Getting into D-School

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kilograham

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You guys seem to be really helpful on here, so if you could give me some pointers I would appreciate it.

Taking Bio1, Chem1, Phys1 currently, the second of each of these in the spring.

Taking orgo1 next summer (and maybe 1 other course) I will take the DAT at the end of the summer, so probably send in my aasdas in august of 2005 (still lacking orgo2).

Looking at an overall of 3.2 and targeting a BCP of about 3.2 as well...however one caveat...had a bad semester and got a D in Bio 1 and C in Chm1 when a sophomore in college (I am postbac now). Retaking the courses, and will hopefully get an A. How big of a black mark are these grades going to be?

Also, as far as good grades, good DAT, etc..what else would really help me get in somewhere? I would very much like to apply in 2005 rather than wait until 2006, is this even a possibiity. Any pointers, places to apply that would likely take me (I am an AZ resident if that matters), supportive or harsh words would be helpful.

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as for your grades, if you retake and get A's you will be fine. Most schools dont necessarily look down on that, and your GPA will be much better afterwards, although it will appear on your AADSAS application.

Yes you can apply next cycle, but you need to get everything in early. If you still have a 3.1+ GPA I would give it a shot.

Arizona residency (me too, by the way) will not get you far. Make sure you apply as a "WICHE" applicant, which will grant you in-state status to various western programs (but still at a slight disadvantage at some of those schools compared to real in-staters). Keep in mind that except for Nebraska, most of these WICHE schools are actually more competitive than most private schools. So private schools are probably better for you anyway. I would try Arizona for sure (it's private). you can stay in AZ, tuition is 31800, the school is good, but its averages are not all that high (see link below).

busupshot83 said:
Dental School Admission Stats (updated periodically)

http://dentalstats.150m.com/main.html

Features:

- Average Overall GPAs
- Average Science GPAs
- Total number of applicants per school
- Tution costs per school
- All U.S. & Canadian Schools
- Links to each school's Web site.

arizona fact sheet:

http://www.asdoh.atsu.edu/pdf/DDS_fact_sheets.pdf
 
I think that if you take those two courses over and achieve an A doing so will bode well in your favor. Taking organic over the summer is possible, but be prepared to put in a lot of time studying to get a good grade. Add that to studying for the DAT and you'll have your hands full. I would advise setting aside a solid six week study session after you finish organic chemistry in which you will do nothing but eat, breathe, and sleep studying for the DAT. It's a miserable prospect, but one most of us have had to face if we wanted to do well come test day.

Onetooth is right in that many of the WICHE schools are very competitive, regardless if you are a WICHE applicant (for some you still wear the scarlet letter for out-of-state). In regards to Arizona, yes those numbers are a bit average, but during this last year one in every six dental school applicants applied there (over 1800 is what the assistant dean of admissions told me) and they anticipate receiving more than that during this current cycle. Furthermore, Arizona was very blunt in my interview about the fact that they are not overly interested in numbers but rather other attributes of their applicants and future students. With the increased number applicants I would anticipate their numbers to slightly rise, though since they are very particular in what they are looking for in an applicant, I would also expect them to turn into a competitive school but for non-traditional reasons. For what it is worth I was impressed with the facilities, the staff, and their interesting curriculum and I recommend applying there as well.
 
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