Is it bad to take community college courses?

[CORNELL PreDent]

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How do dental schools view community college courses? I have taken many college courses including 2 semesters of bio and chem w/ lab, the entire calculus series and also a semester of calc based physics already. I have already been accepted into a 4-year institution, but I don't know if I should retake these classes...

 

[tekstyle]

Some recommend courses from a 4 year, but other's don't. If you do retake them, make sure you get an A.

In my opinion, even if they don't like JC courses, it wouldn't hurt you. Your GPA will be the same or better and it's still up to them to weight it differently if they chose. However, it shows that you are willing to go the extra effort to stay in school and not "waste your time". If you are working during the day, this might be the only option for you because most 4 years don't offer classes at night. It also shows determination because you can juggle work and school and still get good grades. This is my 2 cent and someone else might tell you different.

 

[CORNELL PreDent]

Well actually, I am still a high school student. I've just been doing independent studying and taking many community college courses a semester. Right now, I have almost 94 CC units and really contemplating whether or not I want to go to a private institution, which would probably not accept my CC courses, or to a UC (I live in CA), which would take my CC credits.

I've actually already been accepted by Cornell and UCLA (early notifications) and waiting for UCB.

 

[jigabodo]

Well actually, I am still a high school student. I've just been doing independent studying and taking many community college courses a semester. Right now, I have almost 94 CC units and really contemplating whether or not I want to go to a private institution, which would probably not accept my CC courses, or to a UC (I live in CA), which would take my CC credits.

I've actually already been accepted by Cornell and UCLA (early notifications) and waiting for UCB.

To answer you first question: In general, CC classes are not favored and you can only take so many CC units before dental schools stop accepting them.

If you opt to go to an UC, be careful of the unit cap. I think most UCs that go by quarters have a 225 unit cap, so depending on your major you might not be able to finish your degree before that limit is reached.

 

[Dental156]

I took my anatomy, physiology, and calc classes at a community college and it was never brought up in an interview.

In your situation, I would say that as long as you take upper level bio and chem classes like your organic, biochem, etc at a university and do well in them then it shouldn't be a problem. I would think the only problem people see in cc classes are that you don't learn as much or go as in-depth as you would at a Univ. Thus, if you are still able to get A's in upper level classes then you are showing that you did learn just as much or just as well as those who took the lower level classes at that univ.

 

[CORNELL PreDent]

Problem is that I haven't just taken a few courses at my CC. I've taken 3 Spanish language courses, 2 Latin American folklore classes, 2 semesters of bio and inorganic chem w/ lab, one semester of calc-based physics as well as Calculus 1, 2 and 3. I intend to transfer all of these courses to UC, but am unsure of how dental schools would view this.

 

[litldime]

Well actually, I am still a high school student. I've just been doing independent studying and taking many community college courses a semester. Right now, I have almost 94 CC units and really contemplating whether or not I want to go to a private institution, which would probably not accept my CC courses, or to a UC (I live in CA), which would take my CC credits.

I've actually already been accepted by Cornell and UCLA (early notifications) and waiting for UCB.

most universities will only allow you to transfer over 66 semester hrs... i would check with the schools to make sure...alot of them do accept cc coursework but they have a limit and might only take particular classes...their website might have all this info. under prospective students...

 

[atlantis]

Hello everyone,

I have decided to pursue dentistry as a profession. I have already graduated with Bachelors of Business Administration with a Finance major.

But I plan to go back to school starting this summer to take the prerequesites. I would like to get into NOVA. Can anyone familiar with NOVA tell me how you approached the prerequesite courses (i.e., how many courses did you take each semester)? Etc...


Thanks.
Atlantis

 

[tekstyle]

Hello everyone,

I have decided to pursue dentistry as a profession. I have already graduated with Bachelors of Business Administration with a Finance major.

But I plan to go back to school starting this summer to take the prerequesites. I would like to get into NOVA. Can anyone familiar with NOVA tell me how you approached the prerequesite courses (i.e., how many courses did you take each semester)? Etc...


Thanks.
Atlantis

http://dental.nova.edu/doctoral.html

 

[:) hi!]

It will not be a problem. I took most of my dental pre-req courses (chem/bio/math/lower div classes/GE etc...) with 100+ credits, transferred to a UC and still got in very good dental schools. You might be able to graduate earlier if you get to use these CC credits. Why don't you talk to counselors at the school you want to go to? they will tell you what credits you can transfer and even map out all the necessary classes you need to take (if you know what major you want to study in).

I agree with what Dental156 said. Most dental schools don't care where you go to in undergrad, as long as you have good GPA, good DAT, dental experience and community services.

 

[gijohn529]

Yeah for sure CC credits hurt you. I took all of my dental prereqs at CC's and during my interviews I had to explain why. I got accepted but not to my first choice school. Just make sure you score 21+ on the science section of your DAT's and it should wash out.

 

[rimmies]

I just met with Dr. Lippman last week. I had taken my first 2 years at a Community College which included my orgo's. I left there with a 4.0 and am currently in my junior year at a 4 year. He told me flat out that they wanted at least a year at a 4 year to evaluate a student. If I had taken my courses at a 4 year the whole time I probably would not have had a 4.0, and would have had more debt....but i'd be in....sad story.

 

[SanOnofre2002]

I just met with Dr. Lippman last week. I had taken my first 2 years at a Community College which included my orgo's. I left there with a 4.0 and am currently in my junior year at a 4 year. He told me flat out that they wanted at least a year at a 4 year to evaluate a student. If I had taken my courses at a 4 year the whole time I probably would not have had a 4.0, and would have had more debt....but i'd be in....sad story.

With a little investigation you probably could have figured out that d-schools won't take people without a history from a 4 year school, regardless of how well they did at a CC, and saved yourself from applying last year. I'm not trying to be mean, but the CC route works well for a lot of people. It just requires good planning. Worst case for you is to reapply while you finish your undergrad. I could think of some less desirable situations. Hope you get what you're trying for.

 

[CORNELL PreDent]

Wow, so it seems like we have a variety of testimonies here. Some don't see taking CC courses as necessarily a bad thing, and others have outright horrible experiences because of taking these classes.

How about I just transfer all my nasty Calculus courses and just retake the sciences? That sounds reasonable to me. lol

 

[Lodo]

Wow, so it seems like we have a variety of testimonies here. Some don't see taking CC courses as necessarily a bad thing, and others have outright horrible experiences because of taking these classes.

How about I just transfer all my nasty Calculus courses and just retake the sciences? That sounds reasonable to me. lol

One more testimony for ya. I took the calc series & physics series and a gen chem course at CC's. I was a 2-year CC transfer student. I got interview offers at basically every school that I applied to (including Harvard) and am headed to UCLA in the fall. I think it really just depends on how you are as an overall applicant. If you're weak in other areas then the CC courses may be detrimental to you, but if the other areas of your application are strong just having taken some CC courses will not inhibit you from getting into any school (except for Tufts...they're the only school that I know of that doesn't accept any CC prereqs...but from what I've heard, that's only one of their issues).

 

[rewJW]

I attended (still am, graduate in May) a 4 year and took all my prereq's here EXCEPT .. biochem is not offered for biology majors at my school, and my CC doesn't have it, therefore I'm going to have to take it this fall at one of the nearby schools. I am planning on taking Anatomy at my CC this summer. (I wasn't worried about biochem at first because the two main schools I'm looking at don't require it, but so many do that I know I'll need to take it.)

Also .. I was just wondering .. how the HECK did you have time to do all those CC courses while in high school? Between my job and just regular high school, I would never have had time to do college courses! Props to you for getting so much done 🙂

 

[Curious 138]

Also .. I was just wondering .. how the HECK did you have time to do all those CC courses while in high school? Between my job and just regular high school, I would never have had time to do college courses! Props to you for getting so much done 🙂

Well, i don't know what cornell did, but it's certainly possible. i'm a junior in high school right now, but i'm doing post secondary option and taking 18 college credits this semester at a CC. I already have 16 credits from last semester.

 

[Lodo]

Well, i don't know what cornell did, but it's certainly possible. i'm a junior in high school right now, but i'm doing post secondary option and taking 18 college credits this semester at a CC. I already have 16 credits from last semester.

better idea: learn to play a sport and make friends with your peers...you have the rest of your life to be buried in classes and work. remember, health professionals have to be social as well.

 

[Curious 138]

better idea: learn to play a sport and make friends with your peers...you have the rest of your life to be buried in classes and work. remember, health professionals have to be social as well.

i do play sports for my high school and am quite sociable.

 

[mydat]

I wouldn't take them in CC

 

[Putin]

I took half of my prereq's at a CC and it never came up during my interviews. I think that as long as you validate your CC GPA by scoring 20+ on your DAT, you'll be fine. That said, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't go to a CC because I felt it didn't offer the same opportunities that a University offers.... just my 2 cents.