accepted with only 60 hours?

[Ward]

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Is it possible to get into dental school after completing just 60 hours of undergrad?

 

[critterbug]

Possible.....Yes
Probable....No

Most dental schools require a bachelors degree upon matriculation into dental school. I think some schools accept exceptional students without a bachelors, but it is very rare.

Also, some schools offer an early acceptance program where you can earn your DDS/DMD + BS. I don't know the names of these schools, but I'm sure if you search these forums you will find them.

 

[Supernumerary]

I think 60 hrs. is the nationally specified minimum, but every school I know of (there may be some exceptions) requires a minimum of 90 hrs for matriculation. And even that is fairly uncommon. I'm pretty sure my state dental school hasn't matriculated anyone without at least a bachelor's for many, many years. I would assume it is the same at most schools. If you have outstanding stats, like 4.0 GPA, 28 DAT, I don't think it would hurt to try and get in with just 90 hrs. But to try and get accepted with only 60 credits of undergrad would just be a waste of your time and money. Just my honest opinion.

Besides, undergrad's not that bad. Enjoy it. 🙂

 

[ItsGavinC]

Like Super said, I haven't seen a school that doesn't REQUIRE at least 90 hours of coursework.

Schools will favor applicants with degrees, but obtaining admissions without a degree isn't impossible.

 

[StarGirl]

ucla only requires that you do the pre-reqs....but you'll have to do super well on them and the DAT's 🙂

 

[scandalouslj]

Supernumery unfortunatly does not know what they are talking about. Yes it is pretty impossible to get in with 60 hours. BUt it is not that hard with 90 hours. I know at least 3 people from my undergrad that got in, including me to several schools and did not have super stellar scores. For example I had 120 credits and a 3.6 gpa with averages of 18 on the DAT. My friend had a 3.8something with 94 credits and the same averages on the DAT and we both got in without degrees. I know most schools accept probably around an average of 2-3 students without undergrad degrees, altough some accept mroe and some less.

 

[Supernumerary]

Unfortunately, I do know what I am talking about. 🙂 Your 120 credits is a far cry from 90; that's at least another year of school. and your friend's 3.8something is pretty darn stellar. (BTW, were these the credits he had when he applied, or the credits he had when he matrriculated? Not that it matters.)

I'm not saying it's impossible to get in without a degree. It's just that there are plenty of schools that truly do not accept non-degreed applicants. And most of those that do accept them only accept a very few - usually appplicants with significant upper division work under their belt or very close to graduating.

Anyway, it's not hopeless trying to get in with the bare minimum of 90, but I really think most people would be better served by doing the last year of undergrad to complete a degree; it really opens up your options. 🙂

 

[hockeydentist]

A 120 credit hours = graduating

you should already have your degree by 120 hours. OFf course you got in you probably had a semester to go before you got your degree.

 

[acrunner]

just have fun and finish school. there's plenty o' time for dental school later on child.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by StarGirl
ucla only requires that you do the pre-reqs....but you'll have to do super well on them and the DAT's 🙂

StarGirl,

Kristy Fong said that a MINIMUM of 90 credit hours are required for acceptance.

The UCLA website also confirms this at :http://www.dent.ucla.edu/sod/students/admissions.html

The more I think about this, the more I'm sure that the ADEA has mandated that 90 credit hours be completed. I'll see if I can find the link to this information.

 

[gryffindor]

Originally posted by Supernumerary
Anyway, it's not hopeless trying to get in with the bare minimum of 90, but I really think most people would be better served by doing the last year of undergrad to complete a degree; it really opens up your options. 🙂

I have to disagree. I didn't do my last (senior) year of undergrad, however, I did end up getting the degree. Now I'm starting senior year in dental school and my undergrad degree in Biology means absolutely squat. Your DDS will give you lots of options; no one cares at that point where your BS/BA is from or if you even have one. The courses I could have taken my last year in undergrad would not have helped me in dental school at all seeing as I've forgotten pretty much everything from the other three years. They cram so much into the dental curriculum that there just isn't any room left in my brain for the stuff from before.

If you think you'll regret not having the experience of senior year, then you might as well stay the last year and enjoy it. But if you've had enough and you have the grades and the number of credits, go for it and apply to dental school.

 

[scandalouslj]

Actually Hockeydentist at my school you need 124 credits to graduate.

Supernumery those were ther credits he had when he matriculated, and you said a stellar GPA and a 28 DAT. True that is a good gpa, but he also had a 2.0 after his freshman year. I would have to disagree once again becuase if you check the dental school booklet which shows the class compositions of most schools, most schools have at least 1 or 2, 3 year students if not more. And how does a BS really open up doors/possibilities? The only way I see it is if you drop out of dental school and need it to rely on something else.

Finally If you are worried about not having a senior year to have fun. Apply early, I applied in Augsut and found out from 3 schools that I was accepted on Dec 2nd. My last semester turned into my senior year, so you might not get a whole year to have fun, but a semester should suffice.

 

[tinker bell]

Do not forget that the last semester is also very important. If you do not wish to work, just drop all those classes. Do not take them and end up Failing the class. Remember to read your acceptance condition well. Otherwise, you will go to nowhere in the Fall.

 

[gryffindor]

Originally posted by scandalouslj
Finally If you are worried about not having a senior year to have fun. Apply early, I applied in Augsut and found out from 3 schools that I was accepted on Dec 2nd. My last semester turned into my senior year, so you might not get a whole year to have fun, but a semester should suffice.

Good advice. This is pretty much what I did, I had all my "senior year" fun my last semester in undergrad before dental school. I also applied to lots of those summer research programs where they pay you a nice stipend & pay for your housing to "explore research" for a summer. So I had a nicely funded 10 week vacation in Boston that summer before dental school.

 

[Supernumerary]

And how does a BS really open up doors/possibilities?

I was referring to the broader range of dental schools that will consider you if you plan on obtaining a degree, not job opportunity.

But I still stick to what I said; most people will be better served by finishing their degree. If your first choice isn't that competitive or you don't care where you go to school, by all means, apply early. Just remember that dental admissions is getting more and more competitive every year; it takes more and more to stick out from your peers.

There are many schools that simply will not accept people without a degree, and those that do accept only a few. I don't know the exact numbers, but I would guess there are only around 40-50 non-degreed matriculants each year. Most people are just not in a position to compete for these few spots; the time effort and money spent in applying is either wasted for them or they accept much less than their first choice school.

If you are one of the few who can get in a school where you're happy with only three years of undergrad, well, more power to you. 🙂 But to insist that it is easy is, I think, misleading to a lot of people on these boards.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by scandalouslj
I would have to disagree once again becuase if you check the dental school booklet which shows the class compositions of most schools, most schools have at least 1 or 2, 3 year students if not more

Yeah, but the average dental school class consists of ~75 students. So even if there are 5 students who did not obtain degrees, they would make up less than 7% of the class.

I'm not saying it isn't possible, just that the numbers traditionally are lower (acceptance %) for those who don't have degrees.

This is especially true at my undergrad, which is the pre-dent factory of the US.

 

[critterbug]

Straight off the ADA website:


The usual pre professional education requirement for admission to dental school stipulates at least two academic years of liberal arts study; however, many dental schools in the United States require three or more years of college. Applicants should be aware that 90 percent of the first year dental class completed four years of pre-professional education and that 82 percent of the first-year dental class received a baccalaureate degree prior to dental school enrollment