Help needed! Suggestions?

[guestacc]

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Doing some soul searching and evaluating my life has led me to do more. Dentistry. It is stable, rewarding, good income. My first year in college two years ago I received 8 withdrawals and only a completion of 3.Received 2 As and 1 B. I have no excuses for mistakes. I needed to work full time and took all online classes. Way too much for me to keep up and either I was withdrawn for attendance or I dropped because I was just too far behind. I'm forced to pay for my classes because I can not get financial aid at the moment. I will be taking pre reqs at a Community College. I know I will have to get a damn near perfect GPA for my situation. I'm trying to get head start and plan accordingly. With a great GPA, does it look like I have post-bacc written in my future? When trying to get volunteer and shadowing opportunities do most ask for a transcript of college grades or just ask for gpa? Any suggestions?

 

[ggj]

To my knowledge, you can volunteer without giving any GPA or transcript information out. I volunteered with my university's dental school for two years straight, and they never asked me about anything even though they knew I was pre-dental. Most of the time they are just happy for the help.

If you are beginning to seriously consider dentistry, look at your application objectively and ask yourself what needs to be improved. You worked full time - okay, that's work experience, and you had to pay for school, so that also puts you in a different pool of applicants. What else? Where will you volunteer that will make you stand out?

It is very important to get A's in your pre-reqs since you had several withdrawals and also because you are going to a community college. Although in reality these courses may be as difficult and challenging as those offered at a four-year university, dental schools often overlook that. With a 4.0 and competitive DAT scores (as well as great letters of recommendation), then I think you'll be okay.

I'm not a professor or dentist or anything. I'm pre-dent like you, so take everything I say with a grain of salt 😛 best of luck!