2008 cycle?

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dds_sdc

dds_sdc
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eh.. i know you guys hate threads like this. but i cant help it. i need different opinions.

so i had HOPES of getting in dental school without a bachelors degree (90 credits) my pre-health advisor said i might have a chance.

current GPA - 3.7

i have not taken the DAT. and from past experiences, i know that i am not that great of a test taker. so i def. know that i need to study hardcore to get 20+

so i thought that if i scored 20+ and applied EARLY.. like in May. then i would have a somewhat good chance of getting in.

BUUUUUUUT...

im currently doin the gateway to denistry program at UMDNJ. and the admissions committee gave a lecture about the application process.

they said that no one in the past 4-5 yrs have gotten in without a bachelors degree and he made it seem rather impossible.

but i do know SEVERAL people who have done this .. just not at UMDNJ. (maybe its because its a state school?) argh i dont know. i just feel highly discouraged now. :(

anyway..

so i was thinking about applying in May anyway just for the heck of it. (only to UMDNJ tho, 1st/ONLY choice) and taking the DAT in august and just see if i get in or not.

or

should i just wait another year and apply for the 2009 cycle? this would give me this whole summer to study for the DAT without being pressured to get my application in time for Dec.1st acceptances.. and it would let me get more shadowing hours in, and maybe even pull up my gpa a little more..

argh i dont know.

what do you guys think?

wait for 2009 cycle or try and stick it through and apply for 2008 cycle?

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There is no need to rush, you're still young and one extra year in the grand scheme of things (including life) is nothing. Besides, you don't have the strongest of GPAs and you have yet to write your DAT to even think of getting into d-school without a bachelors in whatever.
 
dont listen to the guy above. your GPA is pretty good. You might as well go for it, it's not like it will hurt. Your GPA is better than what mine was and i got in w/o a BS. only 2 things of advice: apply to a couple more schools, and take the DAT earlier.
 
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dds_sdc....i dont know how much of a chance you have! im only a sophomore...but maybe you can help me!...so I was thinking of applying to Gateway to Dentistry program for the summer..i got accepted to SMDEP for the summer but also thinking of doing Gateway to Dentistry at UMDNJ in the summer as well...how was Gateway to Dentistry!? Are/were you liking it??
 
dds_sdc....i dont know how much of a chance you have! im only a sophomore...but maybe you can help me!...so I was thinking of applying to Gateway to Dentistry program for the summer..i got accepted to SMDEP for the summer but also thinking of doing Gateway to Dentistry at UMDNJ in the summer as well...how was Gateway to Dentistry!? Are/were you liking it??

GATEWAYYYYYY IS GREATTTTTTTTTT. THE WHOLE PROGRAM IS RUN BY THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE!!!!!! so its A GREATTTTTTT WAY TO GET TO KNOW THEM. && they even REMEMBER YOUR NAME.

based on what the current dental students ive talked to there.. theyve all said, "yeah the adcom LOVE GATEWAY.. and they LOVEE taking gateway people"

they invest a lot of time and money and umdnj seem to be really proud of the program. (they said theyve won many awards because of it)

some people in the gateway right now also did SMDEP (the previous summer though) (i also applied for that this upcoming summer) and those people who did SMDEP ALREADY KNEWW HALF IF NOT ALL THE FACULTY MEMBERS already.. the faculty members even remembered their names. but from what ive heard...gateway was better. In SMDEP, they said that you have quizzes every week and exams also. You take classes like, histo, orgo, etc. so you actually have to study. theres no studying in gateway.

gateway is more hands on.

a 2nd year student even said that we're doin more hands on that hes had thus far.

def. do gateway if you wanna apply to UMDNJ. but even if you're not... do it anyway.its a great experience.

if you're wondering wah hands on stuff we're doin ..
we took impressions and made models
practiced rubber dams.
practiced scaling and using the different tools with stimulated teeth that had tar.
practiced root canals on a stimulated tooth.
practiced fillings.

and thats all for now. but on the schedule i also saw.. ortho hands on, prostho hands on, etc. i still have one week left! =]

good luck to you.
 
dont listen to the guy above. your GPA is pretty good. You might as well go for it, it's not like it will hurt. Your GPA is better than what mine was and i got in w/o a BS. only 2 things of advice: apply to a couple more schools, and take the DAT earlier.

thanks for the encouragement! man. your story inspired me. maybe i will apply 2008 after all!
 
I'm going to second Lidopaine and say that applying to one school is NOT a good idea. It also sounds like the one school you like is not keen on non-degrees.

The application process has an element of luck that no amount of outstanding DAT score/GPA/EC can compensate for. This is why you see people with 4.0s and 24s applying to several schools.

If you have money and are motivated, go for it, just be prepared to reapply. Do a little research, non-degrees are not really favored anywhere, but some schools do accept a few. Your GPA is above average, if you do likewise on the DAT, I imagine your odds would significantly improve.

Oh and once again, please apply to more than one school. Yes there are exceptions, but I bet the majority of them had degrees.

Good luck.
 
dont listen to the guy above. your GPA is pretty good. You might as well go for it, it's not like it will hurt. Your GPA is better than what mine was and i got in w/o a BS. only 2 things of advice: apply to a couple more schools, and take the DAT earlier.

I guess anything is possible, but I mean getting in w/o a bach with a 3.5GPA and a 18AA and 15PAT on the DAT is a major major rarity- props to you.

My reasoning behind telling dds_sdc to not rush things is that even with higher GPA's and high DAT scores, getting into the d-school of your choice is getting tougher every year. Combine that with the fact that many schools require a Bachelors degree at a minimum the chance of getting into a d-school without a degree is even less. Obviously, as rare as it is that people do get accepted with no degree in tow is even rarer by the fact that your gpa is very average.

My post was definitely not for discouragement as I believe you will become a dentist. However, my personal opinion is to finish up your degree, study and do well on your DAT, and not rush yourself. You'll also save some money :).
 
GATEWAYYYYYY IS GREATTTTTTTTTT. THE WHOLE PROGRAM IS RUN BY THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE!!!!!! so its A GREATTTTTTT WAY TO GET TO KNOW THEM. && they even REMEMBER YOUR NAME.

based on what the current dental students ive talked to there.. theyve all said, "yeah the adcom LOVE GATEWAY.. and they LOVEE taking gateway people"

they invest a lot of time and money and umdnj seem to be really proud of the program. (they said theyve won many awards because of it)

some people in the gateway right now also did SMDEP (the previous summer though) (i also applied for that this upcoming summer) and those people who did SMDEP ALREADY KNEWW HALF IF NOT ALL THE FACULTY MEMBERS already.. the faculty members even remembered their names. but from what ive heard...gateway was better. In SMDEP, they said that you have quizzes every week and exams also. You take classes like, histo, orgo, etc. so you actually have to study. theres no studying in gateway.

gateway is more hands on.

a 2nd year student even said that we're doin more hands on that hes had thus far.

def. do gateway if you wanna apply to UMDNJ. but even if you're not... do it anyway.its a great experience.

if you're wondering wah hands on stuff we're doin ..
we took impressions and made models
practiced rubber dams.
practiced scaling and using the different tools with stimulated teeth that had tar.
practiced root canals on a stimulated tooth.
practiced fillings.

and thats all for now. but on the schedule i also saw.. ortho hands on, prostho hands on, etc. i still have one week left! =]

good luck to you.


WELL DANG DDS_SDC...WHEN YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT I THINK I WILL APPLY!!lol thanks sooooo much....im attracted to the more technical/clinical aspects of dentistry so Gateway would be great for me! thanks again and good luck!!
 
id take the dat early...it won't hurt, plus you really don't need to study hardcore for it. it's not that crazy of a test...nothing like the mcat. a few weeks should suffice, even if you're not one for standardized tests. but in terms of applying early, i really think you should take your time in school. as i'm about to graduate and go to dental school right now, i look back at the last few years, and they've just flew by. and it really is the best time of your life. take your time in undergrad, enjoy it, be outgoing, be involved. you'll be a dentist for the next 45 years, why rush into it, and leave behind such a good experience?
 
When I applied I only had like 83hrs or so...because I didn't not include the spring semester of my junior year on addsas. I recieved 8 interviews. However, I did tell them that I will get my BA before i enter.
 
If you're sure about dentistry and have the extra money to spare, I think its well worth it to try. You may or may not get in, but the application experience and the chance of actually getting in early and saving a year's worth of time and effort is well worth it.

I was a bit unsure last year about applying and decided to apply after I graduate college, and now I'm kicking myself for not having just applied cause I'm stuck with a year in between with nothing useful/fun to do...
 
To the OP:

I spoke with CU (my state school) and they said that they look at students with and without degrees equally. The only requirement is 90 hours...30 of those have to be upper division.

They told me that this is one of the advantages to their school. There are also other schools out there that have the same type of program.

After the first year of dental school, you have simply earned your bachelors degree. No extra classes, you get it with the normal cirriculum from the first year.

I am putting all my eggs in the applying early basket, only because I am 25, married and work 40+ hours a week. I NEED to get into dental school sooner than later.

I am planning on taking the DAT in late June or early July. I will be finishing ochem II this semester so I will be good for all the info on the DAT. The only thing is that I will have to take the physics set next year...so if I get accepted it will be contingent upon my passing physics. I'm not worried...it sounds like fun actually.

Don't let anyone on here get you down...some of the folks here on SDN are either brilliant or they are simply full of it. The best thing to do if you have a question you want an HONEST answer to is to call the school/schools you are going to be applying to.

Also...your GPA is better than average...hang in there!
 
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