Another MS/Post-baq or work?

[NolaBola2015]

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Hello!
So I applied to dental schools this year. At the moment, I am on one waitlist for Nova Southeastern University's School of Dentistry. I'm trying to figure out what to do next year on the chance that I don't get into their dental school. I'm about to meet with an academic advisor from my undergrad to talk about options, but I figured that this would be a good place to also see if anyone has any advice to help me.
A little about me:
I got a BS in psychology with a minor in biology from the University of Alabama. (I was originally pre-med and decided like two months before graduation that I wanted to switch to dentistry - long story). My overall GPA was 3.28 and my science GPA was ~2.6. I took the following year to take some science classes at a closer university (University of Alabama - Birmingham) to home while shadowing my family dentist. I raised my science GPA enough to get accepted to a Master of Science of Biomedical Sciences program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. I finished that program with a 3.38 GPA overall. I took the DAT last July and got a 21 AA (PAT-25, QR-21, RC-20, Bio-21, GC-20, OC-21, TS-21). So this year, I applied to dental schools while working as a temp dental assistant to offices around my hometown. I did that full time in the fall and now part time due to other obligations that came up.
Because I've only been waitlisted at one school, I started applying to more post baq/Master programs just to start the ball rolling on a plan for next year. I got accepted to one post-baq so far (I applied to three) but then the thought crossed my mind that if getting another Master in the same degree is useful or if I should go for a different program (like MPH or MBA) in order to help with other options if dental schools do not pan out.

Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[SmileGoals]

When did you apply?

 

[NolaBola2015]

When did you apply?

I applied this last year (application cycle 2018-2019).

 

[byahnoob]

Did you have apply to other expensive schools such as Tufts or NYU?
I personally had to do 2 masters and it worked out for me. I pursued the same masters degree again at a different school. DO NOT get an MPH or MBA. It won't raise your sGPA at all. I know there are others out there who has gone through the same.

If Nova was your only interview, I would recommend you do another masters (take more classes for 2-3 semesters, you can potentially matriculate to dental school without finishing your 2nd masters). As for a post-bac, unless it's directly linked to the dental school where you're guaranteed an interview/acceptance, I wouldn't recommend it. Classes tend to be easier and going from a masters -> post-bac might not look the best. You're technically a 5th year undergrad if you choose to go the post-bac route.
It ultimately comes down to you though. Your masters GPA wasn't bad but not great. It should've still landed you an interview to Tufts or even NYU. I've know plenty of colleagues who had that GPA who were accepted. As for my case, my first masters GPA was around a 3.1 so obviously, 0 interviews.

Doing another masters will mean more debt. I was nearly 100k in debt before even starting dental school. I would've probably just took a year off to work if I had a 3.38 GPA and applied very broadly next cycle. Personally, I had no choice to do another masters because I did so bad during my first one.

 

[SmileGoals]

I applied this last year (application cycle 2018-2019).

Ya but which month?

 

[NolaBola2015]

Ya but which month?

I took the DAT in July and submitted my application in mid June.

 

[NolaBola2015]

Did you have apply to other expensive schools such as Tufts or NYU?
I personally had to do 2 masters and it worked out for me. I pursued the same masters degree again at a different school. DO NOT get an MPH or MBA. It won't raise your sGPA at all. I know there are others out there who has gone through the same.

If Nova was your only interview, I would recommend you do another masters (take more classes for 2-3 semesters, you can potentially matriculate to dental school without finishing your 2nd masters). As for a post-bac, unless it's directly linked to the dental school where you're guaranteed an interview/acceptance, I wouldn't recommend it. Classes tend to be easier and going from a masters -> post-bac might not look the best. You're technically a 5th year undergrad if you choose to go the post-bac route.
It ultimately comes down to you though. Your masters GPA wasn't bad but not great. It should've still landed you an interview to Tufts or even NYU. I've know plenty of colleagues who had that GPA who were accepted. As for my case, my first masters GPA was around a 3.1 so obviously, 0 interviews.

Doing another masters will mean more debt. I was nearly 100k in debt before even starting dental school. I would've probably just took a year off to work if I had a 3.38 GPA and applied very broadly next cycle. Personally, I had no choice to do another masters because I did so bad during my first one.

I applied to Tufts. The post-baq program is Marquette University's. Most post-baqs that I looked into don't have a direct feed in option to the dental school they have. Marquette's program says that depending on your grades for the summer term, you are guaranteed an interview for the Dental School.
I knew my GPA from my Master's was pretty average but I thought I had applied to enough of a broad spectrum of schools that I would have had more positive news.
I also had a little mishap with my application packet where my advisor had mixed up some of my sister's letters with my letters but that was resolved in mid-August.