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what's the average GPA for most dental schools? is it 3.2? anyone think this will rise? and to what extent?
3.2?
- Thread starter busupshot83
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For most school's it's running 3.3-3.5. IUSD was a 3.4 this year. Note that I said •most schools•, and remember "average" means there are as many GPAs below as above.
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averages doesn't mean much... a 4.0 at one school can be equivalent to a 3.0 at another...
(if you're going to ucla and you have about a 3.6 you're doing well for havard... lots of people get interviewed and I know serveral people that got in w/ a 3.8ish gpas)
(if you're going to ucla and you have about a 3.6 you're doing well for havard... lots of people get interviewed and I know serveral people that got in w/ a 3.8ish gpas)
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well. Thats a no brainer.
A 20 DAT shows that the student learned his/her stuff and will probably succeed in dental school.
And a 4.0 just boosts the schools avg. #'s and makes the school look better.
As long as the 4.0 CC student takes a year or so of upper level University classes and does well, then the fact that he/she went to a community college shouldn't matter a hill of beans.
--I don't think adcoms really care where you went to school. Their job is to analyze your whole application and try and determine if you will be successful in dental school.
A 20 DAT shows that the student learned his/her stuff and will probably succeed in dental school.
And a 4.0 just boosts the schools avg. #'s and makes the school look better.
As long as the 4.0 CC student takes a year or so of upper level University classes and does well, then the fact that he/she went to a community college shouldn't matter a hill of beans.
--I don't think adcoms really care where you went to school. Their job is to analyze your whole application and try and determine if you will be successful in dental school.
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there are so many other factors that are important...
a solid gpa/dat score alone doesn't necessarily guarantee acceptance to any school.... but it does help to have a solid gpa at a more reputable school...but a 4.0 anywhere won't hurt 😛
a solid gpa/dat score alone doesn't necessarily guarantee acceptance to any school.... but it does help to have a solid gpa at a more reputable school...but a 4.0 anywhere won't hurt 😛
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3.3 to 3.5, eh? GPA is seemingly rising... I guess thats why you should be careful to pick and choose the schools you are applying to.
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Ours care to an extent. The schools are ranked, so those who attended a "better" school will get more "points" than those who attended only a community college.
That doesn't play into acceptances, only into who gets interviews.
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Saying one school is better than another is kind of interesting. I went to a CC for 2 years and learned all my gen chem, bio, anatomy & physiology, psych, & english and did very well. HOWEVER, all of my classes were taught by professors with a PhD in what they were teaching. So what seperates my education from the University that I could have learned from? Absolutely nothing. (except for the fact that I could call my profs at home for questions and get one on one office time
)
)Originally posted by predentchick
(except for the fact that I could call my profs at home for questions and get one on one office time
Exactly what did you DO in your one-on-one "office time"with your prof??😛 Maybe thats why you got good marks!
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They should care. There is noway a 3.5 from UCLA in say chemistry is the equivelant of a 3.5 from CAL STATE Riverside in the same subject.
NO way. Schools know this.
I once knew a guy who got into medical school with a 2.8 from Berkley. He had a degree in chemical engineering. He screwed up his first year in college and it made it hard for him to recover. Also engineering is a bitch of a major and the grades given tend to be lower.The guy ACED his MCATS as well and had worked in a hospital etc. He obviously was competing against stiffer competition than someone from a lesser school.
His story is unusual but given the schools reputation and his obvious IQ he was a better candidate than someone from Cal State somewhere or UC bakersfield ( does such a school exist? ) or southeasternnorthernwesternstate university.
If you to to a lesser undergrad school YOU BETTER HAVE AN ABOVE AVERAGE GPA ( i.e southeastern oklahoma state versus
university of okahoma or okahoma state if you are applying to OU dental )
Not putting down these types of schools but it would be unfair not to carefully consider where a student came and how bright academically those students around her/him were. It shows in board scores later on when the dental schools start competing against one another. The students from the better schools are going to have higher class rank ( exceptions of course and motivation plays a big part as well as some students just dont want to specialize and could give a rear end about boards )
NO way. Schools know this.
I once knew a guy who got into medical school with a 2.8 from Berkley. He had a degree in chemical engineering. He screwed up his first year in college and it made it hard for him to recover. Also engineering is a bitch of a major and the grades given tend to be lower.The guy ACED his MCATS as well and had worked in a hospital etc. He obviously was competing against stiffer competition than someone from a lesser school.
His story is unusual but given the schools reputation and his obvious IQ he was a better candidate than someone from Cal State somewhere or UC bakersfield ( does such a school exist? ) or southeasternnorthernwesternstate university.
If you to to a lesser undergrad school YOU BETTER HAVE AN ABOVE AVERAGE GPA ( i.e southeastern oklahoma state versus
university of okahoma or okahoma state if you are applying to OU dental )
Not putting down these types of schools but it would be unfair not to carefully consider where a student came and how bright academically those students around her/him were. It shows in board scores later on when the dental schools start competing against one another. The students from the better schools are going to have higher class rank ( exceptions of course and motivation plays a big part as well as some students just dont want to specialize and could give a rear end about boards )
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First of all, Ecks... come on. Dirty minds. Dirty, dirty, dirty.
Johndental. I understand what you are saying, but how do you differentiate between 2 profs with PhD's in the same subject that went to respectable schools. (i.e. My biology professor's from UCLA and my chemistry from UF?) I know that for ad coms it is not possible to compare teacher to teacher and it IS possible to compare schools. To me, it is the teacher that matters and not the school but there is just no way to compare that on an individual basis.
Johndental. I understand what you are saying, but how do you differentiate between 2 profs with PhD's in the same subject that went to respectable schools. (i.e. My biology professor's from UCLA and my chemistry from UF?) I know that for ad coms it is not possible to compare teacher to teacher and it IS possible to compare schools. To me, it is the teacher that matters and not the school but there is just no way to compare that on an individual basis.
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Originally posted by predentchick
Saying one school is better than another is kind of interesting. I went to a CC for 2 years and learned all my gen chem, bio, anatomy & physiology, psych, & english and did very well. HOWEVER, all of my classes were taught by professors with a PhD in what they were teaching. So what seperates my education from the University that I could have learned from? Absolutely nothing. (except for the fact that I could call my profs at home for questions and get one on one office time
Great post! I agree 100%!!
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You are misinformed if you think a COMMUNITY COLLEGE is as competive in terms of grades as a top tier public institution like UCLA. Believe what you want. I've seen people already here getting waxed on tests who came into Dental school with near 4.0s from there noname southeasterneastofnowhere state college versus those from the good schools who are positioning themselves for specialty practice ( and some who dont study much because they dont care but are real smart nevertheless )
You will find that in general at any given dental school that those at the top of the class come from the better schools even though their GPA's upon entering are lower because A's were a hell of a lot harder to come by ( A's at community colleges especially are given out freely, at my undergrad if you were pre health science THEY FORBID you transfering any CC work once you were enrolled: i.e no organic chem on your summer break from a junior college ). This is a fact. The DAT is not a very difficult test so I would say anyone could do well if they put in the time.
If you think taking your predent science at UCLA or CAL is the same as at UC bakersfield then you are wrong and the schools look at this.
However, none of this makes any difference in what kind of dentist you will be. But the top ranked students in dental
school come from the better schools ( a general statement at least where I am now and what I've observed ). If you are obsessed with specialty practice then better make sure you have a good science background from a competitive background cause its dog eat dog if you want certain specialties.
Just wait and see in your first year.
Listen to Gavin. I think he is right. They do care to an extent. That is why they take people with 3.0s because often these people went to schools that were academically WAY more competitive. Ironically, its these people that often do best in the basic sciences simply because they are better test takers and have more depth academically.
You will see when you get there.
You will find that in general at any given dental school that those at the top of the class come from the better schools even though their GPA's upon entering are lower because A's were a hell of a lot harder to come by ( A's at community colleges especially are given out freely, at my undergrad if you were pre health science THEY FORBID you transfering any CC work once you were enrolled: i.e no organic chem on your summer break from a junior college ). This is a fact. The DAT is not a very difficult test so I would say anyone could do well if they put in the time.
If you think taking your predent science at UCLA or CAL is the same as at UC bakersfield then you are wrong and the schools look at this.
However, none of this makes any difference in what kind of dentist you will be. But the top ranked students in dental
school come from the better schools ( a general statement at least where I am now and what I've observed ). If you are obsessed with specialty practice then better make sure you have a good science background from a competitive background cause its dog eat dog if you want certain specialties.
Just wait and see in your first year.
Listen to Gavin. I think he is right. They do care to an extent. That is why they take people with 3.0s because often these people went to schools that were academically WAY more competitive. Ironically, its these people that often do best in the basic sciences simply because they are better test takers and have more depth academically.
You will see when you get there.
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Those are some pretty sweeping comments. I'm posing this not to cut you down, but in the spirit of establishing credibility--what are your qualifications for making pronouncements like those? Practicing? Academics? Student? Pre-dent? Something else entirely?
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1D but I will keep my anonymity ( did I spell that correctly ? )
They are sweeping generalizations and there are surely
excepetions. Dont have any correlative stats either since I dont work in admissions but its the way things seem to me at this stage.
I just sometimes think people take the whole STATS thing a little to seriously. There sure is a ton of difference between undergrad schools in terms of grades is all and I'm seeing who does well and who doesnt in basic sciences.
More power to CC science people thats fine. Just dont kid yourself and think your undergrad courses are as hard thats all. Sure helps to be able to THINK in gross ( not that I'm all that great either ) And of course motivation when you are in school sure does play a good role as well. Some only care to become gp's as I've state.
Take my stuff with a grain of salt if you want just like I take many of the statement on this board that way.
Maybe you can enliten us with your perception?
They are sweeping generalizations and there are surely
excepetions. Dont have any correlative stats either since I dont work in admissions but its the way things seem to me at this stage.
I just sometimes think people take the whole STATS thing a little to seriously. There sure is a ton of difference between undergrad schools in terms of grades is all and I'm seeing who does well and who doesnt in basic sciences.
More power to CC science people thats fine. Just dont kid yourself and think your undergrad courses are as hard thats all. Sure helps to be able to THINK in gross ( not that I'm all that great either ) And of course motivation when you are in school sure does play a good role as well. Some only care to become gp's as I've state.
Take my stuff with a grain of salt if you want just like I take many of the statement on this board that way.
Maybe you can enliten us with your perception?
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Johndental is just peeved cause I had an equivalent eduation at the big fat cost of ZERO dollars. I was actually able to use an academic scholarship at a state CC to learn from PhD profs vs. going to the state U to pay thousands a semester. I am in debt as of now to the tune of a big fat goose egg! I guess scoring a 19 in the sciences on the DAT is the result of a CC education. Maybe if I attended the big U I would have a 20. Oh well. Ha ha. (no harm john, just bringing up a valid point. It's all in good fun. )🙂
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tisk tisk
I went on full scholarship to a private school ( and yes, it was a little more academically competive than a CC😉
However, I made a real crappy score on my math section of the DAT as I almost fell asleep at the end of the test I was so gassed when I reached that section so I bet you beat me on that section. DAT is a joke anyways once you reach a certain level. I was talking with a 3d the other day and he termed the DAT "A GIFT". It sure aint the MCAT from what I've heard.
Good luck to ya dentCHICK 😛
I went on full scholarship to a private school ( and yes, it was a little more academically competive than a CC😉
However, I made a real crappy score on my math section of the DAT as I almost fell asleep at the end of the test I was so gassed when I reached that section so I bet you beat me on that section. DAT is a joke anyways once you reach a certain level. I was talking with a 3d the other day and he termed the DAT "A GIFT". It sure aint the MCAT from what I've heard.
Good luck to ya dentCHICK 😛
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So your saying the DAT is a joke, ey?
Silly me, I thought it was actually designed to test applicants on a level playing field.
Guess I gotta go join the UCLA boys to get some cred.
Silly me, I thought it was actually designed to test applicants on a level playing field.
Guess I gotta go join the UCLA boys to get some cred.
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Another intelligent post. Please!!! I've been told the MCAT is the same as the DAT as far as science goes. The only difference is the MCAT has Physics and the DAT has perceptual ability. GIve me a freaking break!
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The MCAT tests *almost* the same material as the DAT but it is *how* the MCAT tests one's knowledge of this material that sets it apart from *any* standardized test on the face of the earth.
I have known smart/intelligent individuals with high GPA's from reputable schools who just do average or below average on the MCAT. It is one of those tests that do not correlate well with how much you prepare for the test or even how much you know the material. Individuals who are good test takers ( strategists) generally do well on the MCAT. The MCAT doesn't *just* test you on what you know.
However, the DAT is different. There seems to be a strong correlation between preparing for the test and how well one does on it. The DAT tests you on *what* you know. Plain and simple.
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Anti-Dentite!
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I've heard the same, kind of. I know a large number of pre-meds who bombed the MCAT, like <24 bombed. A few of them took the DAT and scored >19. It's hard to compare the two tests though, they're both different in their own right. I'm sure plenty of people on here could have gotten a 30 on the MCAT, while alot would have gotten a 25.
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I hope you are joking 😉
I did not mean that as an insult. I am in the same boat as all of you. I just think the DAT reflects more of what one knows and how hard one works, which should be rewarded in its own right.
The MCAT can be unfair at times. I have known alot of people's dreams that were shattered because of that test. To work 3-4 long years or even more to be slapped in the face by the MCAT.
I think most people here will agree the MCAT stands alone and is hard to really compare to any other standardized test, because the MCAT is in its own category. I think some aspects of the MCAT can be unfair. However, the MCAT seems to do a good job at testing your thought process and problem solving skills. Who am I to judge? *shrugs*
I am not gonna sit here and say that one test is harder than the other. For some people, the MCAT caters to their testing skills. To others, the DAT seems to be easier. But I *will* say that the two tests are polar opposites in terms of how they test one's knowledge.
