High School Student in need of Dent. Advice

[AspiringToDent]

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First of all, thank you all ahead of time for any advice given. It is very appreciated.

I am currently a Junior at a small private high school. My father is a dentist, and he currently owns multiple practices. I am thinking of a career in dentistry, and I would be applying for dental schools in the 2020-2021 years (I think?). I would like some down to earth advice on whether an average joe like myself can be accepted into a dental school. It is obviously pure speculation at this point, but with the high competition in dentistry, is it even worth attempting if I am merely an average student? My high school stats sit at a 3.55 cumulative GPA and a 27 GPA, and all of the people I see applying for dentistry are sitting at 4.10 GPAs with 30+ on their ACTs. I would be less crushed being told it is unrealistic at this point than to put 4 years of undergrad out and be consistently declined. I have around 50 hours shadowed of dentistry so far, and I think it might be the career for me. Thank you for your advice!

 

[DancingBull]

Your stats as a high school student are not very indicative if whether or not you can become a dental student. All that matters is your game once you get to college. My GPA in HS was horrid and my SAT scores were equally bad. Once I got to college, I completely changed my work ethic and now I am a dental student. Think of how little (zero) your middle school grades will have on your college admissions.

 

[kingenamel]

I agree with what the above poster had to say. What you do in college will be what is important to dental schools. There may be a few schools that will ask you about information from your high school years but the majority will want to know what you did during your undergrad. Out of all the schools I applied to I believe only one school wanted my high school transcript.

 

[rnco]

You more important things to worry about….like whether or not your dad will let you borrow the car on saturday night.

 

[doc toothache]

By the time you are ready to apply to ds you might well decide you would prefer getting an MBA and just manage your dad's "multiple practices".

 

[Glimmer1991]

It's far too early to give up. What you do in high school opens the door for good colleges (and scholarships!). Beyond that, though, it doesn't matter. One dental school asked me for my SAT score on their supplemental application, and I think it was just a formality. I doubt they looked at it.

However, I'd suggest buckling down. It is easier to change your study efforts now than it is when you are inundated with college classes, which are typically harder. I did well in high school (grades, SAT, and the like), and it made the college transition essentially seamless for me. I didn't have much of an "adjustment period," where many of my peers did (and their grades suffered because of it). Set yourself up for success by figuring out how to study now.

 

[FT2FLY]

First of all, thank you all ahead of time for any advice given. It is very appreciated.

I am currently a Junior at a small private high school. My father is a dentist, and he currently owns multiple practices. I am thinking of a career in dentistry, and I would be applying for dental schools in the 2020-2021 years (I think?). I would like some down to earth advice on whether an average joe like myself can be accepted into a dental school. It is obviously pure speculation at this point, but with the high competition in dentistry, is it even worth attempting if I am merely an average student? My high school stats sit at a 3.55 cumulative GPA and a 27 GPA, and all of the people I see applying for dentistry are sitting at 4.10 GPAs with 30+ on their ACTs. I would be less crushed being told it is unrealistic at this point than to put 4 years of undergrad out and be consistently declined. I have around 50 hours shadowed of dentistry so far, and I think it might be the career for me. Thank you for your advice!

I'm a senior in high school as well, man. And I know what you mean. Ironically enough my father's also a dentist and he always tells me the best of the best become dentists. That being said, don't worry just yet. Keep putting in your work. When it comes time for your undergrad, that's when you'll really need to buckle down and get your GPA, extracurriculars, etc down. The key to college success is motivation and discipline. You can learn those two things and further work on them for the next two years. Use high school as a window to get you to a good undergraduate program and scholarships to keep you out of crazy debt while you're there. Shoot me a message if you need anything, I totally get where you're coming from.

 

[Luna724]

Getting good high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores are only good for getting a scholarship for your undergraduate. If you are really serious about dentistry, don't let brand names fool you and go to decent or half decent 4-year college and aspire for a 4.0 GPA. Attending a research university is an added bonus to say the least.

 

[AspiringToDent]

You more important things to worry about….like whether or not your dad will let you borrow the car on saturday night.

Hehe, fortunately, I went out and paid for my own car through summers of pretty hard work.

By the time you are ready to apply to ds you might well decide you would prefer getting an MBA and just manage your dad's "multiple practices".

Thank you for the advice! While that is a possibility, the practice of dentistry is what I am really hoping to go into, not so much management. Not going to rule it out, but I think I would approach the point of applying DS and having a shred of hope that I can be accepted, I will do/retake any classes and shadowing that I must in order to be accepted. My father has a "plan" working out, so when he retires, I would retain 51% of the ownership of two of the three buildings in which he practices (I think that is how it goes, if I am wrong, correct me.) I am not sure of the whole process, and I'm interested in talking to him on a deeper level of it.

It's far too early to give up. What you do in high school opens the door for good colleges (and scholarships!). Beyond that, though, it doesn't matter. One dental school asked me for my SAT score on their supplemental application, and I think it was just a formality. I doubt they looked at it.

However, I'd suggest buckling down. It is easier to change your study efforts now than it is when you are inundated with college classes, which are typically harder. I did well in high school (grades, SAT, and the like), and it made the college transition essentially seamless for me. I didn't have much of an "adjustment period," where many of my peers did (and their grades suffered because of it). Set yourself up for success by figuring out how to study now.

Thank you for the advice! My study habits are ever improving, but no where near the point in which they should be in order to strive in college (I think personally, more dedication and effort could be output.)

I'm a senior in high school as well, man. And I know what you mean. Ironically enough my father's also a dentist and he always tells me the best of the best become dentists. That being said, don't worry just yet. Keep putting in your work. When it comes time for your undergrad, that's when you'll really need to buckle down and get your GPA, extracurriculars, etc down. The key to college success is motivation and discipline. You can learn those two things and further work on them for the next two years. Use high school as a window to get you to a good undergraduate program and scholarships to keep you out of crazy debt while you're there. Shoot me a message if you need anything, I totally get where you're coming from.

Awesome! I wish the best of luck on your future endeavors as well! It is cool to see others out there who are in the same position as I am currently. Discipline and Motivation both are works in progress, hopefully a summer filled with hard farm work and character building activities can get me somewhere for both. I am trying to make my way to the Pre-Dent Scholar Program at Marquette, which, if accepted into, would guarantee a position in their dental school (considering all other criteria for the program are met.) I might have questions for you in the future, thank you for your generosity!

Getting good high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores are only good for getting a scholarship for your undergraduate. If you are really serious about dentistry, don't let brand names fool you and go to decent or half decent 4-year college and aspire for a 4.0 GPA. Attending a research university is an added bonus to say the least.

Thank you for your reply! I have always been puzzled by it, but is it a reasonable goal to attempt to get a 4.0 GPA if I would be involved in a variety of extracurriculars? I have been told by a number of people it is simply impossible, especially with the killer of OChem. Thanks!

 

[FT2FLY]

Awesome! I wish the best of luck on your future endeavors as well! It is cool to see others out there who are in the same position as I am currently. Discipline and Motivation both are works in progress, hopefully a summer filled with hard farm work and character building activities can get me somewhere for both. I am trying to make my way to the Pre-Dent Scholar Program at Marquette, which, if accepted into, would guarantee a position in their dental school (considering all other criteria for the program are met.) I might have questions for you in the future, thank you for your generosity!

HAHA! MAN.. I got into Marquette also. My GPA was good, but at the time that I applied my ACT was a 24 but my extracurriculars were strong and what not. The only reason I'm not going is because the money is at my first choice university. This is funny. Goodluck to you also.

 

[squigloo]

hi skool iz srs bsnss guize

 

[AspiringToDent]

HAHA! MAN.. I got into Marquette also. My GPA was good, but at the time that I applied my ACT was a 24 but my extracurriculars were strong and what not. The only reason I'm not going is because the money is at my first choice university. This is funny. Goodluck to you also.

Hehe, are you around the Midwest? U of Minn is my second choice, my father attended there!

hi skool iz srs bsnss guize

srsly y u do dis.

 

[KeepersWay]

Lol, High School doesn't matter just make sure that if you slacked you've develop some study habits cause it won't be a walk through the park.