In quite a dilemma

[thepredentalman]

For those of you that may have had a similar experience, i would love to hear your thoughts on this.

so i applied to dental schools this last cycle with these stats:

DAT:
17 BIO
18 CHEM
16 OCHEM
19 PAT
20 RC
20 QR
18 AA
GPA: about 3.4
Science GPA: about 3.1

i just heard back from Roseman dental school this week with an acceptance.

now the thing is, since i was under the impression that i could not get into a school with those stats i decided i need to retake the DAT and probably apply again. so last weekend i took my DAT again and got a much better score

21 BIO
19 CHEM
22 OCHEM
19 PAT
20 RC
27 QR
22 AA


so i am not really sure what to do here. i live in LA and now that i got this score i feel that i can reapply and get in somewhere here. i also feel like j can just get into more highly regarded schools that will improve my chances of getting into OS for specialty. based on my new score what do you think? not to mention, roseman is also of the most expensive dental schools i feel like there should be cheaper ones i can get into now. any insight would be appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Redwing9]

Hmm this is a good one.

I have had one friend go to Roseman and she overall liked the program while she was there. Tuition is higher, you'll probably save $70,000~$100,000 going to UCLA or UCSF IF you get in, otherwise you're going private or OOS and paying the same price as Roseman.
You will lose a year of work if you reapply on the other hand so might nearly be a wash.

You can specialize from any school if you are a diligent and smart.

I'm pretty torn but more than the money if you told me I could be done a year earlier I'd probably take that deal and go to Roseman.

Tough call good luck!

Edit-

Just to add and I don't mean to crush your dreams or anything but, you're GPA isn't bad but it isn't great for a school like UCLA or UCSF. Additionally people say re-applicants are judged harder you will have to add significant new experiences during this gap year.

So I'd say take the acceptance and get to work!

 

[doc toothache]

Turning down an acceptance may suggest that your priority is price rather than dental education.

 

[thepredentalman]

Hmm this is a good one.

I have had one friend go to Roseman and she overall liked the program while she was there. Tuition is higher, you'll probably save $70,000~$100,000 going to UCLA or UCSF IF you get in, otherwise you're going private or OOS and paying the same price as Roseman.
You will lose a year of work if you reapply on the other hand so might nearly be a wash.

You can specialize from any school if you are a diligent and smart.

I'm pretty torn but more than the money if you told me I could be done a year earlier I'd probably take that deal and go to Roseman.

Tough call good luck!

Edit-

Just to add and I don't mean to crush your dreams or anything but, you're GPA isn't bad but it isn't great for a school like UCLA or UCSF. Additionally people say re-applicants are judged harder you will have to add significant new experiences during this gap year.

So I'd say take the acceptance and get to work!

thank you for the reply. i did not know that schools judge harder the second time around. i was under the impression that my score difference and the drive the keep applying would be quite a determining factor, but thank you anyways.

looks like a decision will have to be made very soon

 

[Matty_Boosie]

Will you be a 3 or 4 year Roseman class? If your class will be 3 years that will shave 2 years off if you reapply again. However, I know a couple roseman grads and they say its hard enough specializing and it will only get harder when it switches to 3 years. If you just want to be a GP its a no brainer to just go to roseman.

 

[macsak]

Will you be a 3 or 4 year Roseman class? If your class will be 3 years that will shave 2 years off if you reapply again. However, I know a couple roseman grads and they say its hard enough specializing and it will only get harder when it switches to 3 years. If you just want to be a GP its a no brainer to just go to roseman.

roseman doesn't start 3 years until this cycle...

 

[Redwing9]

thank you for the reply. i did not know that schools judge harder the second time around. i was under the impression that my score difference and the drive the keep applying would be quite a determining factor, but thank you anyways.

looks like a decision will have to be made very soon

Yeah unfortunately just a new DAT score will not be enough. You will need to fill your days this year proving you are making progress to improve your application. Additionally this will require a new personal statement - potentially new letters or recommendation or at least updated ones with new dates. And none of that raises your GPA.

I didn't say it the first post but seriously you've been accepted to dental school CONGRADULATIONS! You've worked so hard to get here take it, work your ass off and do OS if that's what you really want. No matter what school you go to getting into OS will take serious work and sacrifice.

Obviously you can probably tell what I think you should do but either way I hope it works out for you!

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Realistically, you aren’t getting into UCLA or UCSF with that GPA and DAT. So if you role the dice hoping to stay in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia, you’ll at best be trading your Roseman acceptance for a USC or Western acceptance. Tack on a year of lost income as a dentist and I wouldn’t call that a “winning strategy.”

Big Hoss

 

[thepredentalman]

Will you be a 3 or 4 year Roseman class? If your class will be 3 years that will shave 2 years off if you reapply again. However, I know a couple roseman grads and they say its hard enough specializing and it will only get harder when it switches to 3 years. If you just want to be a GP its a no brainer to just go to roseman.

the four year program!

 

[thepredentalman]

Realistically, you aren’t getting into UCLA or UCSF with that GPA and DAT. So if you role the dice hoping to stay in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia, you’ll at best be trading your Roseman acceptance for a USC or Western acceptance. Tack on a year of lost income as a dentist and I wouldn’t call that a “winning strategy.”

Big Hoss

thank you very much for the facts, i think i have my decision

 

[thepredentalman]

Yeah unfortunately just a new DAT score will not be enough. You will need to fill your days this year proving you are making progress to improve your application. Additionally this will require a new personal statement - potentially new letters or recommendation or at least updated ones with new dates. And none of that raises your GPA.

I didn't say it the first post but seriously you've been accepted to dental school CONGRADULATIONS! You've worked so hard to get here take it, work your ass off and do OS if that's what you really want. No matter what school you go to getting into OS will take serious work and sacrifice.

Obviously you can probably tell what I think you should do but either way I hope it works out for you!

thank you so much! it feels really good especially considering i got in before they found out my new score.

 

[thepredentalman]

Yeah unfortunately just a new DAT score will not be enough. You will need to fill your days this year proving you are making progress to improve your application. Additionally this will require a new personal statement - potentially new letters or recommendation or at least updated ones with new dates. And none of that raises your GPA.

I didn't say it the first post but seriously you've been accepted to dental school CONGRADULATIONS! You've worked so hard to get here take it, work your ass off and do OS if that's what you really want. No matter what school you go to getting into OS will take serious work and sacrifice.

Obviously you can probably tell what I think you should do but either way I hope it works out for you!

i must say you’re a very kind person and i wish all the best for you!

 

[PerioDont]

Realistically, you aren’t getting into UCLA or UCSF with that GPA and DAT. So if you role the dice hoping to stay in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia, you’ll at best be trading your Roseman acceptance for a USC or Western acceptance. Tack on a year of lost income as a dentist and I wouldn’t call that a “winning strategy.”

Big Hoss

Is paying 500k for dental school a winning strategy though…

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Is paying 500k for dental school a winning strategy though…

Big Hoss

 

[thepredentalman]

Is paying 500k for dental school a winning strategy though…

i would think that a years of lost income would kind of even out that playing field. especially since i woukd most likely get into usc over the cheaper options, im not sure the year is really worth the wait to just go to usc

 

[Redwing9]

i would think that a years of lost income would kind of even out that playing field. especially since i woukd most likely get into usc over the cheaper options, im not sure the year is really worth the wait to just go to usc

What the two of them are saying is that because its $500,000 your best option is to actually not go to dental school at all. And seeing as they are out of school practicing and I am not I suppose I'd have to defer to them. However this also implies you just live in a world where the only things that matter are math and money. Will the $500,000 be a set back? Yes. Will your computer science friends be better off assuming everyone makes perfect investing decisions? Maybe. Can you still live a great life working as a dentist in 2022 even with $500,000 of debt to pay off? I think yes, sure dentists don't make money like they did in the "golden days of dentistry" that doesn't make it all bad.

To be clear I don't think the 2 of them are wrong. In almost every situation if you have 2 acceptances going to a cheaper school its almost always the right choice. And if you are only here pursing dentistry because you want to be rich as soon as possible this is no longer the way to do it especially if you are taking out student loans. But if you enjoy dentistry, working with people, and can survive the education I think you can still be optimistic.

- A note from the math area of my brain. If your plan is to make minimum payments on $500,000 of debt you will commit financial suicide. So if you're going to do this... Do it with a REALALISTIC plan on how you're paying back the debt or don't go to dental school.

 

[charlestweed]

Take the acceptance now. Think of dental school as a 4 yr prison term. The sooner you serve that term, the sooner you'll earn your freedoom. There's no reason to delay this. Work as hard as you can during the first 2-3 yrs to cut that massive loan amount in half. Think of the first 3 years of working hard as an associate dentist as the 3 yr residency (hard work and low pay) that the med students have to do after graduation.

If you decline the acceptance offer and reapply, who's going to support you during the gap year? Your parents? Or getting a minimum wage job? Don't waste your youth years. Make your parents proud.

Having 1 year of earning potential is not the only advantage. You will also be way ahead in clinical skills and will be able to get a better paying job than a dentist who graduates a year after you.

If you have good enough stats to get into an OS program, then go for it. With the great OS income, you shouldn't have problem paying back the student loans even if the amount is close to $1 million.

 

[thepredentalman]

Take the acceptance now. Think of dental school as a 4 yr prison term. The sooner you serve that term, the sooner you'll earn your freedoom. There's no reason to delay this. Work as hard as you can during the first 2-3 yrs to cut that massive loan amount in half. Think of the first 3 years of working hard as an associate dentist as the 3 yr residency (hard work and low pay) that the med students have to do after graduation.

If you decline the acceptance offer and reapply, who's going to support you during the gap year? Your parents? Or getting a minimum wage job? Don't waste your youth years. Make your parents proud.

Having 1 year of earning potential is not the only advantage. You will also be way ahead in clinical skills and will be able to get a better paying job than a dentist who graduates a year after you.

If you have good enough stats to get into an OS program, then go for it. With the great OS income, you shouldn't have problem paying back the student loans even if the amount is close to $1 million.

thank you for this, im going to commit tomorrow.

 

[JStarMD]

Take your Roseman acceptance; it's too difficult/competitive to gamble with a sure thing. Formulate a plan for dealing with a large educational debt: public health or military commitment, for example. Consider a future employer who may be willing to pay you a small salary, but also pay off your loan as part of your salary package: that may be a tax deduction for the employer, but NOT for you under present IRS law. We are seeing the beginning of inflationary times that are not familiar to people much below the age of 55. So, you might want to learn some fundamental economics that most pre-professional types are not familiar with (since they--mostly--never take basic economics in college): Inflation wipes out debt !! Google it. (Dentistry is still free-market. Medicine is mostly government/Medicare dependent. The former will see upward market adjustments in payments to dentists, i.e. it will cost patients more to see you. The latter has only seen reductions in reimbursements from third parties; inflation is ominous to today's medical students.)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Take the offer. Period. There is no guarantee you'll get another.