A Semester of Bad Luck [UNLV]

[Kawasaki21]

Hello all,
I am a current student at UNLV and am hoping to matriculate to UNLV dental school. Only issue is that the spring of 2018 I had some family issues that caused me to fail all 12 credits I was taking that semester.
Due to failing those 3 classes my GPA dropped to about a 2.6. However, I got a 4.0 last semester which brought me to a 2.9 overall. I also have a 3.44 GPA if you calculate my GPA without my failing semester.
As such, I am wondering if I still have a chance at dental school.

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[DSchoolorBust202X]

Hello all,
I am a current student at UNLV and am hoping to matriculate to UNLV dental school. Only issue is that the spring of 2018 I had some family issues that caused me to fail all 12 credits I was taking that semester.
Due to failing those 3 classes my GPA dropped to about a 2.6. However, I got a 4.0 last semester which brought me to a 2.9 overall. I also have a 3.44 GPA if you calculate my GPA without my failing semester.
As such, I am wondering if I still have a chance at dental school.

While not great, it's not like you surpassed the point of no return. Keep doing well in classes to bump up past a 3.0 if you can.

There is a section on the AADSAS application where you can explain things like the family issue in more detail, and many schools will take that into account. I used that section to explain financial situations that took away from my study time.

I think the key here is to get and stay in contact with the admissions office at UNLV since you are already there for your undergrad studies. They should get to know you by name and recognize your face over time. Explain to them in person what's happened and genuinely ask for advice for next steps from them. If there are Impressions Days or Pre-Dental programs, make sure you attend every one as you are able.

Good luck!

 

[Kawasaki21]

While not great, it's not like you surpassed the point of no return. Keep doing well in classes to bump up past a 3.0 if you can.

There is a section on the AADSAS application where you can explain things like the family issue in more detail, and many schools will take that into account. I used that section to explain financial situations that took away from my study time.

I think the key here is to get and stay in contact with the admissions office at UNLV since you are already there for your undergrad studies. They should get to know you by name and recognize your face over time. Explain to them in person what's happened and genuinely ask for advice for next steps from them. If there are Impressions Days or Pre-Dental programs, make sure you attend every one as you are able.

Good luck!

Mentioning the Pre-Dental program, I am actually a member of UNLV’s Pre-Dental Society. We get to participate at the UNLV SDM once a month and assist the dental students as they have a Veterans and Children’s clinic. During my time at the dental school I always make sure I make myself known and try to introduce myself and talk to the faculty, compared to a lot of the other predental students who just ‘blend in’. I think that my help any application since some of the faculty might recognize my name come application season

 

[DSchoolorBust202X]

Mentioning the Pre-Dental program, I am actually a member of UNLV’s Pre-Dental Society. We get to participate at the UNLV SDM once a month and assist the dental students as they have a Veterans and Children’s clinic. During my time at the dental school I always make sure I make myself known and try to introduce myself and talk to the faculty, compared to a lot of the other predental students who just ‘blend in’. I think that my help any application since some of the faculty might recognize my name come application season

Of course that will help, and good on you for taking that initiative. Keep in mind that all those faculty might not be on the admissions committee, so it is still very important to make contact with the admissions staff as well, as they can give you advice on what to do to make your application more competitive considering the low GPA.

 

[Sweettooth326]

Congrats on the 4.0 last semester! Not much you can do about the past, but keep your head up and keep moving forward. Try to replicate the 4.0 this semester and do well on the DAT. You'll be ok. My GPA is not so strong, but I did pretty well on the DAT.

FYI, I'm also in my last semester at UNLV, and I got accepted to UNLV SDM. Lemme know if you have any questions.