Rejecting offer to Guaranteed Admission pathway

[dentdream481]

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[1942]

Lol. Lots to unpack here and I may miss some things so feel free to follow up if you have any questions.

* in no particular order *

1. a bio degree from UCR (insert any institution) is virtually the same as a bio degree from any other reputable college. Name recognition, prestige don’t matter much. Don’t worry about that.

2. If you can maintain a 3.6 during undergrad and score at least a 20 on the DAT, you will theoretically get into multiple schools (if you apply strategically). You don’t necessarily need to matriculate to Creighton and can explore other dental schools. However a 20 in 3-4 years may only be 70%ile which means you probably want to score 21-22 to really expand your options. But that’s a long time from now..

3. UCR is relatively easy compared to the other UCs. I have friends who attended UCR. But it’s not Cal State easy. Stay focused and you can excel. Which is true for anywhere I suppose haha.

4. if you’re concerned about family or home sickness affecting your academic performance (and mental health) then deeply consider just going to UCR.

5. Undergrad prestige does not matter much or at all tbh.

My overall takeaway: if you can go to creighton and maintain a 3.6 GPA and score a 20 DAT you can do that at UCR.

If we assume this to be true, then the only thing Creighton offers you is a guarantee of matriculating to dental school right away. But with those stats, if you apply early and strategically, you can get into other (and more cheaper!) dental schools. Not a guarantee by any stretch but a high probability.

And there’s also the possibility you don’t get a 3.6 GPA/20 DAT. What if you have a 3.5? A relatively strong GPA, and one that should still net you offers, but now no guarantee of matriculation. So basically you went to Creighton, in the middle of nowhere at that, for nothing.

personally, I would go to UCR. Focus on school and avoid the ratchetry there. Have a strong support system around you (family/friends). Be involved in research, community service, and shadowing. Apply broadly to dental schools and go to the cheapest school that gives you an offer

 

[Blueshirts]

Please look into the cost of undergrad and the cost of dental school. Keep in mind that historically dental schools have been increasing tuition 2-5% every year, so if the tuition/fees in this current year are 80k expect to reasonably see that number be 90-95k (and this number will also be growing while you are in school).

As many people will let you know here, do your best but ultimately the most important thing is to keep your debt low or you will be looking at an absolutely nightmare situation.

 

[Japo237]

I don't usually comment on the message boards but this one caught my attention because I was in the same place back when I was applying to undergraduate programs. I knew I wanted to do dentistry but I was afraid I would not be able to make it through the bottle neck and matriculate into a school. I applied to Nova Southeastern's pre-dental program that would guarantee admission into the dental school if I held a 3.5 GPA and 19 DAT score. I was ultimately waitlisted for that program and it honestly was the best thing to happen to me. In high school I was a good student but not great. I was basically the bottom of the smart kids. I took honors and AP classes but got B's in most of them. Once I got waitlisted for Nova's program I had a change of mindset. I recognized that for me to get into dental school it wasn't going to be about being smart it was going to be about perfecting my work ethic and making sacrifices. I ultimately went to the University of Kentucky where I changed everything about myself to achieve what I desired. I woke up early to study, I ate healthy to keep my mind sharp, and surrounded myself with like minded individuals who could uplift me when I was struggling. If I had the safety net of already being accepted into a dental school I would not be who I am today and honestly, I probably wouldn't have managed to uphold the requirements. I'm not saying Creighton is bad or anything but what I would urge you to ask yourself is what school is going to support me the best and where am I going to be able to find the most opportunity to expand on who I am? If you want to go into dentistry bad enough you are capable of getting into the best schools. Initially the emotion that drove me to study, shadow, and serve was fear but I eventually I recognized that I love interacting with people and love to understand how our body's work. With no more fear that I wouldn't get in virtually all of the benefits of Nova's program would have been lost at that point. If I had been accepted to Nova's program I never would have been able to see my mom's face when Harvard popped up on my caller ID or tell my father that all of my hard work just saved me 200K when I got called by the University of Florida College of Dentistry. What I am trying to say is that sometimes we need to do things with out a safety net to be at our best. We need to be fully committed to the dream. Four years after being waitlisted by Nova I had changed so much I didn't even apply to Nova because it wasn't for me. Sorry for the book but I hope this helps to inspire you to focus on who you are and understand you can be more than just an average student.

 

[dentdream481]

I don't usually comment on the message boards but this one caught my attention because I was in the same place back when I was applying to undergraduate programs. I knew I wanted to do dentistry but I was afraid I would not be able to make it through the bottle neck and matriculate into a school. I applied to Nova Southeastern's pre-dental program that would guarantee admission into the dental school if I held a 3.5 GPA and 19 DAT score. I was ultimately waitlisted for that program and it honestly was the best thing to happen to me. In high school I was a good student but not great. I was basically the bottom of the smart kids. I took honors and AP classes but got B's in most of them. Once I got waitlisted for Nova's program I had a change of mindset. I recognized that for me to get into dental school it wasn't going to be about being smart it was going to be about perfecting my work ethic and making sacrifices. I ultimately went to the University of Kentucky where I changed everything about myself to achieve what I desired. I woke up early to study, I ate healthy to keep my mind sharp, and surrounded myself with like minded individuals who could uplift me when I was struggling. If I had the safety net of already being accepted into a dental school I would not be who I am today and honestly, I probably wouldn't have managed to uphold the requirements. I'm not saying Creighton is bad or anything but what I would urge you to ask yourself is what school is going to support me the best and where am I going to be able to find the most opportunity to expand on who I am? If you want to go into dentistry bad enough you are capable of getting into the best schools. Initially the emotion that drove me to study, shadow, and serve was fear but I eventually I recognized that I love interacting with people and love to understand how our body's work. With no more fear that I wouldn't get in virtually all of the benefits of Nova's program would have been lost at that point. If I had been accepted to Nova's program I never would have been able to see my mom's face when Harvard popped up on my caller ID or tell my father that all of my hard work just saved me 200K when I got called by the University of Florida College of Dentistry. What I am trying to say is that sometimes we need to do things with out a safety net to be at our best. We need to be fully committed to the dream. Four years after being waitlisted by Nova I had changed so much I didn't even apply to Nova because it wasn't for me. Sorry for the book but I hope this helps to inspire you to focus on who you are and understand you can be more than just an average student.

Wow. Thank you so much for the response. I believe that I am in the same situation you were in, and I truly think I do need to change my personality and my mindset.

 

[dentdream481]

Lol. Lots to unpack here and I may miss some things so feel free to follow up if you have any questions.

* in no particular order *

1. a bio degree from UCR (insert any institution) is virtually the same as a bio degree from any other reputable college. Name recognition, prestige don’t matter much. Don’t worry about that.

2. If you can maintain a 3.6 during undergrad and score at least a 20 on the DAT, you will theoretically get into multiple schools (if you apply strategically). You don’t necessarily need to matriculate to Creighton and can explore other dental schools. However a 20 in 3-4 years may only be 70%ile which means you probably want to score 21-22 to really expand your options. But that’s a long time from now..

3. UCR is relatively easy compared to the other UCs. I have friends who attended UCR. But it’s not Cal State easy. Stay focused and you can excel. Which is true for anywhere I suppose haha.

4. if you’re concerned about family or home sickness affecting your academic performance (and mental health) then deeply consider just going to UCR.

5. Undergrad prestige does not matter much or at all tbh.

My overall takeaway: if you can go to creighton and maintain a 3.6 GPA and score a 20 DAT you can do that at UCR.

If we assume this to be true, then the only thing Creighton offers you is a guarantee of matriculating to dental school right away. But with those stats, if you apply early and strategically, you can get into other (and more cheaper!) dental schools. Not a guarantee by any stretch but a high probability.

And there’s also the possibility you don’t get a 3.6 GPA/20 DAT. What if you have a 3.5? A relatively strong GPA, and one that should still net you offers, but now no guarantee of matriculation. So basically you went to Creighton, in the middle of nowhere at that, for nothing.

personally, I would go to UCR. Focus on school and avoid the ratchetry there. Have a strong support system around you (family/friends). Be involved in research, community service, and shadowing. Apply broadly to dental schools and go to the cheapest school that gives you an offer

Yeah I have to agree. If I go to UCR, I would be dorming with one of my best friends, and my family is extremely close by so that support system would be very accessible whereas in Creighton I wouldn't have anyone in a completely new environment. I am indeed leaning towards UCR now 😁 . Thank you for the advice!

 

[Dr.Deadpool97]

I personally wouldn't reject it. Yes, you hypothetically gonna save money but the fact is half of the applicants are not gonna get any offer. I personally would prefer a stress free undergrad than a one which I went through. You think its easy to always be worried about stupid assignments in undergrad? The other person gave the example of his path but its different person to person. I personally learn more when there isn't any pressure on me. Also isnt going to another state and living far from your family a good practice of standing on our feet itself? maintaining a 3.6 GPA and getting a 20 on DAT its not hard at all but having those its not gonna guarantee an acceptance. plus the other person said he saved 200k for going to a cheaper school now. I guess your program is a 3+4 program which means you will be out and make money one year faster. At the end this solely depends on you. Just keep in mind one thing: nothing in this world worth to get stressed for and trust me the regular dental school admission is stressful as hell. Good luck!

Hello, I am currently a high school senior aiming to become a dentist, and I recently got into the Creighton Predental program. Essentially, it guarantees admission to Creighton Dental School ( or say it claims ) if I maintain a 3.6 GPA at Creighton Undergrad and a 20 DAT score. However, I am a little conflicted about where I should go and I was hoping to seek some advice.

I am a bit conflicted about going to Creighton as I worry that if I am not able to handle those minimum requirements and not be able to matriculate into their Dental School, I would be stuck with a biology degree from Creighton, whereas, back in my current state, California, a bio degree from a UC would be more flexible. In high school, I got some B's in science courses, so that's kind of why I am reluctant to go to Creighton and not be able to handle the courses again. This is also the first year Creighton has had this program and when I called Creighton to find out if I had been accepted, they said everyone got into the pre-dental program. 👀 The application pool might have been small though because you had to provide a LOR from a dentist and do an interview, but I am still not sure if I am a guinea pig. Their website also says "interview may be required" xD.


I am also considering attending UC riverside as I feel that I will be able to maintain a much higher GPA than the other UC's as I believe undergrad prestige does not matter for Dental School (someone correct me if I am wrong). However, my main concern about going to UCR is that I won't be able to get into any dental schools from doing the traditional route as it seems I would need an extremely high DAT and GPA to get into dental schools, maybe even more so for California Dental schools. What worries me the most is that I end up getting that 3.6 GPA and 20 DAT, where I would then get rejected by all schools, whereas at Creighton I would have been admitted. I will admit, I am not strong academically in some aspects of the sciences, especially Chemistry. UCR is also very close to home, where at Creighton, I have never even seen snow 😁.

Overall, would I be doing myself a disservice by rejecting Creighton's offer, or would working extremely hard during undergrad be the best way to go in my case as my overall concern is not being able to handle it since I do not really have a backup plan for Creighton? I was just hoping if someone would please comment what they think, and any comments would be greatly appreciated. I apologize if it seems like I am whining about dental admissions being too hard, but I really want to hear someone else's thoughts. Thank you so much.

 

[Ivy.ch]

I'm not going to read through all the previous comments.

You are fortunate to have a (somewhat) guaranteed acceptance to dental school. You cannot fathom the amount of stress you will have saved by not needing to worry about dental school admissions. You are also blessed to be able to save a year of your life (I'm assuming you only do 3 years in college). If you are committed to dentistry, take it. No one cares about UC schools - don't make the path more winding. You'll be fine without your home nearby - that's called freedom.

Get college and dental school over with so you can start the real world.

 

[charlestweed]

Don’t think UCR is an easy school. There are a lot of smart kids there who want to get into the UCR med school through its Early Assurance Medical Program. You will have to take a lot of the science classes with these smart kids. It’s hard to compete against them.