GPA Question (I know you're tired of these questions)

[chuteboxe84]

Hey everyone!
I'm a biology major and started off pretty slow when I came to college (came in part-time) and I'm doin much better in school. Do most Dental schools look at the GPA for the prerequisite classes or do they look at an overall GPA. I'm shooting for a 3.5-3.6 (God willing), but i currently have a 3.4.

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[Pikeyman]

Hey everyone!
I'm a biology major and started off pretty slow when I came to college (came in part-time) and I'm doin much better in school. Do most Dental schools look at the GPA for the prerequisite classes or do they look at an overall GPA. I'm shooting for a 3.5-3.6 (God willing), but i currently have a 3.4.

I would assume they weigh the Pre-req GPA much higher than the overall.

There is a reason why there are such things as Pre-req classes for dental school. How you do in those Pre-req classes can tell how you would do in dental school.

But if your Pre-req GPA sucks, the only way out is to ace DAT. I mean really ACE that mofo (>22 on all sections? I'd assume that's acing). That way, the Admissions Committees will know how much you've polished or improved without you telling them how much you've improved, which most of the times comes across as desperate and stupid (Hope this makes sense).

I got nothin' to do (well, actually, I got a sh't load of work to do but at this point, I just don't care) so keep those questions comin'.

May 1 is coming right at you.

 

[chuteboxe84]

I would assume they weigh the Pre-req GPA much higher than the overall.

There is a reason why there are such things as Pre-req classes for dental school. How you do in those Pre-req classes can tell how you would do in dental school.

But if your Pre-req GPA sucks, the only way out is to ace DAT. I mean really ACE that mofo (>22 on all sections? I'd assume that's acing). That way, the Admissions Committees will know how much you've polished or improved without you telling them how much you've improved, which most of the times comes across as desperate and stupid (Hope this makes sense).

I got nothin' to do (well, actually, I got a sh't load of work to do but at this point, I just don't care) so keep those questions comin'.

May 1 is coming right at you.

So why is that some people in Dental school tell me that i should take a load of GPA boosters to have a higher GPA if they don't care about the total GPA as much?

 

[pronto]

I would assume they weigh the Pre-req GPA much higher than the overall.

There is a reason why there are such things as Pre-req classes for dental school. How you do in those Pre-req classes can tell how you would do in dental school.

But if your Pre-req GPA sucks, the only way out is to ace DAT. I mean really ACE that mofo (>22 on all sections? I'd assume that's acing). That way, the Admissions Committees will know how much you've polished or improved without you telling them how much you've improved, which most of the times comes across as desperate and stupid (Hope this makes sense).

I got nothin' to do (well, actually, I got a sh't load of work to do but at this point, I just don't care) so keep those questions comin'.

May 1 is coming right at you.

I am in the same situation. I have only taken one pre-req class for dental school and that was Biology two years ago(B). This is my third year of school and I have only 30 hours, but I have been working full-time the past two years. I quit my job and will start going to school FULL-TIME and living with my parents. If I make As and Bs at the University in all pre-reqs do you think that will make up for lost time? I feel I am at an advantage because I did not have the chance to screw up any science or math classes, but I also feel like 30 credit hours in three years of part-time school looks bad. What do you think?

 

[45540]

That's why they calculate the science and math GPA as well as overall GPA.

They want students that can handle the course work and pass the boards. That's their main thing, students that don't excel on the boards make the school look bad.

but they also need students that are well rounded and will excel in the dental courses and be pretty normal physicians. Hence the reason they like variety and excellence in the non science courses.

 

[joooj86]

CJwolf, that was really funny..the joke about "your" stats and the schools "you " will apply to .....u are forgetting Columbia

 

[Sprgrover]

So why is that some people in Dental school tell me that i should take a load of GPA boosters to have a higher GPA if they don't care about the total GPA as much?

It probably depends on the school as to which gpa is weighted more, if at all. I highly doubt any dental school is willing to sweep aside all courses on an applicant's transcript that are not science related or pre-reqs and focus on a specific gpa. Your overall transcript and gpa informs adcoms everywhere of what kind of student you are and whether or not you have developed good study habits and can successfully tackle courses from many subjects. In my opinion the best policy is to simply strive to comprehend the material in whatever course you are enrolled in and try to earn the best grade reflective of your efforts.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Math GPA? What if you haven't taken any math classes?

 

[45540]

Math GPA? What if you haven't taken any math classes?

All courses in science and math are averaged together for your science/math GPA.

thus math courses can buffer your science GPA somewhat. But they still see the individual courses as well.

 

[aceking]

CJwolf, that was really funny..the joke about "your" stats and the schools "you " will apply to .....u are forgetting Columbia

no comments 86, but that was hella funny.

 

[ISU_Steve]

That's what I thought CJ, but I wasn't sure. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[Sprgrover]

Math GPA? What if you haven't taken any math classes?

Most dental schools do require some math, usually one year's worth (e.g. algebra and trig). If your undergraduate school is one of the many that require some math to obtain any degree they offer then these courses usually satisfy any dental school requirements as well. Check with each of the dental schools you are interested in and see if what their requirements are.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Actually most of the ones, I've looked at (with the notable exception of Penn and a couple of the New England schools) have no listing for a math requirement. Any that I have seen, rather quickly disappeared from my consideration.

Yes, my school technically requires that we take math to graduate, but I was waived from the freshman level math course because of my prior medical background (not really sure WHY, but I'm not going to question it) and the upper level math course requirement will be filled by a biostatistics course that I will take last thing before I graduate (if I don't get in )

 

[mochafreak]

ISU_Steve Actually most of the ones, I've looked at (with the notable exception of Penn and a couple of the New England schools) have no listing for a math requirement. Any that I have seen, rather quickly disappeared from my consideration. Yes, my school technically requires that we take math to graduate, but I was waived from the freshman level math course because of my prior medical background (not really sure WHY, but I'm not going to question it) and the upper level math course requirement will be filled by a biostatistics course that I will take last thing before I graduate (if I don't get in )

That's pretty funny because I just printed off my DARS today for Holly and it lists Math 102 as a requirement. I transferred in calc 1, 2, and 3, differential equations, and statistics. You'd think that would've been waived automatically. Doesn't matter though.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Just go over and take the test in the Math department....I believe it's supposed to be for MATH 111 (College Algebra), but if you've had calc and stuff, it shouldn't present a challenge.

 

[mochafreak]

Yeah, I really don't care though because I'm not getting another degree. That would be too much BS. Yup, that's the lamest joke I've made in a lonngg time. (but sometimes you just gotta do it)

 

[Pikeyman]

I am in the same situation. I have only taken one pre-req class for dental school and that was Biology two years ago(B). This is my third year of school and I have only 30 hours, but I have been working full-time the past two years. I quit my job and will start going to school FULL-TIME and living with my parents. If I make As and Bs at the University in all pre-reqs do you think that will make up for lost time? I feel I am at an advantage because I did not have the chance to screw up any science or math classes, but I also feel like 30 credit hours in three years of part-time school looks bad. What do you think?

I don't think 30 credit hours will matter as long as you ace those Pre-req's.

Yes, they look at the overall picture but I'm sure if I was one of the committee members, I would look at the Pre-req classes more closely.

If you are not a science major and screw up one of the science Pre-req courses bad (<D), you will have to make up for the screw-up on DAT or show them how you've improved some other way.

But if you are a science major, you can always make up by acing the upper-level science courses.

I'm not an expert but that's how I look at it.

 

[EyeAmCommi]

Grade Point Average Calculations: AADSAS will compute several different GPA's from your official transcript information. AADSAS calculates the following GPAs:

* Separate GPA for each session block
* A BCP (biology, chemistry, and physics) GPA, a science GPA, a non-science GPA, and an overall GPA for all undergraduate course work;
* A BCP (biology, chemistry and physics) GPA, a science GPA, a non-science GPA, and an overall GPA for all graduate course work;
* A BCP (biology, chemistry and physics) GPA, a science GPA, a non-science GPA, and an overall GPA for all course work.

Here is the site: http://www.dental-site.itgo.com/aadsas.htm go more than halfway down

BCP GPA means a lot more than science so if you did poorly in math, oh well.

 

[ISU_Steve]

I'm not taking any math (which I suck at; I can do OK if it's applied to something, but if not then I can't seem to get into it) so I guess I don't have to worry.

The only school I'm considering applying to who lists math anywhere in their prereqs is UMKC and they only "recommend" it.