What's the lowest GPA one can enter Dentistry school with?

[DoctorSaab]

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Hello,

Not knowing how I will do on my DAT's yet, what do you guys suppose is the minimum GPA that the dentistry school's will accept? I'm a freshman, in my second semester now with a ~3.50.

Chemistry part 2 sucks right now because our porfessor is VERY HARSH. People have told me a C in his class is like an A in any other professors class. 🙁

That is why I'm veyr upset....

Thanks.

 

[DesiDentist]

By the time you apply I am predicting the minimum GPA you want to have is a 3.457484. This is a prediction done with accurate and precise logrithms using the trends for the previous classes. I remember you were complaining about Chem I last quarter, it looks like everything turned out good. Stop worrying and those people saying C = A are lying. Work your butt off.

DesiDentist

 

[DoctorSaab]

WOW, those are some exact numbers there. LOL.

Yeh, chem wasn't too bad... i definitely could've done better though. I think i jsut stopped tryin last semester towards the end.

Hmm... what are some tips for acing chemistry class???

 

[DesiDentist]

make chem interesting to you, how does this relate to you. Find reasons for it to be interesting.

Use other sources than your textbook. Believe it or not, using one text is not good. No text is perfect, so buy some study guides, etc.

Good luck,

DesiDentist

 

[Pre-Dent-David]

HELLO OWAIS. I AGREE WITH DESI ECXCEPT THAT THE LAST FIGURE IN THE GPA IS AN 8 WHICH MEANS THAT YOU ARE SCREWED!

 

[Rovert]

Don't forget to include the factor that the school you attend has on the GPA. If you attend a top ranked college then divide desidentist's number by the per capita income of your dependants + the inverse of the population of modern day rome. If you attend a middle ranked college then you must do 30 hours of community service or else you need a 3.579823. And if you attend a bottom rung university then go straight to jail, do not pass Go and do not collect $200.

(My point is, don't worry about "what GPA you must have" and instead do your best and worry about trying to get the most out of your college experience. There are so many factors that will affect your admission into dental school, and GPA is just one. You dont want to stress yourself out your freshman year, and be so burnt out by senior year you don't even want to goto dental school. Althought there is nothing wrong with working hard to reach your goals try and have some fun too!)

 

[DesiDentist]

Rovert, very impressive

 

[EVN3331]

I would say if you have above a 3.0(Science and Overall) and decent DAT scores you will have a good shot at getting in somewhere.

 

[yosemitesam]

I disagree. A 3.0 GPA is really pushing the limits, You'd need a really shining app and stunning DAT to get in with a 3.0. Not that it could't be done - it'd just be tough. The school averages are getting higher every year and most schools (except some of the private ones) are reporting average GPAs of ~3.4+.

 

[EVN3331]

I never said he/she would get in with a 3.0 and decent DAT scores, I said he/she would have a good shot at getting in. I know some people that go into schools (such as BU) with right around 3.0 and some even lower.

 

[groundhog]

I do appreciate Rovert's sense of humor. It reminds me of the driving directions that I always get from the wife. Instead of left on 34th St NE, and then right on 78th Ave NE....it's left where Benny saw the skunk three years ago, and then right just beyond the rosebush where we had to stop after Alice threw up in the back seat when we visited Aunt Bertie......on and on. It works for the girls so more power to them......but give me straight up linear directions that don't require an ability to interpret intuitionese.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I with Rovert on this one. A GPA is a large part of your application, yet a minor part of who you are.

A stellar GPA is going to help you get interviews, but if you are a dork in person, then those interviews are wasted.

Along with GPA, you need to focus on rounding yourself out as an individual. Quit whining so much about your GPA, and go help some people in need. It'll help the adcoms see what kind of person you are, and you'll receive some extremely beneficial learning experiences from serving others.

And yeah, those guys who say a C=A are lying. Just ask those people who got A's in that guys class. What does that equate to, an A++++++?

 

[EcoRI]

EVN3331
I agree with you that a 3.0 has a decent shot of getting in if one were to apply wisely. I had an overall 3.0 and a science GPA of only 2.8 (Not so good!). My DAT scores were not so good as well....17/17. When I bombed the DAT I reevaluated which schools I was going to apply to and took some off of my list and added others. Although I did not get interviews at all the schools I applied to, I was accepted to all 4 schools I interview at and also turned down several other interviews (I guess I wasn't a dork!🙂). The "ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools " was a big help in determining which schools to apply. Lots of useful stats although keep in mind that averages are just averages which means there are people being accepted above and below the averages.

EcoRI

 

[desi_06]

I'm planning on applying to as many dental schools as i can...do you guys know of any dental schools that have accepted people with pretty low gpa's?? if so, which ones??

 

[DesiDentist]

Hi, Desi

Be sure to apply to NYU and BU if you really don't care where you want to go. They tend to forgive low gpas.

DesiDentist

 

[desi_06]

thanks for the advice!

I'm attending university in Canada, U of T... and was wondering whether dental schools in the U.S. would look at my gpa differently...or weigh some factors heavily more than others...do you have any idea about this?

Btw-- i was also wondering what year in university would be a good time to write the DAT. I'm pretty new at this whole thing, but have always wanted to attend dental school =)!

 

[Kung Foo]

I concur with EcoRI: the ADEA's official guide was a huge help in my application process. As far as GPA goes, the low for my incoming class was 2.98, although I suspect that belonged to the child of an alum.... he made a comment to that effect this fall). Our class incoming average was 3.45 (or something close to that; @ Ohio State), and most people were at or above that - and a handful were slightly below (obviously... that's how averages work - lol) There are a lot of cases of folks with lower GPAs who are really dedicated to dentistry (evidenced through volunteer work, office observations, involvement with dentistry, etc) getting in.

That said, if you're having trouble in gen chem 2, you should probably seriously re-evaluate your study schedule. When you study, are you actually concentrating and focused? Do you read the text before the lecture? Do all the homework, and not the night before? Go to the help sessions? Organic WILL be harder, so it's good to develop quality habits now. Lots of people claim they're "studying" when they're really half listening to music/TV, chatting online, allowing themselves to be in a place full of distractions, etc. I suggest the library or other study room not filled with all of your stuff (which equal distractions). I thought I worked hard in undergrad (i was a bio/chem major) but it's nothing compared to dental school. I study at least 3 hrs a night (after 8 hrs at school), and more on weekends, and try to go out at least one night a week. Think about what you do in all your time outside of class. You could EASILY work in an extra hour per day to study chemistry. Use the tutor if you don't understand concepts, or talk to the professor. Ask past students how they dealt with the prof.

In the end dental schools won't ask your opinion of the prof for the class (or even what you learned)... they just want the grade.

Final thought: college IS NOT about who's the most talented... it's simply about who works the hardest and the smartest!!! You CAN do well in your science classes and you WILL get into dental school and be a great dentist IF you learn to manage your time carefully and really apply yourself.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!