Crafting a standout dental school application: beyond grades and test scores

dental admissions strategy
By Asli

As a pre-dental admissions coach, one of the most common questions I receive is, "How do I make my application stand out to dental schools?" My response is always this: stay true to your passions and invest your energy in activities that genuinely interest you. While maintaining high grades, acing standardized tests, and accumulating shadowing hours are undoubtedly crucial, neglecting your personal interests and hobbies can truly hurt your application. Ultimately, when faced with equal academic credentials, it's often the applicant with the most diverse and holistic experiences who receives the interview invite.  

How research fits in your application

You don't necessarily need extensive research experience in order to get your application to stand out. During my undergraduate years, I engaged in research not because it was a prerequisite, but because I found it intellectually stimulating and aligned with my academic pursuits. For instance, my fascination with anthropology led me to delve into research within this field. My research project opened me up to opportunities to take upper division courses in this topic as well. One of my favorite classes in college was an anthropology course titled “How We Eat” that explored the patterns of diet and nutrition from Paleolithic times to the Middle Ages to the modern world. Exploring diverse interests beyond STEM, such as enrolling in Creative Writing classes and pursuing a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society, further enriched my academic journey.

Emphasizing Personal Passions in Interviews 

Throughout the dental school application process, my interviews predominantly revolved around my passions, hobbies, and extracurricular pursuits. Surprisingly, my GPA and DAT scores rarely entered the conversation; instead, I found myself discussing my food blog, passion for cooking, and dedication to holistic health and wellness. As a sophomore in college, I ventured into Instagram food blogging, and my platform gradually evolved into full blown food-influencing. This served as a focal point of many of my interview discussions and helped me facilitate engaging, casual conversations. 

Harnessing the Power of Hands-On Experience 

One major way I believe I stood out as an applicant, aside from my diverse extracurriculars, is through my dental assisting experience. While dental shadowing is a requirement, dental assisting is viewed as employment and is neither required nor expected. Working as a dental assistant provided me with hands-on experience, the opportunity to connect closely with patients, and a vast network of mentors consisting of dentists, hygienists, and even patients themselves. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything, and I firmly believe it set me up for success when I became a dental student. If you have the opportunity to do so, I strongly recommend reaching out to local dental offices and securing an assisting position. 

Asli is currently a dental student at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She graduated summa cum laude from Stony Brook University with a BS in Biology & Developmental Genetics and a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society.

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