3rd time not charm, need input on 4th

[determinedJo]

So as the title says I have now completed my 3rd application process and I was not accepted to any of the schools (UNC, ECU and LECOM). I had an interview at UNC last cycle and this cycle as well, but not at any other schools. I believe my UNC interview is partly because of my connection to the MED summer program at UNC, which was suppose to help me get into dental school. I also received a "recommended for dental school" from the MED program. I was not a NC resident the 1st year I applied, but was for the 2nd try.

Now for the numbers and where I need some input and advice. First off I have almost 10 years of dental experience, but I know that means nothing. I have figured out the hard way that the DAT and GPA is all that matters, no one cares whether you can look into a mouth for 8 hours a day.

BCP GPA: 2.72
Science GPA: 2.99
Non-Science GPA: 3.5
Overall GPA: 3.16

DAT: PA-16, QR-13, RC-18, BIO-16, GC-15, OC-16, TS-15, AA-16

I know I need to improve my DAT. I took the Princeton course in MED and most of my scores went up by 2-3 points, but it is obviously still not enough. I am planning on taking the Kaplan course to try and get in the 20's.

I am also currently enrolled in a masters program in medical sciences. I realize I have to get all A's. My only concern is in the way the ADEA looks at the GPA's in that the only GPA that will be effected by my A's in graduate classes will be the overall GPA and the graduate GPA...am I right on this? If that is the case, will taking this masters program help if I was to get all A's?

This fourth time will be my final time, so I am ready to do whatever I have to. I have read on here that I should apply to 10-15 schools to increase my odds, does anyone have any thoughts on this and which schools might be good for me to apply to?

Being a dentist has been my life long dream, and unfortunately I faced great adversity in my past which is why my GPA suffered. My personal statement reflects all of this information, but obviously it isn't enough.

Any thoughts, guidance or whatever might help would be much appreciated!

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[DrChode]

Here's my two cents: Im also currently on my third try with no luck thinking about round 4, and my intention is not to discourage but my scores are much higher than yours. It is super competitive and your test score is esp weak. I scored a 22 this time and still no luck and my gpa 3.5 plus i have 2 yrs dental assisting, applied to over twenty schools. Unfortunately there's no easy way into dental school, have you thought of any back ups? Because i certainly am

EDIT: you may want to look into a post-bac program to up the gpa if it is indeed your lifelong dream to become a dentist

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

Here's my two cents: Im also currently on my third try with no luck thinking about round 4, and my intention is not to discourage but my scores are much higher than yours. It is super competitive and your test score is esp weak. I scored a 22 this time and still no luck and my gpa 3.5 plus i have 2 yrs dental assisting, applied to over twenty schools. Unfortunately there's no easy way into dental school, have you thought of any back ups? Because i certainly am

When did you apply? And what were your 20 schools? With those stats and 3rd time applying, you should be in by now unless there's a red flag somewhere.

 

[DrChode]

Im from Texas, so I received an interview for san antonio but never from houston or baylor. Baylor wants me to take more classes I cant afford, and houston has passed me up for the 3rd time. Maybe my 17 pat or lackluster 3.3 sci gpa? Also I did not apply the very first day, did not get everything in until the first week of sept. Out of state is a total crapshoot since 3000 ppl apply to the more popular ones, the other 19 were out of state and i have yet to receive an interview.

 

[DavesNotHere]

To the OP - with that gpa youre gonna need quite a dat score. And i would say 15 schools minimum.

To the second poster...maybe the fact that your screen name is "dr chode" should tell u ur rejections might be a personality thing

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

Im from Texas, so I received an interview for san antonio but never from houston or baylor. Baylor wants me to take more classes I cant afford, and houston has passed me up for the 3rd time. Maybe my 17 pat or lackluster 3.3 sci gpa? Also I did not apply the very first day, did not get everything in until the first week of sept. Out of state is a total crapshoot since 3000 ppl apply to the more popular ones, the other 19 were out of state and i have yet to receive an interview.

Texas is rough unless you have good stats or have something that sets you apart. Apply earlier next time for out of state, it really does help. Out of state is less of a crap shoot in my opinion. Apply to the right schools and apply early. You'll get in somewhere. I hope your 3.3 science is full of upper level biology and not just prereqs as well.

 

[DrChode]

Very true..my personality does leave a lot to be desired

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

To the OP, yes go get a masters and do well in it. You need to raise that GPA as much as you can. Since it is on the lower side, a masters is the way to go. You really need a 20+ on the DAT as well. If this is your last time applying, you need to make sure this is your best effort. Apply to 10-15 out of state private schools as well as your state ones. And remember to turn in everything early.

 

[tntme321]

To the OP, if you only plan on applying one more time I would take the next cycle off and build yourself up somemore, with only one semester until the next app cycle opens even with all As this semester your GPA will not more up very much, but if build yourself up with perfect semesters over the next year and a half it may help some. 15 schools would be least you shoud apply to, research every school and look into their stats as to what types of applicants get accepted.

 

[timwatley]

To the OP - with that gpa youre gonna need quite a dat score. And i would say 15 schools minimum.

To the second poster...maybe the fact that your screen name is "dr chode" should tell u ur rejections might be a personality thing

And what would your name say about you?

 

[HeyCharlie]

Your GPA is subpar and DAT is terrible. Every score except RC is below most schools' cutoffs. I'm surprised you kept reapplying without the needed competitive scores. You can only apply to a certain school so many times before the bridge is burned for good. With your BCP and science GPAs (the ones that matter), you need to score at least 20's across the board to even have a shot.

To be honest, you should give it up. Somethings are not meant to be. I feel a Kaplan course and other DAT studying will take your 16 to 18 at best which would be inadequate in light of your GPAs.

More importantly, you need to accurately gauge whether you can pass dental school if admitted. The didactics are super intense and if you couldn't hack the introductory college levels of biology and chemistry, then you'll be in trouble when you have to take basically five 900 level biology/biochem courses at the same time in dschool. Btw, the guy who started the sub 3.0 mega thread finally got accepted but winded up failing out of school. All that time, money and hustling to get into dschool was all for nothing.

If you truly want to become a doctor of something, then consider podiatry school which has a minimum GPA of 2.5 at most schools. Good luck.

 

[Demps]

Your GPA is subpar and DAT is terrible. Every score except RC is below most schools' cutoffs. I'm surprised you kept reapplying without the needed competitive scores. You can only apply to a certain school so many times before the bridge is burned for good. With your BCP and science GPAs (the ones that matter), you need to score at least 20's across the board to even have a shot.

To be honest, you should give it up. Somethings are not meant to be. I feel a Kaplan course and other DAT studying will take your 16 to 18 at best which would be inadequate in light of your GPAs.

More importantly, you need to accurately gauge whether you can pass dental school if admitted. The didactics are super intense and if you couldn't hack the introductory college levels of biology and chemistry, then you'll be in trouble when you have to take basically five 900 level biology/biochem courses at the same time in dschool. Btw, the guy who started the sub 3.0 mega thread finally got accepted but winded up failing out of school. All that time, money and hustling to get into dschool was all for nothing.

If you truly want to become a doctor of something, then consider podiatry school which has a minimum GPA of 2.5 at most schools. Good luck.

Hey that's mean, but it is not like podiatry school is easy either. It may be easier to get in but the didactics are still intense

 

[DavesNotHere]

And what would your name say about you?

That i am a strong, but fair leader. That millions will die by my hand. I usher in the rapture.

 

[determinedJo]

Your GPA is subpar and DAT is terrible. Every score except RC is below most schools' cutoffs. I'm surprised you kept reapplying without the needed competitive scores. You can only apply to a certain school so many times before the bridge is burned for good. With your BCP and science GPAs (the ones that matter), you need to score at least 20's across the board to even have a shot.

To be honest, you should give it up. Somethings are not meant to be. I feel a Kaplan course and other DAT studying will take your 16 to 18 at best which would be inadequate in light of your GPAs.

More importantly, you need to accurately gauge whether you can pass dental school if admitted. The didactics are super intense and if you couldn't hack the introductory college levels of biology and chemistry, then you'll be in trouble when you have to take basically five 900 level biology/biochem courses at the same time in dschool. Btw, the guy who started the sub 3.0 mega thread finally got accepted but winded up failing out of school. All that time, money and hustling to get into dschool was all for nothing.

If you truly want to become a doctor of something, then consider podiatry school which has a minimum GPA of 2.5 at most schools. Good luck.

I understand my scores and GPA are well below the required, but I was hoping you could be a little nicer about it.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with the MED program at UNC, but is 9 weeks of hell. It is the 1st year of dental school packed into 9 weeks, which is absolutely brutal. No sleep, nothing but classes and studying. I was able to do that and get recommended by the dental professors and students, so I am confident I can handle the courses.

I have no interest in podiatry.

To tntme321, I am planning on doing exactly that.

 

[tntme321]

Chin up, stay positive.

 

[lizgyl]

Personally, I think you should work on your DAT to AA=22 and I'm sure you'll have a chance.
Kaplan course is good but really really devote your time to just studying for your DAT beyond Kaplan class. Look up people with HIGH dat scores on SDN and just study everything they did. This really helped me with DAT and I didn't take Kaplan course.
and don't be discouraged!
When there is a will, there is a way!

 

[oreoson]

Your GPA is subpar and DAT is terrible. Every score except RC is below most schools' cutoffs. I'm surprised you kept reapplying without the needed competitive scores. You can only apply to a certain school so many times before the bridge is burned for good. With your BCP and science GPAs (the ones that matter), you need to score at least 20's across the board to even have a shot.

To be honest, you should give it up. Somethings are not meant to be. I feel a Kaplan course and other DAT studying will take your 16 to 18 at best which would be inadequate in light of your GPAs.

More importantly, you need to accurately gauge whether you can pass dental school if admitted. The didactics are super intense and if you couldn't hack the introductory college levels of biology and chemistry, then you'll be in trouble when you have to take basically five 900 level biology/biochem courses at the same time in dschool. Btw, the guy who started the sub 3.0 mega thread finally got accepted but winded up failing out of school. All that time, money and hustling to get into dschool was all for nothing.

If you truly want to become a doctor of something, then consider podiatry school which has a minimum GPA of 2.5 at most schools. Good luck.

So what happened to the guy, who had a sub 3.0 gpa. Did he even try hard??

 

[coolbeans123]

When there's a will, there's a way =)

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

Btw, the guy who started the sub 3.0 mega thread finally got accepted but winded up failing out of school. All that time, money and hustling to get into dschool was all for nothing.
.

And who would that be?

 

[tcn79]

This current cycle is my 4th and I know how discouraging it can be especially when everyone around you says to just give up. For me it was the slow and painful process of increasing my GPA with upper division science courses, rewriting my personal statement, and in my 2nd cycle, retaking the DAT which is reflected in my current Pre-Dent file. I know my GPA is still low but this cycle I've had one interview with 2 more next week. Don't give up hope! Looking back, I wish I had started a Master's program earlier on though.

 

[HeyCharlie]

I understand my scores and GPA are well below the required, but I was hoping you could be a little nicer about it.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with the MED program at UNC, but is 9 weeks of hell. It is the 1st year of dental school packed into 9 weeks, which is absolutely brutal. No sleep, nothing but classes and studying. I was able to do that and get recommended by the dental professors and students, so I am confident I can handle the courses.

I have no interest in podiatry.

To tntme321, I am planning on doing exactly that.

You're right, sorry bro. I was just calling it objectively. I'm not much of a sugar coater.

Well, good luck and hope things work out!

 

[TwentyTwelve]

First and foremost I would like to say where there is a will there is a way. With enough determination and perseverance anyone can accomplish their goals...

That being said the journey to accomplish your goal is very much uphill and hard. Your best bet as others mentioned above would be a masters program, to retake the DAT, and apply to 15-20 schools. I don't like to sugar coat things either and I will say your DAT is below the national average for all test takers and your GPA is pretty low.

One thing I noticed in your OP is you mention adversity in your past for why the low GPA. However, your very low DAT score displays a lack of understanding of the science courses which matches your GPA. To tell dental schools in a personal statement about adversity and a low GPA is fine, but you need to rock the DAT to help your story and show schools even though your grades suffered you have an understand of the material.

Getting a high DAT score takes motivation, time, intellect, and luck and is not as easy as someone just saying "well just raise your DAT." If this is truly what you want go nuts on the DAT studying and give it your best shot this summer. If it does not top 20 or so then maybe have a plan B. Its not shameful to have a plan B...shoot, I wanted to be a professional golfer all my young life but did not have the skills or scores to make this happen. Guess what? I had a plan B....did it suck to realize I wouldn't play golf my whole life and my dream was over? Maybe...but it happens....

Anyway...good luck and hope you figure things out!!

 

[pk62281]

To the OP, my question for you is this.

Is that GPA and DAT the best you can do? Did you work your butt off for those results?

If so, give up. It's not going to cut it, not by a long shot and like HeyCharlie said, it's an indication that you wouldn't be able to do well in dental school too. Think about the tryouts on American Idol, and all the people on there who think they are good singers, but actually stink. What do you tell them? To keep trying and that as long as they work hard, they'll acheive their dreams? The best advice is to tell them to find something else to pursue.

I'm not trying to brag here, but I got a 23 on the DAT. I worked like crazy to get that score. I had 15 full practice exams that I took twice or more. Think about it.. That's around 150 hours of just testing taking, not including the actual study time. I threw everything I had at the DAT and it produced good results. If you did the same and you ended up with a 16AA, I'm sorry man, but it's just simply not good enough. With sub 3.0 BCP GPA and 16AA DAT, why do you deserve to take a spot when there are people with better stats struggling to get in?

If you didn't give it your all. Then I say try again and change up your strategy, because your current path is honestly just not going to cut it.

 

[Ghostface17]

Your GPA is subpar and DAT is terrible. Every score except RC is below most schools' cutoffs. I'm surprised you kept reapplying without the needed competitive scores. You can only apply to a certain school so many times before the bridge is burned for good. With your BCP and science GPAs (the ones that matter), you need to score at least 20's across the board to even have a shot.

To be honest, you should give it up. Somethings are not meant to be. I feel a Kaplan course and other DAT studying will take your 16 to 18 at best which would be inadequate in light of your GPAs.

More importantly, you need to accurately gauge whether you can pass dental school if admitted. The didactics are super intense and if you couldn't hack the introductory college levels of biology and chemistry, then you'll be in trouble when you have to take basically five 900 level biology/biochem courses at the same time in dschool. Btw, the guy who started the sub 3.0 mega thread finally got accepted but winded up failing out of school. All that time, money and hustling to get into dschool was all for nothing.

If you truly want to become a doctor of something, then consider podiatry school which has a minimum GPA of 2.5 at most schools. Good luck.

I wouldn't take this guy's advice.Here's my story. I graduated in 2009 and had a poor science GPA. I did a masters in Biomedical Sciences and got a 3.8. I retook the DAT from when I had taken it in 2008. I took it this past summer (2011). I went up from 17 in Orgo to 22. 19 in RC to 24. That's just a few scores. Overall I went from a 3 points in my AA. I got accepted to 1 school and had/have 5 interviews. The thing is you gotta be prepared to take the next year off and really focus on the Masters and ACE it. At least 3.8 which means only 1-2 B's MAX. Secondly, you have to focus on the DAT for at least 1 month or even 2 depending on how you know yourself in terms of studying. I would NOT study for the DAT while taking classes. The Masters program should be a great indicator if you are capable of handling the workload and doing well in it. If you do horrible in the Masters, then I would tell you to focus on another profession. Good luck OP.

 

[doc toothache]

I'm not sure how familiar you are with the MED program at UNC, but is 9 weeks of hell. It is the 1st year of dental school packed into 9 weeks, which is absolutely brutal. No sleep, nothing but classes and studying. I was able to do that and get recommended by the dental professors and students, so I am confident I can handle the courses.

Even Clark Kent might have a little trouble packing one year of ds in 9 weeks. If this were the case, there would be no excuse for a poor showing on the DAT. An MS may not be much help, unless you can bring up your DAT scores.