Is there statistics on the averages from way in the past?

[jhanago]

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I looked for GPA/DAT averages for applicants from like 1980s-2000s but couldnt find much.. are there any stats for the students from late 80s early 90s?

 

[dantemac]

Who cares? I'm sure the average was lower. Schools were shutting down due to not enough enrollment. Now the averages are up and entrance is competitive.

 

[KittySquared]

Back then, I think 18/18/18 was just dandy.

 

[yellowjeeep79]

DAT numbers have steadily gone up over the years, but there is a lot more time spent on review courses and books. There was an ADA News article about this a few months ago. Statistically speaking, the most competitive year to apply was something like 1980, followed by another peak in maybe 2009 or 2010. The best time to apply (least competitive) was something like 1962, with another big drop in the applicant pool in something like 1993 or '94.

 

[gryffindor]

I shadowed a 1995 dental graduate a long time ago. I remember her telling me she got into Buffalo with a 2.7 average from Cornell as a bio major. Now I know Cornell is hard and competitive, but will dental schools even look at you today with below a 3.0? When I was in college in the late 90s, dental school was very much a distant second choice to med school. The Seinfeld jokes certainly didn't help justify my choice. There were still people choosing dental school because they didn't have the grades for med school. The average PAT in 1998 and 1999 was a 17. I don't know what it is now.

 

[Dgeorg6]

I shadowed a prosthodontist and he said he got in with a 3.2 and a 17 lol and that was maybe 1990

 

[wizi]

The best thing about it is that you get out of dental school with $300 loan 🙂

 

[Plaque Buster3]

The best thing about it is that you get out of dental school with $300 loan 🙂

 

[UCLAzy]

*are

 

[doc toothache]

I looked for GPA/DAT averages for applicants from like 1980s-2000s but couldnt find much.. are there any stats for the students from late 80s early 90s?

You could do a little research.
R. Weaver, J. Dent Ed. 64 (12)867.

Who cares? I'm sure the average was lower. Schools were shutting down due to not enough enrollment. Now the averages are up and entrance is competitive.

Apparently the OP cares, hence the post. Schools may have been shutting down because fewer applicants were inclined to pay the "high" tuition.

I shadowed a 1995 dental graduate a long time ago. I remember her telling me she got into Buffalo with a 2.7 average from Cornell as a bio major. Now I know Cornell is hard and competitive, but will dental schools even look at you today with below a 3.0? When I was in college in the late 90s, dental school was very much a distant second choice to med school. The Seinfeld jokes certainly didn't help justify my choice. There were still people choosing dental school because they didn't have the grades for med school. The average PAT in 1998 and 1999 was a 17. I don't know what it is now.

Ds do look at gpa below 3. You will be hard pressed to find a school whose range is not below 3.0. Let's keep in mind that roughly 10% of the enrollees (for 2009) have sci gpa's below 3 and roughly 3% with overall gpa below that magic mark.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I looked for GPA/DAT averages for applicants from like 1980s-2000s but couldnt find much.. are there any stats for the students from late 80s early 90s?

Most data posted are more recent (2000's to current): GoDental Plus.

 

[yellowjeeep79]

Here is the chart from the article in Sept 5ths ADA news: http://www.ada.org/news/6176.aspx Looks like the most competitive year was 1975 and again in 2007. I think the DAT numbers are deceiving, because in 1980, we, or at least the guys I went to DS with, didn't do any review course. As a matter of fact, the first time I saw the perceptual part was when I opened the exam! Imagine looking at those things for the first time and thinking wtf.....