Do you guys think I made a wrong move?

[joonkimdds]

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I just finished 5th year as an undergraduate and about to start 6th year.
I finished all the requirements to graduate with B.S. in Bio but I took 1 more semester and now I am about to take more.

I know that taking 5 yrs is more than how many time people normally spend as an undergraduate(4yr).

I can graduate this summer if I want to. Spring graduation is already too late.

But I am thinking whether I should take 1 more yr and graduate after my 6th yr.

Here is the reason.

By taking human anatomy class, I can apply to howard dental school.

Also, I can apply to my back up program which is dental hygiene program.

But I think graduating after 6th year will make me look bad.

What do you guys think?

1. Shall I graduate now that I finished all the requirements to graduate in B.S. BIO
or
2. Take 1 more year as a part time and graduate after 6th year? 6th year sound worse than 5 th year but I can still take chances of applying to dental hygiene program if my dental school applications don't go well or I can also apply to howard dental school.

Thanks.

 

[Waitlisted2009]

why are you waiting all this time? why not just finish and apply? You have really low grades or something?

 

[Moe Lester]

1. Why would you want to become a dental hygienist, if you are already a biologist?

2. Do NOT depend on one single school to determine the rest of the year.

Graduate as soon as you can, take the DAT and apply, and get a research job after the DAT. If you have to take any upper level science courses, do it after you graduate and have taken the DAT, so you take one class and work full time simultaneously in the Fall 2009. After you complete the course, update all the schools in December with your grade who have not interviewed/rejected you.

 

[joonkimdds]

why are you waiting all this time? why not just finish and apply? You have really low grades or something?

I have 3.85 in Community college ( I was there for 1.5 yrs) and I have 3.73 in current 4 yr school (I was here for 3.5 yrs).

But if I graduate now without human anatomy classes, I cannot apply to Howard dental school (They require it) and I cannot apply to my back up plan which is dental hygiene program.

Do you think graduating now worth more than giving up on my back up plans?

And If I decide to graduate this summer, August 2009, that means I cannot send my transcript until August to AADSAS because otherwise it won't state that I have bachelor's degree and make it pointless to graduate now. Dental schools will think I still didn't graduate after 5 years even if I do graduate now if I send my transcripts before August graduation.

I will go to my campus tomorrow and ask them if they can put bachelor's degree in my transcript now before August graduation so I can send the transcript with degree to AADSAS as soon as the cycle starts.

But I will be taking DAT on August anyway so I don't know if it will make any differences.

1. Why would you want to become a dental hygienist, if you are already a biologist?

2. Do NOT depend on one single school to determine the rest of the year.

Graduate as soon as you can, take the DAT and apply, and get a research job after the DAT. If you have to take any upper level science courses, do it after you graduate and have taken the DAT, so you take one class and work full time simultaneously in the Fall 2009. After you complete the course, update all the schools in December with your grade who have not interviewed/rejected you.

I have Bio degree but I did it to apply to dental school. I am not interested in BIO as much as I am interested in dental. I am very interested in working in a dental office so that being a dental hygienist is my back up if I don't get into dental school.

 

[Waitlisted2009]

wtf I think you have problems, you have a million postings on these forums and seem to know nothing.

I will let someone else fix everything that you said. But come on you have problems

 

[wwdaffodils]

Lol.

 

[somethinpositiv]

wtf I think you have problems, you have a million postings on these forums and seem to know nothing.

I will let someone else fix everything that you said. But come on you have problems

that's so mean. yet hilarious.

 

[joonkimdds]

Howard is your backup plan?? Joon Kim, you wouldn't happen to be Korean would you? If so, you'd be wasting your time applying to Howard. Koreans are not URMs LOL

I heard that they accept 1~2 asians. I think I can be one of them 😎

 

[somethinpositiv]

Also, if you do apply to Howard and somehow are miraculously accepted, you can take your Anatomy class (or other pre-req) after you've been accepted but before you matriculate.

 

[somethinpositiv]

I heard that they accept 1~2 asians. I think I can be one of them 😎

That's not smart applying... I can name 30 schools you'd have a better chance at.

 

[colt]

I heard that they accept 1~2 asians.

And for that reason Howard is influencing your decision?😳

 

[joonkimdds]

Actually, applying to Howard or dental hygeiene program are not the only reason that I want to take anatomy classes. I think most dental schools recommend it.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Actually, applying to Howard or dental hygeiene program are not the only reason that I want to take anatomy classes. I think most dental schools recommend it.

Most schools recommend (but don't require) the Big Five upper-level Bio's:
Biochemistry, Physiology, Microbiology, Anatomy, and Histology

You don't need to take all of them... If you've taken 2 or 3, that's showing initiative in taking upper-level Bio classes. Personally, I didn't take Anatomy, I took BioChem, Micro, and Physiology instead. You only need Anatomy for Howard, Ohio State, and prob a couple others.

 

[MoLLy1988]

And If I decide to graduate this summer, August 2009, that means I cannot send my transcript until August to AADSAS because otherwise it won't state that I have bachelor's degree and make it pointless to graduate now. Dental schools will think I still didn't graduate after 5 years even if I do graduate now if I send my transcripts before August graduation.

I will go to my campus tomorrow and ask them if they can put bachelor's degree in my transcript now before August graduation so I can send the transcript with degree to AADSAS as soon as the cycle starts.

I don't know if you haven't realized this...but in order to apply to dental school you are not required to have already received your degree. You do not need to have the bachelor's degree in order to apply. You can apply ONE YEAR BEFORE your anticipated graduation for the bachelor's. In your last year of undergrad is when you will get you interviews and then usually in the spring that you are getting ready to graduate, you will recieve notifications of the schools you were accepted and/or rejected. then in the spring or summer you graduate with bachelors and then in fall you start dental school. You also don't have to have all of your prerequisites to apply. As long as you have your prerequisites done by the time you have to enter dental school you shouldn't have a problem. Hope this helps.

 

[joonkimdds]

I don't know if you haven't realized this...but in order to apply to dental school you are not required to have already received your degree. You do not need to have the bachelor's degree in order to apply. You can apply ONE YEAR BEFORE your anticipated graduation for the bachelor's. In your last year of undergrad is when you will get you interviews and then usually in the spring that you are getting ready to graduate, you will recieve notifications of the schools you were accepted and/or rejected. then in the spring or summer you graduate with bachelors and then in fall you start dental school. You also don't have to have all of your prerequisites to apply. As long as you have your prerequisites done by the time you have to enter dental school you shouldn't have a problem. Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. I knew that degree is not needed for applying but was worried because not graduating even after spending 5 years is not normal(I understand). But as long as it doesn't affect my chance of acceptance, and if it's ok for me to take another year, I would like to so that I can take anatomy class.

The only thing that I am not sure how long my science credits are valid.
Dental hygiene school say my credits are valid for 6 years prior to application.
I don't know if dental schools have the same rule.

 

[MoLLy1988]

Thank you very much. I knew that degree is not needed for applying but was worried because not graduating even after spending 5 years is not normal(I understand). But as long as it doesn't affect my chance of acceptance, and if it's ok for me to take another year, I would like to so that I can take anatomy class.

The only thing that I am not sure how long my science credits are valid.
Dental hygiene school say my credits are valid for 6 years prior to application.
I don't know if dental schools have the same rule.

Actually nowadays it takes the "Average" student 5 years to complete their bachelors degree. I'm a year behind in graduating as well. It will take me a total of 5 years (Maybe 5.5, because I don't know the future) to get my bachelors instead of 4. I don't think the dental school will be concerned about you taking 5 years or more to complete your degree. They are more concerned with grades. They would rather see someone who took 5 or 6 years to complete the bachelors with a gpa higher than 3.5, than someone who rushed in 4 years with a gpa less than 3.5. Also if someone took a year off from school, as long as they weren't doing nothing it shouldn't affect them. They may ask what that person did while they weren't in school, and as long as they have good reason it won't matter. There are plenty of people who take their time, because they have a family, children, a full-time job, financial obligations, and other reasons. So seriously I wouldn't worry about it, you'll be fine. Just focus on good grades. as far as the science courses being valid I'm not sure how to answer that question. Truthfully I would go ahead and apply this cycle if I were you (if you feel your ready to take DAT) and take your anatomy while you wait to hear from the dental schools.

 

[timwatley]

What on earth have you been posting? 2,000 posts and you still have questions about anatomy and physiology? Sorry, I don't want to be rude, but seriously..

 

[TeamGuo]

you need some confidence man. stop living the back up life and step up.

 

[joonkimdds]

I found out that Howard is not the only school that requires anatomy. I guess I have no choice but to take anatomy anyway~ 🙂

 

[Kneecoal]

why are you worried about applying to... howard... with a 3.73...?

 

[doc toothache]

There are some decisions in life, like what side of the bed to get up, should not be influenced by how adcoms would view them.

 

[somethinpositiv]

I found out that Howard is not the only school that requires anatomy. I guess I have no choice but to take anatomy anyway~ 🙂

You knew that beforehand, and you were going to take Anatomy regardless, despite the fact that it's not required for any relevant school that you have a chance at. So why ask the question at all...?

 

[askadds]

I found out that Howard is not the only school that requires anatomy. I guess I have no choice but to take anatomy anyway~ 🙂

i got into howard w/o anatomy...when you dont apply, you have a big 0% chance of getting accepted..😴

 

[preOMFS]

By taking human anatomy class, I can apply to howard dental school.

Not only should you waste a year to take anatomy for this ONE school, but you should also ONLY apply to this one school. If you apply to more you'll be shooting yourself in the foot because all the other schools will see you are applying to Howard.

Seriously. Sometimes I think admin committees should be able to weed people out by comments they post on SDN.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Not only should you waste a year to take anatomy for this ONE school, but you should also ONLY apply to this one school. If you apply to more you'll be shooting yourself in the foot because all the other schools will see you are applying to Howard.

This guys needs to be a school academic adviser. 👍
This advise is as good as, or better than, anything my adviser has told me.

 

[somethinpositiv]

i got into howard w/o anatomy...when you dont apply, you have a big 0% chance of getting accepted..😴

.

 

[glk2101]

i have inside information that the adcoms at howard are big on video games..so make sure you put that down in your personal statement!

 

[joonkimdds]

Ok guys, thank you for great advice~
I decided to just graduate.
I think I have been paranoid with all the stressful events and the pressure from applying to dental school made me think too much about back up plans.
I am just going to graduate without anatomy class. This means I will focus on becoming a dentist without any back up.
I will give my best shot.
Thank you guys for giving me a wake up call.
I appreciate it.

 

[Californian]

Joon. LOL cheer up!

 

[Danny289]

Actually nowadays it takes the "Average" student 5 years to complete their bachelors degree. I'm a year behind in graduating as well. It will take me a total of 5 years (Maybe 5.5, because I don't know the future) to get my bachelors instead of 4. I don't think the dental school will be concerned about you taking 5 years or more to complete your degree. They are more concerned with grades. They would rather see someone who took 5 or 6 years to complete the bachelors with a gpa higher than 3.5, than someone who rushed in 4 years with a gpa less than 3.5. Also if someone took a year off from school, as long as they weren't doing nothing it shouldn't affect them. They may ask what that person did while they weren't in school, and as long as they have good reason it won't matter. There are plenty of people who take their time, because they have a family, children, a full-time job, financial obligations, and other reasons. So seriously I wouldn't worry about it, you'll be fine. Just focus on good grades. as far as the science courses being valid I'm not sure how to answer that question. Truthfully I would go ahead and apply this cycle if I were you (if you feel your ready to take DAT) and take your anatomy while you wait to hear from the dental schools.

thanks lord Joon kim found his/her way 🙂 . you oppened very important topic here. Dental school want to see you are taking over 11-12 hours per semester they like to see 15-18 hours per semester and logic behind that is so simple each semester in dental school is equal 20-24 hours in undergraduate program, they want to make sure you can handle those heavy coyrses in DS. If there is not any excuse like employee or some thing like it is better taking 14+ in each semester. ( this is not my words I heard it from dental school admission)

 

[visbimmer79]

you need some confidence man. stop living the back up life and step up.

 

[notin]

Ok guys, thank you for great advice~
I decided to just graduate.
I think I have been paranoid with all the stressful events and the pressure from applying to dental school made me think too much about back up plans.
I am just going to graduate without anatomy class. This means I will focus on becoming a dentist without any back up.
I will give my best shot.
Thank you guys for giving me a wake up call.
I appreciate it.

you know that you can take classes after you graduate right?

 

[Doctor McLovin]

Just the fact that you were even considering taking another year disgusts me. Come on man, step your life game up.

 

[predent6551]

wtf I think you have problems, you have a million postings on these forums and seem to know nothing.

I will let someone else fix everything that you said. But come on you have problems

You are well on your way to a million posting here as well, but based on your public bashing (or is it now alleged because you deleted it all?) of the "racist" school that accepted you, I would say you and the OP are in the same boat.

Maybe you should just stop giving advice and throwing out condescending insults until you fix your life eh?