Uneven Playing Field?

[DMDDDSHopeful]

So I noticed some people on here reporting highly inflated GPAs from schools like 4.3, 4.5, etc. Does anyone know if AADSAS actually uses this in their calculation? It's already bad enough that they consider upper level coursework equivalent to lower (meaning an A in BIO100 is the same as a grad Bio600). And also bad enough they don't do grade replacement for retaken courses like medical professions (e.g. Osteopathic).

My school capped us at 4.0. Seems a lot of schools go higher now inflating these GPAs.

Edit: Please do not take offense or that I am attacking anyone or their school or saying they didn't earn the grade they did. I'm just asking about GPA calculations and such.

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[MrSnuggles]

I'm assuming people are reporting 4.3's by having straight A+'s or something, unless there's some other way of getting inflated grades. AADSAS does two gpa calculations, one with +/- and one without. Schools can use one or the other, if they go without +/- then those 4.3333333333s turn into your regular old 4.0's. I would hope that adcoms aren't dumb enough to just take GPA's at face value and probably factor in the school.

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

I'm assuming people are reporting 4.3's by having straight A+'s or something, unless there's some other way of getting inflated grades. AADSAS does two gpa calculations, one with +/- and one without. Schools can use one or the other, if they go without +/- then those 4.3333333333s turn into your regular old 4.0's. I would hope that adcoms aren't dumb enough to just take GPA's at face value and probably factor in the school.

Brand name schools tend to inflate grades as well. Harvard is pretty famous for this.

 

[odpropofol]

You pay about 300k to get that grade.

 

[MrSnuggles]

Brand name schools tend to inflate grades as well. Harvard is pretty famous for this.

That's exactly what I mean. If a school is famous for grade inflation then I'm sure that gets taken into account. Likewise for super tough schools.

 

[bwc]

AADSAS recalculates everybody's GPA based on their method of calculation - that is the reason why they make you enter your coursework and grades. This is one way they try to make the playing field closer to being even. They don't just take whatever your institution provides and report it as your GPA on your application, as different institutions may use different weights, have different policies regarding repeated courses, etc.

 

[Incis0r]

This is why the GPA is just one portion of what admissions committees look at. To even the playing field, they also look at your DAT, LoRs, personal statement, extracurriculars, research, job shadowing, community service, work experience, leadership experience, interview score, etc.

 

[Likkriue]

The DAT serves to level the playing field. Remember its an holistic review. If all dental schools wanted was 4.0s, many could fill their seats with JUST that number.

 

[8_man]

I would assume the DAT carries more weight than GPA, since each school varies in difficulty.

 

[DC206R]

GPA>DAT imo. Plenty of people with 21+ but lower GPA's like 3.2-3.3 don't get interviews/acceptances while 3.6 and 18-19AA's do.

 

[8_man]

GPA>DAT imo. Plenty of people with 21+ but lower GPA's like 3.2-3.3 don't get interviews/acceptances while 3.6 and 18-19AA's do.

Well this is news to me. I'm pretty new to the dental train so I'll take your word for it.

 

[Alikhan9]

GPA>DAT imo. Plenty of people with 21+ but lower GPA's like 3.2-3.3 don't get interviews/acceptances while 3.6 and 18-19AA's do.

Opposite can be directly true my cousin with a upward trend in gpa and a high dat score had no problem getting an interview. I guess we students can never absolutely now what is the perfect applicant

 

[bwc]

You do need to perform at a certain level with regards to both GPA and DAT. Each school does set thresholds for each of them, where they screen you out immediately if either one does not meet a certain standard. Therefore, if your GPA meets the standard but your DAT does not, or vice versa, your application automatically gets thrown out without it being looked at by any human being on the adcom.

 

[roy williams II]

While +/- systems are great (I went to a school that had one) they also can have an negative impact on your GPA. If you make a 90-93 in a class that is considered an A- (3.7). Schools that do not have a +/- system allow a 10 point range to ensure a A (4.0), that's is a lot of percentage points.

I personally LOVED having a +/- system at my school. I worked my butt off to do my best and it was nice to see this represented through my GPA.

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

While +/- systems are great (I went to a school that had one) they also can have an negative impact on your GPA. If you make a 90-93 in a class that is considered an A- (3.7). Schools that do not have a +/- system allow a 10 point range to ensure a A (4.0), that's is a lot of percentage points.

I personally LOVED having a +/- system at my school. I worked my butt off to do my best and it was nice to see this represented through my GPA.

Same. I was very jealous that my friends in big name Universities got an A for a 90% and I got an A- for a 94.%. Yes, that actually happened.

I also know of some schools where their grading system is waaaaay different. Like an 85% is an A-. So I wonder, and hope, admissions knows which schools do this.

 

[bwc]

Same. I was very jealous that my friends in big name Universities got an A for a 90% and I got an A- for a 94.%. Yes, that actually happened.

I also know of some schools where their grading system is waaaaay different. Like an 85% is an A-. So I wonder, and hope, admissions knows which schools do this.

It would be nice if 90-93 gets you an A instead of A-, but at the same time, it would also suck for the tradeoff to be 87-89 gets you a B instead of B+.

I think grade cutoffs are left for each individual instructor to decide rather than mandated by a school. It is common to see that many social sciences and humanities courses often have exam averages in the mid to high 80's, whereas many STEM courses often have exam averages around 60. Different grading scales in different courses accommodate those different circumstances. What can be mandated is grade distribution, which is usually mandated by the department. Grading scales for the same class may differ by instructor and by term, but distribution tends to be mostly consistent from term to term. I often have instructors who will not reveal what the actual cutoffs are (historic or current term) because they claim that it is pointless to use historic cutoffs to gauge performance, and they are afraid that students who just missed the next grade up will go argue with them.

 

[gsquared]

For what it is worth, I had a reasonable GPA (3.7ish) with a few C's here and there. Nobody said anything about these lackluster grades at my interview, but they were quite conversational about my volunteer experiences and papers. I received six interview invites, went to four, and I was accepted by all four. Grades aren't everything.

 

[DC206R]

.

 

[schmoob]

So I noticed some people on here reporting highly inflated GPAs from schools like 4.3, 4.5, etc. Does anyone know if AADSAS actually uses this in their calculation? It's already bad enough that they consider upper level coursework equivalent to lower (meaning an A in BIO100 is the same as a grad Bio600). And also bad enough they don't do grade replacement for retaken courses like medical professions (e.g. Osteopathic).

My school capped us at 4.0. Seems a lot of schools go higher now inflating these GPAs.

Edit: Please do not take offense or that I am attacking anyone or their school or saying they didn't earn the grade they did. I'm just asking about GPA calculations and such.

With your stats, I wouldn't worry. You'll get in.

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

With your stats, I wouldn't worry. You'll get in.

Haha 4th time's a charm, right? Lol

 

[schmoob]

Haha 4th time's a charm, right? Lol

You're not giving up, good for you man. It'll happen eventually.
I hope you get it this cycle.

 

[ncide]

Haha 4th time's a charm, right? Lol

Have you considered retaking the DAT? You have solid stats otherwise.

 

[Michael_Scott]

That's exactly what I mean. If a school is famous for grade inflation then I'm sure that gets taken into account. Likewise for super tough schools.

NOT....you really think schools have time for that ? they get way too many applications in a cycle to compare/contrast things like that....

 

[DMikes]

Some schools (like mine) have a grading scale like this: A, AB, B, BC, C, D, F.

So, essentially, we have "A-/B+" but don't have an A+, thus, it's impossible to obtain higher than a 4.0. Other schools are obviously different. I've always wondered why there isn't a standardized grade scale for all public universities

 

[bwc]

Some schools (like mine) have a grading scale like this: A, AB, B, BC, C, D, F.

So, essentially, we have "A-/B+" but don't have an A+, thus, it's impossible to obtain higher than a 4.0. Other schools are obviously different. I've always wondered why there isn't a standardized grade scale for all public universities

It can even differ within different schools/colleges of the same university. Some give a higher weight for A+, but others don't differentiate between an A and A+.

That is the whole point of AADSAS recalculating GPAs. This ensures that the GPA that dental schools see in your application is calculated using the same standards for everybody.