Completely new and worried individual with a ton of questions...

[gsr0102]

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Ever since I was a child I remember always wanting to become a dentist. Well, the time has come to either transfer out of my community college and gain a bachelors(apply to dental school after) or apply to dental school after taking the DAT. This is where my confusion comes....

I have been attending a community college for the past three years due to family and financial situations that have been extremely difficult to deal with. I am almost finished with all of the prereq classes for most dental schools that do not require a bachelors. Due to this, I have maintained a science GPA of 3.0 and have applied to chemistry programs at certain UC schools.

I was speaking to a student attending my community college with a 3.1 science gpa who had kicked butt on the DAT and had acceptances at USC, UoP and Loma Linda dental schools. I was wondering if this could be a route that I could possibly take? I understand that my gpa is not competitive and I will have to completely rock the DAT to have a chance at California dental schools(I prefer to stay in CA). I KNOW I can do well on the DAT, I just keep asking myself if a CC student can really surpass someone with a degree in the eyes of an admissions officer? I feel somewhat lost looking for help, please point me in the right direction! 🙂 I know it will all work out in the end, I just want to make the end come sooner rather than later.

 

[gsr0102]

3.0 and from a CC hurts you a lot i think....i think you should retake prereqs at a 4 year college...doesnt have to be a fancy 4 year school, but i def feel there is a bias toward 4 year schools. that is my opinion.

Is it really that big of a bias?

I also forgot to mention that I have volunteered at a hospital for the past year and have also been shadowing a local dentist for the past four years.

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

Ever since I was a child I remember always wanting to become a dentist. Well, the time has come to either transfer out of my community college and gain a bachelors(apply to dental school after) or apply to dental school after taking the DAT. This is where my confusion comes....

I have been attending a community college for the past three years due to family and financial situations that have been extremely difficult to deal with. I am almost finished with all of the prereq classes for most dental schools that do not require a bachelors. Due to this, I have maintained a science GPA of 3.0 and have applied to chemistry programs at certain UC schools.

I was speaking to a student attending my community college with a 3.1 science gpa who had kicked butt on the DAT and had acceptances at USC, UoP and Loma Linda dental schools. I was wondering if this could be a route that I could possibly take? I understand that my gpa is not competitive and I will have to completely rock the DAT to have a chance at California dental schools(I prefer to stay in CA). I KNOW I can do well on the DAT, I just keep asking myself if a CC student can really surpass someone with a degree in the eyes of an admissions officer? I feel somewhat lost looking for help, please point me in the right direction! 🙂 I know it will all work out in the end, I just want to make the end come sooner rather than later.

These chemistry programs at the UC schools.... are you talking about a masters? A bachelors degree?

Your sci GPA is on the lower side, and having that from a CC makes it look worse. But if you get really good grades from this "chemistry program" that can help. I would recommend some upper level biology and science courses to help that GPA. And take them at a four year school. You don't need a 3.5+ necessarily but applying with a 3.0 from a CC is risky.

 

[DJ DDS]

Read these two websites, they should help you with your basic questions.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=405372
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=405372
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=95878

 

[doc toothache]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=810649
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=791511
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=813958
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=527335

 

[txlotusboys37]

3.0 and from a CC hurts you a lot i think....i think you should retake prereqs at a 4 year college...doesnt have to be a fancy 4 year school, but i def feel there is a bias toward 4 year schools. that is my opinion.

I don't think that is completely true..maybe for some schools but I took most at least half of my prereqs at CC and I was accepted to 2 of the 3 schools that I applied to in texas. I would call the schools that you want to get into and ask them.

 

[doc toothache]

I don't think that is completely true..maybe for some schools but I took most at least half of my prereqs at CC and I was accepted to 2 of the 3 schools that I applied to in texas. I would call the schools that you want to get into and ask them.

You don't suppose that your AA/TS may have had something to do with pretty much ignoring where your pre reqs were taken?

 

[txlotusboys37]

You don't suppose that your AA/TS may have had something to do with pretty much ignoring where your pre reqs were taken?

I'm not saying that my AA/TS didn't play a role. Just that it depends on the school. When I interviewed at Baylor, Dr. Miller said that CC classes were just fine. In fact, she said that she liked them and that they're cheaper anyways. So, I would say still "I don't think that is completely true." Again, ask the schools that you're applying to...each school is different. Taking from a university definitely looks better though. Just saying that taking all your pre-reqs at a university is not the only route.

 

[doc toothache]

I'm not saying that my AA/TS didn't play a role. Just that it depends on the school. When I interviewed at Baylor, Dr. Miller said that CC classes were just fine. In fact, she said that she liked them and that they're cheaper anyways. So, I would say still "I don't think that is completely true." Again, ask the schools that you're applying to...each school is different. Taking from a university definitely looks better though. Just saying that taking all your pre-reqs at a university is not the only route.

If you presented yourself with say 18/18/18, there is a good chance you may not have had the opportunity to talk to Dr. M.

 

[HeyCharlie]

Ever since I was a child I remember always wanting to become a dentist.

You must have been a strange child lol. I never heard of any little kid who wants to go to the dentist, let alone become one. Are you sure about your claim bro?

 

[txlotusboys37]

If you presented yourself with say 18/18/18, there is a good chance you may not have had the opportunity to talk to Dr. M.

I never disagreed with that did I?

all i'm saying is that taking prereqs at a 4yr university is not an absolute. I know that some school will not take them from a CC, no exceptions; however, that is not true for all school

Though I did graduate from a 4yr university...took CC credits during the summers...a different situation from gsr0102

 

[HeyCharlie]

The few people who enter dental school each year without a bachelor's are exceptional meaning they have 3.9+ GPAs and 24+ DATs. Better go with Plan B.

 

[txlotusboys37]

Hey charlie, let's go to candy mountain...c'mon charlie. Have you seen that?

Ya, agree... having an undergrad degree is something that dental schools prefer.