and critique it....the personal statement is a key part to getting an interview. Applications are usually sorted grades OK, grades not...then they read the applications for the grades OK to pick their interviewees. Grades not...hope you know someone who wants to donate lots of money to a university.....





Also, if you haven't already, spend some time with a dentist. Decide if this is really what you want to do. It's really expensive to train a dentist, and there are very limited seats, so dental schools are looking for people that are excited and passionate about becoming dentists, because these people are likely to complete the program and actually become dentists. If someone drops out, you can't fill that seat....





The overall process was pretty nerve-wracking, and I was constantly doubting myself and my abilities to get in...but keep that to yourself during interviews! I have a business degree and then filled in all the sciences. I personally think that's an excellent background, because once out of school, I had to start running my own business....lots of my fellow dentists are quite jealous too :)





Good luck!