Explain bad grade at interview. Help me!!

[nicole2]

So I have an interview at my state dental school in about a week and I need your help to explain a bad grade.
I was surprised to get an interview with my low gpa, especially low bcp gpa. But other components are very strong: years of research experiences, 2000+ volunteering hours, strong LORs, and a decent DAT.
I am retaking Organic Chemistry II for the third time right now.. and I am sure they will ask me about this.
I got a D+ the first time then a C- last semester.. I just couldn't really do Orgo 2 and the grading system was really harsh too. I also had to retake Orgo 1 twice, first time I got C- then a B.
But I scored 20 on Orgo on DAT which I think shows that I can do Orgo.

I can't use the excuse that I was naive and didn't know that I'd go into dentistry since I got a C- this spring. Should I tell them that I had a hard time due to family emergencies? (my grandfather's health was actually really bad and I had to search for a flight ticket couple times a week to go back to my country)
When I first took Orgo 1 and 2, I didn't take classes seriously and didn't even consider going into a health field. I was just taking them to graduate.
And also should I tell them that although I did not do so well in Orgo 2 two times, my ability to do Orgo is shown from my Orgo 1 grade and DAT Orgo score?

I also have couple C+'s in science classes and I honestly don't know how to respond to them if they ask me if my GPA and DAT scores represent my academic ability. This exact question was asked couple times during this school's interview..

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[mk536]

Be concise, don't make too many excuses, but also use the opportunity to explain how your academic ability is higher than your stats may show. (Think about this interview question as a GOOD thing- if there was no way to get in with your stats, you wouldn't even have an interview. Here's your opportunity to tell them why you'll be a successful dental student despite your record.)

I had a bunch of Cs that I had to explain when interviewing for med school admissions, and my strategy was to explain for a sentence or two (briefly!) my low scores in relevant coursework (for me: illness during final exams one term, courses taken before deciding to pursue medicine), followed by a positive statement explaining that I was confident in my preparation for medical school ("I believe my academic record in my senior year as well as graduate school, along with my strong performance on the MCAT, etc."). In your case I would maybe add an additional sentence to say that family obligations requiring you to travel out of the country interrupted your coursework last term, but that you are retaking the course that was most affected and are on track for a ____ grade. In general keep it short and sweet and don't get defensive.

N=1, but I got into a school that I "shouldn't" have qualified for with my stats using this method.

Congrats on your interview and good luck!

 

[oralcare123]

If you are not good at lying , then don't.
Don't go into a lot of detail and tell the truth. Was young didn't realize how serious the subject is. Tell how you improved since then. If you decide to mention family emergency, then do it as well
Make sure to show the interviewer that you are able to handle the DS course load

 

[Iroh]

If you are not good at lying , then don't.
Don't go into a lot of detail and tell the truth. Was young didn't realize how serious the subject is. Tell how you improved since then. If you decide to mention family emergency, then do it as well
Make sure to show the interviewer that you are able to handle the DS course load

He took it recently. I doubt "young" works since it was ~6 months ago.

 

[JohnDoeJR]

I'd be careful about bringing up a family emergency. Whether or not you are being truthful, they hear that kind of excuse all day and I would assume a good number of those individuals are lying. You'd be surprised how easy it is to realize someone is talking out of their you know what, be honest and own up to it.

 

[oralcare123]

If you are not good at lying , then don't.
Don't go into a lot of detail and tell the truth. Was young didn't realize how serious the subject is. Tell how you improved since then. If you decide to mention family emergency, then do it as well
Make sure to show the interviewer that you are able to handle the DS course load

I was a straight A student - I had to really involve my imagination to answer

 

[Stagg737]

What you do:
1. Concisely explain why you got the poor grade(s). This means 2-3 sentences, not a paragraph.
2. Explain what you learned from this experience and how you corrected it.
3. Describe how you will ensure that this will never happen again.

I say this as someone who had a D and multiple C's (5-6) on my UG transcript. My whole answer took less than a minute and impressed all interviewers it was discussed with. How you actually answer will depend on your situation and background, but this is the basic formula for addressing an insufficiency in your app, especially with grades.