2.9 Sci GPA, should I even apply?

[printer21]

Overall GPA's around a 3.3 and science is 2.9. Junior now. I realize this is low even for the less competitive schools. So should I even apply this year or just wait a year and try to improve my grades? I haven't taken the DAT yet but I'm guessing I'll get around a 19-20ish on a good scenario after studying.

Also, everyone keeps saying to apply as early as possible, on the first day of application if I can. But how much of a disadvantage is it if I wait til say August or September? (So I can get a few summer classes in see how I do in them and so I get a little extra time to study for the DAT.)

Any advice greatly appreciated thanks in advance!

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[CountinCavities]

If you have extra bucks, I guess you could give it a shot. If I were you, I wouldn't because it's a gamble. But there are students with low GPA's that get in. It's not impossible- but it's not likely.

 

[Enso]

Overall GPA's around a 3.3 and science is 2.9. Junior now. I realize this is low even for the less competitive schools. So should I even apply this year or just wait a year and try to improve my grades? I haven't taken the DAT yet but I'm guessing I'll get around a 19-20ish on a good scenario after studying.

Also, everyone keeps saying to apply as early as possible, on the first day of application if I can. But how much of a disadvantage is it if I wait til say August or September? (So I can get a few summer classes in see how I do in them and so I get a little extra time to study for the DAT.)

Any advice greatly appreciated thanks in advance!

If you're gunning to get in this cycle I recommend two things: submit your application in May and get a 23 DAT.

If not, you may want to consider a master's program in Biomed Sciences to increase your GPA.

 

[tanvsten]

those were my stats. i applied after my jr year. i got two interviews. and waitlisted at one. i called up schools. they told me my sci was too low. dats did not make up for it (i got above 20 in all categories) and if anything, the look to see if i have an increasing trend in my gpa for my last 2 years. i dont. i did consistently average. i would suggest going thru senior year and doing the best that you can to bring up your numbers.

 

[PDizzle]

There is something about a 2.X GPA that just shuts down the rest of your app. So many people apply that schools can easily throw all sub 3.0 apps in the trash and have plenty of awesome, diverse applicants to fill their class with.

On the other side, some people do get in with a 2.9. I guess if you have the extra $$, go for it but don't hold your breath.

 

[flycd05]

it is possible though - i applied this cycle wiht a 2.9ish sgpa and 3.1-3.2 gpa and a dat score of 21/21/20 and so far 2 interviews and 2 acceptances. it's def. a shot in the dark but then again, its a risk you take both with time and money. however, if u wanna not take the risk and save money and wait till ur stats get better, i say go thru senior year and then apply!

 

[Oracle DMD]

if there's even a possibility of getting in...apply. end of story. if you don't get in, maybe you get an interview and then you start to have a relationship with that school which will be a big help the following cycle. or maybe you get in somewhere and then you'll laugh about almost not even applying! haha

 

[chocltcake]

Like other people have said, apply if you have the money, but don't forget about the time it will take. It is an involved and time consuming process, so make sure your academics won't suffer because of it. Also consider how much dental experience, volunteer work you've done, and things that can set you apart; you'll be competing against some pretty incredible people.

 

[MrReno]

i've noticed on the primary app that there's a science gpa and bcp gpa. do both have equal weight?

 

[MowgliR]

it is possible though - i applied this cycle wiht a 2.9ish sgpa and 3.1-3.2 gpa and a dat score of 21/21/20 and so far 2 interviews and 2 acceptances. it's def. a shot in the dark but then again, its a risk you take both with time and money. however, if u wanna not take the risk and save money and wait till ur stats get better, i say go thru senior year and then apply!

where did you get accepted?

 

[Kneecoal]

i might be sounding dumb here, but a few people so far have said "if you have the money, go ahead and apply." wouldn't it be worth the money either way to just go ahead and apply and see if you get in? if you do get in, that's like saving that extra 30 grand for doing a masters. am i wrong?

 

[Danny289]

i might be sounding dumb here, but a few people so far have said "if you have the money, go ahead and apply." wouldn't it be worth the money either way to just go ahead and apply and see if you get in? if you do get in, that's like saving that extra 30 grand for doing a masters. am i wrong?

^agree 100%
plus adding couple thousand dollars extera to your student loan after dental school is not a big deal.

 

[printer21]

Thank you for all the replies. Helps a lot. Also, I miscalculated my science GPA a little bit... it's a 2.98, not 2.90 and after this semester, will be slightly above 3.0 most likely.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and apply and see how it goes. Saving money on Masters and a extra year's salary as a Dentist is worth the risk of a few thousand dollars now I guess.

Only problem is the next Kaplan DAT course is 06/16/2009 - 07/30/2009 in my area so I cant take the DAT until August. Anyone recommend me waiting until August to take the test? (I'll still send in my application before.)

 

[dru180]

danny and kneecoal....my sentiments exactly. People need to remember the big picture, and in the big picture, 1,000-2,000 dollars (IF it were a waste) is still small potatoes compared to the opportunity cost of not applying when you consider the cost of a possible masters program (say conservatively 10k), the cost of dental school (say conservatively 125k), the loss of a year's salary (conseratively 50k after taxes), plus the compounding loss of missed out extra income from year 2+ (and by that i mean every year longer it takes for you to become a dentist is a year longer you have to wait for raises and opportunities to invest the money you have earned). That all adds up to WAAAAY more then the gamble of applying ASAP.


Printer...take your DAT in august if thats when you will be prepared to take it, cause you definately need to rock it. Assuming you get your application in early, it still wont be in the school's hands till about then anyway, so in my opinion you wont really be delaying anything a whole lot.

 

[CountinCavities]

If you are a dental school minority you should apply. Otherwise, I would not.

 

[GreekDDS]

Do it!

 

[Dental Monst3r]

Thank you for all the replies. Helps a lot. Also, I miscalculated my science GPA a little bit... it's a 2.98, not 2.90 and after this semester, will be slightly above 3.0 most likely.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and apply and see how it goes. Saving money on Masters and a extra year's salary as a Dentist is worth the risk of a few thousand dollars now I guess.

Only problem is the next Kaplan DAT course is 06/16/2009 - 07/30/2009 in my area so I cant take the DAT until August. Anyone recommend me waiting until August to take the test? (I'll still send in my application before.)

Just out of curiosity, how many days and hours is the entire Kaplan course if it ranges from 06/16 to 07/30

Is it a few hours a week type thing? Or is it an everyday course?

 

[goldborn]

I was in the same boat as the OP...I'm a second-time reapplicant and just got accepted. I would say apply at the end of your senior year after you have bettered your GPA as best as you can so that you have a strong upswing to rectify the low GPA at the start. In the year off, I say find a dental-related job but continue to take a few classes. Also, be sure you're ready for the DAT and take it once (22's across is ideal), they don't want to see too many "second takes" in your app if you know what I mean. And if your EC's are good, then there's no reason for them not to like what they see. Best of luck!

 

[adizzle87]

If you have a great personality and can show it through your PS and interview, you can do it! You just have to KILL the DAT (think 23s) and apply broadly!

 

[doc toothache]

Overall GPA's around a 3.3 and science is 2.9. Junior now. I realize this is low even for the less competitive schools. So should I even apply this year or just wait a year and try to improve my grades? I haven't taken the DAT yet but I'm guessing I'll get around a 19-20ish on a good scenario after studying.
Also, everyone keeps saying to apply as early as possible, on the first day of application if I can. But how much of a disadvantage is it if I wait til say August or September? (So I can get a few summer classes in see how I do in them and so I get a little extra time to study for the DAT.)

Your gpa may turn out to be the least of your problems. Applying is the easy part, getting accepted is the hard part. Why not wait to at least see what your DAT scores are going to be lest you enjoy jumping from the high diving board before there is barely a foot of water at the bottom of the pool. And contrary to popular SDN sentiment, your grades will not improve one iota by being first in line to submit your application.

 

[rollredroll]

i'd go ahead and apply. my sci gpa hovered somewhere below 3.0 until my senior year. check out my pre-dents and you see it isn't much higher than 3.0. i'll be going to my first choice next year so you never know what can happen.

 

[peerless218]

Overall GPA's around a 3.3 and science is 2.9. Junior now. I realize this is low even for the less competitive schools. So should I even apply this year or just wait a year and try to improve my grades? I haven't taken the DAT yet but I'm guessing I'll get around a 19-20ish on a good scenario after studying.

Also, everyone keeps saying to apply as early as possible, on the first day of application if I can. But how much of a disadvantage is it if I wait til say August or September? (So I can get a few summer classes in see how I do in them and so I get a little extra time to study for the DAT.)

Any advice greatly appreciated thanks in advance!

Hey man, just work REALLY hard next year, INCLUDING summer school to bring your science GPA to above a 3.0 by the end of next year, then apply. I am in a similar but yet different boat as you. I too have a 3.3 overall and a 2.98 BCP. My science is a 3.17. However, my catch is that I repeated one class and I have 3 Cs in science classes back in my high school days when I took some classes at a community college. Some schools overlooked those, some schools took the average, and some schools counted them all. So my grades can go as high as 3.46 overall, 3.22 BCP, and a 3.41 science, or as low as what I just stated.

I got 3 interviews this year and looks like my chance of getting into Pacific is pretty high next year just by being on the alternate list ( I was interviewed there for an alternate spot to begin with.) So if I were you, I would apply next year and do as much EC activities as possible and get leadership positions.

 

[Dental Monst3r]

Hey man, just work REALLY hard next year, INCLUDING summer school to bring your science GPA to above a 3.0 by the end of next year, then apply. I am in a similar but yet different boat as you. I too have a 3.3 overall and a 2.98 BCP. My science is a 3.17. However, my catch is that I repeated one class and I have 3 Cs in science classes back in my high school days when I took some classes at a community college. Some schools overlooked those, some schools took the average, and some schools counted them all. So my grades can go as high as 3.46 overall, 3.22 BCP, and a 3.41 science, or as low as what I just stated.

I got 3 interviews this year and looks like my chance of getting into Pacific is pretty high next year just by being on the alternate list ( I was interviewed there for an alternate spot to begin with.) So if I were you, I would apply next year and do as much EC activities as possible and get leadership positions.

Peerless, since you have done a post-bac already (and by the way your stats on pre-dents look very good), what are you going to do next cycle to get accepted? Are you just going to try applying to more schools? Or take a masters?

 

[peerless218]

Peerless, since you have done a post-bac already (and by the way your stats on pre-dents look very good), what are you going to do next cycle to get accepted? Are you just going to try applying to more schools? Or take a masters?

Hey whats up,

As far as next year, um...I dont know, I think applying EARLY is the key for me this cycle coming up. My file was not officiallly completed until mid January due to my DAT scores. I applied to 24 schools and got rejected by 9 right after I sent in my first DAT score, which is a 17. Then pretty much got the rest of the rejection letters in March. I did have 2 schools sending me e-mail and a letter stating they're interested in me before they saw my 17 on the DAT. Afterward it was....ya REJECTED.

I was really surprsied I still got 3 interviews afterwards. Now I am just praying I'll get into Pacific this cycle!!! Keeping my fingers crossed!!! I REALLY REALLY want to go to Pacific!!! LOVE THAT SCHOOL!! If I dont get in this year, I will go to Taiwan where my family is and study under a dental lab. The manager of the lab is my dad's partner since my dad started his clinic 22 years ago. Now he offered to train me in all the fun stuff a first year dental students would do. Stuff like tooth anatomy, wax up .etc

I am NOT gonna retake my DAT because it's just too riskly for me on the reading comp part. I am REALLLY happy with a 19. I am not going to take anymore classes at my undergrad because it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to resgister for all the upper division science classes as a post bac. So ya, I am pretty much going to apply again with what I have last cycle and see what happens.

Right now I am interning for 2 dentists, being a leader for my club, and tutoring 1st semester of ochem. When I reapply, I am definitely going to ask for a new letter of rec and add all those things I've been doing.

 

[Eagle One]

If you have a great personality and can show it through your PS and interview, you can do it! You just have to KILL the DAT (think 23s) and apply broadly!

👍👍👍👍

 

[peerless218]

👍👍👍👍

a 23 on the DAT to me is like telling me travel up to Mars