Dental School Admission For Nontraditional Students
Q: I'm almost done with the prerequisite courses for dental school. Since
I'm a Texas resident I'm hoping to attend one of the three dental
schools in Texas. I was wondering if anyone in this group has any
knowledge on how a nontraditional student's application is evaluated in
any of the Texas dental schools. I noticed that the average age for the
class of 2004 is more than a year lower than the average age for the
applicant pool for that year, so on average a recent college graduate
has a better chance of getting admitted than someone who's out of
school for more than five years.
Is there a way to overcome this? Would a high DAT score compensate for
my 'deficiency' in terms of age? (I'll be 31 when I apply).
Any other pointers in this regard are highly appreciated.
A:Traditionally those with some life experience had that in their favor, not held
against them. The age spread in the recent class may just be a reflection of who
applied rather than some movement to make it harder for older students. I was
"non-traditional" when I applied, and interviewers seemed to like that.
US News did rank dental schools 1 time. It was probably 3 or 4 years ago.
While I do not have the issue I do just happen to remember which school