DAT: 460

TS: 450

GPA: 3:77

SGPA: 3.61

**TL;dr-** you don’t need a science degree. Go at your own pace. CC can be OK. Apply to schools you’re a good match for, you don’t have to blast out 25 applications if you don’t have the money. Be a normal, well-adjusted  human with hobbies and serve your community. If you CAN, go be an assistant- you’ll learn a lot. 

**Now for the wall of text/thoughts:** 

I’m fairly non traditional. I got a degree in linguistics in 2016, and worked as a Spanish healthcare interpreter for about a year. I’ve worked full time as an RDA for the last 8 years (yes, I put that I have 13,000 hours of assisting on my application) while working on prereqs for the last 4. I’m going into school at 34- pretty sure I’ll be the oldest in my class. This wasn’t when I planned on getting into school, but that’s OK. Take your time. Life experience counts just as much as a lot of other things on your application. Use that time to serve, lead, and be a real person. School will be there when you’re ready for it. 

I only applied to 5 schools because I’m supporting myself and felt like I was a good match for their programs- UTSD, UTHSCSA, TTUHSC, DCG (I have family in GA), and KCU (I met an admissions person at the predental panel at the TDA meeting who made it sound approachable for a private school). 

I did all my prereqs except 1 at community college. I did a couple from 2010 and 2013 at university when I was originally premed, but I redid them at CC because they had expired. Know what your schools want- I made sure my schools were ok with community college courses. I started studying for the DAT in January with Booster and ended up taking the DAT in May. Submitted in early July. My first interviews weren’t until September and October. 

I interviewed at 3 schools pre-December (DCG, UTHSC, and KCU), and one in January (UTSD). Got accepted to KCU on Decision Day but their tuition was egregious, and DCG rejected me the same day. UTHSC accepted me in February and I finally got my rejection from UTSD 2 Thursdays ago. I moved to Houston years ago to hopefully go to UTSD, so not getting accepted there is bittersweet, but I’m just excited to go to school. 

I’ve been involved in 2 weekly service and leadership things with my church for the last 2 years, and I spent 2 years as a missionary for my church as well. I’ve volunteered with a Texas Mission of Mercy’s and refugee health fairs in Houston as well. I shadowed around 100 hours outside of my work, primarily at other general dentists. I got rec letter from my two bosses and two science profs. 

Stats are important and all, but I’m right at or just below average on a lot of levels here. I think my rec letters, work experience, and extracurriculars/leadership/service are what got me into school

They say apply broadly. But if you don’t have the money to apply to 20 schools, like me, that’s FINE. Apply to places you feel like you’re a good match too and have friends, other dentists, family, whoever you have look over your application/essays.  Brush up for your interviews. Practice your questions, but most importantly be the authentic YOU. Do everything you can when you apply and then let it go. There’s still that low hum of anxiety in the back of your brain waiting to know if you’re in, but accept that it’ll be what it’ll be. 

To all those who ask “Do I need to work as an assistant?”- Being an assistant is definitely not necessary, but having done it as long as I have, I highly recommend it. It’s a great gut-check to make sure you like working in dentistry before you commit to the absurd amount of debt many of us take on. It also gets you used to actual patient care and familiar with the procedures you’ll learn in school. Perhaps most importantly, it shows you what jerks dentists can be and gives you a little more empathy for your staff when the office is running behind/stressed (spoiler alert- it’s usually the dentists fault). I’ve learned a lot about the kind of doctor I DON’T want to be after school. 

Nontrads get in too, even with just a few of applications