Do i have a shot this cycle??

[drbatman]

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A lot of canadians are posting questions about their GPAs being low....i will continue this trend haha

I have a 2.90 GPA a 21 DAT avg, excellent dentist ref. letter, but not good professor reference letter, very good work exp and volunteering...
With these stats, and being canadian, whats my chancee at ANY dental school.

I went to each website for dental school and im above the minumum GPA so i did a bit of research. ANd the avgs dont tell u the minimum accepted that year...
thanks yall

 

[drbatman]

Anyone?? 🙂

 

[DoeAdeer]

A lot of canadians are posting questions about their GPAs being low....i will continue this trend haha

I have a 2.90 GPA a 21 DAT avg, excellent dentist ref. letter, but not good professor reference letter, very good work exp and volunteering...
With these stats, and being canadian, whats my chancee at ANY dental school.

I went to each website for dental school and im above the minumum GPA so i did a bit of research. ANd the avgs dont tell u the minimum accepted that year...
thanks yall

slim at the most

 

[omnipoDent]

I believe your chances are not very good. Sorry.

 

[drbatman]

so theres no point in applying? Anyone else care to add?

 

[sbesbesbe]

I don't wanna be mean but at the same time, I think I should tell the truth.

Some Canadians hear US dental school is easier to get in so if you can't get into a Canadian dental school, you'll get into one in the states.
"A 3.85 - 4.0 GPA is ideal. Anything less than 3.6 would make it very tough for you to get to the interview stage. But hey, there’s always the states."
This is from Canadian version of SDN.
"But hey, there’s always the states." part of this sentence is coming from a student with 3.85-4.0 GPA...by no means getting into a US dental school is easy.

It's kind of insulting to US dental schools for a Canadian to say this since then, it makes it sound like getting into US dental school is a piece of cake.
While it's true that getting into dental school in Canada is more difficult since there is only a handful of dental schools and now have in-province preference, getting into a dental school in the US is also very difficult since Canadians are considered international.

Reading some of these forums can be a bit misleading...
There are forums saying some people got into a dental school with below 3.0 BUT these are almost ways URM or US citizen...i'm sure there is NO international with below 3.0 who have gotten in (correct me if i'm wrong)

Realistically, you need to have at least 3.4ish GPA, and AA20+ to have a shot as a Canadian. Applying to dental schools is very expensive and time consuming and at this time, it's not even considered early to apply since some people are already getting interview invites
I wouldn't waste money applying if I were you for this cycle.
You should really work ur ass this year and increase your GPA
or do post bac or masters.
You could apply and prove people wrong and get accepted this cycle..BUT realistically, there is no chance.

Good luck 👍

 

[parham3]

relax bro, we are not bragging but rather stating our depressing circumstance. As a Canadian resident and most would agree, the american system is much more fair and balanced. It is just that even with a 4.0 (A+ counting as 4 and not 4.3) there is no guarantee to get admission up here

 

[parham3]

And you should definitely not apply and boost your undergrad gpa by either repeating course or taking more bcp courses

 

[sbesbesbe]

And you should definitely not apply and boost your undergrad gpa by either repeating course or taking more bcp courses

I'm not applying this year
and i'm not saying anything offensive to you...wut's with the "relax"?
you are asking for people's opinion and I'm telling you what i think
and why are you telling me to do something? did I ask for your opinion?
and plus I did work hard this year and received 3.7 avg
wtf...
if you wanna waste money this year by applying and not get a single interview, be my guest

 

[sbesbesbe]

relax bro, we are not bragging but rather stating our depressing circumstance. As a Canadian resident and most would agree, the american system is much more fair and balanced. It is just that even with a 4.0 (A+ counting as 4 and not 4.3) there is no guarantee to get admission up here

It's funny how you are referring to "we" since no where near is your GPA even remotely close to 4.0
and plus i'm a Canadian too

 

[drbatman]

i hope ur not refering to me about "asking people", i wasnt the one whos fighitng u the other guy is loli appreciate ur help

 

[drbatman]

So as i canadian does anyone here who personally heard form dental schools that we need ATLEAST in most cases a 3.3-3.5GPA minimum since we are International????

 

[ushaseos]

Not trying to be mean here but even a US citizen would have a hard time getting in with those stats. Save your money, do post bacc to help with the GPA and smash the DAT. That 2.9 conveys you didn't do too well in college courses, basically you need to completely nullify that assumption and a good dat + post-bacc (and repeats of certain classes...though some schools don't accept repeats!!)

Also do plenty of Shadowing etc. build up your ECs, get better letters etc. Its alright if your GPA isn't the best even after post-bacc. If the rest of your app is good, they'll overlook some shortcomings. Good luck!

 

[hchc]

A lot of canadians are posting questions about their GPAs being low....i will continue this trend haha

I have a 2.90 GPA a 21 DAT avg, excellent dentist ref. letter, but not good professor reference letter, very good work exp and volunteering...
With these stats, and being canadian, whats my chancee at ANY dental school.

I went to each website for dental school and im above the minumum GPA so i did a bit of research. ANd the avgs dont tell u the minimum accepted that year...
thanks yall

Have you looked into Australian schools? But, honestly assuming this is your GPA after a 4 year degree you'll probably need 3 more years of straight 4.0 to bring it up to around 3.37 to even have a chance since you'll be considered international. But, there is some good news, some Canadian schools only look at your best 2 years and I believe Melbourne weighs your more recent years a lot more heavily than previous years so if you rock the next 1-3 years it should improve your chances drastically.

 

[drbatman]

does anyone here on SDN, personally heard form dental schools that we need ATLEAST in most cases a 3.3-3.5GPA minimum since we are International????

 

[drbatman]

has anyone here on SDN, personally heard form dental schools that we need ATLEAST in most cases a 3.3-3.5GPA minimum since we are International????

 

[Bis-GMA111]

drbatman, i'm afraid that your chances are pretty slim. enroll in a masters or post bacc program in the US and apply next year. that'll def. help your chances. good luck to you.

 

[sbesbesbe]

i hope ur not refering to me about "asking people", i wasnt the one whos fighitng u the other guy is loli appreciate ur help

LOL my mistake OP
I thought you were the other guy, got mad, and told me not to apply
really sorry, I feel like an idiot now...🙁

 

[drbatman]

its ok no hard feelings, just a mistake, i understand lol.

SOOO if i may ask again, anyone here talk to a dental school about canadian GPA req?
Or if u know first hand, what are my chances?

 

[DoeAdeer]

its ok no hard feelings, just a mistake, i understand lol.

SOOO if i may ask again, anyone here talk to a dental school about canadian GPA req?
Or if u know first hand, what are my chances?

I can just FEEL his desperation.

 

[drbatman]

so everyone is saying i wont get in, and maybe i wont waste my 2000$ applying then....no one on SDN knows first hand about canadian applicants

 

[Bis-GMA111]

you're an international applicant with a sub 3.0 gpa. save your $$ and look into a post bacc

 

[drbatman]

So basically a zero chance? Also what kind of mark on my masters do i need to get in, with that low undergrad gpa? Also can i do a masters with that gpa?

 

[ushaseos]

Yeah you'll get into Masters programs without too much of an issue. They aren't really competitive. You'll have to do as well as possible in the post-bacc though. Mainly, you're trying to combat this image of yourself created by your GPA. Again, I only say this to be honest, not mean.

 

[drbatman]

I heard masters also req. a 3.0....so im stuck doing a post-bac but what is that? never heard of it in canada....is it just a second degree (will it take 4 years)??

So for dental school will a higher dat increase my chances? or am i out of luck cuz of GPA?
further more if i do a masters will my undergrad gpa hold me back a lot, like for instance if i had a 2.0 vs 2.9 undergrad but a 3.7 masters does that look the "same"?

 

[hellopeople]

I heard masters also req. a 3.0....so im stuck doing a post-bac but what is that? never heard of it in canada....is it just a second degree (will it take 4 years)??

So for dental school will a higher dat increase my chances? or am i out of luck cuz of GPA?
further more if i do a masters will my undergrad gpa hold me back a lot, like for instance if i had a 2.0 vs 2.9 undergrad but a 3.7 masters does that look the "same"?

Post-bacc just refers to classes that you take after you have completed your degree requirements. You may decide to take these classes before you officially graduate in order to increase your GPA.

The masters is considered separately, but I do not believe that many schools will ignore your undergraduate GPA. Some schools are more open to discuss the realities of your situation than others, so maybe contact a few of them? I would think that a 2.9 undergrad GPA isn't low enough to hold you back with a 3.7+ masters level GPA, but I don't know.

Good luck.

 

[drbatman]

I heard masters also req. a 3.0....so im stuck doing a post-bac but what is that? never heard of it in canada....is it just a second degree (will it take 4 years)??

So for dental school will a higher dat increase my chances? or am i out of luck cuz of GPA?
further more if i do a masters will my undergrad gpa hold me back a lot, like for instance if i had a 2.0 vs 2.9 undergrad but a 3.7 masters does that look the "same"?

for that, and being international, do i have a shot with a 3.7 masters? and withouut a post bac? or do i need both? like to get into a masters then apply to dental after, so about 2-3 years....damn!

 

[Bis-GMA111]

I heard masters also req. a 3.0....so im stuck doing a post-bac but what is that? never heard of it in canada....is it just a second degree (will it take 4 years)??

So for dental school will a higher dat increase my chances? or am i out of luck cuz of GPA?
further more if i do a masters will my undergrad gpa hold me back a lot, like for instance if i had a 2.0 vs 2.9 undergrad but a 3.7 masters does that look the "same"?

for that, and being international, do i have a shot with a 3.7 masters?and withouut a post bac? or do i need both? like to get into a masters then apply to dental after, so about 2-3 years....damn!

not true.

certainly doesn't hurt. and no, a post bacc just means that you spend another year taking random science courses. it is an informal route. or you can enroll in a masters prog. for a year, which is an organized program to take graduate level courses (no sense in doing both a post bacc and masters imo). seeing as how you didn't apply for a masters program already...your best bet would be to enroll in another year of courses at a local university (you most likely missed deadlines for masters programs starting in the fall, but double check that). after a year of courses, apply for the 2014 cycle. even if you applied to a masters program starting in the spring of 2013 you would most likely not be competitive for the 2014 cycle because you would only have a semester worth of grades.

 

[drbatman]

So is a 2.9 GPA good for a bio master? my sGPA is only a 2.7 tho...not sure if that cuts it for canadian schools, i know not in western i looked. Is it true u can get into a masters somwhere with a 2.0 gpa, i heard some schools inthe states arent as competitive

 

[Bis-GMA111]

So is a 2.9 GPA good for a bio master? my sGPA is only a 2.7 tho...not sure if that cuts it for canadian schools, i know not in western i looked. Is it true u can get into a masters somwhere with a 2.0 gpa, i heard some schools inthe states arent as competitive

with a 21 DAT yes, a 2.9 is probably fine. do some research on some masters/post bacc programs and apply to them as soon as you can. and i haven't heard of anyone getting into a masters with a 2.0 . but that's just my own experience.

 

[drbatman]

ok ill look into it my friend has a 2.3 and hes worried he wont get a masters accpetance...if he does and does well on the masters, say a 3.7 will he have a shot at dental school? hes also canadian

Im looking into a masters prog now, should i apply to dental just incase? or u think i have a 0 chance?

 

[Bis-GMA111]

ok ill look into it my friend has a 2.3 and hes worried he wont get a masters accpetance...if he does and does well on the masters, say a 3.7 will he have a shot at dental school? hes also canadian

Im looking into a masters prog now, should i apply to dental just incase? or u think i have a 0 chance?

i honestly have no idea. my guess is, is that it it doesn't hurt to try but he'll prob have a tougher time getting into dental school. it also depends on his DAT score.

and i honestly think that your chances are slim to none. perhaps others would like to chime in on this? but if i was in your situation i would save my $$$ and not apply.

 

[ushaseos]

I have no idea about Canadian Masters programs, but for the most part, its not too difficult here in the US. You need a good GRE score, but if you got a 21 on the DAT, I'm sure you can get a good score on the GRE as well. Do you have any research? Most MS and PhD programs love people who have already done research. Your GPA will not be as much of an issue here since Masters programs aren't as competitive as dental and medical schools!

As for post-bacc, its short for Post Baccalaureate - i.e. studying undergrad courses after you've completed your requirements to graduate. Its kind of like taking an extra fifth year to take a few more classes and boost your GPA.

Mind you these are all options if you're hell bent on dentistry. If you are open to other fields like pharmacy or bio industry, you can get there quite easily as you stand. This whole stat boosting plan is only if you have your heart set on dentistry and nothing else!

 

[CedarZ4]

with a 21 DAT yes, a 2.9 is probably fine. do some research on some masters/post bacc programs and apply to them as soon as you can. and i haven't heard of anyone getting into a masters with a 2.0 . but that's just my own experience.

😕
Since when?

A 21 is an average (or a little above average) for acceptance. That doesn't even come close to making up for a sub 3 GPA.

In addition, even if you had a 25 and applied to Columbia, you'd have a slim chance with a 2.9.

Just my .02 though. Then again, what do I know. 🙄

 

[Bis-GMA111]

😕
Since when?

A 21 is an average (or a little above average) for acceptance. That doesn't even come close to making up for a sub 3 GPA.

In addition, even if you had a 25 and applied to Columbia, you'd have a slim chance with a 2.9.

Just my .02 though. Then again, what do I know. 🙄

...read the thread.

a 21 and a 2.9 is fine for a masters/post bacc, not for dental school admissions.

and a 21 is not average or a little above average for a dental school acceptance. if you really think that's the case, your perception is warped bc of SDN. a 21 is prob the average for a prestigious school

 

[CedarZ4]

...read the thread.

a 21 and a 2.9 is fine for a masters/post bacc, not for dental school admissions.

and a 21 is not average or a little above average for a dental school acceptance. if you really think that's the case, your perception is warped bc of SDN. a 21 is prob the average for a prestigious school

My mistake - I read over your statement too quick and saw "DAT" and assumed DS, since most Master's require a GRE, not DAT (with exceptions). And I did read the thread - To OP, just to stay on topic: If it wasn't already abundantly obvious, yes you should do a Masters.

In addition, 21 being a "little above average" as I have stated is not a skewed perception based on SDN. The average DAT score overall is a little higher than 17. However, acceptance average is in-between 19-20 (according to ADEA Handbook to DS). Add 1 point and you're already at 21, which is a little, being 1 point, above average of matriculating students/accepted students. With that said, it is an "average" for a reason, which means people with lower scores, 16, 17 do get in, and there are those child prodigies with their 28s as well.

 

[drbatman]

hmmm so i have to do my GRE...fudge!!
Oh well, if i may ask the audience here, what kind of GPA in a post bac will suffice? like do i need a 4.0....?

 

[UCLAzy]

In addition, 21 being a "little above average" as I have stated is not a skewed perception based on SDN.

i'm not sure you know how the math behind the scoring works =P

 

[Bis-GMA111]

i'm not sure you know how the math behind the scoring works =P

👍

a point just isn't a "point" on the DAT

 

[DoeAdeer]

My mistake - I read over your statement too quick and saw "DAT" and assumed DS, since most Master's require a GRE, not DAT (with exceptions). And I did read the thread - To OP, just to stay on topic: If it wasn't already abundantly obvious, yes you should do a Masters.

In addition, 21 being a "little above average" as I have stated is not a skewed perception based on SDN. The average DAT score overall is a little higher than 17. However, acceptance average is in-between 19-20 (according to ADEA Handbook to DS). Add 1 point and you're already at 21, which is a little, being 1 point, above average of matriculating students/accepted students. With that said, it is an "average" for a reason, which means people with lower scores, 16, 17 do get in, and there are those child prodigies with their 28s as well.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bobp5OHVsWY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[baby tooth]

and i honestly think that your chances are slim to none. perhaps others would like to chime in on this? but if i was in your situation i would save my $$$ and not apply.

👍👍

Get that gpa up through a postbacc or a master's, then apply.

 

[KittySquared]

There are masters programs that doesn't require a GRE. I know one you can try. It's here in the US and it's a 1 year non-thesis biology program. I know the director. If you apply within a week or two, you can still get in. Need 3 letters of recommendation.

 

[baby tooth]

what kind of GPA in a post bac will suffice? like do i need a 4.0....?

3.8+ I'd say.

 

[thejamespark]

😕
Since when?

A 21 is an average (or a little above average) for acceptance. That doesn't even come close to making up for a sub 3 GPA.

In addition, even if you had a 25 and applied to Columbia, you'd have a slim chance with a 2.9.

Just my .02 though. Then again, what do I know. 🙄

your DAT "average" is off... 21 is above average. you've been reading too much SDN to think 21 is average

 

[shayanH]

your DAT is great, but your GPA is low. Try raising your GPA to at least 3.3 and you'll have a chance. Also, private dental schools don't care where you come from, so it doesn't matter if you are American or Canadian. This is just my opinion. your best bet is to call individual dental schools and ask if you have a chance or not. Good luck with your future studies!!

 

[Ostracized]

Funniest thread I've ever read on SDN. Thanks, drbatman!

 

[drbatman]

whats so funny?

 

[Biotage]

whats so funny?

LOLLLLLLLLLL! That cracked me up.


I do feel for you, drbatman. I would suggest you look into a research based Canadian Masters program. With these programs you generally do less classes (which might be better for you so you can focus on one class a semester vs. five), and you work full time doing research for a professor. This has the added benefit of a possible recommendation letter which can't hurt! You will need to be proficient in writing though, since most research based Masters require a thesis. Do your research and contact professors at smaller schools who might not get as many requests for a Masters supervisor - even if there are minimum GPA requirements to get into the program, I've heard of proffs bending the rules so that they can get a slave - I mean graduate student.

 

[drbatman]

Do u think i have no chance at dental school in states as well? is a 3.1 gpa enough, because i have another year of undergrad remaining...if i do have a 3.1 am i still out of luck?

 

[KittySquared]

Youve asked this several times in this thread. Sounds like you merely want to be validated for those grades and tell you that you should apply. Sure, no one can stop you if you insist on applying and convince yourself 2.9 is enough. You can't expect to meet the bare minimum as a foreign applicant and expect to have a good chance. It's always tougher for Canadians and other internationals to get into med or dental school. You really need to have higher than a 3.1GPA. I'd try to finish with a 3.1 and do a masters bio program. But it doesn't matter what others say. Do what you want to do.