EMERGENCY: APPLYING A YEAR EARLY (without a bach)

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I'm in my second year in UC Davis and I have a 3.5 GPA (I have taken nearly all science classes except 1 Poly Sci class(got an A in it)). By the end of this year I will have 120 quarter units including 24 from AP exams. I plan to get my GPA around 3.6 by the end of this year. I have finished all the pre-dent requirements except the humanities part. Planning on taking the DAT in 2 or 3 months and applying in around end of May(planning on getting a 22+ because I took a practice without studying for it and got a 19). I have about 100 volunteer hours at a hospital and some shadowing. I plan to apply to UCLA, UCSF, and USC. PLEASE give me some advice if you think I have a shot at getting in.

Thanks
 
sounds good. you seem like a pretty smart guy. i think you can pull it off.

this means you will need to graduate and get your degree next year (junior year). pretty much finish college in 3 years. i think you will need to take quite a few classes next year. you will also be doing your interviews while taking all those classes. i had a hard time because i would miss 3 days of class and have to play catch up.

unless you just want to get accepted and not finish your degree. i am not sure if this route is popular anymore. i think getting your bach is pretty important.

you will probably need to apply to more schools. i would say around 10, depending on your DATs.
 
You don't need the bach for some schools if you show them how kick *** you are.
 
Could you explain the part where this is an emergency? :laugh:

As others have suggested, it would be wise to apply to more than 3 schools. It sounds like you are young, why are you so afraid to leave CA?
 
im currently a junior at duquesne and got into wvu dental school next fall without a degree...its possible....dont let anyone tell u its not or its a dumb idea...also applying early gives u 2 cahnces to apply while ur still in undergrad...and u save a year of tuition....i say go for it..screw bach degree....i had all my science courses for biology and all the recommended courses done by this year..the only thing i had to take next year if i stayed was gay *** core classes....so my opinion is to go for it..i wasnt a 4.0 book worm..i managed my time...did well enough in classes..ended up with around 3.8gpa and had 19 19 and 20 on dat.....i worked out everyday....had a social life...just dont stress yourself out.. and another thing..do alot of shadowing and volunteer things and research....i did 1 year of research and that was fine..........👍good luck
 
If you're like so many other people I know who really don't want to leave CA, don't forget about UoP or WesternU (the newest dental school opening this cycle in Pomona, CA).

Make sure you get all of your application info in may to ADSAAS early so they can send it out (especially LoR'S and transcripts).

Good Luck 🙂
 
Hey,

I applied early, but I am graduating with a bach. I feel like you might as well get your bach, but not getting it is an option. The hardest part for me was getting good letters of recommendation because I hadn't gotten to know any of my professors really well / had only taken the general impersonal science courses and not really any specialized ones.

You'll definitely get an interview at USC, probably one at UCLA, and then UCSF might be a different story. Heh, just because you'll be applying early, don't necessarily think you're the shizz.
 
the emergency part is that I need to take the DAT, get 3 LoR's write my essay, fill out the applications and get straight A's in my classes to boost my GPA all in 2 months 🙁
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR INPUT, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
 
i dont know that a 3.5 is high enough. you may need to go ahead and get your degree to get that gpa up. and you better kill the dat or you wouldnt stand a chance!
 
I got in this way. You need to be really selective as to where you will actually apply though. Pointless to apply to USC and most state schools. They all require a bach. I spoke with some USC people and they said that officially they say that they will take people w/o a degree, however they never have and they told me they never will. I looked at they ADEA guide to find out which schools do take students w/o a degree. Pacific doesn't care at all and I know there are some others.
Your gpa is fine as it is. The biggest concern will really be the DAT. You will need to get a 21 or higher to be competitive. Good luck.
 
Sure, real emergency drama queen!
 
ashaw said:
Hey,

I applied early, but I am graduating with a bach. I feel like you might as well get your bach, but not getting it is an option. The hardest part for me was getting good letters of recommendation because I hadn't gotten to know any of my professors really well / had only taken the general impersonal science courses and not really any specialized ones.

You'll definitely get an interview at USC, probably one at UCLA, and then UCSF might be a different story. Heh, just because you'll be applying early, don't necessarily think you're the shizz.
Click to expand...

why would you say this?
 
It is possible to get in after 3 years undergrad. w/o a degree.
It just takes a heck of a lot of work, a good DAT score, etc . . . pretty much everything!
If you have any weak spots in your application, it will really kill your chances. There isn't much room for error when you apply without a degree. The adcoms are comparing you with people that are going to graduate with a degree, so you have to show them that you have something MORE than just an average applicant.
 
Get your complete app in early so you're part of the first mailing, most important thing (and do well on DAT 🙂).
 
UNR.Grad said:
Get your complete app in early so you're part of the first mailing, most important thing (and do well on DAT 🙂).
Click to expand...


I agree with the doing well on the DAT, but don't lose all hope if you don't get your app in the first mailing. It is still possible to get in after the 1st wave of acceptances. Some of the schools split the acceptances in half - accept half in the 1st round, then accept half the 2nd round, so you have an equal chance of getting accepted in both rounds.

So if you haven't taken your DATs yet, you can get your application in early in the summer, study for the DATS, and then just update your score. The only bad thing about this is if you don't do as well as you would like on your DATS, you have already spent a butt load of money applying to schools and you can't change your mind about applying early anymore.

If you want to be safe, just worry about your DAT for now. If you finish and you are satisfied with your score, then you can apply and spend your application money with confidence.
 
I did overemphasize the importance of applying early; NAVY and joeliu both offered great advice. Although definitely stay on top of your app and get your transcripts sent in early and try to get your letters of rec done early as well. Good luck!
 
UNR.Grad said:
I did overemphasize the importance of applying early; NAVY and joeliu both offered great advice. Although definitely stay on top of your app and get your transcripts sent in early and try to get your letters of rec done early as well. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Nah, you didn't overemphasize. Being early is never a bad thing unless you completely bomb your DAT in this situation.
 
my best advice is to find out what schools have accepted students w/o degrees in the past. i dont know anyone at penn w/o a degree, but myself and a few others graduated in 3 yrs. i would recommend asking around on SDN and applying mostly to schools that have accepted students w/o degrees. you may not be able to be picky about schools (only in CA) if you are applying w/o a degree, but im not familiar with those school's admissions, so i really dont know your odds. but if you want to get into dental school, i would apply to a bunch.

another option is to get your degree. maybe if you take some summer classes it would be possible? i took some community college gen eds in the summer to graduate early, so thats an option too.

dont worry about only having a little bit of time to get your stuff together. i decided in june of my application year to apply to dental school, got my letters and did my application within a month, studied hard for the DATs for 2 weeks, and had my app out in july, so you definitely have PLENTY of time.

as for applying in may, im pretty sure thats not even possible...i think the application doesnt even come out until june. and you cant exactly predict your DAT score based on a practice...the kaplan practice tends to be easier (in my opinion) than the actual. just study hard and youll be fine, and if you dont get accepted without a degree, you wont have to take the DAT again the following year. best of luck!
 
I know Pitt does accept a few students every round who finish all prereqs and do well on the DAT without a degree.

I was accepted this round without a degree. I'm currently a junior. It takes a lot of work, but it's possible if everything is timed just right.
 
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