2 classes + work for upward trend

[fakebun]

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Hi guys..

I just finished my fall quarter at UCI as an extension and took 2 classes (immunology and general psychology) along with intro piano and tennis at a local CC (for interest). I have a part time job that requires 30 hours a week. I got As in all of them.

Pretty much all schools around me are full and being an extension my priority is dead last. UCI only allows me to take 2 classes.

If I keep this up (2 classes of upper div bio with As + work + shadowing) for winter and spring quarter, will that show a recognizable upward trend that is good for jun 2012 application? Being a bio major and 2.5 sGPA and 2.8 oGPA.....

I guess I'm really asking is if I'm on the right track........

thank you.....

 

[depot123]

i am in the similar situation as you. I have sGPA 2.9, 3.3 oGPA. I follow those who got into dental school with low gpa. What they recommend is that you have to take full time load science courses and show that you are able to manage it and get As on all of them since you have low gpa. This is what i do for the following year as my informal post-bac. I was taking human physiology, linear algebra, and microbiology and i got A on all of them. I am going to take applied immunology and introduction to biochemistry from UCSD extension and probably one or two upper div ucsd classes (don't know if i can manage while study dat). I will be taking the same things for spring quarter as well. I hope this upward trend and good dat will get me into one of dental school. Good luck and keep up the good work. I hope it helps and at least this is what i do for my low gpa.

 

[wired202808]

Hi guys..

I just finished my fall quarter at UCI as an extension and took 2 classes (immunology and general psychology) along with intro piano and tennis at a local CC (for interest). I have a part time job that requires 30 hours a week. I got As in all of them.

Pretty much all schools around me are full and being an extension my priority is dead last. UCI only allows me to take 2 classes.

If I keep this up (2 classes of upper div bio with As + work + shadowing) for winter and spring quarter, will that show a recognizable upward trend that is good for jun 2012 application? Being a bio major and 2.5 sGPA and 2.8 oGPA.....

I guess I'm really asking is if I'm on the right track........

thank you.....

upward trends are nice but what matters the most is overall GPA and sGPA get your GPAs to respectable levels and then the rest should sort itself out. If your total GPA and sGPA is below 3.0 and you're not a URM or dont have a 23 on the DAT, expect to do a Masters program to boost up those grades. Below a 3.0 will probably yield rejections.

 

[wired202808]

i am in the similar situation as you. I have sGPA 2.9, 3.3 oGPA. I follow those who got into dental school with low gpa. What they recommend is that you have to take full time load science courses and show that you are able to manage it and get As on all of them since you have low gpa. This is what i do for the following year as my informal post-bac. I was taking human physiology, linear algebra, and microbiology and i got A on all of them. I am going to take applied immunology and introduction to biochemistry from UCSD extension and probably one or two upper div ucsd classes (don't know if i can manage while study dat). I will be taking the same things for spring quarter as well. I hope this upward trend and good dat will get me into one of dental school. Good luck and keep up the good work. I hope it helps and at least this is what i do for my low gpa.

Thats actually incorrect. If you're working its perfectly acceptable to take only 2 science classes at a time and work. I did this and I was accepted this year into multiple schools. I spent a few years taking pre-reqs via an informal post-bacc and I've never taken more than 2 classes at one time. I even had a few sessions where I only took 1 class because of work. What matters is the most is overall GPA and sGPA, I know uptrends are nice and its good to have them with a full course load, but its not a guarantee for an acceptance nor is it required on any level.

 

[fakebun]

So I guess with both work and taking 2 classes (assuming I get As) I will have to do this for like 7 years to raise my GPA to at least a 3.0 even when 2-3 years of getting straight As upward trend don't mean anything? The upper division bio classes and chem classes are starting to show its exhaustion...What if masters don't want me and I exhausted all the pertinent bio/chem classes?

 

[TwentyTwelve]

I would venture to say you are going to have to do more than just take 6 credits while working to get a decent look from dental schools. You have by most standards a very low GPA that barring a miracle will result in rejections. Sure some person somewhere got in with a low GPA but like I said that is the 0.01%. Its like you asking SDN if you should play the lottery...well...someone, somewhere probably won at some point in time in there life out here in the 1000+ sample size and may post YES!!...I won!!...the lottery is an amazing way to pay for dental school!! Is this accurate, or by any means a way to count on paying for dental school? I like you know the answer to that...

My point is, don't count on being 1 person out of 7 that got in to dental school out of 5000 with a 2.6 sGPA. Instead PROVE to dental schools that you are worth them taking a look by going overboard. With your low GPA and only one more semester to go, you may raise your sGPA to a 2.65 with a 4.0?? And the upward trend you are speaking of only takes into account one full year and 12 credits. That is not a strong trend when you look at your past history. Especially since I have friends who work 25+ hours a week, are taking 12-14 credits full time and are banging out 3.75+ GPA's...

Would it be too much for the next semester to go to school full time and cut back your hours? In the grand scheme of things how much income would you lose? By taking on 5-10K of debt to take more classes and prove your merit on paper would be worth the added debt which would only be added to 250K in the future...

Good luck...with determination and hard work anything is possible!!

 

[fakebun]

I was hoping upward trend could be used to my advantage since raising my oGPA and sGPA to 3.5 is impossible. I try to take more classes, but being an extension student my priority is absolutely the lowest, let alone UCI only allows me to take up to 2 classes per quarter. Nearby state school are completely full. Everything just seems so...obstacle-y...hinder me every step of the way... sigh...

 

[doc toothache]

Thats actually incorrect. If you're working its perfectly acceptable to take only 2 science classes at a time and work. I did this and I was accepted this year into multiple schools. I spent a few years taking pre-reqs via an informal post-bacc and I've never taken more than 2 classes at one time. I even had a few sessions where I only took 1 class because of work. What matters is the most is overall GPA and sGPA, I know uptrends are nice and its good to have them with a full course load, but its not a guarantee for an acceptance nor is it required on any level.

Time will tell whether or not the "intensive" course load you took was adequate preparation for the full time ds courses.

 

[wired202808]

Time will tell whether or not the "intensive" course load you took was adequate preparation for the full time ds courses.

thanks for the advice dad. I worked full time while taking classes, shadowing and volunteering.

Now have a cookie and plz be quiet 🙂

 

[fakebun]

aww no fight no fight 😀

I guess I'll apply this coming cycle just for no reason....while keep on taking classes and apply for a master. I just hope next quarter I'll have more classes to take. Right now all the classes that I can take at UCI are on Tues and Thur while the only class that I'm enrolled is microbio that is also on Tues and Thurs.... =x