Applying to Dental School with a low ucat score

Hello, I completed my ucat a few days ago and was very upset with my score.

I received 2430, which is way lower than any of my mocks, but managed to get Band 1 for SJT.

My A-Level predicted grades are A*AA and I have eight GCSEs at grade 9.

Do I still have a shot at receiving an offer?

Please help!!

Just a quick proviso that I’m a medical, not dental student so I mightn’t be 100% accurate to dentistry, but hopefully will give you some things to think about nonetheless. I certainly wouldn’t say you’re a lost cause at this stage, but there are a few things to consider. First off 2430 is, yes, on the lower side but it’s definitely salvageable if you meet any widening participation criteria (these can be anything from being the first in your family to go to uni or getting free school meals to having been in care) (you should also check your post code, if it’s an area with low rates of people heading on to uni, this can also be a criterion). If this is the case, then pick your UCAS choices based off who is most likely to be lenient in awarding interviews and then put in the work to really shine at that stage.

If you don’t meet any widening participation criteria all is still not lost. You mention having 8 grade 9s at GCSE - those are some very high grades, the only question I would ask is whether you have a 9th GCSE and what grade it is, as certainly most medical schools will look at the top 9 GCSEs of applicants. If it’s also of a strong grade (doesn’t need to be perfect) then it’s solely a matter of applying strategically to universities that give more weight to GCSEs as opposed to UCAT scores (the same principle applies to the SJT - try to find somewhere that is going to give you a few points for doing so well in it). I know that Queen’s University (my uni) give considerably more weight to GCSEs than UCAT for their medics, so imagine they might be similar for the dentists and other unis will also follow this pattern.

TLDR: All is not lost and many things are possible through applying strategically. Play to your strengths to try and minimise the impact of your UCAT. Remember once you’re into an interview the UCAT has served it’s purpose.

Thank you so much for this advice, it has given me hope! Yes, I am eligible for widening criteria (all of which you have mentioned), and I forgot to mention that I have two other GCSEs at grade 8. So I have ten in total .

Given what you have said, I will continue with my original plan of applying for dentistry - it really is what I want to do.

Thank you again!