Percentage of Pre-Reqs

[Dr IWannaBe]

Hey guys,

Just wondering whether adcoms take the percentage of science courses into consideration when evaluating students. What I mean is, a science major having 90+hours in science courses with a sci gpa of 3.5, is this looked upon any better than someone going back to school and completing only the required pre-reqs and ending up with the same 3.5 sci gpa but having only 30-34 science hours. What do you think?

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[reapply2007]

You have 30 science hours but haven't finished the pre-reqs? It seems like you should be pretty close to finishing them. Either way, if you haven't taken the pre-reqs when applying then your application won't get a look at all at some schools. At some schools the pre-reqs can be waived or you can get a conditional acceptance which depends on whether they think you can finish them on time (a different day on the calendar for different schools).

Then they'll look at the rest of your application and, if you're lucky, project that you can do dental school based on the balance of your application. It would be a less than full strength application either way, since the schools usually have a pile of people with the prereqs, GPA, and DAT. The remainder of your application would need to overcome any weakness caused by lack of pre-reqs.

 

[Dr IWannaBe]

You have 30 science hours but haven't finished the pre-reqs? It seems like you should be pretty close to finishing them. Either way, if you haven't taken the pre-reqs when applying then your application won't get a look at all at some schools. At some schools the pre-reqs can be waived or you can get a conditional acceptance which depends on whether they think you can finish them on time (a different day on the calendar for different schools).

Then they'll look at the rest of your application and, if you're lucky, project that you can do dental school based on the balance of your application. It would be a less than full strength application either way, since the schools usually have a pile of people with the prereqs, GPA, and DAT. The remainder of your application would need to overcome any weakness caused by lack of pre-reqs.

I guess you misunderstood me. By next summer, I'll be done with by pre-reqs and I'll have a total of 28 hours. I just wanted to know how my few science hours stand up against someone who was a science major and therefore had many more science hours. All things being equal (good gpa, good LOR, good dat scores) Would the science major have an edge in getting in?

 

[ItsGavinC]

All things being equal (good gpa, good LOR, good dat scores) Would the science major have an edge in getting in?

I believe the answer is no. These days it seems that adcoms would rather see someone from a different major.

 

[Dr IWannaBe]

I believe the answer is no. These days it seems that adcoms would rather see someone from a different major.

I'm a musician (pianist) and music teacher, so that sounds great to me!

 

[thehipster]

I think adcoms like well-rounded applicants (those who are non-science majors), but if a student has a 3.5 with a heavier science load with more upper-level science courses, then adcoms will take that into consideration too. I think it'll also help if you show some sort of progression in grades in your science classes as you take upper-level classes and if you had a rocky start during your freshman or sophomore years.

 

[reapply2007]

I agree that on the well-rounded applicant theory. However, finishing the minimum amount of classes to be eligible for applying doesn't necessarily stack up strongly against someone with strong upper-level coursework. I suppose the DAT and GPA would be the equalizer if you come up on the short side of science classes. I think this is the mainstream of thought.

Of course, every once in a while you see someone get rejected with what otherwise looks like a strong application. This is where you get out of the mainstream and look at specifics like background, life experiences, incomplete coursework, and whatever other factors you think might count. This is a mixed category and tough to quantify. I suspect that if you do well in the mainstream issues and can push a strong argument for the non-mainstream issues then you are in the best situation possible. But you could still be rejected for administrative reasons (sloppy secondary, application delays, bad interview, use your imagination).

 

[Dr IWannaBe]

Comments appreciated. Thanks, guys.