Hello. I will be a senior this year at Tufts University, and have been pre-dental for the past year and a half. I am a double major in Psychology and Community Health, and will be graduating next May with a Bachelor of Science degree. I came into college being pre-med, but after going to Tufts Dental School for an open house in my freshman year, I became a lot more interested in pursuing dentistry, and knew that I wanted to be a dentist after doing public health dental research last summer.
My science grades so far:
Calculus I (fall 03): C+
Chem I (fall 03): D+
Chem II (taken at a state school in summer 04): A-
General Genetics (taken at a state school in summer 04): B+
Bio I (fall 04): C
Bio II (spring 04): C-
My cumulative GPA right now is a 3.18. My science GPA is a 2.94 (but with other science classes in nutrition and neuroscience). I plan on taking the DAT for the first time next spring or summer, and applying next summer for fall '08.
Dental Experience so far: Public Health Dental research with a professor at Tufts Dental School in summer and fall 2005. I will be shadowing my family dentist in December 2006-January 2007 (winter break). Secretary of Pre-Dental Society at Tufts (2005-2006), President (2006-2007).
I stopped taking science classes at Tufts after my sophomore year of college because I wasn't learning the sciences the way that I had learned them at the state school (and had done very well there). I am now planning on writing a senior honors thesis on "Mental Health Issues and Biculturalism in South Asian-American Undergraduate Students" this year. I am extremely passionate about the above subject, but the only thing that is keeping me from writing this thesis is that I also want more dental experience and maybe try to raise my science GPA this year. Besides my thesis class, I am taking 4 other academic classes this fall, and 3 classes next spring in order to finish the requirements for both of my majors. If I don't write the thesis, I want to take Biochemistry (Pass/Fail) at Tufts next spring and also be a dental assistant at Tufts Dental School for the entire year. Since I haven't taken orgo or physics yet, I will be taking orgo next summer at a state school and physics either in my senior year (if I don't write thesis) or in the '07-'08 academic year at a state school (if I do write thesis).
Any advice on whether you think I should write a thesis or just raise my science GPA in my senior year in order to have the grades for dental school in the future? Thanks.
My science grades so far:
Calculus I (fall 03): C+
Chem I (fall 03): D+
Chem II (taken at a state school in summer 04): A-
General Genetics (taken at a state school in summer 04): B+
Bio I (fall 04): C
Bio II (spring 04): C-
My cumulative GPA right now is a 3.18. My science GPA is a 2.94 (but with other science classes in nutrition and neuroscience). I plan on taking the DAT for the first time next spring or summer, and applying next summer for fall '08.
Dental Experience so far: Public Health Dental research with a professor at Tufts Dental School in summer and fall 2005. I will be shadowing my family dentist in December 2006-January 2007 (winter break). Secretary of Pre-Dental Society at Tufts (2005-2006), President (2006-2007).
I stopped taking science classes at Tufts after my sophomore year of college because I wasn't learning the sciences the way that I had learned them at the state school (and had done very well there). I am now planning on writing a senior honors thesis on "Mental Health Issues and Biculturalism in South Asian-American Undergraduate Students" this year. I am extremely passionate about the above subject, but the only thing that is keeping me from writing this thesis is that I also want more dental experience and maybe try to raise my science GPA this year. Besides my thesis class, I am taking 4 other academic classes this fall, and 3 classes next spring in order to finish the requirements for both of my majors. If I don't write the thesis, I want to take Biochemistry (Pass/Fail) at Tufts next spring and also be a dental assistant at Tufts Dental School for the entire year. Since I haven't taken orgo or physics yet, I will be taking orgo next summer at a state school and physics either in my senior year (if I don't write thesis) or in the '07-'08 academic year at a state school (if I do write thesis).
Any advice on whether you think I should write a thesis or just raise my science GPA in my senior year in order to have the grades for dental school in the future? Thanks.
