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i know that i want to major in pre-dentistry, but i have no idea where i can go or get in to. i have applied to pitt, penn state, and pepperdine. i will also be applying to juniata. i reside in PA. i have a 97.8 uw gpa, unsure of a weighted one. i have taken all the hardest courses available at my school, but since it is a small public school, only one ap course is offered which i am currently taking, AP english 12. of course, i have concentrated in the sciences at my school. i got an 1170 sat and a 25 act, but i have problems with standardized tests. i am wondering what other colleges i should consider. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

By Nyugrad (Nyugrad) on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 06:07 pm: Edit

Do some volunteer work in a dental clinic. Pitt is a good school if you like the technical aspect of dentistry. They are very hands on and you see patients as early as your first year. Good luck!

By Nyugrad (Nyugrad) on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 06:10 pm: Edit

Whoops! I just reread and realized that you are a high school student. Sorry! Still, volunteer at a dental clinic, and look into Pitt undergrad-Many Pitt graduates go to Pitt dental school. Again, good luck!

By Peterline (Peterline) on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 06:15 pm: Edit

during the summer i job shadowed two dentists and an orthodontist, which is what i want to eventually be. i really enjoyed every aspect of the job. also, i have numerous leadership positions, volunteer work, and work experience.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 07:42 pm: Edit

You might consider Muhlenberg and Dickinson. They both have good pre-med/pre-dental programs and do not look at SAT scores heavily in the admissions process. Juniata is an excellent choice as well.
Temple has a dental school and I believe they offer an accelerated program to undergraduates so it might be worth investigating as well. Two great sources of information about becoming a dentist: The American Dental Association
http://www.ada.org
and the American Student Dental Association
http://www.asdanet.org

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 07:44 pm: Edit

One more thought. After I saw the above, I realized you're applying to Pepperdine. As long as you're willing to come out to Calif., you might also take a look at the University of the Pacific (www.uop.edu) which has an excellent pre-dental program and has one of the top dental schools in Calif. as well.

By Peterline (Peterline) on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 09:09 pm: Edit

yes i went out to california this past summer to look at colleges and i was even more impressed with pepperdine in person than i was in all the pictures and other things i had seen. i also toured ucla, ucsd, ucsb, and sbcc. because i didnt take the satII's, i am not "uc eligible" as it says in their literature. pepperdine is still my first choice school. also, because pittsburgh is only two hours from home, id rather go a little farther than that. so any other suggestions would be very helpful.

By Peterline (Peterline) on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 05:53 pm: Edit

i checked out uop in stockton. it looks nice, but thats not really where i want to go. id rather be in socal and closer to the ocean.. so if you have any other suggestions i would really appreciate it. thanks

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:18 pm: Edit

Just want to add: In addition to the American Dental Association site at www.ada.org, visit the American Dental Education Association - www.adea.org Between the two you'll find everything you need to know about pre-dental programs and dental schools.