ok so I'm really passionate about dentistry and dental school is a set goal for me. I just finished my first semester in college and my grades weren't that impressive. I got B+ in general chemistry and my overall gpa is 3.6 (3.581) to be exact. is this a good start? do Bs and B+ on science courses look bad when applying to dental schools? I know i might seem paranoid but i really don't know if I'm on the right track and i want to have a solid start in terms of grades and GPA as classes only get harder especially with organic chemistry. Ive always struggled with chemistry but i can pull of Bs, not sure about As but I'm solid in biology which I'm taking next semester. thanks in advance!
Am i doing well for first semester?
- Thread starter HM-boss
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Try to keep your science GPA at a 3.6 or above. You'll be fine
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it is recommended that you get an A in your science courses (pre-reqs) but it won't kill your chances if you get a few B's here and there just don't make it a habit... do the best you can and your GPA will reflect.
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Always work for the 4.0.
That way you'll give your max. If you give your max, you can't end with less than 3.70
(But as for this semester. Move on. You can't change it now. Good job though. I would say that more than 50% of the students don't do great their first semester).
That way you'll give your max. If you give your max, you can't end with less than 3.70
(But as for this semester. Move on. You can't change it now. Good job though. I would say that more than 50% of the students don't do great their first semester).
Thats really a good way to look at it and definitely working my hardest next semester 🙈
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It's never a bad thing to get some Bs on your transcript. For example during my undergrad I was never a straight A student in biology. I had a lot of A- and also some Bs (Gen Bio 2 I got a B- and I thought it was the end of life lol), but I just got accepted into 6 dental schools. My advice is of course try to improve, they love to see an upward trend. Also try to compensate by getting high grades in other classes. A couple of Bs is not bad because no one is perfect. So you have started well. Also remember it's not just about grades, DAT scores, shadowing, volunteering, and other extracurriculars also factor in. Good luck and you will definitely be in dental school.
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Agreed. An upward trend is key. I also had a handful of Bs throughout undergrad. As long as your final GPA and sGPA are competitive, individual grades aren't usually a problem.
thanks for the positive support! really means a lot! this is so stressing as i cant see myself doing anything besides dentistry. it will all be worth it at the end! and if you don't mind me asking what was your overall gpa and how many schools did u apply to?
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Sure. My overall GPA was 3.74, sGPA 3.58. And I applied to 9 schools, 7 interviews, declined 1 interview and got into 6.
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An upward trend is worthless compared to someone with a perfect 4.0. With that being said, I had a 3.2 my first semester, straight B's. It never was an issue. Just work hard and finalize your adjustment to college
