High School Student in Need of Guidance!!! Please Help!

[aspiringdentist123]

Hello everyone!

This is my first time posting on a public platform, so please be easy on me lol.🤓 I am a senior in high school, taking classes at my local community college as a Dual Enrolled student. By the time I graduate high school, I will have around 90 credits (my AA and then some) with the following prereqs for dental school completed:
- gen chem 1/2
- gen bio 1/2 (hybrid)
- ochem 1
- physics 1
- microbiology (hybrid)
- anatomy and physiology 1/2 (hybrid)
- composition 1/2 (all online)
In addition to this, I plan on finishing the rest of my prereqs (ochem 2 and physics 2) at said community college over the summer out of pocket.

My Questions:
1. Should I retake all of my prereqs when I attend university? I know dental schools prefer to see that you've taken most of your prereqs at a 4-year university rather than a community college. In most cases, even when dental schools accept CC credits, they accept a max of 60-65, and I far exceed the limit...

*For some context, I currently have a 4.0 at CC, and I'm worried that retaking it at a university will show a declining trend if I receive a lower GPA in the same courses.* I was planning on only retaking gen bio 1/2 (to prep for the DAT since I didn't learn much in my CC classes) and then taking upper-level science courses, such as genetics, immunology, histology, etc (that hopefully don't require labs lol).

2. I know that most schools don't accept your prereqs if you've taken them online. Would schools accept my hybrid classes (half online/half in-person - I took exams and labs in-person with lectures online, but I'm not sure if schools would think that)? Also, would my composition (English) classes be accepted even though they were taken completely online (NOT affected by COVID)? Do schools reject online prereqs only if they're science courses due to the labs?

3. (For people familiar with Florida universities!!) I recently got into USF, UCF, and NSU. I'm waiting on decisions from FSU and UF, but I have a good chance of getting in. Statistically, what would be the best school to attend? Where would I likely have the best GPA, research opportunities, shadowing opportunities, etc?

*If it's any help, my high school stats:
1370/1600 highest raw score
1400/1600 super score (670 math/730 reading and writing) - most universities look at this over raw scores
GPA: 4.0 UW; 4.6 W
Rank: 1/475 UW; 3/475 W

(I feel like my stats are on the lower end for successful dentists, especially my SAT scores...please let me know your high school stats if you remember)

Please comment on anything I mentioned! I'm graduating high school in a few months, and I feel like I need to have a solid plan for when I attend university. It would be great to receive advice from individuals far more mature and knowledgeable than I am!!🙏🙏

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ANYONE WHO RESPONDS! I APPRECIATE IT MORE THAN YOU KNOW!!!!❤️❤️❤️

P.S. Sorry I'm so scatterbrained right now. I'm dumping questions that have been stressing me out since junior year haha. 😅

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[Ryxndek]

I’ll try my best here.

1. You shouldn’t have to take all your prerequisites again. Though you should check which schools you plan on applying to and confirm with them about what they want vs don’t. Taking higher level classes like anatomy, physiology, histology will open your app to more schools that require more prerequisites.

2. If the courses don’t say online, or it doesn’t say online on your transcript I don’t think the schools will know if they’re online classes or not. You can check with your school you end up attending to see if it says on your CC transcript or college transcript. But I don’t think it will affect anything. I would however take a humanities writing class if you can or take at least 2 more writing classes since some schools will want to see more writing courses but it could be school dependent.

3. The best school to attend is the one where you’ll get the highest GPA you can and get good experiences. If research interests you you should go to a more research heavy school, UF is probably the best choice for that but just go to whatever school you want. UF also has dental school though too and they probably like to take students from their own programs.

4. Trying to remember my high school stats, I had a 3.84 unweighted and a 4.14 weighted gpa with a 29ACT which is around a 1300 SAT at the time? Truthfully I would not worry about high school stats. Once you get to college know one will care if you got a 4.0 in high school or if you didn’t do well on your SAT. You’re there, that’s all that matters. And you’ll be surrounded with others who also got 4.0s and we’re top of their class, you’re no different. So don’t worry too much about your highschool performance. I felt that I was on the lower end for my stats, given my ACT score but I still got into 4 schools. Worked my butt off in college and now I’m graduating and heading off to dental school this fall!

Good luck, take your time, find your passions and do something that you like. Dental schools like to see drive and passion. Learn how to talk to people and do the best that you can in school!

 

[doc toothache]

You certainly have an impressive number of dual/AP credit courses that you will have pocketed before entering your next phase of you academic challenge. While less than a handful of ds outright do not accept CC credits for ds prerequisite, some definitely discourage the CC route and at best accept credit contingent on having a track record of upper level science courses (chem/bio) taken at a university level. Keep in mind that, in general, all universities require a minimum number of credits (30) before they are willing to confer a degree. In that case, you would need to tackle at least, biochemistry, analytical chemistry and physical chemistry; for bio you would be looking at genetics, histology, immunology, and whatever other upper level courses that university offers. By your own admission, you feel that you have been ill prepared in bio and are considering retaking it. Is there any reason to believe that the same could not be claimed for the remaining list of science courses? While prepping for the DAT is important, it is equally/more important to have a solid science background for the preclinical academic courses you will be encountering in dental school. It has been mentioned before that organic and upper level bio courses do not really belong in the same sentence.

 

[aspiringdentist123]

You certainly have an impressive number of dual/AP credit courses that you will have pocketed before entering your next phase of you academic challenge. While less than a handful of ds outright do not accept CC credits for ds prerequisite, some definitely discourage the CC route and at best accept credit contingent on having a track record of upper level science courses (chem/bio) taken at a university level. Keep in mind that, in general, all universities require a minimum number of credits (30) before they are willing to confer a degree. In that case, you would need to tackle at least, biochemistry, analytical chemistry and physical chemistry; for bio you would be looking at genetics, histology, immunology, and whatever other upper level courses that university offers. By your own admission, you feel that you have been ill prepared in bio and are considering retaking it. Is there any reason to believe that the same could not be claimed for the remaining list of science courses? While prepping for the DAT is important, it is equally/more important to have a solid science background for the preclinical academic courses you will be encountering in dental school. It has been mentioned before that organic and upper level bio courses do not really belong in the same sentence.

Wow, thanks for replying! I know that most definitely discourages CCs, so would retaking my biology and anatomy/physiology classes help my situation in any way? This way I kind of have a mix of both CCs and university credits for my prereqs. Personally, I felt that both my gen chem and ochem classes prepared me well, so I would prefer to not have to retake them. If I don't retake my chem classes, do I have to take analytical and physical chemistry at university? Would taking biochemistry be sufficient in proving my proficiency in chem? If possible, I would like the majority of my upper-level sciences courses to be biology-based, such as genetics, immunology, histology, anatomy/physiology, etc. Would having more biology-based upper-level sciences classes than chemistry-based harm my application? Obviously, I want to maximize my chances of getting into dental school, so please honestly let me know what you think the best route is for me to take into consideration. Again, I greatly appreciate you putting in the time and effort to respond to my questions!! Thank you! 🙂

 

[aspiringdentist123]

I’ll try my best here.

1. You shouldn’t have to take all your prerequisites again. Though you should check which schools you plan on applying to and confirm with them about what they want vs don’t. Taking higher level classes like anatomy, physiology, histology will open your app to more schools that require more prerequisites.

2. If the courses don’t say online, or it doesn’t say online on your transcript I don’t think the schools will know if they’re online classes or not. You can check with your school you end up attending to see if it says on your CC transcript or college transcript. But I don’t think it will affect anything. I would however take a humanities writing class if you can or take at least 2 more writing classes since some schools will want to see more writing courses but it could be school dependent.

3. The best school to attend is the one where you’ll get the highest GPA you can and get good experiences. If research interests you you should go to a more research heavy school, UF is probably the best choice for that but just go to whatever school you want. UF also has dental school though too and they probably like to take students from their own programs.

4. Trying to remember my high school stats, I had a 3.84 unweighted and a 4.14 weighted gpa with a 29ACT which is around a 1300 SAT at the time? Truthfully I would not worry about high school stats. Once you get to college know one will care if you got a 4.0 in high school or if you didn’t do well on your SAT. You’re there, that’s all that matters. And you’ll be surrounded with others who also got 4.0s and we’re top of their class, you’re no different. So don’t worry too much about your highschool performance. I felt that I was on the lower end for my stats, given my ACT score but I still got into 4 schools. Worked my butt off in college and now I’m graduating and heading off to dental school this fall!

Good luck, take your time, find your passions and do something that you like. Dental schools like to see drive and passion. Learn how to talk to people and do the best that you can in school!

Thank you so much for replying!!

1. Would it look bad on my application to only retake my biology prereqs and not my chems and physics? What is the minimum number of upper-level science classes should I take in undergrad for me to be "safe", where dental schools would overlook me taking my prereqs at CC? In addition, would having more biology-based upper-level sciences classes than chemistry-based ones harm my application, such as genetics, immunology, histology, anatomy/physiology, etc?

3. UF is known for its research and brutal academics. Would you still recommend I go to UF even if it's likely that I'll have a lower GPA? Also, because of its insane number of students, it'll likely be difficult to get research opportunities due to the competitiveness of the students. You mentioned that I should go to the school where I'll get the highest GPA, so would it be better to attend a school like Nova Southeastern, USF, or UCF?

Also, congrats on getting into dental school!!🎉🎉 I took a peek at your stats and wow, you are seriously impressive! I'm so jealous of all the research you've done! Do you have any tips for when I get to undergrad? How can I obtain research opportunities with large class sizes, what can I do to be a helpful member of my team, what can I do to prepare when I have no prior experience, etc?? During high school, most of my impactful ECs were clubs (one of which I actually founded myself) and volunteering opportunities, but unfortunately no research or shadowing... Any advice is appreciated! Thanks again for taking time out of your day to respond! It helps a bunch! 😊

 

[Ryxndek]

Thank you so much for replying!!

1. Would it look bad on my application to only retake my biology prereqs and not my chems and physics? What is the minimum number of upper-level science classes should I take in undergrad for me to be "safe", where dental schools would overlook me taking my prereqs at CC? In addition, would having more biology-based upper-level sciences classes than chemistry-based ones harm my application, such as genetics, immunology, histology, anatomy/physiology, etc?

3. UF is known for its research and brutal academics. Would you still recommend I go to UF even if it's likely that I'll have a lower GPA? Also, because of its insane number of students, it'll likely be difficult to get research opportunities due to the competitiveness of the students. You mentioned that I should go to the school where I'll get the highest GPA, so would it be better to attend a school like Nova Southeastern, USF, or UCF?

Also, congrats on getting into dental school!!🎉🎉 I took a peek at your stats and wow, you are seriously impressive! I'm so jealous of all the research you've done! Do you have any tips for when I get to undergrad? How can I obtain research opportunities with large class sizes, what can I do to be a helpful member of my team, what can I do to prepare when I have no prior experience, etc?? During high school, most of my impactful ECs were clubs (one of which I actually founded myself) and volunteering opportunities, but unfortunately no research or shadowing... Any advice is appreciated! Thanks again for taking time out of your day to respond! It helps a bunch! 😊

I don’t think it would look bad to just take biology-based classes rather than Chem or phys. I personally wouldn’t take analytical Chem or biophysics if you don’t have to. Upper-level bio courses I think will look better on your app. Most schools don’t ask for upper division Chem/phys courses except Biochem which you have to take anyways. Smash that class and you should be fine. I don’t think there’s any one way you can go about doing this. I think you just want to show schools you are a capable and well-rounded student that can handle the rigors of the school. I would take the upper division biology classes instead, do well in those and you’ll be a solid applicant. I didn’t have some of those classes, wish I took some but didn’t have time.

Even with UF having brutal academics, dental schools know that and they also know schools that have easier (grade-inflating) academics. If you get into UF I’d say that would be an excellent choice. I go to Minnesota for undergrad, we have 30,000 students and I was still able to get research experience. I started as a freshman but covid killed that for 2 years.
The best way is to find a prof doing research in a field you like and reach out and see if they have any opportunities. Fortunately for you you’ve taken a lot of classes and most won’t take freshmen/sophomores because they haven’t taken enough classes to conceptually understand the research they might be doing. But you’re in a unique position where you should have some type of foundation to help you, so I don’t see why you couldn’t get a research position somewhere if you try hard enough. You’ll send a lot of emails, some might get back, some might ignore you. But it just takes one to sit down with you and talk about what interests you and why you want to join a lab. I felt that my letter from my PI was what solidified my app and helped me get into D-school because they could see the work I was doing and also doing 15-20 hours of research while also having a full-time schedule of classes proved I could handle the rigor of D-school.

Everyone’s journey is different for dental school. Enjoy your undergrad, find clubs you’re passionate about, do what you love, work hard and don’t give up. If dentistry is your passion you’ll find a way to get in. You’ve already laid a great foundation for yourself, now just build up on it. Good luck! Feel free to reach out to me via PM if you have any more questions. Always willing to help someone when I was in the similar shoes as you. Good luck!

 

[aspiringdentist123]

I don’t think it would look bad to just take biology based classes rather than Chem or phys. I personally wouldn’t take analytical Chem or biophysics if you don’t have to. Upper level bio courses I think will look better on your app. Most schools don’t ask for upper division Chem/phys courses anyways except Biochem which you have to take anyways. Smash that class and you should be fine. I don’t think there’s any one way you can go about doing this. I think you just want to show schools you are a capable and well rounded student that can handle the rigors of the school. I would take the upper division biology classes instead, do well in those and you’ll be a solid applicant. I didn’t have some of those classes, wish I took some but didn’t have time.

Even with UF having brutal academics, dental schools know that and they also know schools that have easier (grade inflating) academics. If you get into UF I’d say that would be an excellent choice. I go to Minnesota for undergrad, we have 30,000 students and I was still able to get research experience. I started as a freshmen but covid killed that for 2 years.
The best way is to find a prof doing research in a field you like and reach out and see if they have any opportunities. Fortunately for you you’ve taken a lot of classes and most won’t take freshmen/sophomores because they haven’t taken enough classes to conceptually understand the research they might be doing. But you’re in a unique position where you should have some type of foundation to help you, so I don’t see why you couldn’t get a research position somewhere if you try hard enough. You’ll send a lot of emails, some might get back, some might ignore you. But it just takes one to sit down with you and talk about what interests you and why you want to join a lab. I felt that my letter from my PI was what solidified my app and helped me get in to school because they could see the work I was doing and also doing 15-20 hours of research while also having a full time schedule of classes proved I could handle the rigor of school.

Everyone’s journey is different for dental school. Enjoy your undergrad, find clubs you’re passionate about, do what you love, work hard and don’t give up. If dentistry is your passion you’ll find a way to get in. You’ve already laid a great foundation for yourself, now just build up on it. Good luck! Feel free to reach out to me via PM if you have anymore questions. Always willing to help someone when I was in the similar shoes as you. Good luck!

THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have seriously been a tremendous help! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly and thank you for being so kind and uplifting! You definitely gave me a better perspective on what to expect in undergrad. It took me quite some time to build up the confidence to post on a public platform (I don't even post on social media lol), so I'm glad that you were my first response! You were a great help to me, and I'll definitely keep your words in mind throughout my journey! I wish you the very best of luck in dental school! THANKS AGAIN! 😊🙏❤️

 

[ktboulevard]

So for all of your questions regarding your CC credits, you would have to check on what dental schools accept them and what schools don't. With your stats, I believe you will score great on the DAT! For the hybrid ones, as long as they don't say "online" you are in the clear. In all honesty, if you don't feel that you could teach one of the pre-reqs to someone, I would retake the ones that you don't feel confident in because when you have to take the DAT you HAVE to know your stuff. I did not feel great in organic chemistry and struggled in that section of the DAT because I did not have a solid foundation. Hence, I had to go back and teach myself which is not my cup of tea. However, you are doing great where you are at now. Keep pushing through and also make sure to get some shadowing hours under your belt if you can to make sure this is right for you. Hope this helps🙂

 

[aspiringdentist123]

So for all of your questions regarding your CC credits, you would have to check on what dental schools accept them and what schools don't. With your stats, I believe you will score great on the DAT! For the hybrid ones, as long as they don't say "online" you are in the clear. In all honesty, if you don't feel that you could teach one of the pre-reqs to someone, I would retake the ones that you don't feel confident in because when you have to take the DAT you HAVE to know your stuff. I did not feel great in organic chemistry and struggled in that section of the DAT because I did not have a solid foundation. Hence, I had to go back and teach myself which is not my cup of tea. However, you are doing great where you are at now. Keep pushing through and also make sure to get some shadowing hours under your belt if you can to make sure this is right for you. Hope this helps🙂

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep it in mind when I attend university. I have a lot of important decisions to make, so if you have any more tips to get into dental school, I would very happily accept them! 😂Thanks again!

 

[ktboulevard]

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep it in mind when I attend university. I have a lot of important decisions to make, so if you have any more tips to get into dental school, I would very happily accept them! 😂Thanks again!

oooo I have plenty of advice! So, here's my backstory. I knew from a very young age I wanted to go into dentistry. I started shadowing in 11th grade of high school while also doing dual enrollment. I went to college to major in biomedical sciences, got a job in a dental office during undergrad, then applied to dental school earlier than I should have. Long story short, I didn't get in my first cycle. I applied the next cycle and got in - yay! There were definitely some changes I would have made, but my mistakes got me to where I am now because I learned from them.

My best advice? College is there for us pre-dent/pre-med students to figure out how we can best manage our time and study more efficiently while pushing through. Don't be afraid to get more involved! Dental schools love when we get involved. I'm talking volunteering, being in clubs, and having jobs that can especially be outside of healthcare. The goal is to show them that you are capable of balance and that there are things outside of dentistry that can help you to become a successful oral healthcare professional. For example, most dental schools love that I coach volleyball. You might say "why would they love that?" Well, when I tell them my reasoning behind it, they can see how I have used that job to incorporate it into dentistry by enhancing my leadership skills, managing practice times, teaching new skills to players, and working with people. It's all about perspective!

As long as you are ambitious and determined to get into dental school, you will get there. For now, use this time to make sure dentistry is for you by doing your research and hopefully shadowing. Then when you get to college make sure you know what pre-reqs you need (because some advisors will screw you over). Most importantly, enjoy your college years while also working hard towards your dream of getting into dental school. Good luck!

 

[Ryxndek]

A fantastic story above. Honestly I didn’t listen to my advisor. They just get you to graduate not get you into school. Don’t listen to their advice, I found mine not helpful at all. This website has been a better resource for me during the last 7 months than my advisor has for the last 4 years. Just make sure to research the schools you’re interested in, make a spread sheet, or use ones on this forum, there’s a couple really good ones. I have them too if you shoot me a PM I can forward.

But just enjoy college, it’s great, find your niche, study hard, have fun, make friends, join clubs, just put yourself out there! Dental schools, like @ktboulevard said, love people who aren’t just only bookworms. Dentistry is a people person profession. You gotta know how to talk and interact with patients, coworkers, other doctors, etc. Leadership skills, communication, and working with others are great things to show them. I worked at a grocery store during undergrad and helped in the bakery. Schools asked me about my experience and how I related it to dental too and ate it up!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP: you've received great advice. I can't add much more to what has been said so briefly:

1) You shouldn't have to retake the prerequisites unless there is an issue with those credits not satisfying degree requirements. This is where an academic advisor is supposed to help you. Many times, those who take dual enrollment courses take the non-science-major version of intro biology or intro chem, so that is the only situation where you would have to retake courses over (because they actually won't fulfill the prerequisites).

2) You should be fine. You also may wind up taking a reading-intensive or writing-intensive course at your university. I can't think of any dental or graduate school who insists you must have an "English composition" course without any other course able to substitute for it (but there may exist one holdout). Most universities have ways where they have special seminar courses that their prehealth office can attest satisfy the "English composition" requirement. I am least worried about English comp as an online course; the old-school argument really holds more water when it comes to didactic labs that are corequired with prereq science lecture courses.

Of course with AI and chatbots, who knows...

3) For any undergrad school, I would check out the support structure for science majors. This includes math tutoring, science supplemental instructors, prehealth advising, and student affinity groups that resonate with who you are or want to be. Get as much of your college costs paid for by grants and scholarships; minimize any burden of working while in school unless you have to. With the right mentors and faculty champions on campus who you can connect to, you can find research opportunities anywhere in the country (Research Experiences for Undergraduates, hospital-centered summer research opportunities, NIH, HHMI, ACS, SACNAS, etc.) as long as you show you can study/work hard and excel in class. Every university should now have an office of civic and community service where you can get solid volunteering experience that is non-clinical or clinical-adjacent in the community where your campus resides. This should be interesting in Florida since the political landscape is really becoming critical (my euphemism) of any scholarly pursuit of addressing racial disparities, which you must be well-versed in to be effective as a healthcare provider, including a dentist. Find a place where you can safely learn who you are and how you can connect with others.

In addition, choose a place with solid mental health and learning services support. Given what teenagers and youth have gone through this past decade, you need to start learning how to take care of yourself physically and mentally. Dental school will be a mental crucible where you must be aware of the consequences of bad health habits, especially your own. Start learning about it and practicing this so you are as prepared as possible for the next phase of your life after college. Learn to make good decisions and avoid those who can cause you serious trouble later on (cheating, drinking, drugs, bullying, violence, etc.). If possible, make mistakes that don't matter ten years from now.

 

[doc toothache]

Wow, thanks for replying! I know that most definitely discourages CCs, so would retaking my biology and anatomy/physiology classes help my situation in any way? This way I kind of have a mix of both CCs and university credits for my prereqs. Personally, I felt that both my gen chem and ochem classes prepared me well, so I would prefer to not have to retake them. If I don't retake my chem classes, do I have to take analytical and physical chemistry at university? Would taking biochemistry be sufficient in proving my proficiency in chem? If possible, I would like the majority of my upper-level sciences courses to be biology-based, such as genetics, immunology, histology, anatomy/physiology, etc. Would having more biology-based upper-level sciences classes than chemistry-based harm my application? Obviously, I want to maximize my chances of getting into dental school, so please honestly let me know what you think the best route is for me to take into consideration. Again, I greatly appreciate you putting in the time and effort to respond to my questions!! Thank you! 🙂

Some dental DS schools make a distinction between AP and CC credits; what you have accumulated so far is exclusively AP. You could take organic 2 and biochemistry at a 4 year college/university. Analytical and p chem are of not much value for ds. If you look at the Guide or search for Majors and DS Admission, you will notice that all the majors are pretty well represented; biology majors represent the largest contingent of both applicants and enrollees. The percentage of those accepted, irrespective of major, is roughly the same. The results of the DAT, which you should take after finishing organic 2, will ascertain whether your AP metrics were genuine or just a case of grade inflation. There is no point in retaking upper level bio courses, unless they are required. At best, you might be able to gain acceptance with another 2 years of university with or without a BS/BA degree. Keep in mind, however, that the number of enrollees with only 2-3 years represent only about 2% of the first year enrollees.

Your biggest handicaps are the lack of genuine university experience and, more importantly, you have no dental experience that you can claim. Ds are not particularly interested in whatever academic/dental shadowing you had during high school. You could start your academic experience and change your major every day of the week and twice on Sunday. You need to convince adcoms that you can cut the mustard and that you will not change your mind about the chosen career path once you start.

You need to shed your thinking on the brutality of undergraduate institutions, because there is not going to be any dental school in the country that is going to be a walk in the park. DS didactic material is not that difficult per se, but the volume of material can and is overwhelming.

What is suggested on SDN is of little or no value irrespective of the source. Ultimately, the only sources that you should take more seriously are those given by the adcoms from the institution you have an interest in. With 66 ds and probably hundreds of individuals that are active adcoms members, opinions will likely vary widely.

 

[aspiringdentist123]

oooo I have plenty of advice! So, here's my backstory. I knew from a very young age I wanted to go into dentistry. I started shadowing in 11th grade of high school while also doing dual enrollment. I went to college to major in biomedical sciences, got a job in a dental office during undergrad, then applied to dental school earlier than I should have. Long story short, I didn't get in my first cycle. I applied the next cycle and got in - yay! There were definitely some changes I would have made, but my mistakes got me to where I am now because I learned from them.

My best advice? College is there for us pre-dent/pre-med students to figure out how we can best manage our time and study more efficiently while pushing through. Don't be afraid to get more involved! Dental schools love when we get involved. I'm talking volunteering, being in clubs, and having jobs that can especially be outside of healthcare. The goal is to show them that you are capable of balance and that there are things outside of dentistry that can help you to become a successful oral healthcare professional. For example, most dental schools love that I coach volleyball. You might say "why would they love that?" Well, when I tell them my reasoning behind it, they can see how I have used that job to incorporate it into dentistry by enhancing my leadership skills, managing practice times, teaching new skills to players, and working with people. It's all about perspective!

As long as you are ambitious and determined to get into dental school, you will get there. For now, use this time to make sure dentistry is for you by doing your research and hopefully shadowing. Then when you get to college make sure you know what pre-reqs you need (because some advisors will screw you over). Most importantly, enjoy your college years while also working hard towards your dream of getting into dental school. Good luck!

Thank you so much for the advice! I also coach volleyball!!! Did you start your own club or do you assist? I played competitively for while and recently retired, but I'll definitely want to coach during university. Any tips? What changes did you make between your first time applying and your second? Also, if you could share what extracurriculars you did, that would be much appreciated! I saw that you obtained 1500+ hours...that's INSANE!? It feels like I've read hundreds of forums about this, but I'm still hungry for more haha . I love reading about "real" people experiences loll. ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING helps!! Thanks and congrats on getting accepted into DS!!!! 😁

 

[aspiringdentist123]

OP: you've received great advice. I can't add much more to what has been said so briefly:

1) You shouldn't have to retake the prerequisites unless there is an issue with those credits not satisfying degree requirements. This is where an academic advisor is supposed to help you. Many times, those who take dual enrollment courses take the non-science-major version of intro biology or intro chem, so that is the only situation where you would have to retake courses over (because they actually won't fulfill the prerequisites).

2) You should be fine. You also may wind up taking a reading-intensive or writing-intensive course at your university. I can't think of any dental or graduate school who insists you must have an "English composition" course without any other course able to substitute for it (but there may exist one holdout). Most universities have ways where they have special seminar courses that their prehealth office can attest satisfy the "English composition" requirement. I am least worried about English comp as an online course; the old-school argument really holds more water when it comes to didactic labs that are corequired with prereq science lecture courses.

Of course with AI and chatbots, who knows...

3) For any undergrad school, I would check out the support structure for science majors. This includes math tutoring, science supplemental instructors, prehealth advising, and student affinity groups that resonate with who you are or want to be. Get as much of your college costs paid for by grants and scholarships; minimize any burden of working while in school unless you have to. With the right mentors and faculty champions on campus who you can connect to, you can find research opportunities anywhere in the country (Research Experiences for Undergraduates, hospital-centered summer research opportunities, NIH, HHMI, ACS, SACNAS, etc.) as long as you show you can study/work hard and excel in class. Every university should now have an office of civic and community service where you can get solid volunteering experience that is non-clinical or clinical-adjacent in the community where your campus resides. This should be interesting in Florida since the political landscape is really becoming critical (my euphemism) of any scholarly pursuit of addressing racial disparities, which you must be well-versed in to be effective as a healthcare provider, including a dentist. Find a place where you can safely learn who you are and how you can connect with others.

In addition, choose a place with solid mental health and learning services support. Given what teenagers and youth have gone through this past decade, you need to start learning how to take care of yourself physically and mentally. Dental school will be a mental crucible where you must be aware of the consequences of bad health habits, especially your own. Start learning about it and practicing this so you are as prepared as possible for the next phase of your life after college. Learn to make good decisions and avoid those who can cause you serious trouble later on (cheating, drinking, drugs, bullying, violence, etc.). If possible, make mistakes that don't matter ten years from now.

Thank you so much for such an elaborate response!! Regarding my prereqs, they should fulfill the dental school requirements. My main worry is that the majority of dental schools look down upon community college credits. Is it worthwhile to retake my prereqs at a university if it means that I can get rid of that "red flag"? I actually have Bright Futures, which will pay for 100% of my tuition for any public Florida school. The only private school that I'm considering is Nova Southeastern, primarily because they have one of the three dental programs in Florida as well as their small class sizes. When I toured Nova, the guide mentioned that you can get strong letters of rec and more research opportunities because the classes are more personal. However, because it is private, I'll be paying a few thousand dollars a year after scholarships. With bigger, public universities, I fear that I will be "just a number" and will struggle to get opportunities because I will literally be competing against hundreds of other students; however, the tuition would be free. What are your thoughts? Also, I greatly appreciate you acknowledging the importance of mental health. I plan on improving my eating and exercise habits, especially during university. My goal is to take the most effective route that will maximize my chances of getting into DS, while minimizing unnecessary stress (I'll have enough stress in DS once I (hopefully) get in lol). Thanks again!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you so much for such an elaborate response!! Regarding my prereqs, they should fulfill the dental school requirements. My main worry is that the majority of dental schools look down upon community college credits. Is it worthwhile to retake my prereqs at a university if it means that I can get rid of that "red flag"? I actually have Bright Futures, which will pay for 100% of my tuition for any public Florida school. The only private school that I'm considering is Nova Southeastern, primarily because they have one of the three dental programs in Florida as well as their small class sizes. When I toured Nova, the guide mentioned that you can get strong letters of rec and more research opportunities because the classes are more personal. However, because it is private, I'll be paying a few thousand dollars a year after scholarships. With bigger, public universities, I fear that I will be "just a number" and will struggle to get opportunities because I will literally be competing against hundreds of other students; however, the tuition would be free. What are your thoughts? Also, I greatly appreciate you acknowledging the importance of mental health. I plan on improving my eating and exercise habits, especially during university. My goal is to take the most effective route that will maximize my chances of getting into DS, while minimizing unnecessary stress (I'll have enough stress in DS once I (hopefully) get in lol). Thanks again!

You have a better sense of the community of students, faculty, and staff who can help you. If you really want that smaller class size, and it's worth the cost, that's your decision.

In general, know that dental school isn't cheap. Keep as much of your student debt as low as possible. Free tuition is a great deal. Your family and your community paid taxes to make this happen.

I don't know if your scholarship comes with perks that you may not be mentioning. For example, an honors college scholarship puts you in smaller classes and better mentoring than the general student body. I am not in Florida so I presume that having the Bright Futures scholarship comes with some added help from student services so you can adjust to college life. Hopefully others can comment.

 

[aspiringdentist123]

Some dental DS schools make a distinction between AP and CC credits; what you have accumulated so far is exclusively AP. You could take organic 2 and biochemistry at a 4 year college/university. Analytical and p chem are of not much value for ds. If you look at the Guide or search for Majors and DS Admission, you will notice that all the majors are pretty well represented; biology majors represent the largest contingent of both applicants and enrollees. The percentage of those accepted, irrespective of major, is roughly the same. The results of the DAT, which you should take after finishing organic 2, will ascertain whether your AP metrics were genuine or just a case of grade inflation. There is no point in retaking upper level bio courses, unless they are required. At best, you might be able to gain acceptance with another 2 years of university with or without a BS/BA degree. Keep in mind, however, that the number of enrollees with only 2-3 years represent only about 2% of the first year enrollees.

Your biggest handicaps are the lack of genuine university experience and, more importantly, you have no dental experience that you can claim. Ds are not particularly interested in whatever academic/dental shadowing you had during high school. You could start your academic experience and change your major every day of the week and twice on Sunday. You need to convince adcoms that you can cut the mustard and that you will not change your mind about the chosen career path once you start.

You need to shed your thinking on the brutality of undergraduate institutions, because there is not going to be any dental school in the country that is going to be a walk in the park. DS didactic material is not that difficult per se, but the volume of material can and is overwhelming.

What is suggested on SDN is of little or no value irrespective of the source. Ultimately, the only sources that you should take more seriously are those given by the adcoms from the institution you have an interest in. With 66 ds and probably hundreds of individuals that are active adcoms members, opinions will likely vary widely.

Thanks for replying! All of my prereqs are actually from community college. My main concern was the "red flag" that CC credits will associate with my application, so that is why I was thinking about retaking them in the first place. Also because I'm not sure if DS will accept all 90 CC credits, as most cap off at 60-64. I plan on completing at least two years of undergrad to get my BS/BA, maybe three, to not only mature but to strengthen my application by participating in more ECs that I'm passionate about. I am shocked by that statistic. Only 2%!? I figured that a lot of successful pre-dents would've taken enough college classes in high school to shave off at least one year of undergrad.

Regarding experience, I plan on shadowing a general dentist the summer after I graduate high school before I start undergrad, and will continue at other offices throughout undergrad. I am considering dental assisting too, especially if I can get trained on the job. I am aware of how difficult dental school will be, and I am prepared to make sacrifices in order to succeed. The classes will be difficult regardless, but my goal is to take the most effective route that will maximize my chances of getting into DS and set me up for success while minimizing unnecessary stress (I'll have enough stress in DS once I (hopefully) get in lol).

I will definitely seek out other sources of info outside of SDN. I just enjoy reading the different perspectives of "real" people who have already experienced what I'm going through on certain topics loll. Thanks again for taking time out of your day to respond! I greatly appreciate any advice you have to offer on ANYTHING! ❤️❤️❤️

 

[macsak]

Hello everyone!

I am currently a senior in high school, and I applied to Nova Southeastern University's College of Dentistry Dual Admission Program. I actually have an interview this week! Have you or anyone you know been accepted to a BS/DDS or Dual Admission Program? If so, what was the experience like? Any interview tips to get in? What are they looking for in an applicant?

These were my high school stats when I applied:
Highest raw SAT score: 1370/1600
SAT Superscore (apparently schools primarily consider this): 1400/1600
UW GPA: 4.0
W GPA: 4.58
UW Class Rank: 1/475
- I will graduate with my AA degree from my CC with around 90 CC credits with nearly all of my prereqs completed

ECs:
- Co-president/co-founder of Letters to Strangers (mental health-focused club; set up private stations around schools to take letters; improved overall mental health of student body)
- Dental Aide Program/Dental Club project coordinator (CMAA certified - highest in the county; three-year-long program; learned dental-related skills and techniques; participated in seminars presented by dental students)
- Senior hospital volunteer (mentored new volunteers; restocked medical supplies; answered call bells; etc.)
- Volleyball coach/player (received several certifications; coached children and elderly/disabled individuals)
- President of UNICEF Club (organized various events/projects to raise funds for underprivileged communities)
- Other leadership roles: Mu Alpha Theta treasurer, project coordinator for NHS, Rho Kappa, and Beta Club

Unfortunately, I did not do any shadowing, which I heard is pretty much an unofficial "requirement" to get into one of these programs....I will be shadowing during the summer after I graduate high school before undergrad, but that was not reflected on my application (hope to mention it during my interview if I'm not too anxious to remember loll). My SAT is also on the lower end.

Is there any hope for me to get in...?

If you or anyone you know has gotten into one of these programs, especially NSU's, please share your stats! Any response is appreciated!!! Thanks! 😊

if you got an interview, you can get in
relax and be yourself
do not emphasize your negatives, accentuate the positives...

 

[aspiringdentist123]

if you got an interview, you can get in
relax and be yourself
do not emphasize your negatives, accentuate the positives...

Thanks, but I believe all students that applied to the program are invited to interview regardless of stats...😅😅

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If you are a certified DA, don't worry so much about shadowing. We want to know more about your interest in dentistry, your science and math preparation, and your ability to be mature enough to succeed in college and dental school.

 

[ktboulevard]

Thank you so much for the advice! I also coach volleyball!!! Did you start your own club or do you assist? I played competitively for while and recently retired, but I'll definitely want to coach during university. Any tips?

Sweet! I coach the same club association I played for. We have a bunch of teams with a main director. There's no way I could have imagined to start my own club even though that's a dream of mine in the future! Yet I love the one I work for so much that I would love to return to the same association after dental school. It's definitely doable during undergrad and a GREAT learning experience! I can't tell you how many lessons I've learned from coaching. I'll narrow down my tips to a minimum because I could go on and on. Here are a few that I give to first year coaches:

1.) Be patient - no matter what age group you get
2.) Don't let your parents or players control how you coach, especially parents
3.) Hold them accountable for their mistakes. At practices they all have to give me 5 walking planks right then until they achieve a certain goal such as hitting 5 consecutive balls in. Trust me on this tactic!
4.) Give 2 positives when you give 1 negative (ex. a player hits a ball out you can say "I love that you are swinging and that you are trying to come through for your setter, but we have to learn how to place the ball instead of relying on power."
5.) When you get onto a player physically show them what they are doing wrong and how to fix it (many coaches forget that last part and wonder why their players don't improve)
6.) Be competitive while having fun

What changes did you make between your first time applying and your second? Also, if you could share what extracurriculars you did, that would be much appreciated! I saw that you obtained 1500+ hours...that's INSANE!? It feels like I've read hundreds of forums about this, but I'm still hungry for more haha . I love reading about "real" people experiences loll. ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING helps!! Thanks and congrats on getting accepted into DS!!!! 😁

The major changes I made were my DAT score, finishing all my pre-reqs, actually asking people for help, and applying to a ton of dental schools instead of a few. They also knew I was also taking a gap year which I think helped in my case because it opened up new opportunities and perspective for me. I knew my DAT score wouldn't be that impressive so that's why I applied to 17 schools. It sounds outrageous, but I was determined to not have to sit out another year. Honestly, I thought my shadowing hours would impress schools, but it never looks like they really care. If anything, they care about quality over quantity. I don't regret having that many hours though just because of what I have learned. I do wish that my tops schools saw that as a major plus though. I've been in your same shoes - trust me haha! You can never get enough. However, do not compare yourself to others on SDN when it comes time to applying. Everyone is different with a different story. I compared myself to people on SDN during the timeI was preparing for my DAT, and it ruined me. Just remember to do YOUR BEST, and you will succeed.