A student in your situation posed this question to me a while ago in 1997.
Here is her/his answer to the question. She/he had a good GPA (3.3)
with great life experiences but had average test scores (around 15)
Dear Mike, Thanks for all your advice, it has been such a help. I've looked into Meharry Dental School and Howard Univ. Meharry is a private college, so they have no preference for TN residents. They told me that there are over 15 states represented in their class, and they give preference to people, from any state, who wish to provide Dental services to underrepresented groups in society. I also called Howard Univ., they told me that they are traditionally an African-American university, but welcome applications from all ethnic backgrounds. They said that over 40% of the class is not African American, they want a very diverse class they told me. They seek diverse applicants. They do not have preference for any DC or state residents, many states are represented. I talked with the lady from Howard about 15 minutes, she seemed really interested in my experience with the Amish and encouraged me to apply, she said it was very interesting and diverse. So, thats a good indication they may look favorably upon me. So, I will apply to Meharry and Howard, and thats it. I looked into Louisville, but they favor residents only, non residents must be very qualified they said. That would give me 4 schools that I may have a chance at: NYU, U of Pitt., Meharry, and Howard. I also have my interview at BU, so I'm just going to think positive and really be ready for my interview. I talked to them from BU, they seem very excited about my application, so that is positive. Well, I don't want to take up all your time with my many, many questions. I just wanted to let you know what I learned and what my plans were. I will certainly keep you posted on my progress. Thank you very much for taking time out to help me. I will keep you posted! Verdict: I nver heard back from this person, I guess she/he did not get in.