Explain this trend

[honestpredent]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Why is it that students with GPA's with 3.1 or below are limited to about 5 schools in BU, Case, Nova NYU, Temple.

Ever notice that? Of course this isn't always the case but it seems like if your GPA is that low, you only have a shot at one of those 5 schools. All of these schools are great but why are they the only ones to extend offers to low GPA candidates?

 

[LetMeIn]

As far as BU, Temple, NYU is concerned... larger class sizes i would imagine is one reason.

 

[mcataz]

Each school has a different philosophy about admissions. Some schools weigh the DAT more than GPA. Some schools ignore the PAT; others stress it. And some schools value a trend in grades more than the overall. Detroit Mercy is one of these schools and they have given me the most response of any dental school.

 

[Bickle]

Originally posted by honestpredent
Why is it that students with GPA's with 3.1 or below are limited to about 5 schools in BU, Case, Nova NYU, Temple.

Ever notice that? Of course this isn't always the case but it seems like if your GPA is that low, you only have a shot at one of those 5 schools. All of these schools are great but why are they the only ones to extend offers to low GPA candidates?

For nova, I'd guess that since it is a new school, it has no reputation yet. People dont really know anything about it yet, but once it does develop a rep, then I'd expect to see the GPAs go up. It looks like for the past couple of years that GPAs have indeed gone up, so people must be talking positively of what Nova has to offer besides the nice weather.

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

They are VERY expensive and don't have stellar reputations, so most of the people with higher stats want to go to other schools.

 

[blankguy]

People have been making a big fuss over cost. What's the deal with that? Dentist make a decent salary. Wouldn't that mean that they just have to spend a few more years paying off the loans?

 

[larrywalkerdds]

Originally posted by blankguy
People have been making a big fuss over cost. What's the deal with that? Dentist make a decent salary. Wouldn't that mean that they just have to spend a few more years paying off the loans?

Good point. It's not like dentists have to do residency after they graduate. They begin working immediately which makes paying off those student loans a lot easier. And you don't have to start driving a Benz after you graduate either. That's the biggest problem both docs and dentists have. As soon as they graduate, they live beyond their means due to their future potential income.

 

[Dentalist]

Money is not everything but it is something. Many dentists I talked to told me that they would have gone to school with lowest cost. Once you become a dentist, you will have to pay for not only debts but also house, dental office(if you want your own practice after doing some associateships.), etc.

Originally posted by blankguy
People have been making a big fuss over cost. What's the deal with that? Dentist make a decent salary. Wouldn't that mean that they just have to spend a few more years paying off the loans?

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by blankguy
People have been making a big fuss over cost. What's the deal with that? Dentist make a decent salary. Wouldn't that mean that they just have to spend a few more years paying off the loans?

"A few more years paying off loans" can be a VERY significant period of time, particularly when you're writing monthly checks in excess of $1000 in the meantime.

I wish I came from the kind of background where sums approaching or exceeding $100,000 can be blithely disregarded. 🙄

 

[howdysir]

You're right, a lot of people especially from Canada do not pursue dentistry because they see the 330 k price tag of going to an American school. They don't realize that in 3 or 4 years at most all of their debt will be payed off and they will then have an income that far exceeds that of most people. Never let cost get in the way of your dreams, although I know most people would not go into dentistry for anything if all jobs payed equal... ah the power of green.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by honestpredent
Why is it that students with GPA's with 3.1 or below are limited to about 5 schools in BU, Case, Nova NYU, Temple.

Ever notice that? Of course this isn't always the case but it seems like if your GPA is that low, you only have a shot at one of those 5 schools. All of these schools are great but why are they the only ones to extend offers to low GPA candidates?

Larger class sizes at MOST of those schools. There are certainly some other schools I would add to this list, and some I would take away from your list.

 

[blankguy]

Originally posted by aphistis
"A few more years paying off loans" can be a VERY significant period of time, particularly when you're writing monthly checks in excess of $1000 in the meantime.

I wish I came from the kind of background where sums approaching or exceeding $100,000 can be blithely disregarded. 🙄

I did overhear one BU dental grad grumbling about not being able to save up.

How much do new associates really earn?(I want a range not an exact figure)


Since I'm still paying off my undergrad loans, so to think about it I would have to multiply that by say 30 times to get a good picture and do the same for the monthly payment.

 

[Dentalist]

Originally posted by blankguy
How much do new associates really earn?(I want a range not an exact figure)

I may be wrong but I believe it is somewhere around 100k/year depending on location.

 

[Supernumerary]

Originally posted by blankguy
People have been making a big fuss over cost. What's the deal with that? Dentist make a decent salary. Wouldn't that mean that they just have to spend a few more years paying off the loans?

It's a huge deal!!! It doesn't seem like a big deal now cause it's just pretend money. We never see it, we never touch it. It's just some figure in the registrar's computer. But when you get out of school, that debt is going to become very real, very fast. Even if you are lucky enough to land a $100k job right out of school, you're not going to be rich. Uncle Sam is going to take ~$30,000 right off the bat. That leaves you $70,000/year. Debt repayment is about $3,000/month leaving you with $40,000. And by now, you're probably starting to think about marriage kids and a house. Add another $2,000/month mortgage and you're looking at $16,000 a year to buy groceries, diapers, cars, health insurance. And you haven't even started saving for a down payment on your own practice or for retirement. OUCH! Don't treat debt lightly; this is a VERY big deal.

 

[howdysir]

super, when you speak of the numbers that you're throwing out, are they for students attending state schools of their own state? I mention this because if a Canadian attends an American private school at 350 k over four years, how long would you say that person could start enjoying the money they earn and live the true lifestyle of a dentist?

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by howdysir
how long would you say that person could start enjoying the money they earn and live the true lifestyle of a dentist?

Sorry, James, I don't mean to pre-empt your response here, BUT:

This "true dentist's lifestyle" thing you're pitching to yourself is fiction. Dentistry is a profession with potentially spectacular material rewards, but you have to earn them with a combination of clinical skill, interpersonal ability, and business savvy. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[Supernumerary]

My thoughts exactly, Bill.

Howdysir, if you pay off that $350,000 in debt over 10 years, you are looking at $4-5,000 a month depending on interest rates. That is a TON of money. I don't think you should let that deter you if dentistry is what you want. But you have to realize that you could be well into your forties (or later if you're a little older like me) before you even begin "breaking even" with your friends who went into less education/debt intensive careers.

 

[howdysir]

wow, are you serious? If you're an American citizen going to your own state school what would be the approximate dept after 4 years of dental school? I want to know if that huge a debt is just for me being a Canadian going to a private American school paying in Canadian dollars, or if all dental students in the US will have the same problem. Obviously it will less for an American, but I want to compare what that difference is.

 

[honestpredent]

First 350K in debt is not the norm so let's not pretend it is even for these schools with the exception of NYU and perhaps USC. But even that number is close to 300K than it is 350K.

Furthermore, your cost of living and expenditures will determine how long before you pay off your debt. You can practice in areas of the country that have a greater demand for dentistry with a low cost of living.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by honestpredent
First 350K in debt is not the norm so let's not pretend it is even for these schools with the exception of NYU and perhaps USC. But even that number is close to 300K than it is 350K.

Furthermore, your cost of living and expenditures will determine how long before you pay off your debt. You can practice in areas of the country that have a greater demand for dentistry with a low cost of living.

Exactly. In my particular case, I expect to graduate with approximately $100,000 of student loan debt. My fiancée and I have decided that after I graduate, we're going to live on her salary as an actuary and dedicate my salary to repaying my loans; with any luck, I'll be out from under them in a couple years. It'll be a pretty austere lifestyle during that repayment period, and a real challenge to maintain the discipline to stick it out while the savings accrue, but the end result should be more than worthwhile.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Bill, for your situation your thinking is right on the money. Granted that it isn't possible in every situation, but you certainly have the right idea.

After enduring those several years of living meagerly, you can be assured that you'll have a comfortable lifestyle while being out from under the carpet of student loans.