any advice out there??

[NJDental]

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hey guys - just seeing if anyone out there has any advice - im currently a sophomore at college, im taking orgo this fall, and i plan on applying in the spring for fall '09 (i prob will take DAT in winter). would it make more sense to take an extra year to bring the good ol' gpa up? (it currently fell to a 3.0).......im just not sure how dental school would look at me for doing 5 years for my undergrad. then i thought if i DO take another year it gives me more time to prepare for DAT.......

thanks!!!

 

[Regmata]

you are unfortunately applying at a time when dental school is extremely competitive. a 3.0 gpa will have to be compensated for with an outstanding dat score. so what you have to do to get the score, or get your gpa up

 

[DrSmiles12]

1-Its very hard to get accepted with a low GPA. ITS WAY TOO COMPETATIVE RIGHT NOW

2-You could get accepted with that score if you had a SUPER GOOD DAT score.. We are talking probably 23ish or above.

3-I think a d-school would rather see a student take 5 years to graduate and have a gpa than a bad gpa.

My advice, IF you really want to be a Dentist STUDY your but off and get you GPA up. Smoke the DAT and take a good 2-3 months to prepare for it.

 

[UOP_Dentist]

1-Its very hard to get accepted with a low GPA. ITS WAY TOO COMPETATIVE RIGHT NOW

2-You could get accepted with that score if you had a SUPER GOOD DAT score.. We are talking probably 23ish or above.

3-I think a d-school would rather see a student take 5 years to graduate and have a gpa than a bad gpa.

My advice, IF you really want to be a Dentist STUDY your but off and get you GPA up. Smoke the DAT and take a good 2-3 months to prepare for it.

I couldn't agree more.

Interesting, that it is more comptetive now than ever before.

 

[DrSmiles12]

I couldn't agree more.

Interesting, that it is more comptetive now than ever before.

I know, how did we get so lucky?

 

[djeffreyt]

I couldn't agree more.

Interesting, that it is more comptetive now than ever before.

...than ever before in recent history.

Don't feel like you're the only ones to have to suffer through this. There are about 12,000 dental applicants each year right now for the 4,500 or so seats. But it wasn't that long ago, in the early 1970s that there were over 17,000 applicants for just a little over 4,900 seats. There was a definite lull in the 80s and early 90's, but we still haven't hit the same level of competitiveness. Talk to a few dentists who graduated in the 1970's...they're freaking geniuses.

 

[johntara04]

I was looking at dental admission stats for 1989 or 1987 (I can't remember which) and there were 4,200 (approx) seats and only 4,800 (approx) applicants! 😱 Talk about the prime time to apply!

 

[PChemGrad]

U.S. dental schools applicant and enrollment trends, 1989–2002 Trends occurring in DAT counts, dental school applicants, and total first-year enrollments since 1989, the year from which the number of applicants and first-year enrollments began to increase, following their steady declines from the mid- and late 1970s


http://www.jdentaled.org/cgi/content/full/68/8/880#F1

 

[UOP_Dentist]

...than ever before in recent history.

Don't feel like you're the only ones to have to suffer through this. There are about 12,000 dental applicants each year right now for the 4,500 or so seats. But it wasn't that long ago, in the early 1970s that there were over 17,000 applicants for just a little over 4,900 seats. There was a definite lull in the 80s and early 90's, but we still haven't hit the same level of competitiveness. Talk to a few dentists who graduated in the 1970's...they're freaking geniuses.

you are absolutely right! When i was a dental assistant in college i worked for 3 dentists that grad in the 70's. Really smart people. I was very very impressed. Then i went to dental school and it was all panty raids and keggers. just kidding (that was only the 3rd year)

 

[PChemGrad]

Here is a good article, its from 2000 but it gives trends of applicants.

U.S. dental school applicants and enrollees: a ten year perspective
J Dent Educ. 64(12): 867-874 2000
http://www.adea.org/DEPR/Assocreportdec2000.PDF

 

[planetmrmr]

Most ppl attribute the trend in the 70's to so many ppl wanting to avoid the draft. Only the smartest did. But there is no such explanation nowadays.

 

[1992Corolla]

Apply when you're ready. I have a great resource for you: http://www.DMDstudent.com

 

[UOP_Dentist]

Apply when you're ready. I have a great resource for you: http://www.DMDstudent.com

WOW!! I can't believe they i didn't come across this DMDstudent.com forum in dental school. Geez, i coulda really boost my overall GPA. 😡