Dental school-Unreachable!?

[scazi88]

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Im a Junior at a university. I transfered from a C. Collge. I had a 3.2 GPA transferring and once I reached this university, my Gpa dropped to 2.6! I was put on probabtion, and then this 2nd semester, I will get suspended becasue I didnt bring up my grades...besides this problem (which I have worked hard, studied my butt off, did everything, talked to professors, went to tutoring, didn't work hours anymore-pretty much did everything to bring up my grades. But the 2nd semester decided to take 5 science courses to bring up that bad GPA and look good on my transcript-ended up doing worse and here I am)....I am planning to apply to DENTAL schools in June (this summer).....so my question is should I even try? I hear of ppl applying with a 3.7-4.0 and not getting in....well what does that mean for me....I didn't take the DAT yet, Im studying for it....i have good community service. and i plan on including the reason about my grades in my personal statement......should I apply.....another problem I have is the pressure to apply this year! EVERYONE that knows me is expecting me to apply, get in and be a dentist already! I know my potential, I know I can do it! I just don't know if it's smart to do it now....but then again, I have to do it now because of the pressure from everyone that knows me! 😕 Please give me your opinion, thank you!

 

[bing12]

if your overall gpa is a 2.6, and I am assuming your sgpa is also not great, I would recommend not taking the DAT this soon, it seems like you need to get your grades situated this year before taking on the almighty DAT. Focus on finding out why you are not doing as well, and do NOT take 5 science classes in one semester, not the best idea.
What is your overall sgpa? overall gpa? and how many credits are in each?

 

[youknowthedrill]

Your poll is useless. Yes, dental school is obtainable, but you have at least two years before you'll be ready to apply. Its time to get serious about your studies. I see summer school in your future if you truly want to become a dentist. Only take one science class at a time over the summer and get an A+.

 

[two thirty]

I'd recommend bringing up the GPA before applying. A 2.6 will most likely not cut it.

 

[spearmint]

There is no rush. Everyone's journey is a bit different. Take the time to figure out why you did so poorly in your class and rectify it. This will help you later in dental school when you will face far greater pressures than what you've faced in undergrad. I would do a post-bac or a master's for 2 years to bring your gpa to at least a 3.0, then take the DAT and go from there. Make sure to continue with your volunteer work and shadowing and throw in some research experience if you can. If you want to become a dentist, it will happen. But be prepared to sacrifice a lot of time, energy, and money to get there. Good luck.

 

[dentalWorks]

Im a Junior at a university. I transfered from a C. Collge. I had a 3.2 GPA transferring and once I reached this university, my Gpa dropped to 2.6! I was put on probabtion, and then this 2nd semester, I will get suspended becasue I didnt bring up my grades...besides this problem (which I have worked hard, studied my butt off, did everything, talked to professors, went to tutoring, didn't work hours anymore-pretty much did everything to bring up my grades. But the 2nd semester decided to take 5 science courses to bring up that bad GPA and look good on my transcript-ended up doing worse and here I am)....I am planning to apply to DENTAL schools in June (this summer).....so my question is should I even try? I hear of ppl applying with a 3.7-4.0 and not getting in....well what does that mean for me....I didn't take the DAT yet, Im studying for it....i have good community service. and i plan on including the reason about my grades in my personal statement......should I apply.....another problem I have is the pressure to apply this year! EVERYONE that knows me is expecting me to apply, get in and be a dentist already! I know my potential, I know I can do it! I just don't know if it's smart to do it now....but then again, I have to do it now because of the pressure from everyone that knows me! 😕 Please give me your opinion, thank you!

Do not apply to dental schools with a 2.6 GPA. I am not trying to discourage you, I just believe (STATISTICALLY) that your odds of making it are very low, so I am advising you to save your money and spend it on a more meaningful project (like post-bacc work or masters)

I agree with bing... don't take the DAT now. Many times, it expires in 2-3 years, I dunno how much time you need to fix your application, but I am assuming 1-2 years will be spent.

 

[lphiewok]

what do you have to prove to dschools that you are a qualified applicant?
i don't see anything that you have done better than 3000+ applicants that each school will see.

you didn't make 4.0 at c.college which many students do, and your gpa at the university isn't even over 3.0

save yourself money and study hard for next 2 years. graduate and then take post-bach to improve your chance.

the hardest part of applying and getting into dental school is being able to fae the reality.
in reality, you have no chance as of right now

 

[scazi88]

Ok Thank you all for your honesty...I don't mind more responses...so I wait then.....what about Caribbean schools? And another thing I'm worried about is organic chemistry, I took that class 2 times so far and didn't pass (a D and then an F ), if I take it a 3rd time and make an A, the average of all 3 won't equal a C average, would schools still accept that? Or do all my chances of applying to a grad school all go down the drain?

 

[scazi88]

if your overall gpa is a 2.6, and I am assuming your sgpa is also not great, I would recommend not taking the DAT this soon, it seems like you need to get your grades situated this year before taking on the almighty DAT. Focus on finding out why you are not doing as well, and do NOT take 5 science classes in one semester, not the best idea.
What is your overall sgpa? overall gpa? and how many credits are in each?

My overall GPA now is 2.6 after this semester...and before I have taken the usual 4 sciences....

 

[Mr PS09]

Your poll is useless. Yes, dental school is obtainable, but you have at least two years before you'll be ready to apply. Its time to get serious about your studies.

Agreed ...you shouldnt bother applying this cycle. Just a waste of money. You need to bring up your stats slowly but surely.

 

[John Durian]

Save your money. It'll be a total waste to apply this summer.

Time to troubleshoot your problems if you're serious about going to dschool. If it's work, then quit. If it's fb, then deactivate. If it's partying/drinking, then cut back. Eat healthy, exercise, meditate to get your spirit back up.

The general rule is that you should NOT apply if your s/oGPA is below 3.0. I'd suggest you put off graduation and take a 5th or maybe even 6th year in undergrad to boost that GPA. Doing so, you will not have to pay more as a "post-bac." If you graduate, you will likely have to do a post-bac or SMP.

 

[notin]

Ok Thank you all for your honesty...I don't mind more responses...so I wait then.....what about Caribbean schools? And another thing I'm worried about is organic chemistry, I took that class 2 times so far and didn't pass (a D and then an F ), if I take it a 3rd time and make an A, the average of all 3 won't equal a C average, would schools still accept that? Or do all my chances of applying to a grad school all go down the drain?

for any particular prerequisite, all that matters is that you pass it on any one occasion. your overall science gpa matters much more.

 

[Maygyver]

I don't want to be rude and crush dream, but I'm not sure how kindly a school is going to look on an applicant who failed a course multiple times. Most people that retake do very well the second time since they have seen the material before, but follow your heart I guess.

 

[scazi88]

I don't want to be rude and crush dream, but I'm not sure how kindly a school is going to look on an applicant who failed a course multiple times. Most people that retake do very well the second time since they have seen the material before, but follow your heart I guess.

Ya Im not sure either...that's what I'm worried most about....but since I got suspended now from the Unversity, I'm retaking Orgo at a C.College this summer....

does anyone know if that's good---since it might look "less" in the admission committee's eyes?!?

 

[dentalWorks]

Ya Im not sure either...that's what I'm worried most about....but since I got suspended now from the Unversity, I'm retaking Orgo at a C.College this summer....

does anyone know if that's good---since it might look "less" in the admission committee's eyes?!?

When you fail at a college then you ace the same material in CC, IMO, this doesn't look good at all.

 

[Maygyver]

Ya Im not sure either...that's what I'm worried most about....but since I got suspended now from the Unversity, I'm retaking Orgo at a C.College this summer....

does anyone know if that's good---since it might look "less" in the admission committee's eyes?!?

Honestly, I think it will look bad. You failed it twice at a regular university, and then took it a 3rd time at a community college. Your best bet is to do well and just start taking a lot of tough courses to show that you have matured and can handle the material.

 

[bing12]

when you fail at a college then you ace the same material in cc, imo, this doesn't look good at all.

+1

 

[notin]

I would really recommend taking this suspension time, and even more time if you need it, to soul search and get ready to get good grades in school. slogging through classes getting bad grades is much worse than taking a couple years off and returning ready to do work. dental school/the dat isn't even on the radar at this point.

i don't think it matters whether you take ochem at a cc or at a 4 year college, just pass it and get a good grade so you can start burying it in your transcript.

 

[UltimateHombre]

what about Caribbean schools?

I agree with everyone that has already posted. And just to let you know... there are no Caribbean Dental Schools, at least to my knowledge.

To be honest, and not trying to be a douche, you really need to figure out what you want to do. Because if you have a 2.6 at the end of your junior year, you will probably need at least 2-3+ years to fix your GPA, and that's just to get it at the 3.1-3.2 range.

If you are willing to give your right testicle/breast to be a dentist, then i have no doubt you can work hard enough to achieve your goal.

However, if you just can't seem to pull it together, you may consider other health specialties that are not as competitive, ie: optometry, podiatry, physical therapy, or nursing. (which you will still need to fix your GPA for, just not as much)

Best of luck!!! 😀

 

[THRILLOFDAFILL]

bring it up to a 3.0 and with your community service, you have a good shot of getting into asdoh. good luck

 

[scazi88]

I have been dismissed from the university, should I retake orgo I and II at a community college this fall and that will be the only class I can retake at a community college, or should I transfer to a 4-year university to retake the classes I didn't do so well on and transfer back to my university to graduate from there.
But here is my question, if I transfer back in the spring to graduate from my university, would they accept a passing grade from other universities for classes I failed at their university?
Also, would dental school question why I didn't transfer and continue to do university level work instead of going back to a comm. college to try and retake orgo for the 3rd time because I couldn't pass it the first 2 times at the university?

thank you, please tell me honestly what I should do, thank you!

 

[Kahr]

I have been dismissed from the university, should I retake orgo I and II at a community college this fall and that will be the only class I can retake at a community college, or should I transfer to a 4-year university to retake the classes I didn't do so well on and transfer back to my university to graduate from there.
But here is my question, if I transfer back in the spring to graduate from my university, would they accept a passing grade from other universities for classes I failed at their university?
Also, would dental school question why I didn't transfer and continue to do university level work instead of going back to a comm. college to try and retake orgo for the 3rd time because I couldn't pass it the first 2 times at the university?

thank you, please tell me honestly what I should do, thank you!

I think you need a break from school, sounds like you've been in a pretty bad downward spiral.

There isn't some deadline or age restriction on going to dental school, so you shouldn't feel a massive pressure to grind yourself to the bone right now in school. Honestly, I think if I'd tried to go to dental school out of highschool, I would've bombed out through undergrad and ended up a terribad applicant. But having done some stuff before getting serious about academics and a career in healthcare, I was able to mature and refine myself significantly.

So, not telling you to give up on dental school, just presenting an idea of going out and changing gears, taking a different road for the time being, then going back to school and trying again fresh.

 

[jackalo34]

I have been dismissed from the university, should I retake orgo I and II at a community college this fall and that will be the only class I can retake at a community college, or should I transfer to a 4-year university to retake the classes I didn't do so well on and transfer back to my university to graduate from there.
But here is my question, if I transfer back in the spring to graduate from my university, would they accept a passing grade from other universities for classes I failed at their university?
Also, would dental school question why I didn't transfer and continue to do university level work instead of going back to a comm. college to try and retake orgo for the 3rd time because I couldn't pass it the first 2 times at the university?

thank you, please tell me honestly what I should do, thank you!

I agree with everyone else here. If you are serious about dental school, you're best bet is to take some time off, soul search, and refine your study skills in ways that won't affect your GPA. You really cannot afford any more bad grades.

 

[Just Peachy]

I think you need a break from school, sounds like you've been in a pretty bad downward spiral.

There isn't some deadline or age restriction on going to dental school, so you shouldn't feel a massive pressure to grind yourself to the bone right now in school. Honestly, I think if I'd tried to go to dental school out of highschool, I would've bombed out through undergrad and ended up a terribad applicant. But having done some stuff before getting serious about academics and a career in healthcare, I was able to mature and refine myself significantly.

So, not telling you to give up on dental school, just presenting an idea of going out and changing gears, taking a different road for the time being, then going back to school and trying again fresh.

+1

I think your best bet would be to take some time off from school, maybe try to find a job working in a dental office or something to keep your eye on your dream, then finish up school after you've gotten your ducks in a row. Plus, if you rocked your classes when you went back to school you could have the ultimate upward trend and be able to talk in your PS about how you got off to a bad start, got a job/lived life/matured some, and went back a more serious student who is dedicated to achieving their dream. I feel like dental schools will appreciate your journey and you will have a much higher chance of getting in when you do eventually apply. Best of luck to you.