Contrary to popular opinion, dental school admissions is not
just a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" decision making process.
After reviewing your application, admissions committees have
several options at their disposal.
Admit
Congratulations, you're in! But read the letter carefully. The
committee may recommend or in some cases, require, that you
complete some preparatory course work to ensure that your skills
meet their standards.
Reject
Oftentimes, there are far more qualified applicants than
there are spaces in the class. Even though you were rejected, you
can reapply at a later date. If you are intent on reapplying, the
onus is on you to demonstrate that you're a better candidate now
than you were previously. This may involve improving your DAT
score, taking additional courses, gaining substantive new
experience or writing better essays.
Reject with Encouragement to
Reapply
This is not just a polite rejection. One step down from a
deferred admit, it's a way for a school to say, "we like you, and
we think with more experience you'd be a strong candidate."
Hold Over Until Next Decision
Period
Sometimes the admissions committee isn't comfortable making a
decision by the scheduled reply date. Perhaps you're right on the
borderline and the committee wants to see how you stack up with
the next group of applicants. In this case, all you can do is
wait.
Waiting List
Schools use the waiting list, the educational equivalent of
purgatory, to manage class size. The good news is that you
wouldn't be on the list if you were not considered a strong
candidate. The bad news is that there is no way to know with
certainty whether you'll be accepted. Be aware, though, that
schools do tend to look kindly upon wait-listed candidates who
reapply in a subsequent year.
Request for an
Interview
Schools where an interview is not required may request one before
they make their final decision. Your application may have raised
some specific issues that you can address in an interview or
perhaps, the committee feels your essays did not give them a
sufficiently complete picture to render a decision. Look at this
as a positive opportunity to strengthen your case.
