Hey everybody. I have been having panic attacks all day so I thought I'll ask people who are on the same path as me, with the same dream.

I am currently failing General Chemistry 1 with a 38% and no hope of getting it up before the semester ends (in two weeks). Therefore, I am retaking it next semester.

I have multiple questions:

- does the F count into the GPA, even if I retake it and lets say get a B at the end?
- does an F on my transcript already put me out of dental careers?
- would it be better to try and graduate with a C (if I can miraculously pull that off), instead of getting an F or D and retaking it?
- any other advice?

I am new to the American School system (immigrant from Germany) so please don't judge me for my lack of GPA knowledge, as it is very different from where I am from.

Dentistry has been a long ass dream of mine, and I currently work as a dental assistant and I am crying senseless at the possibility of loosing this dream.

Thank you in advance and good luck to everyone out there, post college or still in college like me. <3

drop your current thoughts/mental status if you're waiting to hear back on the 13th. and any ideas to stay sane (i'm out of ideas)

I applied to a bunch of schools and was fortunate enough to receive 2 interviews so far but they’re in January.

Do you think that will hinder my chances of getting in? One of the schools had an opening next week but unfortunately I have two final exams back to back in a master program and I’m counting on getting a good grade to update a few other schools. I don’t want to hinder my interview or hinder my exam score just to rush it. But I’m not sure if that’s the correct mentality or not.

Sorry in advance if that mini rant made zero sense.

Once (if?) I commit to a school what’s the proper etiquette? I figure I’ll withdraw my other apps (is that through AADSAS?), email my LOR writers and thank them again… am I missing something?

Out of curiosity, is it common to do masters abroad and apply to dental schools afterwards? Completed bachelors in the states and will probably end up going back to school to improve stats but was wondering whether or not masters abroad would be a good idea?

Thank you!

Hi!

I’m planning on taking physics after I apply to schools (senior year). I’m applying junior year, does this matter? Do schools care if ur pre reqs are not all finished by the time I apply.

Hey everyone,

I just got accepted into the Rutgers dental scholars masters program for the spring 2025 semester and was wondering if anyone else got in and to connect with those who did, pls shoot me a dm :))

Thanks!!

I am planning on taking the DAT next spring and applying end of spring. I will have around 600 hours of volunteer work 150 shadowing 1 data research publication Currently in another medical research lab Started a dental donation drive at my school Exec board of my sorority and pre dental club Is there anything else I need? And is it fine if I finish my pre requisites like physics after I apply to dental schools? I wanna take it my senior year. I go to a school with no help with pre dental work and I am legit LOST🔥👅🦷

I am in charge of a pre-dental webinar that my school hosts and wanting to know what you all would like to hear. My topics so far include: DAT, Application, & Non-traditional applicants. Please let me know if there’s anything else. I was thinking maybe a day in the life for each year as well.

Non trad 23M applying this upcoming cycle. This community has helped me a lot so asking for some advice. Just took my DAT 21AA 24PAT, nothing below 20. Dream school is Columbia / UPenn but debating whether I should retake even with my other extracurricular activities.

Stats

3.65 cGPA 3.55sGPA junior year, no C. Upcoming last 2 semesters can easily get straight A.

DAT - 21AA 24PAT

Work experience

USN Hospital Corpsman – Dental Technician (DEC2019 – DEC2024)

• Comprehensive Dentistry DA – 3 years
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery DA – 1 year
• 8000 clinical working hours
• 212 shadowing hours

Basic Life Support Instructor – 1 year

• Personally conducted 9 didactic courses, qualified 59 Sailors and Marines with Basic Life Support Certificates in 2024.

Flu shots, Covid-19 Vaccinator – 1 year

• Administered 865 vaccine patients, 280 Covid Booster shots, 580 flu shots. Efforts supported 8600 total encountered patients at my clinic in 2022.

Emergency Medical Services – 1 year

• Field medicine. Treated 23 knee injuries, 47 ankle sprains, 5 heat cases during ship evolutions and field services in 2023.
• 1680 medical coverage hours

Extracurricular activities

315 volunteer hours

• Navy Volunteer Opportunities – 185 hours
• Local Church – 45 hours. Setting up dinner meals Monday evening for the attendees.
• Habitat for Humanity – 85 hours. Selling furniture to fundraise for affordable housing.

Pre-dental club

Breast Cancer Awareness Club

Planing to get research hours this upcoming semester. Applied to Summer Research Program at NIH next year.

Manual dexterity

• CAD/ CAM scanning
• Removing sutures
• CADAVER lab
• Hard/ soft night guard, upper lower retainer production
• Intramuscular (IM) & Intravenous (IV) injections
• Venipuncture – blood drawn
• Emergency Medical Services – Needle decompression

Hi! I was wondering what the process was for acceptances/waitlists on decision day or any day. For example, if you got accepted into one school but you haven’t heard from another school that you really want to go to yet, is it better to accept the school that accepted you right away? Is there an option to pull out if you do end up hearing back from another school you rather attend? Thanks! I know decision day is two weeks away and I may not have this scenario but I was just genuinely curious!

Has anyone applied to or completed a dental postbac program? Where did you do it and how was it? Did you get into dental school?

I was specifically looking into applying to UNM dental school and saw that you only need 87 credits to apply. Does this mean that if after 2 years of undergrad I could apply and then complete my remaining prereqs during my 3rd year? I would have my DAT done by next summer and shadowing/volunteer. I’m just wondering if applying is feasible or if I should just do it after my 3rd year

MWU IL has biochem listed as a prereq. I am finishing a course called BIOL 3100 Survey Of Biochemistry right now for this fall semester. I got an email recently that they dont accept survey courses for prereqs but its too late for me to drop it and I have no space in my spring semester schedule to take another biochem. Does anyone know if they are flexible with this sort of thing and if they will let me substitute one of my many other upper division bio courses. Ive taken other 4000 level courses like immunology if that matters at all.

So I am a newly 22 year old (birthday last week) junior set to graduate in May 2026. My college has a sort of “pathway program” with a dental school in which you are guaranteed a seat when you apply to their school. The catch is that they will first allow the seat in 2027, not 2026 which will force me to take a gap year in which I do not want as I’ve already took a gap year out of high school since I came from overseas and wasn’t able to apply to college right away and I feel left behind already. The point is, It’s between me and another classmate for this seat, and they can only give it to one person. So say I take the offer, but in 2026 I apply elsewhere, (i’m looking to apply to a bunch of schools and even Harvard just for the hell of it), but anyways so say I get accepted to say other schools for 2026 cycle and I accept and go and just end up not taking the guaranteed seat for me… does that make me an asshole?

what up, i had 4 interviews this cycle including one in state. I think my interviews went well. These 11 days couldn’t go any slower. Will i have a shot at one?

For interviews, do you have tips on how to answer ethical questions? For example when is it okay to steal a food item? Would like any tips!! Pls

To any current dental students-

If you got accepted into more than 1 dental school, what factors helped you narrow it down to the school you eventually chose?

Do you wish you considered any other factors?

context: I have been fortunate enough to receive interviews at 10/12 schools, I rejected 1 and attended 9. I was not offered an interview at my "top" school yet so I am struggling on ranking the schools that I did hear from. Im aware that I don't have any acceptances yet, however with D day approaching I want to try to have somewhat of a rank for each. Any advice will be appreciated!

I plan on taking my DAT this winter break but i need to take physics 1 & 2 and was planning on taking them next summer. I called rutgers to see if that was fine and they told me I can’t apply without pre reqs being done before application?? I thought pre reqs had to be completed before matriculation?

Title says it! I am waiting on 8 schools who’ve given me absolutely nothing after I sent my donation to their schools.

Are they allowed to reject without interview on d day?

Hi, I'm a current freshman planning on applying to dental school eventually. I watch a lot of videos on youtube and a lot of youtubers (who are now dental students) give their stats or ecs and give them in a total number of hours. (ex. i shadowed for 150 hours, i volunteered for 200 hours). When you actually apply to dental school using the application portal, how does that work? Do they make you log the hours? Do you put in shadowing as one thing and volunteering as another thing even if you may have shadowed/volunteered at different places? Or is it more like college applications where you put the specific place you shadowed, and so on? I'm confused if when I apply I would put one of my ECs as "shadowing" and then list where, what, etc, or if I would list a specific place I shadowed or volunteered at and then make each of those a different EC. Also, is there a limit like college applications on how many activities you put down? Thank you!

Hey does anyone have any tips on things they did to be competitive for dental school/pre-dental school? I’m preparing to apply to a special masters pre-dental program as a pre-requisite to dental school (my gpa was very low in undergrad e.g. 2.69). I’m planning on reaching out to dentists offices nearby to get shadowing hours. Should I consider taking the DAT? I currently work full-time as a veterinary assistant and ideally I want to enroll for the fall 2025 school year

Been seeing this a lot on here and SDN. Wondering what had changed?

Hello,

I was wondering how important it is to be published at the time of the interview! I'm in two research labs, one at my university's dental school and one through the regular health sciences department. I am expected to get published in one which should be shown at a prestigious dental conference and not the other. However, I don't know if they will be published in time before my applications and I'm wondering if Penn would not even give my application a look because of this fact. I have other stats but if you want to know more send me a PM but I was wondering at my chances at Penn with this in mind!

Thanks!

#rant

Applied to 14 schools early August.

GPA 3.55 sGPA 3.55 and DAT: 23AA.

I’ve only interviewed at a few and havent heard anything from 10 schools….is it bad that I just don’t have the bandwidth to give a fuck anymore?

Like what do they want me to do to hear something…sell my kidneys?

Why is the portal system so ancient if each school gets $100+ to receive my app…like cant I get some updates that arent via dinosaurMail

jumped for joy seeing the notification, fell to my knees inside a Colombian Embassy after I read it.

Anyone else’s portal still saying waiting to be reviewed for lecom? It has been stuck on this since August and my checklist says complete. Never received an email either saying everything has been submitted…