grades in undergrad...

[genca234]

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hey. so i'm having a dilemma. i'm a pre-dental student about to finish my last year of school in undergrad and i'm a little worried about my grades. i don't have terrible grades, but let's say freshman year, i slipped up a few times. i'm an athlete at my school and the time is very limited to study and freshman year, who knows what was going through my head. since then, i've cleaned up my act.

i was just wondering if anyone remembered what they think really helped them get into dental school. I know the DAT is a big factor also, but i want to make sure i'm not out of my league with my grades so what were the lowest grades people have gotten and how many times did they slip up?

curious because i'm getting nervous about how picky these people are.

 

[blankguy]

There are people who have gotten multiple F's, been put on probation, and had minor run ins with the law who got into dental school. If your freshman year was rough but your other years were strong don't worry about it. People generally will cut you some slack, they realize that not everybody has a smooth transition to college. Whatever you feel don't think that you are at a disadvantage unless of course your overall GPA is low(<3.0).

 

[Count Orlok]

just be prepared to own up to your mistakes and be able to discuss with your interviewers what happened and what you did to fix it. dental schools want to know how you handled the situation and will usually not pigeon hole you just because of a bad year.

and for getting in to dental school volunteer and shadow at dental offices as much as possible. getting tons of experience in the dental field not only looks excellent in interviews (because it makes you sound like you know what you are talking about) but it actually helps once you get to dental school and you have a basic understanding of the principles you are being taught.

 

[Nova2012]

You know I kind of messed up during my first year as well. I was rushing for a fraternity and that was very hard in terms of finding extra time to study and all .. But once I realized that I was going on a wrong path, I decided to clean up. I quit the fraternity by my 2nd year, and decided to hit books and gym. I did well in all my upper division courses and this was very important because schools want to see if you can excel in it. Also, you MUST do superb on your DAT. NO JOKE!! you have to take this seriously and use your past as a motivation to do well in it. I knew I was smart, and the only way I can show it is by kicking *** on the DATs. Also, during your interview, let them know that you didnt not have a specific goal in your mind during your first year and therefore lacked the motivation to do well.. however, once you realized that you wanted to pursue dentistry you progressively improved your grades.

 

[C equals]

All the above advise is very good. Your GPA and DAT are important but they are considered along with your life in general. Also don't forget the community service in the dental field. If you can work as a volunteer in a non-profit dental clinic, this gets you extra points. Your interview is important- you have to come across as sincere in wanting to be a dentist and of course, all the work experience you have in the dental field before you apply will help prove this point.

 

[Daurang]

My gpa was average at best or maybe even below average. My only salvation was the DAT and I did scored well. It's not how well you start but how well you end the game. Remember the Superbowl?