Current status, and a few questions. How am I doing? I NEED y'alls help!

[thelazyvaca]

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[thelazyvaca]

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[thelazyvaca]

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[Its_Me_G]

Few things: first, you have too many LORs. Of the 3 from pediatric dentists, pick just one. And drop the letter from your HS teacher, you only get to submit 4 letters total so either 3 science professors (or 2 science and 1 other) and a dentist or a committee letter and a dentist. Second, your GPA won’t be as high as you think because AADSAS doesn’t replace grades for retakes, it counts both grades (regardless of what your university does)

1. Get the majority of your prereqs done before applying so that schools can see those grades. Most schools, however, just require all of the prereqs to be done prior to matriculation, so don’t sweat it if you’re missing a class or two when you apply.

2. Best time to apply is ASAP. I’m assuming you will apply next year or rhe year after. The cycle will open in mid-May and you can start submitting on June 1st. It’s a good idea to take your DAT before the cycle opens so that you have time for a re-take if you need.

3. Yes, dental schools use your GPA at the time you apply, so if your GPA after your junior year isn’t what you want it to be, apply after graduation. There’s also an academic update period 6 months into the cycle, where you can update your summer and fall grades only one time.

4. When the application opens in May, put all your professors and dentists information in so that they can get started on their part. Make sure you give them enough time to write a letter (ask a few months before the application opens)

5. I believe you can update these as you go, but since you won’t be applying for at least a year, try to get them done now.

6. Not sure

7. Refer to 1

8. Just make sure you’re on top of everything so that you can submit on June 1st. It takes a few weeks to verify your transcripts and DAT

9. That’s up to you and how you study. I took my DAT the summer before I applied so that I didn’t feel rushed and I had time to re-take if I needed to.

10. Check out the ADEA official guide to dental schools

Good luck!

 

[Its_Me_G]

Thank you for the response. The reason for so many letters is that I have three cousins that are Pediatric Dentists. Anyway I can use that to my advantage? Do dental schools look at retakes at all? I'd really like to think I have an alright trajectory, I am not in a bad position am I?

From what I hear, schools like letters from general dentists more than specialities because you are applying to school to become a dentist, not a specialist. Lots of people say not to mention during an interview that you want to specialize. So that being said, you should look into getting the bulk of your shadowing hours through a general dentist and have them write your letters.

Regarding the class retakes, they do look at the fact that you did better when you retook the class, but they will still see the initial grade and it will still factor into your GPA. As for you being in a bad position or not, I don’t know. Just do your best to crush the DAT, focus on doing well on higher level science classes, taking your prereqs, shadowing, and volunteering and you should be fine when you apply

 

[Symphonies]

For your GPA calculation after summer semester, are you completely replacing the grades? I believe the application itself takes into consideration all of your grades, even if your university replaces them.

 

[bwc]

Thank you for the response. The reason for so many letters is that I have three cousins that are Pediatric Dentists. Anyway I can use that to my advantage? Do dental schools look at retakes at all? I'd really like to think I have an alright trajectory, I am not in a bad position am I?

The recommenders being your cousins is most likely a red flag. Schools frown upon having a letter of recommendation from a from somebody who is too close to you, and I would assume being a cousin is considered too close. Also, the application allows a total of four letters, and most schools require at least two science professor letters.

Anyways, retaking a course you already passed may not be a red flag (assuming you get an A the second attempt), it will not strengthen you application. Retaking a course to get an A is doable by almost everybody, so doing so will not impress them. Also they will include all attempts in your GPA calculation, regardless of what your school does, so getting an A in the retake will not give you a true A in the course for the purposes of applying to dental school.

 

[Bingwen]

My university replaces grades on the transcript

Like was said above the AADSAS counts all courses even if your university doesn't

 

[tiper15]

Like was said above the AADSAS counts all courses even if your university doesn't

I think what OP is trying to say is that his previous mark wont show up at all on his transcript, even when they were taken. So if they dont appear at all, AADSAS won't know that he retook them and therefore it wont affect the GPA.

 

[Its_Me_G]

I think what OP is trying to say is that his previous mark wont show up at all on his transcript, even when they were taken. So if they dont appear at all, AADSAS won't know that he retook them and therefore it wont affect the GPA.

You are still obligated to report it on AADSAS though