This Average Joe Wants to Know if Theres Hope

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Havel

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I've been in school for most of the 20 years of my short life. Over those years I have accumulated many grades. It has taken me until now to relize that I am just an average student. I make A's and B's with a few C's mixed in for spice, but mostly I'm just a B student. Science classes are very difficult for me but I work hard, and I want to be a dentist. So is there really any hope for a hopelessly average student to make it into dental school?
 
I've been in school for most of the 20 years of my short life. Over those years I have accumulated many grades. It has taken me until now to relize that I am just an average student. I make A's and B's with a few C's mixed in for spice, but mostly I'm just a B student. Science classes are very difficult for me but I work hard, and I want to be a dentist. So is there really any hope for a hopelessly average student to make it into dental school?

Do a search for the under 3.0 club...there is always hope! You are above average...last time I checked average was a 2.0.
 
Do a search for the under 3.0 club...there is always hope! You are above average...last time I checked average was a 2.0.

Average for grad school?
 
I've been in school for most of the 20 years of my short life. Over those years I have accumulated many grades. It has taken me until now to relize that I am just an average student. I make A's and B's with a few C's mixed in for spice, but mostly I'm just a B student. Science classes are very difficult for me but I work hard, and I want to be a dentist. So is there really any hope for a hopelessly average student to make it into dental school?


I think the biggest aspect of your academic life that needs to change, besides your grades, is your defeatist attitude. You sound like you are ready to surrender even before you have begun applying.
 
with my brains and your work ethic, I have no doubt you could get in.
In all reality though, if you are under 3.0, Unless you are a minority, most schools will fill there class before they even look at your other qualifications. Ask me how I know.
If you can manage a 3.2 or better though, with a decent DAT, you should get in somewhere.

Best of Luck
:luck:
 
I've been in school for most of the 20 years of my short life. Over those years I have accumulated many grades. It has taken me until now to relize that I am just an average student. I make A's and B's with a few C's mixed in for spice, but mostly I'm just a B student. Science classes are very difficult for me but I work hard, and I want to be a dentist. So is there really any hope for a hopelessly average student to make it into dental school?

With A's and B's and few C's, your average should be above 3.0. You still have a pretty good shot of getting into dental school with a decent DAT score.
 
You're not hopeless. Just make sure you do enough EC and to make up for the grade, (If you are lacking) but most importantly, do well on the DAT and apply early.
 
right now, it's difficult to be average and get into dental school. you've got to find your niche and excel in something.
 
I've been in school for most of the 20 years of my short life. Over those years I have accumulated many grades. It has taken me until now to relize that I am just an average student. I make A's and B's with a few C's mixed in for spice, but mostly I'm just a B student. Science classes are very difficult for me but I work hard, and I want to be a dentist. So is there really any hope for a hopelessly average student to make it into dental school?

nope
 
I'm not gonna lie to ya. I hope you're good at rock climbing because it gonna be an uphill battle...........

It depends how much you want it. Honestly I think if you really really want it you would be putting more effort into getting better grades. You could do some post bacc stuff to raise your GPA. Do a substantial amount of volunteering in the dental field and general volunteering. If there is some way you can get to know d-school profs or adcom members then do it (Sometimes its who you know as they say). Do some manual dexterity stuff like sculpting or a musical instrument. Join a program for pre-dents.
 
I've been in school for most of the 20 years of my short life. Over those years I have accumulated many grades. It has taken me until now to relize that I am just an average student. I make A's and B's with a few C's mixed in for spice, but mostly I'm just a B student. Science classes are very difficult for me but I work hard, and I want to be a dentist. So is there really any hope for a hopelessly average student to make it into dental school?


You're only 20 so you have plenty of time to finish out your schooling with mostly A's. Work had at your science to show you can get A's in them; you don't have to elaborate on how hard you had to bust your ass for them when you fill out an application/go to interview. But if you struggle with science, what do you expect dental school to be like? It's physiology, pharmacology, pathology, biochem, etc. Good luck.
 
You're not hopeless. Just make sure you do enough EC and to make up for the grade, (If you are lacking) but most importantly, do well on the DAT and apply early.

This is not true. There is no amount of Extra Curriculars that will make up for bad grades. The chances are one in a million. I dont care if you build a mission that gives free dentistry to impoverished South American countries. This will only tell adcoms that you are really good at building free dental clinics and that is a huge talent in and of itself. Now if you have good grades, and DAT scores and build that mission in South America there is someone they are looking for. I have said this a million times but here it is again, the only thing that will help bad DAT scores or bad grades is getting better DAT scores and better grades. Everything else like EC's, LOR's, and shadowing or dental working experience is only useful after they deem you to have the raw scores that are worth looking at. It's that simple.
 
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