Opinion Please.....its arguing

[Kid0326]

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hello everyone,
I have a few questions that in need of answer.

1. should I do my shadowing before I apply, or as long as i done it before the interview process.?

2. should i apply after or before i take my DAT, im schedule for the DAT on oct.30? and I'm trying to apply for the 2012 cycle. (I dont have lot of money, thats why I was planning to apply after, depend on the score)

3. Im currently working on my M.S I finished all of my course work with a 4.0 GPA, I Just have research now. But my undergrad GPA is a 2.9 . I was wonder with that status, it's consider to be competitive or not.?

thank you for all the replies, and advice.

 

[SeattleRDH]

I would wait until next cycle.

 

[UCF FINatic]

hello everyone,
I have a few questions that in need of answer.

1. should I do my shadowing before I apply, or as long as i done it before the interview process.?

2. should i apply after or before i take my DAT, im schedule for the DAT on oct.30? and I'm trying to apply for the 2012 cycle. (I dont have lot of money, thats why I was planning to apply after, depend on the score)

3. Im currently working on my M.S I finished all of my course work with a 4.0 GPA, I Just have research now. But my undergrad GPA is a 2.9 . I was wonder with that status, it's consider to be competitive or not.?

thank you for all the replies, and advice.

That is really, really late to take your DAT and apply this cycle. You might want to wait another year and apply. If you really want to apply this year, the first thing you should do is move up your test date to as soon as you think you can do well.

Additionally, I would job shadow at least 1 day so you can put some hours down on your application. Then address it in your personal statement saying you plan on getting more hours etc.

At this point you really need to decide if you want to apply for admissions during this cycle (2012) or next cycle (2013). At this point I would probably recommend the latter. Good luck! Keep us posted and we will try to help you out!

 

[jigabodo]

hello everyone,
I have a few questions that in need of answer.

1. should I do my shadowing before I apply, or as long as i done it before the interview process.?

2. should i apply after or before i take my DAT, im schedule for the DAT on oct.30? and I'm trying to apply for the 2012 cycle. (I dont have lot of money, thats why I was planning to apply after, depend on the score)

3. Im currently working on my M.S I finished all of my course work with a 4.0 GPA, I Just have research now. But my undergrad GPA is a 2.9 . I was wonder with that status, it's consider to be competitive or not.?

thank you for all the replies, and advice.

1. Do it before you apply. Besides being able to put the hours of shadowing on AADSAS, you also want to make sure this is what you'd like to be doing in the future.

2. 2012 cycle as in class of 2016? If so, you are taking DAT rather late. I would definitely submit your application before your DAT then.

3. Master GPA would show up as a separate column from your undergrad GPA in AADSAS, so that will really help. That being said, performing well on your DAT will probably be a deciding factor for your acceptance. I would avoid applying to schools with strict GPA cut-offs in your case.

 

[amalgamgrillz]

hello everyone,
I have a few questions that in need of answer.

1. should I do my shadowing before I apply, or as long as i done it before the interview process.?

How do you know you want to be a dentist if you've never shadowed before...

2. should i apply after or before i take my DAT, im schedule for the DAT on oct.30? and I'm trying to apply for the 2012 cycle. (I dont have lot of money, thats why I was planning to apply after, depend on the score)

After, if you do end up applying.

3. Im currently working on my M.S I finished all of my course work with a 4.0 GPA, I Just have research now. But my undergrad GPA is a 2.9 . I was wonder with that status, it's consider to be competitive or not.?

Are you currently working on your MS, or have you finished all your course work... No, your 4.0 does not compensate for your 2.9. Your stats are not competitive.

thank you for all the replies, and advice.

I would study for the TOEFL before tackling the DAT, if I were you.

See above.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

1. should I do my shadowing before I apply, or as long as i done it before the interview process.?

Your personal statement is suppose to answer the generalized question of why dentistry.

Your shadowing/volunteer/experience within the dental field is suppose to provide the answer to your personal statement.

 

[dantemac]

You should shadow starting now and apply next summer. Taking the DAT this october is fine if you are prepared, the score will still be valid for 2-3 years for most schools.

 

[Kid0326]

Thank you everyone for the input. Truly appreciated! 🙂

 

[Kid0326]

See above.

1. How do I know that I want to be a dentist? I just do, like how do I know that you're racist/an idiot? I just do

2. I all apply before and after I take my DAT, I will apply until I get into a school, I will not give up.

3. How many people that are apply for dental school have a master degree? Not many! So I feel that that should put me in a good place! As far as for my master program. I had finished all of my course work for my master program, I'm currently working on my thesis, hence I said I finished will all of my course work! Duh. I took 12, 600 lvl courses and got all A's in them, so that should show my dedication, and yes I did screw up in my undergrad years!

4. I'm aware that I have bad grammars, but but Ey that's not what your moma saids!

 

[amalgamgrillz]

1. How do I know that I want to be a dentist? I just do, like how do I know that you're racist/an idiot? I just do

That's an awesome answer to "why do you want to be a dentist." Let us know how that goes during your interview. I'm not racist, I just call it as it is. If I can pick it up over the internet, I can only imagine how it is in person. It wasn't meant to be insulting...just a heads up on something you can improve on, if you want to pursue a career in dentistry. I hope you realize that the chances of admissions committees taking a low GPA, fresh-off-the-boat Asian who can't speak English is essentially next to none. There are literally thousands of more qualified Asian applicants competing for the limited non-Caucasian/non-URM spots.

2. I all apply before and after I take my DAT, I will apply until I get into a school, I will not give up.

That's the spirit. 👍

3. How many people that are apply for dental school have a master degree? Not many! So I feel that that should put me in a good place! As far as for my master program. I had finished all of my course work for my master program, I'm currently working on my thesis, hence I said I finished will all of my course work! Duh. I took 12, 600 lvl courses and got all A's in them, so that should show my dedication, and yes I did screw up in my undergrad years!

A 4.0 in your Master's means nothing if your cumulative GPA is low. My friend just got rejected from 3 schools because her cumulative GPA was 2.9 (after 56 credits of As at the Master's level).

Something tells me that you just want people to blow smoke up your hooha and tell you things will be alright. Sorry, this isn't the pre-med forum. Welcome to dentistry.

4. I'm aware that I have bad grammars, but but Ey that's not what your moma saids!

Lol, even if I found that remotely offensive, I can't take your insults seriously because I'm imagining you to sound like Jackie Chan.

🙂

 

[jackalo34]

1. How do I know that I want to be a dentist? I just do, like how do I know that you're racist/an idiot? I just do

2. I all apply before and after I take my DAT, I will apply until I get into a school, I will not give up.

3. How many people that are apply for dental school have a master degree? Not many! So I feel that that should put me in a good place! As far as for my master program. I had finished all of my course work for my master program, I'm currently working on my thesis, hence I said I finished will all of my course work! Duh. I took 12, 600 lvl courses and got all A's in them, so that should show my dedication, and yes I did screw up in my undergrad years!

4. I'm aware that I have bad grammars, but but Ey that's not what your moma saids!

1. There are many people that "know" they want to be a dentist until they shadow one and cannot imagine doing that kind of work every day for the rest of their lives.

2. I would wait until next cycle if money is an issue, because you are taking the DAT very very late and your application might not get reviewed until after Dec 1 invites are sent out.

3. Your wording was confusing and that's what I think he was getting at. You would have been better stating that you are enrolled in a Master's program, completed the coursework and only have the thesis left as you explained here. Also, no a Graduate GPA does not compensate a 2.9 U GPA for the simple fact that some schools filter out GPAs below 3.0. My question is how long was your Master's program? It might have been better to try and do a post-bacc to bring your GPA above 3.0 before enrolling in a Master's, but that is in the past. The most you can do is apply to schools with no cut-off GPA and hope that they see you've changed because of the 4.0 in Grad school.

4. If English is your first language and you're just ignoring grammar because it's online like a lot of us, then ignore him. If not, I definitely would say that mastering it 100% makes a big difference during interviews and shows in your PS.

Good luck! There are others out there with bad Undergrad GPAs so you're not alone.

 

[winnie bear]

I'm not sure what was so offensive about what amalgamgrillz said to warrant your retort. What's great about SDN is that you get a good mix of raw feedback instead of sugar-coated ones which wouldn't be very helpful. Do you want an honest opinion or do you want fluff to make you feel better? You can always filter what you want to take away from the comments.

In general, if you have strong stats and loads of experience, then applying a little later might not be a deal breaker but Oct 30 might be too late since it takes about 3 weeks for the scores to be sent out to schools. That's pretty close to many schools' deadlines and since it's rolling admissions, that reduces the later applicants' chances quite a bit, I would imagine. Aside from that, I'm not too sure if I would solely rely on the MS (steller grade, by the way) to compensate for the other factors that the schools also consider: maturity, experience, community service, leadership, strong interpersonal skills, confidence, self awareness, empathy, academic readiness and etc. (from DS websites).

Like you said, it is expensive to apply to schools and having experience will only help to support your desire to become a dentist. Not being able to meet everyone in person, the adcoms only have the the stuff on your application to go by before they decide whether or not they want to meet you to learn more.

It might be best to wait so you can save money and have more to put on your application.

 

[Kid0326]

hey, thxx a lot....I'll try my best, if not there's always next year right?...🙂

 

[nondescriptive]

I don't know why you're waiting so long to take your DAT. If I was you I would have set aside about 6 weeks-give or take-to study for the DAT. Waiting a year is a long time, but I suppose you should try to get it right the first time. And I don't know why everyone does the masters program if they have a low GPA; retake the classes or take additional classes to increase your GPA. It's too late for that now but just a thought. Either way, you'll be OK, in my opinion.

 

[Kid0326]

🙂

1.so, you're claiming that you are not racist or whatever.....but you're automatically associated bad grammar with asian. common now, that is so ridiculous. unless you consider Jaimaca are part of asia.

2.I'm aware that my grammar is pretty bad on the last few posts, but when it come to serious matter, I can and will put more time into my writing to make it better.

3.I do have asian friends, and they find it offensive when people calling them fresh off the boat.

4. Jackie chan.? really.? wow....anyway, he's making more money in his sleep then you ever will in your life time. when talking bout asian, people gotta bring up jackie chan.....hahha classic!

 

[nondescriptive]

I am asian but understand where amalgamgrillz is coming from. I think Asian people, especially South Asian, are less altruistic and less involved with the community; I want to see more community activism. Being Asian, I know my people are greedy, with some exception. Either way, Jackie Chan needs some ortho.

 

[Kid0326]

I'm not sure what was so offensive about what amalgamgrillz said to warrant your retort. What's great about SDN is that you get a good mix of raw feedback instead of sugar-coated ones which wouldn't be very helpful. Do you want an honest opinion or do you want fluff to make you feel better? You can always filter what you want to take away from the comments.

In general, if you have strong stats and loads of experience, then applying a little later might not be a deal breaker but Oct 30 might be too late since it takes about 3 weeks for the scores to be sent out to schools. That's pretty close to many schools' deadlines and since it's rolling admissions, that reduces the later applicants' chances quite a bit, I would imagine. Aside from that, I'm not too sure if I would solely rely on the MS (steller grade, by the way) to compensate for the other factors that the schools also consider: maturity, experience, community service, leadership, strong interpersonal skills, confidence, self awareness, empathy, academic readiness and etc. (from DS websites).

Like you said, it is expensive to apply to schools and having experience will only help to support your desire to become a dentist. Not being able to meet everyone in person, the adcoms only have the the stuff on your application to go by before they decide whether or not they want to meet you to learn more.

It might be best to wait so you can save money and have more to put on your application.

thxxx alot, for the input....honestly i dont want people to sugar coat, or making me feel good about myself....I know that im in a bad situation right now! American english are not my first language, which is pretty touch for me because its totally different from the way we're speaking in Jamaica. for amalgamgrillz to tell me, not the study for the DAT and study for the TOEFL instead I found that offensive....i feel that she cant just judge other people from a single post online! when its come to dentistry, we're talking bout passion, heart and soul. If i get rejected just because I have an accent or i cant write as good as an american student, then I believe they should change dental school to English school.

 

[nondescriptive]

thxxx alot, for the input....honestly i dont want people to sugar coat, or making me feel good about myself....I know that im in a bad situation right now! American english are not my first language, which is pretty touch for me because its totally different from the way we're speaking in Jamaica. for amalgamgrillz to tell me, not the study for the DAT and study for the TOEFL instead I found that offensive....i feel that she cant just judge other people from a single post online! when its come to dentistry, we're talking bout passion, heart and soul. If i get rejected just because I have an accent or i cant write as good as an american student, then I believe they should change dental school to English school.

I agree passion and desire plays a huge role but at the end of the day its all about ability. I can have heart, passion and soul but if I can't throw a ball there is no way I'm pitching for the NY Yankees. Writing and reading is very important in dental school because it is really a crash course that you will continue to learn for the rest of your life. You still need to have the cognitive ability to pass your classes and the boards. I think you will be OK but you can only do the things you have control over. You have one chance at this so take your time to get everything ready to make yourself a strong candidate. One year is not a long wait.

 

[Kid0326]

I agree passion and desire plays a huge role but at the end of the day its all about ability. I can have heart, passion and soul but if I can't throw a ball there is no way I'm pitching for the NY Yankees. Writing and reading is very important in dental school because it is really a crash course that you will continue to learn for the rest of your life. You still need to have the cognitive ability to pass your classes and the boards. I think you will be OK but you can only do the things you have control over. You have one chance at this so take your time to get everything ready to make yourself a strong candidate. One year is not a long wait.

Thxxx a lot buddy.

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

I think amalgamgrillz might have gotten the shaft when competing with Asian kids at his school. So yeah amalgamgrillz, just because a person has English as a second language, it doesn't mean they are Asian. There are more than just 2 continents in this world.... I also don't think he's part of any adcoms, so his opinions regarding how adcoms select their class is as trustworthy as people leaving their kids with OJ Simpson. On every dental school website, they state that they will not make any decisions based on race, social economic background, etc.

Anyways, if you're Jamaica, it means that you are an under-represented minority (I'm assuming you're Black). Schools are more lenient with your GPA, and there are 2 schools (Howard and Meharry), that cater to URMs.

But if you think this career is for you, you should go find a dentist and shadow. Just knowing is not good enough. This will give you exposure to the day to day life of a dentist, so you can decide if the career is for you. You should try to shadow for AT LEAST 30 hours. Some schools have shadowing hour cutoffs (for example, NYU wants 100 hours), so make sure you know the minimum required shadowing hours of each school before applying. Also, make sure you get the shadowing done before submitting the application, or else schools won't see it. You might not even get the interview if you don't shadow enough hours.

You came to the right forum, as it is a great place to get information on dental school applications, but your type of threads pop up every 2 days, and some people are just jaded after answering the same questions over and over.

Hope I answered some of your questions, and don't be afraid to ask more.

 

[Kid0326]

I think amalgamgrillz might have gotten the shaft when competing with Asian kids at his school. So yeah amalgamgrillz, just because a person has English as a second language, it doesn't mean they are Asian. There are more than just 2 continents in this world.... I also don't think he's part of any adcoms, so his opinions regarding how adcoms select their class is as trustworthy as people leaving their kids with OJ Simpson. On every dental school website, they state that they will not make any decisions based on race, social economic background, etc.

Anyways, if you're Jamaica, it means that you are an under-represented minority (I'm assuming you're Black). Schools are more lenient with your GPA, and there are 2 schools (Howard and Meharry), that cater to URMs.

But if you think this career is for you, you should go find a dentist and shadow. Just knowing is not good enough. This will give you exposure to the day to day life of a dentist, so you can decide if the career is for you. You should try to shadow for AT LEAST 30 hours. Some schools have shadowing hour cutoffs (for example, NYU wants 100 hours), so make sure you know the minimum required shadowing hours of each school before applying. Also, make sure you get the shadowing done before submitting the application, or else schools won't see it. You might not even get the interview if you don't shadow enough hours.

You came to the right forum, as it is a great place to get information on dental school applications, but your type of threads pop up every 2 days, and some people are just jaded after answering the same questions over and over.

Hope I answered some of your questions, and don't be afraid to ask more.

thank a lot bear,
I'll check in to that, and I'll let you know how i did on my DAT when i'm done with it.

 

[amalgamgrillz]

1.so, you're claiming that you are not racist or whatever.....but you're automatically associated bad grammar with asian. common now, that is so ridiculous. unless you consider Jaimaca are part of asia.

I'm pretty well-traveled, I've worked with ESL kids from numerous countries, and have lived in extremely diverse places. Let's not try to kid anyone: you're Asian. The specific grammar mistakes you've made over and over again are indicative of an Asian speaker, not Patois. That, and no Jamaican would spell Jamaica incorrectly.

2.I'm aware that my grammar is pretty bad on the last few posts, but when it come to serious matter, I can and will put more time into my writing to make it better.

3.I do have asian friends, and they find it offensive when people calling them fresh off the boat.

You're clearly not born in North America or have lived here long enough to have a strong command of the English language. It's not a bad thing to be fresh off the boat - you can speak more languages than I can, so don't take it as an insult.

4. Jackie chan.? really.? wow....anyway, he's making more money in his sleep then you ever will in your life time. when talking bout asian, people gotta bring up jackie chan.....hahha classic!

Exactly. Jackie Chan was a compliment! Confucious say, "righten up! juss a joke." Glad you've been a good sport.

👍

 

[winnie bear]

for amalgamgrillz to tell me, not the study for the DAT and study for the TOEFL instead I found that offensive....i feel that she cant just judge other people from a single post online!

I must've overlooked that part. Sorry, kid0326! I had to look up what TOEFL was just now....I totally thought it was a study tool for the DAT! Anyway, one of the other posters said it best I think: "...take your time to get everything ready to make yourself a strong candidate. One year is not a long wait." You want to do it right the first time and sometimes figuring out what you want to do for the rest of your life is the hardest part; you got that part covered. Good luck!

 

[Kid0326]

👍

Fine, you are so correct. I am is an asian. Congratulation, you has mastered the skill to identify a person background from their grammatical errors and the way they write. Maybe you should apply for a job with the FBI or the CIA then. Speechless!!!

 

[nondescriptive]

I hope you are being serious. They need dentists in the CIA and FBI. You have to give amalgamgrillz props for this one. Why would you try to give Jamaicans a bad rep with your improper use of English? I'm Jamaican and highly offended. Speechless??? Why so serious???

 

[Kid0326]

I hope you are being serious. They need dentists in the CIA and FBI. You have to give amalgamgrillz props for this one. Why would you try to give Jamaicans a bad rep with your improper use of English? I'm Jamaican and highly offended. Speechless??? Why so serious???

yeah bro, im sorry. I'm actually is a secret agent from Asia that are trying to take down Jamaica. one grammatical error at a time.