transferring as an undergrad

[andy33]

i have a question about transferring during my undergraduate career. i started out at a large state school away from everything i knew...i hated it and ended up with a less than stellar gpa my first semester so i transferred back closer to home at a smaller state school. i have been at this small state school for a year and a half and have brought my gpa back up to a 3.8. i know now that i do not want to major in chemistry (my current major) and instead would like to major in anthropology (which isnt offered at the school im currently attending). is transfering to another school now in my career going to hinder my application to dental schools. and has anyone ever been an anthropology major and made it into dental school???

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[Dr. Pedo]

Andy, I transferred 3 times. I left one college to start a company----sold it 4 years later----started another college, then transferred again. I just received my acceptance letter to U of Iowa dental school. So it can be done. Dental schools don't really care about your major. You obviously have to complete the prereq. for admission----and you will definitely want to take some upper level science courses to show them you can handle it. (such as physiology, genetics, cell or molecular biology, biochem. etc...) Make sure you are taking part in leadership activities and building good relationships with prof. ----you will need them to write recommendations for you some day. That is the biggest problem I encountered with my transferring----relationship building. Also make sure you are gaining experiences in the dental field. This is a quick answer. If you want more detail or advice----I'll do what I can.

 

[DrJeff]

Don't worry about a "non traditional" undergraduate major prior to entering dental school. I can speak from experience that my class had the traditional science based majors, but we also had a music major, business majors, a math major(my wife), and a literature major. Dental schools, just like any others higher education institutions are looking for well rounded students to fill their classes. Being an anthropology major who has transferred a few times may actually be an asset come admissions time, it shows that you have the determination to seek out what you want.

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

I actually have the same question. I have gone to three undergrad schools and have done very well at all three. I took a year off to do the AmeriCorps program CityYear and then I came back to a different state school that offered me a large scholarship. Unfortunately though, my mother-in-law became very ill so we had to move back to where my husband is from to take care of his mother. Needless to say, we had to transfer to a university in his hometown. I just hope that admissions committees will be understanding in our cases.

 

[mid]

I've attended 4 colleges and graduated with a degree in economics. I'm going to dental school in the fall. Just keep your GPA up and take the prereqs and you'll be fine.