Ap Class Recomendation? Answer this thread, man!

[Kelcy Hannaganiko]

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-My high school does not offer any advanced math above precalculus. I took pre-calc in 10th grade and now I am in 11th grade w/ no math class. Should I self-study for the AP Calc AB exam? I would have to take the test in May, and I do not know if I would have enough time to prepare. I did not do so well in pre-calc (I received an 83 both semesters). If you think I should what text-books and/or prep books do you recommend. Or should i take a calc 1 class over the summer in 8 weeks at a local community college. I will most likely only be taking one math class for my designated major, which will be calc 1, so if i went the cc option, would it hurt my dental school application much if I received a C?

-Is it true that the majority of dental schools do not accept ap bio, because it does not include the lab?

-What ap classes did you take and use to skip your prerequisite classes? Were dental schools fine w/ you doing that?

-Is accounting a bad major for predental. I was going to major in a different degree, but I have been learning alot about accounting over the past few days and it seems quite interesting. It would also be a good fall-back, if for some unforeseen circumstance I am not accepted. Is it true that dental schools have a misconception about business majors & think they are greedy.

I'M SORRY FOR THE WALL OF TEXT EVERYONE. I JUST WANTED TO INFORM YOU ALL ABOUT RANDOM THINGS GOING ON IN MY LIFE!!!!! 😀

 

[Kelcy Hannaganiko]

Also, what did each of you major in? Did you graduate in 4 years? Did the dental school you applied to find it interesting and was it mentioned during interviews?

 

[morning92]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. First thing's first: step back from SDN for a bit. High school is way too early to be worrying about the specifics of dental school. If you're already this stressed about it, you're going to burn yourself out long before you apply. This site is a great resource, but it's also terrible in that you're constantly monitoring it and comparing yourself to other current and future applicants. Just enjoy school and do the best you can for now. Come back when you're at the end of your sophomore year in college. Then it'll be time to stress a bit. c:

Mathwise, don't worry about taking AP or community college classes for now. Study precalc, review trigonometry and geometry, and keep the material fresh in your mind. This will help for college placement exams and will help you on the DAT as well. Once you're in college, take calculus 1 and 2 at your college/university of choice and just do the best you can. You will need these in order to take physics, as calc-based physics is a prerequisite for most schools. For the community college route, I'd strongly advise against it. The university that I attend does not accept community college classes, as community colleges (in my area, at least) are also considered to be of lower quality than universities/other colleges, so I can't imagine that a dental school would. It'd look better to get a C in a course at your college than at a community college.

As for AP credits, I'd strongly advise against taking any dental prerequisites at all (not just biology) as AP classes. Some dental schools don't accept AP credits and some of those that do make a big deal out of them. I've had problems with both the University of Florida and the University of Maryland's prerequisites because my english composition credits were taken in high school through AP credits. Basically, it's best to be safe rather than sorry on this front. However, for stuff such as history, language, etc, I'd say go for it.

Accounting is not a bad major for dentistry, but it may make it difficult for you to take all of the prerequisite courses. Keep in mind that you will need several semester hours of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry (+ labs) in order to meet even the basic requirements for admission to most dental schools. In addition to this, most schools highly recommend or require taking histology, anatomy, psychology, sociology, microbiology, etc. If you feel that you are capable of filling all major requirements for a business major as well as meeting these requirements, then I see absolutely no reason why you shouldn't go for it! If this sounds like too much, maybe consider a business/accounting minor instead (which would look absolutely fabulous on a dental school application, might I say!)

Dentistry is not all about patient interaction. It's also very much a business. Dental schools will see a business major as a positive thing, rather than a commentary on your personality. Personality assessment is what interviews, letters of recommendation, and personal statements are for.

Finally, I'm a biochemistry major and will graduate after four years. Dental schools see hundreds to thousands of biological science majors each application cycle, so it wasn't interesting at all to them. From what I can tell, unless you're a dance major or something similar, they tend not to comment. Basic requirements and community service are far more important. c:

Hope this helped. Best of luck!