Less credit with higher gpa or more credits with a decent/good gpa?

[GentleDental007]

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Hello,
I am still early within my undergraduate college career (Freshman about to enter second semester) and was wondering is it better to have more credits (in this case 18) and earn a good gpa or have less (about 15) and have the upper hand in trying to earn a 4.0? The reason why I have 18 as of now is because I only need one more Gen-ed requirement to fufill my bio major (I came in with alot of AP credit from highschool which counts towards my geneds and overall credits). Should I remove the gen-ed class bringing my credits to 15 and save that class for summer/another semester instead of rushing it so I can have a higher chance in trying to get a 4.0?
Thank You

 

[fellowstudent92]

I was in the same boat as you. I actually did 11 credits first semester and 13 second semester lol less credit and 4.0 GPA all the way.

 

[RS2224]

Well I had 17-19 hours all throughout college and I did year round classes and graduated in 3 years with a 3.66 and nearly all my interviewers have brought that up and how commendable that is. I did have 1 or 2 light courseload semesters (12-13 credits), but I got 4 interviews even after a late app. My cousin applied the first day of apps opening last year and he had a 3.9 GPA with a much lighter courseload than I and he got invites only to BU and NYU. He got waitlisted but eventually got into NYU in like April. So there's a personal story. A 3.66 with a demanding courseload is somewhat of a gesture as to what rigor you can handle. A 3.9 with a light courseload is like a zero credit score where it's unpredictable to a large extent how well someone like that would do in an inevitably rigorous curriculum.

You won't have this freedom in dental school to pick and choose what and when to take. So keep that in mind to decide whether you will be successful in dental school.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[RS2224]

But trust me... grades are not all that get you in. So go ahead and maintain a good GPA but maintain a good application more importantly.

 

[fellowstudent92]

I would say the best way to know how you can be prepared for dental school is by being in dental school lol unless you're taking 30+ credits of pure science classes every semester, you really won't know what that's like, even with 19 credits every semester, so don't take the whole rigor thing too seriously lol now if you're personally motivated on having a challenging curriculum because you're genuinely interested on learning as much as possible, then that is a different story. Otherwise, use that extra free time to do other things. But don't forget to crush the DATs 😉

 

[RS2224]

I would say the best way to know how you can be prepared for dental school is by being in dental school lol unless you're taking 30+ credits of pure science classes every semester, you really won't know what that's like, even with 19 credits every semester, so don't take the whole rigor thing too seriously lol now if you're personally motivated on having a challenging curriculum because you're genuinely interested on learning as much as possible, then that is a different story. Otherwise, use that extra free time to do other things. But don't forget to crush the DATs 😉

I mean that's kind of like saying to prepare to lift 200 pounds you can't ... until you actually lift 200 pounds. What I Was saying is to lift as much as possible without compromising yourself and everything collapsing .. it tremendously helps to lift 200 if you've lifted 180 before. You're right, The DAT LOR and EC are definitely something you need to crush because grades are definitely not everything.

 

[577455]

I took a different route. I took around 12 credits a semester, but I worked at the hospital, volunteered at a free dental clinic, tutored for the student literacy corps, held leadership positions in clubs, participated in Judo, etc... When it was time for the interviews, they seemed more interested in my experiences. Do well in your classes and the DAT, have fun in college, and you will be fine.

 

[fellowstudent92]

I mean that's kind of like saying to prepare to lift 200 pounds you can't ... until you actually lift 200 pounds. What I Was saying is to lift as much as possible without compromising yourself and everything collapsing .. it tremendously helps to lift 200 if you've lifted 180 before. You're right, The DAT LOR and EC are definitely something you need to crush because grades are definitely not everything.

I would agree except that the transition from undergrad to dental school is not so progressive but rather more like lifting 360 from previously lifting 180 as the max you would be able to in college. Everybody has a learning curve in dental school (no matter your background), some learn quicker, some take more time but eventually everybody will get used to it. Doesn't matter where you start from and when you need to get stuff done in dental school, you will adjust however it is that may be if you still want to stay in school.

 

[PaulS]

less credit and higher GPA is better

 

[RS2224]

Hey, why does it have to be less or more? As @Scumbag_Steve mentioned, why not practice some moderation! 15 credits of 2-3 science classes and some other disciplines not only keeps your course load competitive to adcoms but allows you to get a break from science-intensive classes and broaden your knowledge in other areas! Haha

 

[Faefly]

I think you should take less credits. There are reasonable reasons for that:

• less stress
• much grasping of the materials
• more free time to do extra activities and volunteers or part time job
• more free time to live and take good care of your health
• better gpa which is what matters in many cases!

 

[8_man]

12-14 credit semesters and I made it 😎

 

[Greyangel6]

My strategy in college was to get the highest GPA possible with a decent courseload each semester save the last few semesters. I graduated with 3.94 oGPA and 3.96 sGPA taking average 13-14 credits per semester and got 21AA on my DAT (so pretty average). The last 2 semesters of college, I took all the heavy science classes including gross anatomy, biochem, physio, neuroanatomy, etc. and it prepared me very very well for my first semester as a D1. And then I started getting used to the pace of dental school (since there really is no strategy or planning when it comes to courseload). Oh and I got into my state school (UF).

I guess my point is, IMO, a good sGPA and oGPA will be welcome anywhere you go, but it's not the only deciding factor.

 

[bwc]

I think they typically like to see you take roughly 15 credits per semester, unless you have a legitimate excuse. Also, keep in mind that if you drop below full time enrollment, you are likely to run into problems with financial aid, being on your parents' health insurance, etc.

 

[Likkriue]

Took 12 credits a semester max and I had 7 interviews and 3 acceptances. To some very competitive schools. I would say 18 is a bit much. If you could do less and get a higher GPA that is perfectly fine.

 

[DentalNucleicAcid]

I highly recommend you don't. Look at me, I thought I was Superman freshman and sophomore year of college taking a bunch of hard classes all at once. Now I'm a junior trying to get 4.0 just so that I could be at least competitive enough for the lower tier schools GPA-wise. I know it's exciting to take a lot of classes, but your GPA will thank you later if you take it easy now. Like @Likkriue said, 12 credits is the same as 20 credits.