Don't think you'll make the Cut for Dental School? Here's Advice on what to Do

[Ehhhh]

Alright so this is just my advice and what I've learned in my current struggle. I hope this helps people in a difficult situations. Believe me I know how stressful this can be...



First where are you going wrong in your app?
1) DAT?
2) GPA?

If DAT --> the answer to this problem is simple, study hard and retake the DAT... Here are some good potential resources:

- Kaplan
- DAT achiever
- DAT destroyer
- Audio-learn

If GPA --> Now you're in the same boat as me... Answers the following questions to find out what you need to do...

How bad is you GPA?(science and overall)
- 2.5 to 3.0? --> OK you're not in too much trouble and you have some options...

1) Informal Postbac - Take upper div science classes at a local university. This way you can slowly bring up you GPA. Try not to do these at community college.

2) Formal Postbac - These usually are more structured in that you are guided in what classes to take. Also many times there is guidance for apps and letter of rec are given. There are numerous formal postbac programs throughout the US. Below are a couple I know off. More can be found here: http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ & http://hpap.syr.edu/LISTPB.HTM

- http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/profseq/health.html
- http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/biol/gradprogoverview.htm

3) Special Masters - These are generally 1 year masters that are great as GPA boosters and some are even targeted at people looking to boost credential in order to get in to professional school (dental in our case). Also many of these require a DAT score to enter. The draw-back to these is they maybe a little pricey. Below are a few I know of and more can found at the aamc and syr.edu website above.

- http://cell.tulane.edu/masters.htm
- http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp
- http://advanced.jhu.edu
- http://ucollege.artsci.wustl.edu/graduate_biology.php

4) Traditional Masters - These usually 2-2.5 years and require a thesis. Some of you might think you can just start the program and apply to dental school and if you get it then ditch it. I thought this way too for a while but unfortunately this isn't how it works 90% of the time. Most dental school will make it contingent that you finish the masters before you enter if you get in. Thus you must apply for dental school in your final year of the masters. This option is great if you're willing to spend more time and get a more meaningful degree. However you want the quick fix you should consider one of the options above. I am not going to list and traditional Master because there are so many however I will tell you that you should do a science related or public health masters.


Is your GPA below or way below 2.5?

--> Ok, don't worry you are not totally screwed! You can any of the option above except the Special Masters because many of them require a bit higher of a GPA. However, even though you can do any of these options I highly recommend in your case to do the Traditional Masters. You need to show the the schools you've grown and you are able to be successful on a graduate level. Essentially you want them to forget get about your undergraduate GPA.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK now i know you're thinking "Is there any other option?"

Yes a couple.

1) You can go to an international dental school. I don't know too much about these however I can tell you that most of them aren't ADA accredited. Therefore, once you complete the program you need to come back to the US and enter an international dentist program which in my understanding is quite difficult.

2) The other option is rarely talked about and is usually held as a myth but is apparently real. What I'm talking about is making a significant "donation". If you have the money you can make a "donation" to "help" your chances of acceptance. However, you can't just walk up to the school and say you have money and you want in, you must find the correct middle man(outside the school but connected) to make the exchange. So if you're rich and have the correct connections you can try this one out. I want to say I have no more information to give about this and I am in no way connected to this operation. Also I am not responsible for any of the actions that come of the preceding statements. Take from it what you will.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope all this helps some of you that maybe be stress about what to do...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dudewhensmydat]

You can also marry the dean's daughter.

 

[ddstobe]

Alright so this is just my advice and what I've learned in my current struggle. I hope this helps people in a difficult situations. Believe me I know how stressful this can be...



First where are you going wrong in your app?
1) DAT?
2) GPA?

If DAT --> the answer to this problem is simple, study hard and retake the DAT... Here are some good potential resources:

- Kaplan
- DAT achiever
- DAT destroyer
- Audio-learn

If GPA --> Now you're in the same boat as me... Answers the following questions to find out what you need to do...

How bad is you GPA?(science and overall)
- 2.5 to 3.0? --> OK you're not in too much trouble and you have some options...

1) Informal Postbac - Take upper div science classes at a local university. This way you can slowly bring up you GPA. Try not to do these at community college.

2) Formal Postbac - These usually are more structured in that you are guided in what classes to take. Also many times there is guidance for apps and letter of rec are given. There are numerous formal postbac programs throughout the US. Below are a couple I know off. More can be found here: http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ & http://hpap.syr.edu/LISTPB.HTM

- http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/profseq/health.html
- http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/biol/gradprogoverview.htm

3) Special Masters - These are generally 1 year masters that are great as GPA boosters and some are even targeted at people looking to boost credential in order to get in to professional school (dental in our case). Also many of these require a DAT score to enter. The draw-back to these is they maybe a little pricey. Below are a few I know of and more can found at the aamc and syr.edu website above.

- http://cell.tulane.edu/masters.htm
- http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp
- http://advanced.jhu.edu
- http://ucollege.artsci.wustl.edu/graduate_biology.php

4) Traditional Masters - These usually 2-2.5 years and require a thesis. Some of you might think you can just start the program and apply to dental school and if you get it then ditch it. I thought this way too for a while but unfortunately this isn't how it works 90% of the time. Most dental school will make it contingent that you finish the masters before you enter if you get in. Thus you must apply for dental school in your final year of the masters. This option is great if you're willing to spend more time and get a more meaningful degree. However you want the quick fix you should consider one of the options above. I am not going to list and traditional Master because there are so many however I will tell you that you should do a science related or public health masters.


Is your GPA below or way below 2.5?

--> Ok, don't worry you are not totally screwed! You can any of the option above except the Special Masters because many of them require a bit higher of a GPA. However, even though you can do any of these options I highly recommend in your case to do the Traditional Masters. You need to show the the schools you've grown and you are able to be successful on a graduate level. Essentially you want them to forget get about your undergraduate GPA.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK now i know you're thinking "Is there any other option?"

Yes a couple.

1) You can go to an international dental school. I don't know too much about these however I can tell you that most of them aren't ADA accredited. Therefore, once you complete the program you need to come back to the US and enter an international dentist program which in my understanding is quite difficult.

2) The other option is rarely talked about and is usually held as a myth but is apparently real. What I'm talking about is making a significant "donation". If you have the money you can make a "donation" to "help" your chances of acceptance. However, you can't just walk up to the school and say you have money and you want in, you must find the correct middle man(outside the school but connected) to make the exchange. So if you're rich and have the correct connections you can try this one out. I want to say I have no more information to give about this and I am in no way connected to this operation. Also I am not responsible for any of the actions that come of the preceding statements. Take from it what you will.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope all this helps some of you that maybe be stress about what to do...

Have you used audio-learn? Can you tell us something about it?

 

[xdianaax]

I just bought audio-learn a bit ago, I haven't started using it hardcore, but I have popped it in. It's a little bit dry, but I guess it gets the information across, now to see how much it gets across is the key...i'll keep you posted

 

[Ehhhh]

Have you used audio-learn? Can you tell us something about it?

I haven't really used it yet either... From what I hear it's really basic so I personally am going to use it in the beginning to get a good overview/review and them get in depth with my other resources.

 

[ddstobe]

xdianaax: Plz do let me know what you think about it. Thanks.

ehhhh:

 

[flossyourteeth]

Hi- so I am new here and would like to know what you guys think. I am a from Alberta, Canada and I am 24, I have always to be a dentist but I got side-tracked along the way so didnt so well on my DAT and some courses at school. I partied, drank and did all that i shouldnt have. Later, I decided to take charge of me and now, my gpa is around a 3.5ish. So, I am applying to some american schools because I am planning to move to states since I have immediate family there. I actually applied to chiropractic colleges across america and canada and got in, but now I am thinking about not going to chiro college since I really want to do dental school in states.

I called a few schools that i was interested in and i got a mixed reaction, to some i explained that its wise for me to attend chiro school for a year because there is no contract or guarantee that i will get into d-school and i could potentially waste a year of my life. Some places said that its okay that i m attending chiro school while i apply to dental but some also said that it may not be favoured since i m not showing commitment to dental school.
I even asked that in one of the sections of that AADSAS application, it asks "Have you previously, or are you currently applying to a health profession school other than dental school?" AND "If yes, indicate school(s), type of program, year applied, and also indicate if you were accepted and/or enrolled".
So, due to ethical reasons I have to say yes to the first question and to the second one, i could say "accepted but decided to not go because I love dentistry".
The problem is that I am not sure if I will make the right decision by not going to it because I may not get into dental school and I could "waste" another year of my life. Also, If I do say "accepted and enrolled", I may lower my chances of getting into dental because it shows a lack of commitment and also that "if this student dropped out of one school, they could also drop out of this one, flip flop person". So, Iam really confused , so is there anyone that can help me out? Tomorrow I will contact some places and inquire about this more. Do you guys know whether its possible to find out which institution some one is attending by looking at their social security card info? even if i say "accepted and decided not to go", I could say in my interview (if i get any) that i was not too sure at the time of application whether i will go to C-school or not, so I decided to go to C school later on after the submission of the application. So in this way, its really not a lie. Could I get into some sort of ethical or legal trouble for this? My intentions are good but could this be a problem? Could I just explain why I applied to C school in my personal statement? I dont want to lie but at the same time I dont want to waste another year of my life to count on dentistry. HELPPPPPPPP! PLEASE!

 

[ddstobe]

Hi- so I am new here and would like to know what you guys think. I am a from Alberta, Canada and I am 24, I have always to be a dentist but I got side-tracked along the way so didnt so well on my DAT and some courses at school. I partied, drank and did all that i shouldnt have. Later, I decided to take charge of me and now, my gpa is around a 3.5ish. So, I am applying to some american schools because I am planning to move to states since I have immediate family there. I actually applied to chiropractic colleges across america and canada and got in, but now I am thinking about not going to chiro college since I really want to do dental school in states.

I called a few schools that i was interested in and i got a mixed reaction, to some i explained that its wise for me to attend chiro school for a year because there is no contract or guarantee that i will get into d-school and i could potentially waste a year of my life. Some places said that its okay that i m attending chiro school while i apply to dental but some also said that it may not be favoured since i m not showing commitment to dental school.
I even asked that in one of the sections of that AADSAS application, it asks "Have you previously, or are you currently applying to a health profession school other than dental school?" AND "If yes, indicate school(s), type of program, year applied, and also indicate if you were accepted and/or enrolled".
So, due to ethical reasons I have to say yes to the first question and to the second one, i could say "accepted but decided to not go because I love dentistry".
The problem is that I am not sure if I will make the right decision by not going to it because I may not get into dental school and I could "waste" another year of my life. Also, If I do say "accepted and enrolled", I may lower my chances of getting into dental because it shows a lack of commitment and also that "if this student dropped out of one school, they could also drop out of this one, flip flop person". So, Iam really confused , so is there anyone that can help me out? Tomorrow I will contact some places and inquire about this more. Do you guys know whether its possible to find out which institution some one is attending by looking at their social security card info? even if i say "accepted and decided not to go", I could say in my interview (if i get any) that i was not too sure at the time of application whether i will go to C-school or not, so I decided to go to C school later on after the submission of the application. So in this way, its really not a lie. Could I get into some sort of ethical or legal trouble for this? My intentions are good but could this be a problem? Could I just explain why I applied to C school in my personal statement? I dont want to lie but at the same time I dont want to waste another year of my life to count on dentistry. HELPPPPPPPP! PLEASE!

Your 1st year of c school will dramatically help your 1st year in any health related professional schools, w/o a doubt cuz they are all pretty much learning the same things. Biochem, microbio, physio, pharmo etc... I have a feeling that the ADEA will not have the time to do background check on every applicants so I don't know. You might want to cut and paste and create a new thread so that you can get more attention and feedback. Sorry can't help much, good luck.

 

[who knows...]

this info is wonderful! thank you!

 

[lilietta2000]

Very thorough and useful Thanx Ehhhh?

 

[reapply2007]

If you have the sack of cash and want to buy your way into d-school you need to call the alumni foundation and make a named contribution. Named simply means that it should be of record who donated the money. For example, the donor's name can be associated with a large contribution to a specific campaign drive or the donor can start a scholarship/endowed professor/dedicated classroom or student lounge. The goal is to have the d-school applicant named as the contributor or to have the donor and the d-school applicant's name closely enough associated that there is little room for doubt of the association. Frequently, the donor even gets a tax write off for it. Of course, none of the above will come as something new to you if you have access to this kind of money.

 

[the dentist]

If you have the sack of cash and want to buy your way into d-school you need to call the alumni foundation and make a named contribution. Named simply means that it should be of record who donated the money. For example, the donor's name can be associated with a large contribution to a specific campaign drive or the donor can start a scholarship/endowed professor/dedicated classroom or student lounge. The goal is to have the d-school applicant named as the contributor or to have the donor and the d-school applicant's name closely enough associated that there is little room for doubt of the association. Frequently, the donor even gets a tax write off for it. Of course, none of the above will come as something new to you if you have access to this kind of money.

so how much would be a "nice" and recognizable donation?? i want to do this/

 

[hotrod0917]

should be a sticky?

 

[reapply2007]

so how much would be a "nice" and recognizable donation?? i want to do this/

For each school it's different. Harvard has the largest endowment of any private school except and for public schools Texas is at the top - at these schools you'll need a larger donation to catch the attention you desire. To find out what is eyecatching at your school of interest you need to make the call and start talking about a generous donation. Alternatively, go to the alumni foundation webpage of your target school and look at their ongoing campaigns to get a sense of what the school considers big money. You don't need to be in the top tier of donors, but definitely in the top half of all categories of donors. But if you have the money, the higher you go up the donor ladder the more attention you'll get.

 

[lilietta2000]

For each school it's different. Harvard has the largest endowment of any private school except and for public schools Texas is at the top - at these schools you'll need a larger donation to catch the attention you desire. To find out what is eyecatching at your school of interest you need to make the call and start talking about a generous donation. Alternatively, go to the alumni foundation webpage of your target school and look at their ongoing campaigns to get a sense of what the school considers big money. You don't need to be in the top tier of donors, but definitely in the top half of all categories of donors. But if you have the money, the higher you go up the donor ladder the more attention you'll get.

I wish I had that kind of money

 

[Ehhhh]

If you have that kind of money you're better off getting and MBA or investing wisely...

 

[Ehhhh]

Very thorough and useful Thanx Ehhhh?

Ehhhh is how i felt about dental school when I applied last cycle...

 

[gorgious82]

Thanks for your thorough information!! =)

 

[Veneto]

Alright so this is just my advice and what I've learned in my current struggle. I hope this helps people in a difficult situations. Believe me I know how stressful this can be...



First where are you going wrong in your app?
1) DAT?
2) GPA?

If DAT --> the answer to this problem is simple, study hard and retake the DAT... Here are some good potential resources:

- Kaplan
- DAT achiever
- DAT destroyer
- Audio-learn

If GPA --> Now you're in the same boat as me... Answers the following questions to find out what you need to do...

How bad is you GPA?(science and overall)
- 2.5 to 3.0? --> OK you're not in too much trouble and you have some options...

1) Informal Postbac - Take upper div science classes at a local university. This way you can slowly bring up you GPA. Try not to do these at community college.

2) Formal Postbac - These usually are more structured in that you are guided in what classes to take. Also many times there is guidance for apps and letter of rec are given. There are numerous formal postbac programs throughout the US. Below are a couple I know off. More can be found here: http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ & http://hpap.syr.edu/LISTPB.HTM

- http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/profseq/health.html
- http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/biol/gradprogoverview.htm

3) Special Masters - These are generally 1 year masters that are great as GPA boosters and some are even targeted at people looking to boost credential in order to get in to professional school (dental in our case). Also many of these require a DAT score to enter. The draw-back to these is they maybe a little pricey. Below are a few I know of and more can found at the aamc and syr.edu website above.

- http://cell.tulane.edu/masters.htm
- http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp
- http://advanced.jhu.edu
- http://ucollege.artsci.wustl.edu/graduate_biology.php

4) Traditional Masters - These usually 2-2.5 years and require a thesis. Some of you might think you can just start the program and apply to dental school and if you get it then ditch it. I thought this way too for a while but unfortunately this isn't how it works 90% of the time. Most dental school will make it contingent that you finish the masters before you enter if you get in. Thus you must apply for dental school in your final year of the masters. This option is great if you're willing to spend more time and get a more meaningful degree. However you want the quick fix you should consider one of the options above. I am not going to list and traditional Master because there are so many however I will tell you that you should do a science related or public health masters.


Is your GPA below or way below 2.5?

--> Ok, don't worry you are not totally screwed! You can any of the option above except the Special Masters because many of them require a bit higher of a GPA. However, even though you can do any of these options I highly recommend in your case to do the Traditional Masters. You need to show the the schools you've grown and you are able to be successful on a graduate level. Essentially you want them to forget get about your undergraduate GPA.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK now i know you're thinking "Is there any other option?"

Yes a couple.

1) You can go to an international dental school. I don't know too much about these however I can tell you that most of them aren't ADA accredited. Therefore, once you complete the program you need to come back to the US and enter an international dentist program which in my understanding is quite difficult.

2) The other option is rarely talked about and is usually held as a myth but is apparently real. What I'm talking about is making a significant "donation". If you have the money you can make a "donation" to "help" your chances of acceptance. However, you can't just walk up to the school and say you have money and you want in, you must find the correct middle man(outside the school but connected) to make the exchange. So if you're rich and have the correct connections you can try this one out. I want to say I have no more information to give about this and I am in no way connected to this operation. Also I am not responsible for any of the actions that come of the preceding statements. Take from it what you will.

3)The third option is to find a state that has one or more state supported schools and move to that state to become a resident. This increases your chances dramtically. For example a state school "A" has 100 spots in the class. 75 for instate students and 25 for out of state students. By being a resident you are applying for one of those 75 spots and are put up against at the most 300 students(unless it is Cali or another very populated state) instead of applying for the 25 spots and being up against 2500 applicants. So your chances are increased drastically. Each state has different rules for gaining residency so be sure to check them before you uproot.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope all this helps some of you that maybe be stress about what to do...

This is a really good post. I second the motion for it to be made into a sticky for all to read. I also added the third option for things to do. Be careful though because some states are very good at finding out why you moved to the state, and some wont allow you to start school for a full year before being considered a resident.

 

[Ehhhh]

I have an update on my Info!! I spoke with USC dental they told me that generally speaking a Master is preferable over a formal and informal postbac because you wont get a separate GPA with the postbac (grades will be averaged in with your undergraduate GPA). The masters will be viewed as a separate GPA. Something to think about when deciding what to do...

 

[purplesquintz]

I think this is the BEST post EVER.... thank you so much for posting this helpful information... PLEASE repost it again to keep it fresh!!!!

 

[purplesquintz]

Dude, again thanks for posting this information... ITS A FREAKIN' LIFE SAVER! I was actually really depressed about my situation... (GPA wise) and didn't know what to do... Thanks for posting...

anyway, i forgot to ask...

you updated your post with some info from USC dental school about a master's program being better than an informal or formal post bac. Does that go with all california or national schools? I was told from the dental school in san antonio that master's program grades are separate from undergraduate grades and master's grades are looked at BUT NOT calculated in the GPA. Are informal post bac looked more down upon than formal post bac programs? Im 23 with a 2.55 GPA and i've tried looking for a post bac program to take me in but i dont qualify because i already have a BA in chemistry or i'm not from their state. What do you and EVERYONE think?

 

[Ehhhh]

Dude, again thanks for posting this information... ITS A FREAKIN' LIFE SAVER! I was actually really depressed about my situation... (GPA wise) and didn't know what to do... Thanks for posting...

anyway, i forgot to ask...

you updated your post with some info from USC dental school about a master's program being better than an informal or formal post bac. Does that go with all california or national schools? I was told from the dental school in san antonio that master's program grades are separate from undergraduate grades and master's grades are looked at BUT NOT calculated in the GPA. Are informal post bac looked more down upon than formal post bac programs? Im 23 with a 2.55 GPA and i've tried looking for a post bac program to take me in but i dont qualify because i already have a BA in chemistry or i'm not from their state. What do you and EVERYONE think?

From my understanding the you'll receive a graduate GPA with a masters and you will still have an undergraduate GPA...The AADSAS app. calculates 2 different GPAs i believe.... As for my opinion i see you having 3 options... There are many 2 year master that accept people with 2.5 min. as long as you take the GRE... maybe you can do a master in public health... Another option I see is taking a semester or two of classes, getting your GPA to 2.7, and applying to the 2 year masters at Barry...The last option is the UC Berkeley Postbac program (there are two, with a 2.55 you'll need to do the health profession one as apposed to the Med/dental... But it should be fine) personally i think you should go straight into a 2 year masters...23 may seem old to you but just think about med students that graduate at like 33-34+... You'll be fine!.... As for formal vs informal postbac I personally think formal is just a little bit better because you receive a certificate. However, I don't think overall it really makes a difference.... goodluck....

 

[reapply2007]

If you have graduate coursewok you'll get seperate breakouts for undergrad and grad. Plus you'll have a cummulative. At some point it seems pretty hard to get the GPA move just because you have so many credits already that one class is miniscule. I've heard very positive feedback from people who finished masters programs. Every once in a while someone pops up who did the MS but for some reason still didn't get into d-school.

 

[lilietta2000]

What about a second bachelor degree??
My first BA is in English but from overseas, so now I'm doing a second bachelor in science, bio-chem..

 

[t man]

3) Special Masters - These are generally 1 year masters that are great as GPA boosters and some are even targeted at people looking to boost credential in order to get in to professional school (dental in our case). Also many of these require a DAT score to enter. The draw-back to these is they maybe a little pricey. Below are a few I know of and more can found at the aamc and syr.edu website above.

- http://cell.tulane.edu/masters.htm
- http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp
- http://advanced.jhu.edu
- http://ucollege.artsci.wustl.edu/graduate_biology.php

Your whole post is golden. It's that kind of effort that makes SDN a useful resource for pre-dents, etc. And I mean that in the cheesiest way.

Here are some additional SMP's, and of course you can find more info about this sort of program here:
Postbacc forum

Rosalind Franklin
UMDNJ
BUMAMS

There are many others, these were the ones that struck my interest.