how can i get rid of the dots when rating something only three stars

you cannot get rid of the dots (that's just the way Apple seems to have implemented it).

You can try something like this:

add a formula in column A (in this example):

A2=REPT("★", B2)

this is shorthand for... select cell A2, then type (or copy and paste from here) the formula:

=REPT("★", B2)

to fill the formula down, select cell A2, copy

select cells A2 thru the end of column A, paste

now formate the cells in column B as a stepper:

Hi fr…

The thinking behind that representation is likely that including the dots gives a visual indication that a '3 star' rating is three out of five possible stars.

Regards,

Barry