Your  Account:

Dentistry

The Pre-Dental Years

Wanting to pursue dentistry is a big decision that should not be made lightly. Being pre-dental means you may need to make many sacrifices and difficult decisions while you build a strong application. Dental schools value high GPAs and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores, but applicants must also acquire a variety of meaningful experiences, including time with a practicing dentist. Additionally, applicants must possess the attributes that dental schools value. To balance high grades with volunteering, shadowing or participating in one of many other activities, pre-dental students must manage their time wisely.

You can choose any undergraduate major provided that you include the required pre-dental prerequisite classes in your course of study and do well in your science courses. You should major in what interests you. Most important is balancing science coursework with non-science courses and being strategic about the number of science courses taken per semester. A strong GPA is the goal, and students should not make decisions that jeopardize their grades.