Madison-My Tips!

Hi everyone! My name is Madison and I am a 1st year dental student at UoP Dugoni School of Dentistry. I went to undergrad at SDSU. Being a pre-dent can be very stressful (especially during the application process), so I hope that I can provide some advice that will be helpful to you all:)

WRITING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT:

Spend time on your PS! It is a critical component to you application. But, where do you even begin? Starting your personal statement is the hardest part of the writing process. The question you need to ask yourself is “Why Dentistry?” Schools want to know WHO you are and HOW you made the decision to pursue dentistry. This statement is a way to show the admissions committee more about you as a person and NOT just the experiences you have. The committee does not want you to regurgitate all your volunteering, shadowing, and leadership experiences that you have already talked about in other parts of the application. Think of one or two specific experiences you have that influenced your decision to pursue dentistry. Then, turn these experiences into a story to intrigue the reader. Have multiple people read your statement and provide feedback so that you can rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite until its perfect!

APPLICATION PROCESS

Apply EARLY, but apply when you are READY! There is a balance between these two. Admissions is rolling which means that the sooner your application is submitted, the sooner it will be looked at. The application in its entirety takes longer than most people think. It is always good to prepare way in advance, so that your application is just about ready to submit when the time comes. However, if you feel rushed and your application is not where you want it to be then take the time to keep working on it. It is better to submit later and feel good about your submission than to submit early just because.

SELF CARE

Being a college student who is trying get perfect grades while shadowing and volunteering can be very difficult. The reality is that you need to find time in your week to do the things that you love. Whether that is relaxing on your couch or spending time with friends, you have to set time aside to do things that will help you de-stress. I found balance in undergrad by working extremely hard throughout the week so that I would have extra time during the weekend to relax and explore San Diego. Spending time with my friends and finding new foods in San Diego was one of things I did to practice self-care even while being a busy college student.

I would love to answer any questions you may have about applying to dental school or UoP specifically :)

DM me on IG @Madison.the.dentist

Best of luck with the application process, you got this!