How does Columbia only have a GPA average= 3.2-3.3?

[hawk52]

When they get well over a 1000 applicants, how does their gpa average only equal 3.2-3.3??? I mean there has to be enough people that apply have a 3.8 + to fill up their class twice. I know there is more involved, but seems odd. Any thoughts?

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[onetoothleft]

When they get well over a 1000 applicants, how does their gpa average only equal 3.2-3.3??? I mean there has to be enough people that apply have a 3.8 + to fill up their class twice. I know there is more involved, but seems odd. Any thoughts?

I noticed that too. I think they weigh the DAT with more influence than GPA, which would explain the high DAT average. Some people are under the philosophy that the DAT is the best measure for success in dental school.

But you also have to remember that dental schools are not ranked, and for good reason: there are too many considerations to make a ranking, and dentists do quite well from every accredited dental school.

So: Columbia and other "top" schools are not that much harder to get into (in contrast to their law or medical programs) compared to other schools.

 

[Mustt Mustt]

When they get well over a 1000 applicants, how does their gpa average only equal 3.2-3.3??? I mean there has to be enough people that apply have a 3.8 + to fill up their class twice. I know there is more involved, but seems odd. Any thoughts?

I am just and applicant ans this just my personal opinion. you have to realize that not every one with 3.8 is going to choose to go to Columbia or say any big name school. I know few guys who are applying to columbia as a backup becasue they have 3.7 GPA and good DAT scores. Also, they would rather go to their state school and save money than going to columbia. Yes many people have great stats but at the end of the day Dental Schools run out of them and they have to take people with 3.0-3.4. Many people on this board think that 3.3 is just an average GPA but I think that if you have solid DAT with 3.3 you have chance at almost 90% of the dental schools because schools don't really have enough high GPA applicants.

My uncle was in adcom just last year at one dental school in the nation that they want guys with 3.7+ and they almost accept everyone with those kind of stats. Guess what only 10% of the accepted students decide to accept their schools so now they have to go back and take people with loe GPA. is all about supply and demand.

I bet that if columbia's cost is half what it is today, their avg. GPA would be 3.7 or around that. With their cost most likely their average stay in 3.4ish range for atleast few years unelss all med students starts going into dentistry.

 

[I AM SARA]

When they get well over a 1000 applicants, how does their gpa average only equal 3.2-3.3??? I mean there has to be enough people that apply have a 3.8 + to fill up their class twice. I know there is more involved, but seems odd. Any thoughts?

Because there are lots of people out there with mommy and daddy alumni dentist grads and their gpas are between 2.8 - 2.2 and a phonecall gets them excepted.

Commonsense if you ask me.

 

[hawk52]

Because there are lots of people out there with mommy and daddy alumni dentist grads and their gpas are between 2.8 - 2.2 and a phonecall gets them excepted.

Commonsense if you ask me.

I understand the logic of "the people with high gpa's dont choose columbia" but when they have 1500 applicants, there should be more than enough people with awesome stats that will say yes to them. You have to remember that for every great GPA they accept, there is a low gpa they accept, or else they wouldnt get this kind of average. So if they have a class of 50, if 25 have a 3.8, the other 25 would have to average a 2.7. So they are taking a decent amount of people with below a 3.0, which is amazing to me considering the # of people that apply.

 

[I AM SARA]

I understand the logic of "the people with high gpa's dont choose columbia" but when they have 1500 applicants, there should be more than enough people with awesome stats that will say yes to them. You have to remember that for every great GPA they accept, there is a low gpa they accept, or else they wouldnt get this kind of average. So if they have a class of 50, if 25 have a 3.8, the other 25 would have to average a 2.7. So they are taking a decent amount of people with below a 3.0, which is amazing to me considering the # of people that apply.

well not really, in this day and age there are so many gifted people with exceptional gpas that schools are starting to look for more creative people with real skills.

For example, they may have a policy to take more people with actual dental shadowing experience over high gpas or people with more extracurricular activities.

we just dont know.

all I do know is that you DO NOT have to have a 3.0 to get into a good school like everyone on this site seems to believe.

 

[larrry]

i wonder how many of their applicants have DAt over 22? And how many of those applicants are accepted and choose not to attend columbia?

 

[GoGatorsDMD]

I am just and applicant ans this just my personal opinion. you have to realize that not every one with 3.8 is going to choose to go to Columbia or say any big name school. I know few guys who are applying to columbia as a backup becasue they have 3.7 GPA and good DAT scores. Also, they would rather go to their state school and save money than going to columbia. Yes many people have great stats but at the end of the day Dental Schools run out of them and they have to take people with 3.0-3.4. Many people on this board think that 3.3 is just an average GPA but I think that if you have solid DAT with 3.3 you have chance at almost 90% of the dental schools because schools don't really have enough high GPA applicants.

My uncle was in adcom just last year at one dental school in the nation that they want guys with 3.7+ and they almost accept everyone with those kind of stats. Guess what only 10% of the accepted students decide to accept their schools so now they have to go back and take people with loe GPA. is all about supply and demand.

I bet that if columbia's cost is half what it is today, their avg. GPA would be 3.7 or around that. With their cost most likely their average stay in 3.4ish range for atleast few years unelss all med students starts going into dentistry.

I agree 100%

 

[drhobie7]

Columbia says on their website that the average GPA for matriculating students in 2003 was 3.4, and I'm sure it's only gone up since then. As for a person with a 3.0 getting into a good school...I guess it happens occasionally...but that's pretty low.

 

[Dukie]

First off, Columbia is focused greatly on the DAT over GPA. Also, I'm not trying to get into yet another Columbia argument (as their matriculants are very defensive), but it is not one of the top schools in the country. Columbia is a good undergraduate school and an excellent med school, but the dental school is fairly average. It is a very good place to go if you are research oriented or interested in the medical aspect of dentistry, as the first two years are with the med students. I got in, but personally chose to go elsewhere for cost and for a more clinically focused education.

 

[larrry]

First off, Columbia is focused greatly on the DAT over GPA. Also, I'm not trying to get into yet another Columbia argument (as their matriculants are very defensive), but it is not one of the top schools in the country. Columbia is a good undergraduate school and an excellent med school, but the dental school is fairly average. It is a very good place to go if you are research oriented or interested in the medical aspect of dentistry, as the first two years are with the med students. I got in, but personally chose to go elsewhere for cost and for a more clinically focused education.

hm, if they have a good medical school, and the dental students spend the first 2 years with the meds, they obviously get the same deal.. and yeah, being interested in research is a good thing.

 

[drhobie7]

First off, Columbia is focused greatly on the DAT over GPA. Also, I'm not trying to get into yet another Columbia argument (as their matriculants are very defensive), but it is not one of the top schools in the country. Columbia is a good undergraduate school and an excellent med school, but the dental school is fairly average. It is a very good place to go if you are research oriented or interested in the medical aspect of dentistry, as the first two years are with the med students. I got in, but personally chose to go elsewhere for cost and for a more clinically focused education.

Columbia is an average dental school? That's news to me. I'd be surprised to learn their clinical training was anything but strong. It's difficult, if not impossible, to make meaningful comments about a school unless you are a student there, and even then you have to take them with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, you really don't get a good idea for what a school is like until you are a student. I'm sure your perceptions of UNC will change dramatically after your first year. Hopefully they'll remain good.

 

[drtagman]

First off, Columbia is focused greatly on the DAT over GPA. Also, I'm not trying to get into yet another Columbia argument (as their matriculants are very defensive), but it is not one of the top schools in the country. Columbia is a good undergraduate school and an excellent med school, but the dental school is fairly average. It is a very good place to go if you are research oriented or interested in the medical aspect of dentistry, as the first two years are with the med students. I got in, but personally chose to go elsewhere for cost and for a more clinically focused education.

I am going to columbia next year and following with the stereotype of the defensive matriculant, I am going to defend columbia because it does deserve to be defended against opinionated crap-faces like this. If my justification is not acurate, you can go ahead and call me defensive for no reason, but when we make sense - you cant call us defensive with a negative connotation like you did in your post.
If you dont want to get into another Columbia argument then dont make unjustified comments that demote Columbia's dental program because of a focus on the medical aspect of dentistry instead of clinical. That doesnt make it fairly average it makes it different, and to some people - more suitable to their needs. I disagree with you that Columbia is not one of the top schools in the country.
I am not saying that Columbia is the greatest dental school - I chose Columbia because I KNOW that I can handel clinical work, i am very good with my hands and I believe that focusing on the medical side of Dentistry will make me a far better dentist than if I were to spend more time in the chair. Also, there is a medical aspect to dentistry that must be learned at all dental schools - and you said it yourself - Columbia has a great medical program and since dental students share that program for the first two years, it is also a great dental program. Also, Columbia is in New York City - which may not mean much to you - but I am also focusing on developing myself culturally which could not be done in a better place than New York.

You need to learn that your opnion doesn't count as fact - for me, maybe not for you Dukie, Columbia is a much better dental school than most. And i really wonder where you would have gone if the costs of both columbia and the school you decided to go to were the same.

 

[jay228]

who cares what Columbia's GPA average is? It doesn't matter to current students, it doesn't matter to Columbia, it doesn't matter to alumni of the school.... so why does it matter to a couple of punkass dental applicants.

oh, and uh... an applicant is judged on far more than their GPA. Lots of unique exceptional and frankly better candidates have less than 3.8 GPA.

 

[J2AZ]

all I do know is that you DO NOT have to have a 3.0 to get into a good school like everyone on this site seems to believe.

Go read the 3.0 and under thread and then think about this again. In this day and age you do not HAVE to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher but if you don't you better have some damn good reason why in addition to some damn good E.C.'s

 

[Dukie]

I am going to columbia next year and following with the stereotype of the defensive matriculant, I am going to defend columbia because it does deserve to be defended against opinionated crap-faces like this. If my justification is not acurate, you can go ahead and call me defensive for no reason, but when we make sense - you cant call us defensive with a negative connotation like you did in your post.
If you dont want to get into another Columbia argument then dont make unjustified comments that demote Columbia's dental program because of a focus on the medical aspect of dentistry instead of clinical. That doesnt make it fairly average it makes it different, and to some people - more suitable to their needs. I disagree with you that Columbia is not one of the top schools in the country.
I am not saying that Columbia is the greatest dental school - I chose Columbia because I KNOW that I can handel clinical work, i am very good with my hands and I believe that focusing on the medical side of Dentistry will make me a far better dentist than if I were to spend more time in the chair. Also, there is a medical aspect to dentistry that must be learned at all dental schools - and you said it yourself - Columbia has a great medical program and since dental students share that program for the first two years, it is also a great dental program. Also, Columbia is in New York City - which may not mean much to you - but I am also focusing on developing myself culturally which could not be done in a better place than New York.

You need to learn that your opnion doesn't count as fact - for me, maybe not for you Dukie, Columbia is a much better dental school than most. And i really wonder where you would have gone if the costs of both columbia and the school you decided to go to were the same.

I'm sorry if I offended you, I don't mean to. New York City is an interesting place to live. I lived there twice, so I know it well. If cost were not an issue, I still likely would not have gone to Columbia; however, it is a major issue, so that's a moot point.

The only thing I would strongly disagree with is your argument that a great medical program makes a great dental program. An understanding of medicine is certainly interesting and I don't mean to downplay it. Nonetheless, you are not going to be a medical doctor, you are going to be a dentist. Dentistry is about clinical, pure and simple. You may be able to "handle" it- the overwhelming majority of people in dental school can. Yet, without the training, you will not be able to practice.

Anyway, I'm done debating Columbia with you. Congratulations on getting in. I hope you are right that it is the place for you and you have a rewarding experience.

 

[Dukie]

Unfortunately, you really don't get a good idea for what a school is like until you are a student. I'm sure your perceptions of UNC will change dramatically after your first year. Hopefully they'll remain good.

I absolutely agree, but that is what happens regularly in the pre-dental forum. Students continuously make judgements based on word of mouth and reputation.

 

[I AM SARA]

Go read the 3.0 and under thread and then think about this again. In this day and age you do not HAVE to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher but if you don't you better have some damn good reason why in addition to some damn good E.C.'s

Na I disagree with you. I disagree with you b/c you are WRONG!

 

[drtagman]

The only thing I would strongly disagree with is your argument that a great medical program makes a great dental program. An understanding of medicine is certainly interesting and I don't mean to downplay it. Nonetheless, you are not going to be a medical doctor, you are going to be a dentist. Dentistry is about clinical, pure and simple. You may be able to "handle" it- the overwhelming majority of people in dental school can. Yet, without the training, you will not be able to practice.

I wasnt trying to say that there is only a medical aspect to dentistry - but it is part of it. Columbia does have a clinical aspect to its program, and although it is not as focused on as is some other schools, I dont believe that the school becomes fairly average due to that aspect. I have visited many schools and Columbia's program is above average. I have also met with and worked with a Columbia graduate and her experience at Columbia did not leave her without adequate clinical training. I am, again, not trying to attack you personally - yet clearing up misleading conclusions you are making about Columbia's dental program.
This statement "Yet, without the training, you will not be able to practice."
is obvious but when you say it regarding Columbia's lack of it - is misleading in that you are trying to say that there isnt enough of it, and that the students come out lacking clinical skills that other students have developed. That statement is what I harshly disagree with. And now I am done discussing this.

 

[Envision]

Na I disagree with you. I disagree with you b/c you are WRONG!

Dear Sara,

perhaps by chance, i've also encountered you in another forum dealing with low gpas. now please do not be flattered, as i am about to devote a part of this reply to you. but through a brief run through of your standpoint on low gpas make me question your motive. you persistently insist that high gpas are not neccessary and frequently suggest that people can get in through connections and legacies... without supporting yourself with any reference, yet you openly discredit others...appears a bit immature. perhaps you should also share your stats? perhaps that would explain you standpoint on gpas. also, i believe today's applicant pool is only becoming more competitive, ergo, if its not the grades that are on the high side, than they must have something else that distinquishes them. and being that the average is well above a 3.0, its probably logical to assume most applicants DO have gpa's above 3.0.

 

[UConn_SDM]

I remember when I applied to UConn the Dean of Admissions telling us he had enough applicants to fill the class with forty 4.0 students. He then said that this was not what he was looking to do and that many other factors determine admissions.

 

[Dental08?09]

Columbia is an awesome school. How do I know, I do not go there but I do visit it every now and then.

You have to understand, people on SDN are educated from previous crap they read on SDN. That being said, the majority of people read mis-information and spread mis-information.

Everything you read on this website needs to be taken with 1/100 of a grain of salt.

And by the way, even NYU sports a 3.3 incoming GPA now. Stats are going up across the board because the quailty of applicants is going up.

Ciao!

 

[iviikoivi]

i sure love the coffee there 👍

 

[t12kim]

where did you get this information??

average 3.2-3.3?

get your information straight before you write something here about my school.

 

[realysa]

I'm sorry if I offended you, I don't mean to. New York City is an interesting place to live. I lived there twice, so I know it well. If cost were not an issue, I still likely would not have gone to Columbia; however, it is a major issue, so that's a moot point.

The only thing I would strongly disagree with is your argument that a great medical program makes a great dental program. An understanding of medicine is certainly interesting and I don't mean to downplay it. Nonetheless, you are not going to be a medical doctor, you are going to be a dentist. Dentistry is about clinical, pure and simple. You may be able to "handle" it- the overwhelming majority of people in dental school can. Yet, without the training, you will not be able to practice.

Anyway, I'm done debating Columbia with you. Congratulations on getting in. I hope you are right that it is the place for you and you have a rewarding experience.

methinks dukie is full of ****! opps! sorry, full of dukie!

 

[JoeMomsays]

oh, and uh... an applicant is judged on far more than their GPA. Lots of unique exceptional and frankly better candidates have less than 3.8 GPA.

Correct, there are many other factors that contribute to an acceptance other than GPA and decent DAT scores, but Columbia is NOT the only dental school that assess the overall quality of their applicants.

If your implication holds true, then dental schools such as Harvard & UCLA (higher DAT and GPA) University of Washington (higher GPA, same DAT) select their students solely on GPA and DAT scores. That's incorrect.

Rule of thumb: for dental school selection, drop the ivy league prestige . (harvard is an exception)

 

[ToothCandy4U]

Seriously, this thread is ridiculous.
Columbia is a great school and it's average was 3.4 for 2003-2004 and I am sure their average has gone up for 2004-2005 incoming students.

Let's stop this insanity.

 

[Mustt Mustt]

I love all the columbia threads, and I can't beliven I am applying there.

 

[Halitosis]

how come ppl rarely say **** abt upenn?

 

[larrry]

Harvard>>>>>>Columbia>UPenn

 

[cowsgomoo]

Harvard>>>>>>Columbia>UPenn

Is Harvard truly a good clinical school because I have heard otherwise?

 

[x-linked]

how come ppl rarely say **** abt upenn?

HAHA

 

[paolorossifan]

Seriously, this thread is ridiculous.
Columbia is a great school and it's average was 3.4 for 2003-2004 and I am sure their average has gone up for 2004-2005 incoming students.

Let's stop this insanity.

It is "around 3.6 this year" admissions official, Columbia SDOS.

 

[drhobie7]

Is Harvard truly a good clinical school because I have heard otherwise?

I've heard the same. But remember this is heresay. If you want to know about the clinical skills of Harvard grads you'd have to talk to people who see them in action. Their employers? The fact of the matter is you'll probably do more in your first month as a dentist than you did in your 2 years of clinic in dental school. Even if you didn't become a master at the 3/4 crown (or whatever) in dental school you will very soon once you start working.

 

[jay228]

haha these stupid "x school is better than y school" threads are always filled with idiotic, know-nothing people.

let it end and go debate the merits of belly lint vs. belly dandruff

 

[DDSSlave]

I've heard the same. But remember this is heresay. If you want to know about the clinical skills of Harvard grads you'd have to talk to people who see them in action. Their employers? The fact of the matter is you'll probably do more in your first month as a dentist than you did in your 2 years of clinic in dental school. Even if you didn't become a master at the 3/4 crown (or whatever) in dental school you will very soon once you start working.

This is very true, and it's a shame more predents don't realize it. No matter what dental school you go to, it can only teach you so much. There are only so many crowns and root canals, etc you can do in school. Once you get into dental school (and more importantly once you get into clinic) you'll realize that every dental school pretty much offers the same level of education. If you want to pick and choose, ask what advanced techniques they teach: rotary endo, perio surgery, veneers, adv. oral surgery, implants etc. Avoid schools that have very low requirements.. less than 10 crowns, 2-3 root canals, etc. Otherwise you are pretty much getting an identical education across the board.

Regarding basic science work - it doesn't matter if you take the classes with med students or not. Everyone forgets 95% of this stuff after they take the boards. Otherwise, you know the internal medicine and pharm that you use on a day to day basis. There are other differences (some big) between schools while you're a student, but the end result, the final level of expertise is about the same... You know just enough to start an associateship (or residency) and let the real learning begin.