Dreadful Undergrad + Stellar M.S./Graduate : June 2018 Applicant

[WannaBWisdomWizard]

I am an M.S. student at Rutgers GSBS in the dental scholar's program. I will be applying in June this coming cycle

Stats:
uGPA: 2.95
science uGPA: 2.75
DAT: AA 20, PAT 20, QR 19, RC 23, Bio 19, Gchem 19, OChem 20
^2nd time taking it
Current Graduate GPA: 4.0 (through 15 of 30 credits)

I am halfway through my M.S. program in biomedical science with a 4.0 (30 credit degree). I plan on repeating my 4.0 this semester

Details:
-Undergraduate D1 Athlete/Captain
-Undergraduate Finance degree
-I applied to dental school right out of undergrad (no interviews) so I have work experience banking in NYC at a very large/reputable firm. Truly established my desire to be a dentist after working in finance, hence quitting my high paying job to go back to do well in a master's and get into dental school
-Current Graduate Research Assistant @ Rutgers School Dental Medicine (200 hrs). I do clinical as well as lab work in Trigeminal Neuralgia/genetic susceptibility to pediatric caries/genetic susceptibility periodontal disease.
-Volunteer with underpriviledged students @ housing project as tutor
-Over 500 shadowing hours (No GP hours which I am fixing now)

Questions:
1. Which schools should I avoid applying to that will not overlook my poor undergraduate marks?/Which schools are known for loving a redeption story?
2. Anything else I should be doing to round out my application?
3. I have the option of doing a thesis through my program. Do D schools really care about that or would they rather see me take another class or two.
4. Will some dental schools forgive my undergrad if I 4.0 out this program?

I am from California and still have my official residency there

Yes, I know I really screwed up undergrad. I was a double major taking 20 units per semester as well as a D1 student-athlete, leader of a team and involved in student-athlete government. I stretched myself way too thin (too many interests/commitments) and did not understand grades were going to be paramount to me getting into dental school. I'm doing my best to rectify that situation now so please don't bother posting if all you're going to say is: "Should've done better in undergad".

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[doc toothache]

Stats:
uGPA: 2.95
science uGPA: 2.75
DAT: AA 20, PAT 20, QR 19, RC 23, Bio 19, Gchem 19, OChem 20
^2nd time taking it
Current Graduate GPA: 4.0 (through 15 of 30 credits)

Yes, I know I really screwed up undergrad. I was a double major taking 20 units per semester as well as a D1 student-athlete, leader of a team and involved in student-athlete government. I stretched myself way too thin (too many interests/commitments) and did not understand grades were going to be paramount to me getting into dental school. I'm doing my best to rectify that situation now so please don't bother posting if all you're going to say is: "Should've done better in undergad".

Should have done better on the DAT.

 

[caffeine jitters]

Should have done better on the DAT.

Who hurt you?

 

[Johnwickk]

I am at rutgers smp. Dr vincent told me to keep my gpa above 3.5 and you should land several interviews. Have you spoken to him?

 

[WannaBWisdomWizard]

I am at rutgers smp. Dr vincent told me to keep my gpa above 3.5 and you should land several interviews. Have you spoken to him?

I see him everyday. I work in the same lab his office is in. I am just looking for some different perspectives.

 

[caffeine jitters]

To the OP:

Your life experience will make for an interesting story; however, you’re going to need more than an interesting story when applying to dental school. Because of that, your Masters performance is paramount and your performance thus far is awesome, keep it up!

I would say to apply at your state schools, California has many. Cali schools are competitive though, so don’t put all your eggs in this basket. Apply to Rutgers because you’re currently doing the masters there. Beyond that, apply in the northeast and try to stick to the private schools (i.e. Tufts, NYU, etc.). Consider some private schools in the west as well.

Your DAT is right around the average, perhaps a bit low, and the undergrad GPA will make many adcoms wonder which student they would be getting when they compare it against your SMP GPA. This being said, the only thing you can do is to keep that SMP GPA high.

A thesis may be interesting; however, I think it may be another case of you trying to put too much on your plate, as was the case in undergrad. If I were in your shoes, I would focus on this semester’s coursework, the research you have been doing at the dental school, increasing GP shadowing hours, and remaining consistent with volunteering.

 

[WaveRace]

The most important thing right now is to buckle down and make sure you actually do get another 4.0 (or as close as possible) this semester.

Talk to your program director and to other students you might know from the program (who have successfully gained admission) to get an idea of where you should apply. Do a combination of that and purchase the ADEA guide. Take a look at GPA ranges and averages to see where you might stand a chance. You can also see how many students with master's degrees were accepted the previous year to a particular school. Please don't just go off of SDN advice. People tend to mean well, but there is some bad advice thrown around these boards quite often.

Schools that are known for rewarding reinvention tend to be private schools: NYU, BU, Tufts, and Nova all immediately come to mind. Cast a broad net, applying to your state schools along with a bunch of private schools.

 

[doc toothache]

Who hurt you?

You?
A "stellar gpa" is usually complemented by a "stellar" DAT.

 

[WannaBWisdomWizard]

Update on this post as usually never see followup from these threads...

Retook the DAT and received a 26AA/25TS/30GChem/30OChem/22Bio.
4.0 GPA throughout entirety of MS masters program. Did a thesis in oral biology that I spoke to a lot of my interviewers about. Received 12 interviews and 8 acceptance offers. Currently D4 at a top 5 state school and applying to OMFS.

I dont know if anyone in my shoes will be reading this in 2022 but anyone can reinvent themselves and chart a new path after an abysmal undergrad. It just takes patience and determination.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome back! Congratulations! Don't be a stranger, and good luck!