grades and school name

[SpringHaze]

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So I'm going to apply this June to dental schools and I'm trying to get as much info as possible. Just reading some of the posts on this forum is a big help in itself. But I am also getting a bit nervous reading about science and average GPAs. I did fairly well on my DATs (19 PAT, 20 SCI, 21 AVE) but my overall GPA is like 3.2 rounding up and my science GPA is even lower. But then the thing is too that I go to Johns Hopkins University and we're one of the few schools that doesn't have any grade inflation and ....... we're Johns Hopkins, it's a hard school, I dunno.
So should I be really worried about my grades anyway or is coming from Johns Hopkins enough to kind of even things out?

Oh, and I also was a Resident Advisor for the first time last semester and my lung collapsed from pneumonia, kind of adding to bring my grades down. Hehe, don't know if that helps or not.
Thanks!

 

[yosemitesam]

Well, those are good DAT scores and a 3.2 isn't horrible. I think you'll prolly get numerous acceptances. Just apply wisely.
As for coming from John Hopkins, it sounds impressive but I don't think most adcomms really care a whole lot where you went to school (everyone thinks their school is the hardest). I mean, it's relevant for business or law -things like that- but science is science. Unless you go to a really second rate university or, heaven help you, a junior college, your undergrad education is going to be roughly equivalent wherever you go. I know there are going to be many people arguing vehemently against this but I think the fact is well born out by the DAT. UCBerkeley kids are getting about the same grades and DAT scores as kids from RinkyDink State. Guess that's why we have the DAT, it's the great equalizer. 🙂

Just my humble opinion.

 

[ewsmith1]

I'll have to disagree with the previous post stating adcoms do not take into consideration where you go to school.

As a person who has interviewed dental applicants, I will tell you that the school you went to is considered.

For instance, students from Notre Dame usually have a more rigerous science course load than those from say Indiana U....

Anyway, you will get numerous interviews, just make sure you do not blow it in the interview....

Most applicants who do not get in after they interview, are turned down due to their poor interview performance.

If you want to increase your chances, volunteer at a dental office or dental school and get a letter from the faculty at the dental school.....

 

[damian12]

I was accepted to every school that I applied to, and I attend F.I.U. I dare you to figure out what the initials stand for !! Point being, I doubt the school you attend has any major affect on your application !!


My two cents !🙂

 

[Star Babe]

I think that the school u attend DOES matter... and of course dental schools know that one school is harder than the other... and i've been told at couple of dental schools that they look at where u go to school... and Johns Hopkins is THE school... and your stats are good enough i wouldn't be worried about it... but make sure that u apply to various rage of schools based on their average stats...
Good luck

 

[SpringHaze]

Thanks guys for the opinions and reassurance! At least I won't be up at nights unable to sleep cuz of my grades now. Trust me, it has been weighing heavily on my mind.
And yeah, I have worked with my dad who is a dentist since I was thirteen, and this summer will probably look to work as a dental assistant with someone else in the area.
And yeah, I'm not going to apply to Harvard or anything, but yosemitesam, what exactly do you mean by apply wisely?

 

[Beagle]

Hmm...I honestly don't think schools care where you went to undergrad.
Anyway, witha 20 DAT score and your 3.2 you will get into plenty of private schools...

 

[yosemitesam]

Apply wisely - just standard procedure. I'm sure you're aware of this. Just make sure you apply to schools where you're a shoe-in (Nova, for example) as well as your dream schools unless time is of no consequence and you don't mind reapplying.

And I'm definitely not knocking Johns Hopkins, just saying that you went there commands respect. I'm sure you'll get loads of acceptances. Wish you all the best. 🙂

 

[desi_06]

I'm in my 2nd year at University of Toronto, and would really like to attend dental school in the near future. Since i'm studying in canada, is it true that it would be harder to gain acceptance to schools in the u.s??? I'm hearing all of these rumors...and i'm pretty worried now! What about gpa? do u guys know or think if they would look at gpa differently? What do you guys think??

 

[tinker bell]

I know for sure that school does matter. The whole time I worked at ucsf in research, I had never ran into any kid from any UC or public school of CA. Since the graduate division is funded by federal money, they are allowed to take applicants from all over the places, most of the grad students at ucsf are from: MIT, CAL TEC PASADENA, STANFORD, HARVARD, COLUMBIA. You can find all kind of ivy league kids at a CA public school in the grad. division.
About dental school, when I interviewed at couple schools, they told me not to worry about my blemish GPA, because UCD is a good public school, and their bio division is very hard, and my school doesn't have grade inflation. I doubt if admissions officer need to be nice to me......So, my conclusion is that school does count, otherwise, why do smart and rich and famous people spend money to go to ivy league?
And John Hopkins is not a joke, to only get in, not talking about getting out with a 3.2 GPA.

Tinker Bell-TEMPLE DENTAL 007😎

 

[puffy1]

Originally posted by damian12
I was accepted to every school that I applied to, and I attend F.I.U. I dare you to figure out what the initials stand for !! Point being, I doubt the school you attend has any major affect on your application !!


My two cents !🙂

FIU = Florida International University(?)

 

[groundhog]

Tink,
Why do the rich send their kids to the Ivys'? They're praying to God every night that James or Elizabeth don't end up bringing Beuford or Tansi into the family.

 

[tinker bell]

Yup, that's one good reason too.
About me, I just like rough neighborhood. It's more fun

Tinker Bell-TEMPLE DENTAL 007😎

 

[damian12]

Good job, you got me Puffy !!

Let's put it this way. I know people on admission committees, and they always tell me, GPA shows consistency, DAT shows your progress, and extra-curricular's show dedication. The school you attend is NOT a MAJOR factor when they consider your application. It might help a bit, but it's not like these people look for, "Oh, he went to a state school, but she went to a private school, we gotta accept her before him"

Maybe for law and medical school, your undergrad institution does play an important factor, but not in DENTISTRY. Just do well wherever you're at, and kick a$$ on the DAT - simple as that ! Tons of my undergrad peers have been accepted to Harvard, Penn, Columbia, from FIU, and our program is weaaakkkkk !! They just busted up the DAT like Lennox did to Mike !!

And as for the "Why do the rich send their kids to Ivy's?"
The answer reputation, quality of education, and because other rich families would scoff @ you if you decide to send your child to a public school !!

 

[stephenitis]

Don't Listen to Damian, listen to me. I say "listen to Damian."

Got me?

 

[DesiDentist]

Hey Damian:


Why to poor families like mine send their kids to the Ivy's?

Answer: To get to the other side. 😎

DesiDentist

 

[ItsGavinC]

Undergrad school DOES matter, and it isn't always the rigor of the courseload that matters. Sometimes adcoms view the quality of applicants from certain schools as being higher than the quality at other schools.

 

[drmeathead]

Lets be serious about GPAs and school name or rep. The College of New Jersey requires a 1297 and a top 7% HS class ranking for admission on the average....a school like Rowan University (NJ) requires a 1000 something. One is the number one public school in the Northeast and the other is a joke (it actually had awebsite devoted to poking fun at its stupid students) I am not saying that someone that graduates from a Rowan-esque cannot be a quality dentist/doctor/lawyer, espicially if they have an outstanding GPA but if I were a betting man I would put my money on the TCNJ student to handle the rigors of professional school.

Professional schools know which schools are good, which are great, and which require you only to be able to fill in all the circles on your SAT. Professional schools require standardized testing fo r this very reason...to see who is legit from Rowan and who from Yale is there because the library is named after their great-uncle. The standardized DAT is the great equalizer.

Ok enough ramblings from me I am going to hit the gym....later

 

[groundhog]

One scenario in which one undergrad school might be better than another for dental school prep is in the case of the bright but somewhat lazy or immature student. Such a student might be more successful at a school in which his or her peers are serious about achieving their academic goals versus a school at which social life tends to be of primary importance amongst the students. The bright mature student will succeed at any accredited undgrad school.