More advice on grades please!

[RachMSU]

Hey,
So I got my grades back this semester and wanted a little advice. I didn't do as good as I hoped, I got a 3.32 which brought my overall down to a 3.46. I know these grades aren't super horrible but my GPA was around 3.6 my freshman year. I am just really worrying about my chances of getting into dental school. Do I still have a good shot or do I need to rock of the DAT's in order to be considered?

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[Rezdawg]

If you can keep it at around 3.5, then you will be an excellent candidate and should have no problems getting into schools.

 

[ShawnOne]

Rocking the DAT is always good, regardless of GPA.

 

[Thaxil]

3.3 is a very respectable GPA. Just make sure that it is not non-sciences courses hold up your GPA. It will not impress the adcoms if you get A in econ and C in chemistry.

 

[Serge718]

In my opinion, the DAT is the most important. I know people wiht good gpa's and low DATs who had trouble getting into dent school. On the other hand i know people wiht low gpa's and very good DAT's who got into almost all dent schools. See gpa's can vary based on the difficulty of the school you went to. but if you do well on the DAT, well that's you compared to everyone else so it counts differently. but good gpa and good dat will never hurt.

 

[rsweeney]

Do I still have a good shot or do I need to rock of the DAT's in order to be considered?

It is not just the DAT or GPA that determines whether or not you make a great applicant. When it comes time for you to apply, it is EVERYTHING you bring to the table that determines whether or not you will get in. I do, however, agree with Serge in that there is some bias involved in the selection process like it or not. It does seem that the DAT holds more weight than GPA because of the reasons Serge explained. Anyway, to address your question, you are off to a wonderful start!!! Maintenence is the hardest part, but it is also the key. Upward trends always look good. Get passionately involved in something related to dentistry, keep your grades up, and do better than the national average (take that with a grain of salt) on the DAT and you'll be fine.

-Peace
-Richard