I need some help

[banana2004]

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I am a junior in high school graduating in May 2004 and I wanted to ask about what courses are required or preferred for dental school admissions. What maths and sciences do I need to take in college and when should I start preparing for the DAT? I plan on majoring in Business. What do dental schools look for when applying? Do they want original and unique or do they look solely at GPA and DAT scores? Does it matter if I do not go to a prestigious undergrad university? How do Baylor and UT rank in dental schools? If y'all could help that would be great. Thanks a bunch.

 

[StarGirl]

why don't you get 1350+ on your SAT and apply to the 5 year program at UOP 🙂 you'll have your DDS when you're 23!
or you can just take all the prereqs and do well on the DAT and apply to UCLA...
who needs the BS? 😀

 

[Westside22]

OMG i am dizzy and spinning out of control and going bananas after reading your post!!!

this post is a joke right? come on, tell me it's a joke...

if it is not, then here is my advice,

go to prom, learn to surf, learn a new foreign language, play sports, graduate from high school, and try to ACE the SAT and get a scholarship, and help your parents with cutting the grass and washing the dishes, and ace your classes


Here is more of my advice....a bit more advice for your young heart, go to a 4 year university, take classes, party, have fun, meet people, keep your grades up, party on, meet cute boys or girls what ever your preference is, party on, learn to drink, learn not to drink, stay up all night partying, stay up all night cramming for exams, stay up all night doing nothing but talking about the issues that go on in this crazy world, and party on and take philosophy class, and volunteer, and do research, and sleep and party on and meet cute people, and work part time if you need the money, and travel and do all that jazz

and some where along the way figure out what you want to do with your life, if it happens to be dentistry, the counseling unit at your college will help you....
don't jump ahead of yourself here,
😱

 

[Supernumerary]

Copied this from the NOVA website:

Prior to matriculation, applicants must have completed a minimum of 90 semester-hours of course work at a regionally accredited college or university. Not more than 60 semester-hours from community or junior college will be applied to the 90-semester-hour minimum;

Students should have a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a four-point scale. In addition, students should have a science grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a four-point scale. Students must have earned a grade of 2.0 or better in each of the following required courses:
General Biology - 8-semester hours including laboratory
(Zoology and Microbiology are acceptable alternatives)
General chemistry - 8-semester hours including laboratory
Organic chemistry - 8-semester hours including laboratory
Physics - 8-semester hours including laboratory
English Composition - 3-semester hours
English Literature - 3-semester hours

Courses strongly recommended: Additional biology courses (including anatomy, histology, biochemistry, immunology, or physiology); courses in social sciences, principles of management, accounting, communication, foreign languages, art and sculpture will contribute to a broad educational background.

Most dental schools have similar or identical requirements.

BTW, that GPA of 2.75 is an absolute minimum for them to even really look at your application. Average GPA for dental schools is going up more and more each year; so plan on working a lot harder than a 2.75 if you want to be a dentist. 😉

Hope this helps. 🙂

 

[Supernumerary]

Also, I want to add that Westside is right on the money about enjoying life. It's good that you're planning ahead, but enjoy life and don't worry so much about college and careers. So many things will change for you in the next few years.

When I was a junior in high school my only aspiration was to become... well... actually I had no aspirations... in fact, I dropped out of high school my junior year and went to work for minimum wage. .....edited out a bunch of stuff that made me look really bad......

UMMM.... where was I going with that story??? Not really sure. But that's beside the point. What I was trying to say before I started rambling is that you will probably change your mind about 57 times before you even finish your freshman year in college. Just have fun and explore new things before you confine yourself too much to one career path.

If I ever lose both my hands in a freak industrial accident and have to become a high school counselor, I'm going to ban all aptitude tests and encourage everyone to just hang out until they're at least 20 before starting college.

 

[w3chen99]

What everyone is saying here is VALID. GO HAVE FUN IN COLLEGE. This is the only point in your life when you can stay out every night and have fun. If you don't get it out of your system, you WILL REGRET IT. I was so sad when undergrad ended because I knew that I would never have as much fun as I did in those four years. Now that I'm 3 years removed from having graduated from undergrad, I can't wait to start school again in the fall. Being in the real world and working really makes you appreciate how fun school really is.

Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try in school. Just find a balance for fun and your studies. I'll admit that my first couple of years I went overboard in the partying/having fun/going out/staying up/playing pranks/making friends/hooking up/eating dessert for dinner, but hey - I got it out of my system! I will say that with all of my experiences, that when I am in dental school, I will be able to better handle situations where time management is critical/when I have a hard break-up with a girlfriend/when I have to cram for a test/making friends/ETC ETC ETC. Those are skills that aren't seen in your GPA or DAT score....so have fun...study hard...and play hard! You're young only once....

 

[banana2004]

wow, chill out y'all. I just wanted to get an idea as to what I should look out for and be prepared for , but I have absolutely no intention of not living and enjoying life. I party hard and study somewhat hard. Just wanted some info cuz high school counselors suck at giving any correct information. Anyway, I get your drift, so thanks