Alright. 5th year, an option?

[laee3]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So here I am, conetemplating with myself whether I should stay for 5th year or not. I'm not even a senior yet lol. I'm in my second year of college, just started the second semester. I been lurking around here and gathering information. I have couple of questions to you guys. I have f-1 visa, but I graduated both, jr high and high school in California. Wiill they still require me to take TOEFL?? I been reading about TOEFL requirements on Dental schools website and, they want 600 out of 645, and that's about 90 percentile. I thought it was ridiculous! I did some example of TOEFL questions, and they are strictly based on grammar. If so, I need to take this test and I really don't think i will get over 600 at first try. I just finished my volunteer orientation at local children's hospital, and I wonder if I will have good amount volunteering time before I get to apply. And I still haven't started shadowing yet. I still got Biochem, two semesters of organic chem. two semesters of calculated based physics, to fulfill the requirement and I would like to take anatomy to prepare myself for D.A.T.
There are so many things to be done for me and I want to take a full advantage of my options, before I apply. So should I consider 5th year as my option? I just think I will have more volunteering hours and shawdoing hours, and give me more time to study for D.A.T and TOEFL? Do you think dental schools won't like that??? What do you think, I really need some feedback.

 

[laee3]

nobody????

 

[lgwdnbdgr]

What do you think, I really need some feedback.

My best advice would be to RELAX! You have two and a half years left of a "normal" undergrad. By your 4th year, you'll have taken Orgo and Anatomy, so the DAT will seem a LOT easier to you than it does now. You are already starting volunteer work at a hospital, so you'll have lots by the time you apply.

Stay a fifth year if it will provide you an opportunity to do something you may never get to do again. Don't stay just to try to boost your score on some magical dental school admissions formula. The adcomms won't care either way if you took a fifth year.

Look at it this way -- they've been doing this a LOT longer than any of us have. So, if you and I can figure out that a particular issue will likely have no value in predicting your success in dental school, the adcomms certainly already know it.

Finally, to reiterate, relax. The right decision will come much clearer when you get closer. I suspect that two years from now, you'll be laughing that you were even stressing about this. 🙂

 

[laee3]

haha thanks for the feedback. I know i been stressed out lately. I didn't realize that dental school don't really accept international students like myself. Anyhow, I guess I will just keep doing what I'm doing, but if I feel there is need i guess i will do the fifth year. Fifth year might be important to me, since my green card might come out that yer. See, I came to u.s in 2000, and i might get a green card in 2010. So who knows lol.

 

[JaCkito]

So here I am, conetemplating with myself whether I should stay for 5th year or not. I'm not even a senior yet lol. I'm in my second year of college, just started the second semester. I been lurking around here and gathering information. I have couple of questions to you guys. I have f-1 visa, but I graduated both, jr high and high school in California. Wiill they still require me to take TOEFL?? I been reading about TOEFL requirements on Dental schools website and, they want 600 out of 645, and that's about 90 percentile. I thought it was ridiculous! I did some example of TOEFL questions, and they are strictly based on grammar. If so, I need to take this test and I really don't think i will get over 600 at first try. I just finished my volunteer orientation at local children's hospital, and I wonder if I will have good amount volunteering time before I get to apply. And I still haven't started shadowing yet. I still got Biochem, two semesters of organic chem. two semesters of calculated based physics, to fulfill the requirement and I would like to take anatomy to prepare myself for D.A.T.
There are so many things to be done for me and I want to take a full advantage of my options, before I apply. So should I consider 5th year as my option? I just think I will have more volunteering hours and shawdoing hours, and give me more time to study for D.A.T and TOEFL? Do you think dental schools won't like that??? What do you think, I really need some feedback.

Hey Laee3,

Don't worry too much. I am an international student just like you. I am actually finishing my fourth year in college. I got accepted so far at 2 dental schools (2 out of 3). I still have to hear from one more.
Since you are doing your undergrad here in the states, you won't be required to take the toefl. Well, some schools will say so on their website. But don't worry, the DAT is enough to prove them that you understand english enough.

May God be with you on your journey!