GPA with or without +/-?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

coolslugs

Senior Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2005
Messages
803
Reaction score
26
Recently, I am seeing posts that said dental schools do not calculate +/-'s in student's overal and science GPAs. Is this true? My university calculates my GPA using +/- (B+ =3.333, B- =2.667 etc.), and my GPA would be significantly lower if it is not considered. Anyone knows the facts on this issue? Why would AADSAS calculate for both with and without +/- if dental schools would only consider the without?
Also, which GPA is everyone posting around on this website (with or without +/-'s)? :scared:
 
coolslugs said:
Recently, I am seeing posts that said dental schools do not calculate +/-'s in student's overal and science GPAs. Is this true? My university calculates my GPA using +/- (B+ =3.333, B- =2.667 etc.), and my GPA would be significantly lower if it is not considered. Anyone knows the facts on this issue? Why would AADSAS calculate for both with and without +/- if dental schools would only consider the without?
Also, which GPA is everyone posting around on this website (with or without +/-'s)? :scared:


From my experience, its with AADSAS, not the d-schools... People that go to schools that do not have -'s in their grading system have their GPA's devalued by AADSAS... For example, i went to Rutgers undergrad and UMDNJ for grad school... both schools' grading systems are A,B+,B,C+,C,D,F which correspond to 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, etc...

now what AADSAS does it take the B+'s and turn them into 3.33 instead of the 3.5 the school gave... then, when calculating their 'quality' GPA, they turn the B+'s into 3.0's b/c my school doesnt have minuses in their grading system... i think its a total bullcrap rule, and argued with people for hours at a time on why they see it fair to totally devalue a person's GPA...

anyways, thats what i think people are talkin about when they talk about the AADSAS GPA and the +/- thing... since u went to a school that has both +/-, then ur AADSAS GPA should reflect ur school's GPA and u shouldnt have a problem...
 
gel1681 said:
From my experience, its with AADSAS, not the d-schools... People that go to schools that do not have -'s in their grading system have their GPA's devalued by AADSAS... For example, i went to Rutgers undergrad and UMDNJ for grad school... both schools' grading systems are A,B+,B,C+,C,D,F which correspond to 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, etc...

now what AADSAS does it take the B+'s and turn them into 3.33 instead of the 3.5 the school gave... then, when calculating their 'quality' GPA, they turn the B+'s into 3.0's b/c my school doesnt have minuses in their grading system... i think its a total bullcrap rule, and argued with people for hours at a time on why they see it fair to totally devalue a person's GPA...

anyways, thats what i think people are talkin about when they talk about the AADSAS GPA and the +/- thing... since u went to a school that has both +/-, then ur AADSAS GPA should reflect ur school's GPA and u shouldnt have a problem...

if this is true, you have just made me feel a whole lot better! 😳
 
coolslugs said:
if this is true, you have just made me feel a whole lot better! 😳

then my job here is done...
gnite
 
AADSAS calculates two GPA's, a GPA with the +/- system, and your GPA without +/-. This is to help differentiate between schools who use the system and schools who don't. I don't think that dental schools really consider the +/- GPA, they go straight for your GPA without +/-. When I applied to the Texas schools through TMDSAS, there wasn't even an option to enter my grades with + or -.


People who have LOTS of +'s are going to complain since their GPA without + or - will be low. Those with lots of -'s will like it since their GPA goes up. Some students come from a school that does not use a +/- system and they would say it is not fair for others to have +'s when they don't.
 
tinman831 said:
AADSAS calculates two GPA's, a GPA with the +/- system, and your GPA without +/-. This is to help differentiate between schools who use the system and schools who don't. I don't think that dental schools really consider the +/- GPA, they go straight for your GPA without +/-. When I applied to the Texas schools through TMDSAS, there wasn't even an option to enter my grades with + or -.


People who have LOTS of +'s are going to complain since their GPA without + or - will be low. Those with lots of -'s will like it since their GPA goes up. Some students come from a school that does not use a +/- system and they would say it is not fair for others to have +'s when they don't.

That really sucks because if a person got B- and another got a B+ they both end up with a B when the person who got B+ clearly deserves a better grade.
 
dn6603 said:
That really sucks because if a person got B- and another got a B+ they both end up with a B when the person who got B+ clearly deserves a better grade.

The only person who clearly deserves a better grade than the person with a B- is the person who got the A, regardless of it's "flavor" (+/-).

Don't get me wrong... I do like seeing the impact of a + on my current grades. It's just that most of my 270 credit hours were competed prior to the implementation of a +/- grading system in my state. It didn't matter if I got a 89% or an 80%... I still got a B for my B quality work. Taking the +/- out of the equation puts us on a level playing field.
 
DMDwannabe said:
The only person who clearly deserves a better grade than the person with a B- is the person who got the A, regardless of it's "flavor" (+/-).

Don't get me wrong... I do like seeing the impact of a + on my current grades. It's just that most of my 270 credit hours were competed prior to the implementation of a +/- grading system in my state. It didn't matter if I got a 89% or an 80%... I still got a B for my B quality work. Taking the +/- out of the equation puts us on a level playing field.

how does everyone know for sure whether adcoms look at gpa with the +/- or the gpa w/o? although on aadsas they do put the gpa w/o in bold numbers..so maybe that means something. personally i'd love for them to consider the gpa w/o..but i always assumed they went with +/- since its more accurate. still not sure..
 
😀
pbure said:
how does everyone know for sure whether adcoms look at gpa with the +/- or the gpa w/o? although on aadsas they do put the gpa w/o in bold numbers..so maybe that means something. personally i'd love for them to consider the gpa w/o..but i always assumed they went with +/- since its more accurate. still not sure..
I'm not sure but I suspect they will use the GPA without +/- to calculate their entering class' GPA. That may be the one they pay more attention to. I dont know so please don't quote me on this.
 
am i the only person who goes to a university where theres no letter grade (ABC) and only a number grade (4.0, 3.5, 3.0). I dunno if is a good thing or a bad thing.
 
The reason why dental schools use GPAs w/o +/- is because it levels the playing field.. If one schools offers the +/- and an other does not, it would be difficult to compare applicants based on their GPA. Now consider this... If there is only A,B,C, ect. Then everyone stands on the same ground.... right?

-C
 
SuperC said:
The reason why dental schools use GPAs w/o +/- is because it levels the playing field.. If one schools offers the +/- and an other does not, it would be difficult to compare applicants based on their GPA. Now consider this... If there is only A,B,C, ect. Then everyone stands on the same ground.... right?

-C

Where can you find this information on the AADSAS website?
 
This is NOT on the AADSAS web site.... It is only based on experience... every school I applied to (UF, Nova, Tufts, BU, NYU, ect) all said they use the GPA w/o quality points (+/-)...

Dental schools SEE both..... but which GPA they use is up the individual school... You will have to call your school of choice and see where they stand.

-C
 
SuperC said:
This is NOT on the AADSAS web site.... It is only based on experience... every school I applied to (UF, Nova, Tufts, BU, NYU, ect) all said they use the GPA w/o quality points (+/-)...

Dental schools SEE both..... but which GPA they use is up the individual school... You will have to call your school of choice and see where they stand.

-C

Interesting...then why AADSAS even bother calculating the "with" GPAs?
 
coolslugs said:
Interesting...then why AADSAS even bother calculating the "with" GPAs?

Your guess is as good as mine...
-C
 
Top