ethnic minority status?

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quartel

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Does being an ethnic minority help people get into dentistry schools?

What would be considered an ethnic minority?

affirmitive action exists?

I realize this might be a hot topic but....whatever :D

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Does being an ethnic minority help people get into dentistry schools?

What would be considered an ethnic minority?

affirmitive action exists?

I realize this might be a hot topic but....whatever :D

1. Yes, for the most part

2. Search URM

3. yes, for the most part

4. Search...many sore threads about this, I hope there is no more.
 
Does being an ethnic minority help people get into dentistry schools?

What would be considered an ethnic minority?

affirmitive action exists?

I realize this might be a hot topic but....whatever :D

Sounds like your just trying to drum something up.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
not really.... I'm actually half japanese (mixed race) and I was seriously considering whether I could somehow use this to help me slide into dentistry. According to the definition you have to be an underrepresented minority to be considered. Anyone have anything helpful they can pm me..

I don't usually go out of my way to stir things up. I'm really here for the purpose of extracting as much info as I can from people with a bit more experience. If my questions help other people that's great too. :thumbup:
 
African American, Hispanic and Native American are considered underrepresented minorities.
 
crap, no love for the mixed race.
 
crap, no love for the mixed race.

Might even hurt you a little, although probably not. There is a feeling among Asians that they are held to an even higher standard than Caucasians since they are so overrepresented in the field. But it will probably be a non-issue with you. I'm not going to go any further because Ive probably already offended someone and we all know what offending people can do now-a-days.
 
Does being an ethnic minority help people get into dentistry schools?

What would be considered an ethnic minority?

affirmitive action exists?

I realize this might be a hot topic but....whatever :D
Asian does not consider minority, you can ask anyone here to confirm. There is a higher acceptance rate for caucasian than Asian. In your case, I suggest you put Caucasian instead.
 
Caucasion & Asian - not considered a minority group - in regards to dental school admissions
 
wow! didnt know that....suckss!!i am Asian...was hoping minority thing might help me to get into dental school...:(
 
well m indian....& i always thought we are minority...dont know anyways i guess it doesnt matter my effort will get me in!!!
 
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Which asian descendant is consider a minority?

I don't know. I went to the ADEA website to see if they had any information. But all I found was a book you could buy for $10 that's supposed to be a guide for minority applicants. I'm not buying it . . . but you could if you really wanted to.
 
You have to be from South Asia like the Pacific island countries to be considered an asian minority. Places like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hmong. I think the native hawaiians are considered minorities as well.

The Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese are considered normal applicants.
 
I flipped the book n years ago and I guess Pacific Islanders are also considered minority. I could be wrong.
 
You have to be from South Asia like the Pacific island countries to be considered an asian minority. Places like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hmong. I think the native hawaiians are considered minorities as well.

The Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese are considered normal applicants.

cool
 
I know it seems like a dumb question but... anyway, let's say you look black but you're actually Asian, can you claim you are black? do you need to show proof?
 
I know it seems like a dumb question but... anyway, let's say you look black but you're actually Asian, can you claim you are black? do you need to show proof?

LOL!!! Dude, are you half black?
 
I know it seems like a dumb question but... anyway, let's say you look black but you're actually Asian, can you claim you are black? do you need to show proof?

Yeah you need proof. Its a little know fact that black people get a certificate when they turn 9 that certifies that they are black.
 
Do we get a certificate for being a mutt? I think that'd be pretty cool :)
 
You have to be from South Asia like the Pacific island countries to be considered an asian minority. Places like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hmong. I think the native hawaiians are considered minorities as well.

The Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese are considered normal applicants.

Yeah I agree. I'd throw in Filipinos as well in the category of non-underrepresented minority.


I flipped the book n years ago and I guess Pacific Islanders are also considered minority. I could be wrong.


Yes I'm pretty sure this is correct.
 
I think this is the first time in my life wishing to become black...<sign>
 
Im viet! And being a minority hasnt helped me..:confused: , it doesnt help that i have no state d-school.
 
I can tell all of you the secret to getting into dental school.

The secret is not to pretend to be part of some underrepresented minority group so that they give you a slight edge that in the end doesn't count for much.

The secret is to take school seriously and give your best effort from your first day of college and make As in almost every class and never do worse than a B.

Then, use that same approach when it is time to study for the DAT. Put in the time and effort and ask for help or pay for help when you need it. In the end, your hard work will pay off and you'll have a great DAT score.

Once you've knocked out the first two things, apply early and everything will go your way.

I'm not trying to be a jack a$$ in pointing out the obvious, but many people on this site seem obsessed with finding an edge to get in and the truth is that there is no easy way to get in... you have to put in the hard work in the classroom and when studying for the DAT.
 
I can tell all of you the secret to getting into dental school.

The secret is not to pretend to be part of some underrepresented minority group so that they give you a slight edge that in the end doesn't count for much.

The secret is to take school seriously and give your best effort from your first day of college and make As in almost every class and never do worse than a B.

Then, use that same approach when it is time to study for the DAT. Put in the time and effort and ask for help or pay for help when you need it. In the end, your hard work will pay off and you'll have a great DAT score.

Once you've knocked out the first two things, apply early and everything will go your way.

I'm not trying to be a jack a$$ in pointing out the obvious, but many people on this site seem obsessed with finding an edge to get in and the truth is that there is no easy way to get in... you have to put in the hard work in the classroom and when studying for the DAT.
One of the reason that people seem obsessed w/ finding an edge to get in can be explained by, 1) it's too late to get a good undergrad GPA. Take me for example, I have over 220 undergrad college units and it barely above 3.0. So the only thing I can do right now is to Ace the DAT. 2) I know it sounds weird or maybe even slightly racist (but maybe not!!), if I were black, I swear I'd have way better chance to get accepted than being the majority. It is a fact. 3) It's a way of venting, everyone needs that more or less, right people?!? :)
 
somebody tell me why being a minority is always the subject of ridicule and disrespect? the american society owes it to the minority community for what it had accomplished today. america cant live without minority that take almost all the low paying jobs that the white rich americans dont wanna do even if they are dirt poor. why can't minority receive some love from the professional schools that allow them to excel and do it for the good of human kind? i'm starting to lose hope. just see what don imus said to the rutgers womens bball players. he called them "nappy headed hos" as an implicative term that generalize all black women are either a) bball players, b) poor for not having money to wash their hair c) too lazy to stylize their hair d) prostitutes..or all of the above. the DA should put imus's criminally punishable butt behind bars so he could experience first hand what jungle fever is all about.
 
somebody tell me why being a minority is always the subject of ridicule and disrespect? the american society owes it to the minority community for what it had accomplished today. america cant live without minority that take almost all the low paying jobs that the white rich americans dont wanna do even if they are dirt poor. why can't minority receive some love from the professional schools that allow them to excel and do it for the good of human kind? i'm starting to lose hope. just see what don imus said to the rutgers womens bball players. he called them "nappy headed hos" as an implicative term that generalize all black women are either a) bball players, b) poor for not having money to wash their hair c) too lazy to stylize their hair d) prostitutes..or all of the above. the DA should put imus's criminally punishable butt behind bars so he could experience first hand what jungle fever is all about.

**rolls eyes*** please let's not go here again...ugh!
-ld
 
One of the reason that people seem obsessed w/ finding an edge to get in can be explained by, 1) it's too late to get a good undergrad GPA. Take me for example, I have over 220 undergrad college units and it barely above 3.0. So the only thing I can do right now is to Ace the DAT. 2) I know it sounds weird or maybe even slightly racist (but maybe not!!), if I were black, I swear I'd have way better chance to get accepted than being the majority. It is a fact. 3) It's a way of venting, everyone needs that more or less, right people?!? :)


gosh...i'm black...and have like a 3.4gpa and i'm FREAKING OUT...maybe i think i'm white (for real!!!)...cause i CRIED when i got a B in organic chem!!!! i stress over ALL my test, i'm terrified of the DAT, i'm doing the kaplan online course, topscore, dat destroyer, examkracker, and a whole shelf full of books and cd-roms, and every day i think about how many classes i can squeeze in during the summer for hopes to raise my GPA, thinking of enrolling in the fall just incase i don't receive any interviews in august, i've calculated i need 34 more credit hours of A's to raise my 3.4 to 3.5...ok i'm seriously STRESSING, i'm not sitting on the fact that oh they'll let me in cause i'm black, HECK NO...i so know you were not trying to be mean, but i'd hate for people to think that some minorities are just kicking back getting C's and chilling and just walk on into dental school, i'm freaking out just like all the non-minorities.

and me personally, if you see me in your dental school class, know that i stayed up late hours studying just like you, (one time i studied all night, got in the shower at 5:15am, went to bed alarm went off at 6:30am to go to work) studied my BUTT off, stressed over my grades, AND missed the entire american idol /grey's anatomy season:D so that i could take biochem, organic chem II, physics II, study my dat, get my last volunteer and shadowing hours, and work full time, i didn't just walk into dental school

nic
 
I can tell all of you the secret to getting into dental school.

The secret is not to pretend to be part of some underrepresented minority group so that they give you a slight edge that in the end doesn't count for much.

The secret is to take school seriously and give your best effort from your first day of college and make As in almost every class and never do worse than a B.

Then, use that same approach when it is time to study for the DAT. Put in the time and effort and ask for help or pay for help when you need it. In the end, your hard work will pay off and you'll have a great DAT score.

Once you've knocked out the first two things, apply early and everything will go your way.

I'm not trying to be a jack a$$ in pointing out the obvious, but many people on this site seem obsessed with finding an edge to get in and the truth is that there is no easy way to get in... you have to put in the hard work in the classroom and when studying for the DAT.

AMEN!!!!!!
:D READ IT PEOPLE thats advice from someone who has gotten in, and know's what it took to be where they are today.
 
gosh...i'm black...and have like a 3.4gpa and i'm FREAKING OUT...maybe i think i'm white (for real!!!)...cause i CRIED when i got a B in organic chem!!!! i stress over ALL my test, i'm terrified of the DAT, i'm doing the kaplan online course, topscore, dat destroyer, examkracker, and a whole shelf full of books and cd-roms, and every day i think about how many classes i can squeeze in during the summer for hopes to raise my GPA, thinking of enrolling in the fall just incase i don't receive any interviews in august, i've calculated i need 34 more credit hours of A's to raise my 3.4 to 3.5...ok i'm seriously STRESSING, i'm not sitting on the fact that oh they'll let me in cause i'm black, HECK NO...i so know you were not trying to be mean, but i'd hate for people to think that some minorities are just kicking back getting C's and chilling and just walk on into dental school, i'm freaking out just like all the non-minorities.

and me personally, if you see me in your dental school class, know that i stayed up late hours studying just like you, (one time i studied all night, got in the shower at 5:15am, went to bed alarm went off at 6:30am to go to work) studied my BUTT off, stressed over my grades, AND missed the entire american idol /grey's anatomy season:D so that i could take biochem, organic chem II, physics II, study my dat, get my last volunteer and shadowing hours, and work full time, i didn't just walk into dental school

nic

Thats the problem, most people think that minorities matriculants have a 2.4 gpa and a AA of 15, which is hardly the case. We have to work just as hard as everyone, sometimes harder, to get were we are.
 
but wait, if you all have an offical guide to dental school, and again not to be mean or racist, Maharry and the other one I forgot the name are mainly for blacks and their GPA and DAT avg. are significantly lower than other schools. I guess some of us are talking about the race as a whole and not for individual goal getters like you guys.
 
Meharry and Howard perform a specific goal, that wouldn't be filled if those institution weren't around. They also fill their schools with specific students that are more likely to fulfill that goal.
 
but wait, if you all have an offical guide to dental school, and again not to be mean or racist, Maharry and the other one I forgot the name are mainly for blacks and their GPA and DAT avg. are significantly lower than other schools. I guess some of us are talking about the race as a whole and not for individual goal getters like you guys.

Thats the PROBLEM.
 
I hate to say it, but being a minority can hurt you more than it can help you. It all depends on the person and the situation (school). Some schools are more supportive than their students than others whether they be minorities or not.

Being a minority doesn't guarantee any additional chances of success or shield you from the rampant injustices of dental school either. In some ways, being a minority at a minority dental school can be a disadvantage since you would be just another number, and won't stick out as much. If a jerk off instructor has it in for you, folks might be less-likely to believe you.

Being a minority does not void of potential administrative problems and in some cases, can hasten them.

Really, pick the right dental school, prepare as best you can for the lecture and lab work, and have as much financial support as possible to help make your dental experience more positive.

Being a minority matters, but not as much as being a well-prepared student, seriously.
 
I hate to say it, but being a minority can hurt you more than it can help you. It all depends on the person and the situation (school). Some schools are more supportive than their students than others whether they be minorities or not.

Being a minority doesn't guarantee any additional chances of success or shield you from the rampant injustices of dental school either. In some ways, being a minority at a minority dental school can be a disadvantage since you would be just another number, and won't stick out as much. If a jerk off instructor has it in for you, folks might be less-likely to believe you.

Being a minority does not void of potential administrative problems and in some cases, can hasten them.

Really, pick the right dental school, prepare as best you can for the lecture and lab work, and have as much financial support as possible to help make your dental experience more positive.

Being a minority matters, but not as much as being a well-prepared student, seriously.

nicely said! I totally agree.

But on the whole thing of being a minority, I don't see swarms of them in dental schools though from people I've talked to currently in professional schools.
I work with a hispanic dental hygenist currently who is currently completing her bs in dental hygeine at a texas dental school and she's told me that she has yet to see one black student but she's seen a couple of hispanics. She told me that I will definately see what it means to be a minority when I go visit. I was like damn.

I've been in different conferences where black med students from a texas med school told me how they were shocked when the walked into med school and had like only one other black person in whatever class they were in. That they really didn't have people to relate to. Their advisor too has written papers on how his life goals involve increasing the number of minority students in med school but the numbers are slowly increasing.

I've even seen the graduating classes of different dental schools on their website and not one minority person. kinda strange with all this hoopla.

From talking to these people first hand, I'm not seeing how being a minority helps cuz I'm certainly not relying on that.
-ld
 
nicely said! I totally agree.

But on the whole thing of being a minority, I don't see swarms of them in dental schools though from people I've talked to currently in professional schools.
I work with a hispanic dental hygenist currently who is currently completing her bs in dental hygeine at a texas dental school and she's told me that she has yet to see one black student but she's seen a couple of hispanics. She told me that I will definately see what it means to be a minority when I go visit. I was like damn.

I've been in different conferences where black med students from a texas med school told me how they were shocked when the walked into med school and had like only one other black person in whatever class they were in. That they really didn't have people to relate to. Their advisor too has written papers on how his life goals involve increasing the number of minority students in med school but the numbers are slowly increasing.

I've even seen the graduating classes of different dental schools on their website and not one minority person. kinda strange with all this hoopla.

From talking to these people first hand, I'm not seeing how being a minority helps cuz I'm certainly not relying on that.
-ld


dental school will be a serious Cultural shock!!! your hygienist friend is telling the truth...i went to hygiene school, i was the only black person in my class and the 2nd year hygiene students did not have a black person in thier class...my class had 3 hispanic women, 1 black woman (myself) and the rest we're white....at the time i had a 3.8 gpa, so i KNOW i got in on stats, and i'd dare someone to say i didn't...in general i have more hispanic friends than i have white, my bestfriend for the last 5 years is white( so her and i love to have this talk, and a good laugh) but being at school with no one who is like you AT all, i know boo hoo poor me +pity+ , not all but most of my classmates came from not rich familys, but really well off backgrounds, brand new cars, parents who went to europe on vacation, and um, i rode the bus to school, and my mom is an elementary drop out, my first year was HARD******(see note at bottom), you think it doesn't matter but it does, and i'm not like oh the world is out to get the black people, blah blah blah, and certainly i'm sure there are non minorities that have had it WAAAY worse than me and more than i will ever know, but at school they don't make you feel different, you just know you are....it's like being the fattest person in the room, the tallest/shortest person, the only one wearing gym shorts when everyone is formal...you know when your out of place and no one has to tell you

then now to find out that people are going to be looking at me like they just let me in... i get it i don't have to prove anything to anyone, but it's like eventually people will have to call me Doctor, and there will still be people who don't respect me and think that they just gave me my dds degree and oh freaking well, they don't pay my bills they didn't sign my diploma

i hope i get in this application cycle...my gpa...eh 3.4 scigpa 3.3 haven't taken my dat...but after reading the dat forum, yeah seems like i'll need at least a 22 to be semi competitive. i don't think a gpa of 3.4 is good for something as competitive as dental school, so i've been trying to raise it like crazy! i even thought of not applying this year because of it, and then the little, "eh what do i have to lose" kicks in so i'm going for it....so what i've been counting on is:

the fact that i have dental experience as a dental hygienist (6 yrs)
that i got into UTHSCSA twice for dental hygiene, (certificate program, then bachelors degree program)
so hopefully the UTHSCSA loves alumni

i know i'm now beating the dead horse with this...but i'm like if just one person reading this thread gains a new perspective on their future "minority" dental school classmates,
if you can look at your minority classmate and NOT think that they took the spot of some well deserving non minority...then i did good.


******with posting on these threads you have to make sure you cover your #$$ or people will attack you!!! ok so um, not all black people or minorities are as poor as i was growing up, and not all non-minorites are rich or well off,i wasn't really describing race there it was more like i had grown up on a poorer side of town, and seeing people with so many things i never had going places i'd never been, makes you feel out of place too
 
at school they don't make you feel different, you just know you are....it's like being the fattest person in the room, the tallest/shortest person, the only one wearing gym shorts when everyone is formal...you know when your out of place and no one has to tell you

Look at the bright side... people won't have any problems remembering your name if you're the only black person in the class. :)

It's so weird that people are trying to find their way into being a URM on their apps and I had my dad telling me not to even though the government classifies me as a URM.

My dad is a Spanish/Italian American. His Spanish ancestors settled in the Texas part of New Spain which then became Mexico then Texas then United States. He doesn't consider himself to be "Mexican-American" because he has no ties to Mexico (other than the 15 years that Texas was part of Mexico) and no ancestry from there (native tribes of mexico). Spanish/Italian is considered "white" so he wanted me to put that because honestly that is what I am. Also, my dad wanted me to be able to say that I got in on my own and not with the help of AA or anything like that.

I didn't take his advice and put hispanic (mexican-american) because I don't feel like the man wants me in the "white" group and I thought that being hispanic would increase my chances. In the end I think it was my 3.86 (3.89 science) gpa and my 22 on the DAT that really gave me the edge that I needed. :thumbup:
 
I can tell all of you the secret to getting into dental school.

The secret is not to pretend to be part of some underrepresented minority group so that they give you a slight edge that in the end doesn't count for much.

The secret is to take school seriously and give your best effort from your first day of college and make As in almost every class and never do worse than a B.

Then, use that same approach when it is time to study for the DAT. Put in the time and effort and ask for help or pay for help when you need it. In the end, your hard work will pay off and you'll have a great DAT score.

Once you've knocked out the first two things, apply early and everything will go your way.

I'm not trying to be a jack a$$ in pointing out the obvious, but many people on this site seem obsessed with finding an edge to get in and the truth is that there is no easy way to get in... you have to put in the hard work in the classroom and when studying for the DAT.

Look at the bright side... people won't have any problems remembering your name if you're the only black person in the class. :)

It's so weird that people are trying to find their way into being a URM on their apps and I had my dad telling me not to even though the government classifies me as a URM.

My dad is a Spanish/Italian American. His Spanish ancestors settled in the Texas part of New Spain which then became Mexico then Texas then United States. He doesn't consider himself to be "Mexican-American" because he has no ties to Mexico (other than the 15 years that Texas was part of Mexico) and no ancestry from there (native tribes of mexico). Spanish/Italian is considered "white" so he wanted me to put that because honestly that is what I am. Also, my dad wanted me to be able to say that I got in on my own and not with the help of AA or anything like that.

I didn't take his advice and put hispanic (mexican-american) because I don't feel like the man wants me in the "white" group and I thought that being hispanic would increase my chances. In the end I think it was my 3.86 (3.89 science) gpa and my 22 on the DAT that really gave me the edge that I needed. :thumbup:

Its funny how in one post you berate the OP for trying to use AA to gain an advantage in admission, then in the next post talk about how you did exactly that. Who knows what kind of advantage (admission, scholarships, etc.) you received for representing a "hispanic".
 
Its funny how in one post you berate the OP for trying to use AA to gain an advantage in admission, then in the next post talk about how you did exactly that. Who knows what kind of advantage (admission, scholarships, etc.) you received for representing a "hispanic".

I don't think you get it... the gov't classifies us as hispanic. I don't make the rules. There is no pretending. The gov't made up the word "hispanic" and its definition several years ago and my dad happens to disagree with the whole concept. I would rather not have to deal with all of the stereotypes and other stuff but if I put white and then show up with a Spanish background, they might think I was a liar. I didn't want to look like someone that possibly misrepresented themselves on their app.

btw, I followed my own advice 100%. I gave it my best in every class from the first day of college, never made less than a B, averaged 18 hours per long semester, and graduated in the top two percent of my undergrad class. I also studied pretty hard for the DAT and scored in the 96th percentile on my AA score.
 
I didn't say that you didn't try your hardest, or that you didn't have good grades, I was just stating the obvious(you said it yourself). You used AA in hopes of gaining an advantage, thats all.
 
Which asian descendant is consider a minority?

When they say "underrepresented minorities" they mean underrepresented in the profession (of dentistry/dental schools). Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Iranians, Middle easterns, Armenians are NOT considered underrepresented in dental schools. The underrepresented ones are: Hispanics (Mexicans, Salvadoreans, Puerto Ricans, etc), African Americans and Native Americans. It's not like they'll let you in just based on that, but I believe it helps.
 
Well I think mixed race individuals ought to be treated as URM because we are 1) an ethnic minority 2) underrepresented in the profession 3) have hardships that are similar and in some cases worse than other URM's.
 
LOL... Zombie thread..


Honestly, I think the whole consideration of race thing is a little unfair.. Why should some get an advantage over others? But at the same time, these schools want that diversity among their student body.

I think to WANT to be considered a minority just to get an 'edge' is lame... If you're considered a minority, then cool... Just roll with it. If not, then ah well.
 
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