Myth Busting: Do Pass/Fail Classes Affect Your AADSAS GPA?

[DAT Destroyer]

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Hi everyone,


There’s a lot of confusion every cycle about whether taking a class Pass/Fail will hurt your application GPA or your chances with dental schools. Here’s the real story, straight from ADEA/AADSAS:

“Non-graded credits are not included in your GPAs. Non-graded credits are earned credits for which you did not receive actual letter grades (e.g., advanced placement credits, ‘pass’ or ‘satisfactory’ credits, college board AP exams, courses taken as pass/fail, etc.).”
— ADEA AADSAS Calculating Your GPAs

Bottom line:
Taking a class Pass/Fail (especially a non-science elective or language) will not lower your AADSAS GPA—it simply won’t be factored in at all. Dental schools mainly care about your performance in science and prerequisite courses, so it’s smart to focus your efforts there if your schedule is overwhelming.


If you’re ever unsure, always check with the individual schools you’re interested in—policies can vary, and admissions offices are happy to answer questions.


Hope this helps clear things up for anyone stressing over GPA calculations!
Nancy