If you have already completed your associates, no school has to take any of the credits that you have obtained after your associates degree. Even from a financial aid perspective, the goal is to get in, obtain a degree and get out… You do not have the luxury of exploring courses and looking at other options on the taxpayers dime.
Also keep in mind, if you are talking about Dental school, everything on your transcript is fair game. It does not matter if you were just exploring courses, it does not matter if the school does not take the credits and apply them to a degree. Your continuing to take courses at the CC instead of moving on will not bode well for you; you come off as undecided (which right now it sees that you are) and it demonstrates that you may not be ready for the academic rigor of the higher level courses (which could be possible since you seem so comfortable with staying at the CC).
Again you are 28 years old and you don’t seem to have a viable plan in place. I agree with @auntbea , that your friend’s journey is not your journey. You don’t have the luxury of wasting money, so that you are in the position of not completing your degree.
In addition, the professional school process is very expensive and not for the faint of heart. You are talking about thousands of dollars for prep courses, tests, application fees, etc. Where is this money coming from?
Here is the ADEA’s timeline for dental school. Are you on track? have you even done any pre0dental activities?
As a candidate who has just completed CC, this is where you should be
JUNIOR YEAR
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Complete biology and chemistry courses in preparation for taking the DAT in late spring of your junior year.
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Review the dental school application process and create a timeline for the submission of your application materials. Most dental schools participate in ADEA AADSAS, the centralized dental school application service offered through ADEA. Look over the application and begin formulating your application information.
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Meet with your advisor to find out how your school handles letters of evaluation. Identify individuals who are willing to write letters of evaluation on your behalf and communicate submission deadlines to them. Be able to document your dental office observation experiences.
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Start making decisions about the type of dental school you want to attend: location, size of school, composition of the student body, curriculum and the program’s emphasis. View websites and talk with classmates and upper-class students who are now enrolled in dental school.
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Participate in visitations from dental school admissions officers, visit dental schools and talk to dental students and admissions/minority affairs officers.
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Continue to actively participate in predental organization activities.
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Identify a strategy to prepare for the DAT. Obtain a sample DAT test from the American Dental Association (no charge). Consider purchasing a DAT review book and/or a CD that offers sample tests. Some students opt to enroll in DAT review courses, offered at dental schools, colleges and universities, and private companies. Some of these courses are offered free of charge, while others are costly. If you decide to purchase a book, CD or participate in a commercial DAT preparation workshop, make sure the content matches the actual content of the DAT.
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Register for the DAT with the American Dental Association. After submitting your application, you will receive instructions for contacting a Prometric Testing Center to schedule your test date. The DAT is a computerized examination and can be taken at a date and time of your choosing. Your registration is valid for six months.
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The ideal time to take the DAT is at the end of the spring semester, junior year or immediately after you have completed your organic chemistry courses. If your test scores are not what you would like, you must wait 90 days to re-take the test. The DAT can only be taken up to three times, so plan to score well the first time you take the test.
JUNIOR YEAR—SUMMER
- Submit your ADEA AADSAS application, indicating the dental schools to which you want your application materials sent. The ADEA AADSAS application cycle generally opens on or around June 1. An early application significantly enhances your chances of having your application reviewed early. Don’t procrastinate and let application deadlines sneak up on you!
- If possible, work, volunteer, or participate in a summer predental program at a dental school.
- Submit your ADEA AADSAS application.
- If you’re retaking the DAT, have a study strategy in place. Remember, you must allow 90 days between test dates.
