Undergraduate Workload

[maverick313]

I am a junior undergrad, I work about 25 hours a week and I am married as well. I am wondering whether or not a 12 hour course load is sufficient in displaying time management considering being married and working? I could take 15 hours, and risk a drop in my GPA and display time management or take 12 hours and feel confident in my GPA but show less time management due to less to manage. Any suggestions?

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[ajj70]

Is 12 hours enough to keep your financial aid? If anything, cut back on work hours but even working 25 hours/week you should be able to take 15 credits. Being married really shouldn't take away from your study time.

 

[CleverThought]

I had a classmate in undergrad who was taking either on the high end of part time, or low end of full time course load and working full time as a RDH. When she wasn't interviewed she had a meeting with the woman at her state school in charge of admissions and they said they would have interviewed her had she had a fuller course load.

Keep in mind that's anecdotal and n=1, but it really couldn't hurt to add one more class. Even an easy, non science class to fill up your load. I took 16ish credits every semester, while married, while working 3 jobs. It can be done!

 

[Wall2Wall]

I had a classmate in undergrad who was taking either on the high end of part time, or low end of full time course load and working full time as a RDH. When she wasn't interviewed she had a meeting with the woman at her state school in charge of admissions and they said they would have interviewed her had she had a fuller course load.

Keep in mind that's anecdotal and n=1, but it really couldn't hurt to add one more class. Even an easy, non science class to fill up your load. I took 16ish credits every semester, while married, while working 3 jobs. It can be done!

Agreed. It all depends how earnest you want your goals achieved!

 

[maverick313]

Thats what i was thinking. I've been grinding at the rate of 15 credit hours and 25hr work week with a minimum of 8 cresit hours of sciences. Therefore, I know I can continue, I just wasnt sure whether or not the trade off of 12hrs for.increased GPA was worth it. With 15hrs, my GPA is about a 3.4

 

[BYU4you]

I've been married, worked a 20 hr/week job and have taken about 14 credit hours each semester. Some of those classes being pretty easy ones and then some being Ocher/physics at the same time. Definitely doable. I wouldn't take much more than that though.

Also, I would choose a higher GPA with 12 hrs rather than a lower GPA at 15 hours. Just my opinion.

 

[OrphanageCaretaker]

Depends is it 12 hours of basic G.E. courses or is it Orgo 1, physics 1 and bio 1?

 

[Greyangel6]

I did mostly 12 and 13 credits most semesters save a few semesters of 14, 15, and 17 credits. But my intention was to get high GPA to compensate for other things I lack on my app. And it worked out fine. I got into my state school and got navy's scholarship so if you think you can handle more than 12, go for it but if not, it won't kill your chances at dental school.

FYI, I got 3.95 sGPA and 3.94 oGPA, 21AA, 146 hours of shadowing, 60+ hours of community service, 32 hours of research, a few TA positions, and a mediocre PS. Like I said, give some more thoughts about what your priorities are.

 

[maverick313]

Depends is it 12 hours of basic G.E. courses or is it Orgo 1, physics 1 and bio 1?

Physics 1, Biochem 1, Statistics, oral radiology

 

[Transhumanism]

Many dental school websites specifically say that applicants should take at least 15-16 credits per semester to show that they can handle a heavy course load and that they definitely take course load into account. Take that for what you will, as it is the only fact that's shown. The way I see it is if you take 12 credit semesters and have a 3.7 gpa, you will look better than someone who took 15 credits a semester and has a 3.5 gpa. However, there will always be the people who took 15 credits a semester and have a 3.7 gpa. Those people now looks better than you do, assuming everything else is equal.