Help with undergrad decisions

[futureD0C]

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I am a Junior in high school. I am almost certain that I would like to be a dentist. I need to start applying for colleges soon and would like to get a head start looking at some. I would really love to take the "shorter" route to dental school. Such as the SIUE 7 year program (http://www.siue.edu/BIOLOGY/BSDMD December 2009 curriculum guide.pdf).

If anyone has been to SIUE and done this program please tell me how it was. Also, is someone has done a similar program or knows of a few other ones, I would appreciate that as well.

My High School stats should be around:
4.0 GPA/4.6 weighted
class rank: 4/250
Extracurriculars: Soccer, tennis, Scholar Bowl, Vice-President Spanish Club, NHS, Student Council, and a few others.
I will have around 50-100 hours volunteer experience.
My school also offers an Internship my senior year which means I shadow a dentist for around 1.5 hours a day for the whole year. (How might this help me)
I also will have about 60 college credits from duel credit and community college. (I will use as only electives not core classes, so I wont use them all)

I also took the ACT early and got a 25. I am aiming for a 30, and i should be able to get atleast a 27.

What schools are matches for me?

How is Saint Louis University's Pre-Dental, and would that be a better route than SIUE?

Help is really appreciated! 🙂
(please don't response and just tell me it is too early to be thinking about this)

 

[Msmouth]

If your state has a 3/4 year program I would apply for it. It basically guarantees acceptance into your state dental school after 3 years (instead of 4) in an accredited university that is part of the program. You would still need to take the DAT and maintain a good GPA.

 

[itsallabout18]

I am a Junior in high school. I am almost certain that I would like to be a dentist. I need to start applying for colleges soon and would like to get a head start looking at some. I would really love to take the "shorter" route to dental school. Such as the SIUE 7 year program (http://www.siue.edu/BIOLOGY/BSDMD December 2009 curriculum guide.pdf).

If anyone has been to SIUE and done this program please tell me how it was. Also, is someone has done a similar program or knows of a few other ones, I would appreciate that as well.

My High School stats should be around:
4.0 GPA/4.6 weighted
class rank: 4/250
Extracurriculars: Soccer, tennis, Scholar Bowl, Vice-President Spanish Club, NHS, Student Council, and a few others.
I will have around 50-100 hours volunteer experience.
My school also offers an Internship my senior year which means I shadow a dentist for around 1.5 hours a day for the whole year. (How might this help me)
I also will have about 60 college credits from duel credit and community college. (I will use as only electives not core classes, so I wont use them all)

I also took the ACT early and got a 25. I am aiming for a 30, and i should be able to get atleast a 27.

What schools are matches for me?

How is Saint Louis University's Pre-Dental, and would that be a better route than SIUE?

Help is really appreciated! 🙂
(please don't response and just tell me it is too early to be thinking about this)

I would go to a 4 year undergrad program and go from there. I was accepted into a 7 year medical program, and luckily, I turned it down, and then realized in college that dentistry was more suitable for me. It's too early to make that commitment. Also it's difficult to tell which COLLEGE is right for you when you're in high school, let alone what DENTAL SCHOOL is right. Use college to make sure you're invested, and if you aren't you can find so many other cool things. Don't try and grow up too quickly, I did it in so many ways, and I regret it. You seem like a really great student, I'd just advise you to keep doing all the right things and keep an open mind until like your sophomore year in college. Our society puts too much pressure on kids way too early to figure out what they want.

</endrant>

 

[Dgeorg6]

The chances of you getting into a accelerated program with an ACT score less than a 30 are VERY unlikely.. Just saying

 

[HeyCharlie]

Penn has a 7-yr program in partnership with a quite a few different undergrad schools. I would check it out.

 

[Mr PS09]

Be wary of straight programs. I was accepted to 7 year dental program, but turned it down and went to a different university.I have no regrets. College is a experience. You should be going to college with open eyes not tunnel vision.