Do dent schools care about the caliber of school you're coming from?

[GOLF]

it seems stupid that everybody's GPA would be counted on the same level, regardless of the competitiveness and caliber of the school. For instance, a 3.5 as a biology major at Stanford i'm sure is much more difficult to earn than a 3.7 with the same major at Appalachian State... but do dental schools realize that or account for it in their admissions process?

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[dentaldawg32]

This topic has been discussed ad nauseum. I think there was a thread on this just the other day, actually.

 

[GOLF]

ah my bad - i didn't catch it. i'll run a search

 

[AmpedUp]

Not really...though some schools don't like community college for pre-reqs.

 

[GOLF]

well then why even bother to go to a top-notch university. why not go to the cruddiest school that's still above a community college or ITT tech?

 

[AmpedUp]

well then why even bother to go to a top-notch university. why not go to the cruddiest school that's still above a community college or ITT tech?

I mean, it matters sometimes...but honestly, how many people from top-notch universities apply to dental school (or pharmacy school)? There's way more dental school applicants from lower-tier universities, so it's hard to distinguish GPA inflation by looking at a particular school (I'm sure some dental schools emphasize it and some don't - I can't read minds). And as some have indicated on here, a strong DAT score can offset a bad GPA. But it seems that it doesn't matter where you go as long as you do well in the required courses (and beyond).

 

[dent2014]

That's what the DAT is for... It equalizes the playing field.

 

[Predent68]

I think more or less adcom has their own distinction among schools. To a certain extent, everyone is branded and tends to choose candidates from top-tier universities. I know one might argue that that's because these candidates from top-tier schools are highly motivated, which contributes to more of them in the applicant pool and/or entering class composition. But, you also have to factor in the fact that adcom would be more likely to consider the success rate of previous students from those top-tier universities in their program when they admit students. During interviews, my school was brought up from time to time because previous alumni have been performing great in their program. So I would say the caliber of the school is always factored in when comparing students.

 

[kapmann]

From what I've heard lets put it this way...

A 3.8 at Harvard is probably better than a 3.8 at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

BUT a 3.5 at Harvard is not necessarily better than a 3.8 at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

It's one way to seperate candidates that are close, but they probably won't overdwell on it. Just do well at the school you're at.

 

[Eddie17]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=666363

here's a link to a thread I started in Sept. 2009...check it out

 

[dmoney2010]

From what I've heard lets put it this way...

A 3.8 at Harvard is probably better than a 3.8 at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

BUT a 3.5 at Harvard is not necessarily better than a 3.8 at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

It's one way to seperate candidates that are close, but they probably won't overdwell on it. Just do well at the school you're at.

I totally agree with this. But OP the thing to keep in mind is that the 3.8 at Harvard is really only gonna be treated as better is the person killing grades like that at Harvard is also killing the DAT. Who really cares if you went to a top tier university and got good grades but cant score well on the DAT. Its a combination of the two that matter, why else would there be so many people getting in to DS with close to, or sub, 3.0's?

 

[GOLF]

well the reason im concerned is because i think some schools are a lot tougher than people think. I have a 3.2 right now, and even tho that doesn't look hot, it's been hard work to earn it. i made a 23/23/24 (AA/TS/PAT) on the DAT, so i don't think i'm imagining it or just looking for a quick excuse either.

 

[DMD Trumps MD]

Actually at these schools, like Duke etc. they have more of a problem with grade inflation....basically they're more inclined to hand out grades so as not to piss off the mommies and daddies who donate money. If more folks get accepted from these "prestigious/elitist" schools then you also have to account for the fact that the adcoms see the deep pocket background which represents a possible future revenue stream via alum donations.

I know this is hard to accept and I know there will now be gnashing of teeth

 

[dentaldawg32]

Actually at these schools, like Duke etc. they have more of a problem with grade inflation....basically they're more inclined to hand out grades so as not to piss off the mommies and daddies who donate money. If more folks get accepted from these "prestigious/elitist" schools then you also have to account for the fact that the adcoms see the deep pocket background which represents a possible future revenue stream via alum donations.

I know this is hard to accept and I know there will now be gnashing of teeth

Do you have any data to back that up? Duke is a difficult school.

 

[Vicviper]

well the reason im concerned is because i think some schools are a lot tougher than people think. I have a 3.2 right now, and even tho that doesn't look hot, it's been hard work to earn it. i made a 23/23/24 (AA/TS/PAT) on the DAT, so i don't think i'm imagining it or just looking for a quick excuse either.

Don't worry, your DAT scores show that you're better than just a B average, and that's what really counts. I had a 22AA 30RC, with a 3.01 and got into top dental schools just fine.

 

[nanilla]

There is no possible way for adcoms or anyone else to distinguish between students that attend different universities because of grade inflation. Notoriously, the ivy league schools and stanford have had a greater degree of grade inflation than the rest. That is not to take away from an ivy education since the base level is higher than the rest, just that it is hard to compare.

http://www.gradeinflation.com/Stanford.html

 

[lynnep]

I went to Cornell and we definitely didn't have grade inflation. Sometimes I wish I would've gone to a regional campus of my state university and gotten a higher GPA rather than trying to compete with a bunch of pre-meds who went to private prep schools. Students were very competitive there.

Actually at these schools, like Duke etc. they have more of a problem with grade inflation....basically they're more inclined to hand out grades so as not to piss off the mommies and daddies who donate money. If more folks get accepted from these "prestigious/elitist" schools then you also have to account for the fact that the adcoms see the deep pocket background which represents a possible future revenue stream via alum donations.

I know this is hard to accept and I know there will now be gnashing of teeth

 

[coolfez]

I love how eveyone is bashing tier one schools with grade inflation.

I go to a tier one school and you should see my classes. They are not afraid to fail people. Why? Because the professors are hired because of their ability to do research, their job and tenure is based on HOW MUCH RESEARCH AND HOW SIGNIFICANT their findings are! They could care less about if they can't teach very well! I wish my transcript had statics beside every class to show how many people got D and below and how many got A's.

 

[coolfez]

I went to Cornell and we definitely didn't have grade inflation. Sometimes I wish I would've gone to a regional campus of my state university and gotten a higher GPA rather than trying to compete with a bunch of pre-meds who went to private prep schools. Students were very competitive there.

Agree! I remember freshman calculus, My friends who went to private school with AP calculus didn't show upt o class until the exam day and aces everything where I'm working my ass off coming from a small farming school where nobody even knew what AP exams were.

I remember asking my counselor about when the AP exam dates were and she said "i'll look it up in the internet" that goes to show the caliber of my high school. I was the first one to take an AP exam in 5 years.

 

[Heretotalk]

Unless you are coming from west point military academy, no other school in the united states will matter.

 

[doc3232]

Schools know that top tier schools are difficult. BUT that does NOT mean that you can get B's instead of A's.
It's just a big + on your app.

 

[GOLF]

I love how eveyone is bashing tier one schools with grade inflation.

I go to a tier one school and you should see my classes. They are not afraid to fail people. Why? Because the professors are hired because of their ability to do research, their job and tenure is based on HOW MUCH RESEARCH AND HOW SIGNIFICANT their findings are! They could care less about if they can't teach very well! I wish my transcript had statics beside every class to show how many people got D and below and how many got A's.

it's the same thing where i go too, and on top of that, nearly every person in a science class here is running and gunning for the same thing - a spot in med/dent school. i'm not saying my B's and C's deserve to be A's, but the classes are cutthroat and people aren't stupid here

 

[coolfez]

Golf, are u looking to apply this year?

 

[GOLF]

yeh. you too?

 

[coolfez]

No, next year. I got into a program at my school where I get a free year with tuition paid to take business and entrepreneur classes.

What school do you go to?

 

[Oracle DMD]

it's the same thing where i go too, and on top of that, nearly every person in a science class here is running and gunning for the same thing - a spot in med/dent school. i'm not saying my B's and C's deserve to be A's, but the classes are cutthroat and people aren't stupid here

debatable. anyways, that's why there is a DAT. historically there have been cases of grade inflation (and deflation) at top tiers and ivy schools. If you think it's that much tougher, then maybe you don't belong in those classes. If you could have had a 4.0 at a state then you are a fool for not going to a state. it is time to cowboy the heck up and not make excuses "but my classes were harder! " because there will be very little leeway for your academic record.

generally i tell people that if you went to a really tough school that you might be given a 0.2 gpa "bump" or consideration over a state school equivalent. keep in mind that this bump is theoretical and not added to your app on any forms. its a consideration not a gift.

 

[THINKOFMYFUTURE]

Of course. My school is .50 caliber. I just blew away the adcoms.

 

[dentalWorks]

Golf ~

I think with your monsterous DAT score, I HIGHLY doubt many schools are going to even look at your GPA.

From what EVERY dental school I've called, they seem to not care where you go to college, they just prefer 4-year univ over community college, thats all. And yes GPA from a tough ivy is harder to get than a GPA from a college that has only total student body count of 1000, but thats why they created the DAT. They know GPAs aren't the same, and they know that internally, they all treat GPAs the same (meaning they prefer a 3.6-art major from a "low-end" college over 3.2-nuclear engineering from harvard) but... they equalize it with the DAT.

 

[Blarelli]

My school did not make any of the tiers in the US News, and is an open admissions school. Despite this, over 50% of the dental school applicants from my school are accepted each year with an average gpa of 3.5, and average AA of 20. So maybe going to a top school can earn you a little bit of leeway, but I really think it comes down to the DAT and EC's.

 

[GOLF]

No, next year. I got into a program at my school where I get a free year with tuition paid to take business and entrepreneur classes.

What school do you go to?

UNC.... waaaaaait a second - that program that you just described sounded like something i got an email about recently...

debatable. anyways, that's why there is a DAT. historically there have been cases of grade inflation (and deflation) at top tiers and ivy schools. If you think it's that much tougher, then maybe you don't belong in those classes. If you could have had a 4.0 at a state then you are a fool for not going to a state. it is time to cowboy the heck up and not make excuses "but my classes were harder! " because there will be very little leeway for your academic record.

generally i tell people that if you went to a really tough school that you might be given a 0.2 gpa "bump" or consideration over a state school equivalent. keep in mind that this bump is theoretical and not added to your app on any forms. its a consideration not a gift.

and oracle - i don't know what school you're coming from, but i'm not making excuses. i fully earned and worked hard for a 3.2 - it's just that there's a lot of people here just as good if not better - i'm not saying it should be higher. im saying it's tougher than trying to make the same GPA at chico state or ecu, and asking whether adcoms look at that at all. and my statement that there's no idiots here is not debatable, at least not in the science department. the idiots got weeded out with bio and chem 101.

 

[GOLF]

Of course. My school is .50 caliber. I just blew away the adcoms.

hahaha i see what you did there - good one

 

[coolfez]

hi GOLF,

It's called the Kaufman's Entrepreneur Year (KEY) program. What was your DAT scores? I heard you got a really good score? And how did you study? I am going to start studying this summer, along with the GRE ... and taking 12 credits of upper science... and finishing up my research... blahh