Finding myself

[DTarver]

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Hello everyone,

I'm brand new to this forum and reading some of your stories has given me hope. I thank all of you. I graduated last fall and have been working in the real world, which is a trap. I have an overall gpa of 3.15 and a science of a 3.3. I need to take physics which I plan on doing over the summer. Im taking my dat in late april. Im current looking to take a cert program at vcu for the fall. Should I just apply to dental school and see what happens or should I take a cert program or even just enroll as a nondegree seeking grad student? There are so many options.

 

[sparky450r]

Study for the DAT for the next three months and get a good score. Enroll in a masters program this fall and apply next cycle. Get >3.8 in grad school. If you do those things you have a shot.

 

[ttpharm]

your gpa, while not stellar, is not that bad. Do really well on the DAT. I'd say 23+ and write a great essay. Kill the interview and you're gold.

 

[chingaling]

👍

Study for the DAT for the next three months and get a good score. Enroll in a masters program this fall and apply next cycle. Get >3.8 in grad school. If you do those things you have a shot.

 

[Hawkteeth]

I had a lower GPA and a 20 on the DAT and wasn't accepted. I took a year off and got a masters in biomedical sciences, with a 4.0. Retook the DAT got a 23 and was finally accepted this year. So my advice would be to do what I did and find a MBS program, you take similar classes to your first year in dental school, and the one I went do only had a comp exam and no thesis.

 

[tigerteeth22]

It's completely up to you. I was in the same boat and decided to apply with a 19/21/19 and 3.1 gpa (sgpa was maybe 3.0) and I got three interviews, an acceptance to UPenn, and another waitlist. I applied to 20 schools and I'm out $5000 but hey, I'm going to dental school this fall. Anything is possible!

But if you want to be sure of getting in, do a post grad program.

 

[dentalWorks]

Hello everyone,

I'm brand new to this forum and reading some of your stories has given me hope. I thank all of you. I graduated last fall and have been working in the real world, which is a trap. I have an overall gpa of 3.15 and a science of a 3.3. I need to take physics which I plan on doing over the summer. Im taking my dat in late april. Im current looking to take a cert program at vcu for the fall. Should I just apply to dental school and see what happens or should I take a cert program or even just enroll as a nondegree seeking grad student? There are so many options.

I wouldn't touch any masters program... no need.
You have a good solid 3.3 science GPA foundation to start on, 1 year of post-bacc upper level sciences (and I am assuming you haven't run out of courses ofc) with strong performance will fix any GPA doubt.

If you decide on a 1 year post-bacc, perhaps you shouldn't apply this coming cycle. You can take the DAT either now or when ur close to applying (next year?)

 

[wcombs]

It's completely up to you. I was in the same boat and decided to apply with a 19/21/19 and 3.1 gpa (sgpa was maybe 3.0) and I got three interviews, an acceptance to UPenn, and another waitlist. I applied to 20 schools and I'm out $5000 but hey, I'm going to dental school this fall. Anything is possible!

But if you want to be sure of getting in, do a post grad program.

@#)%@#% UPenn, seriously? My god you must have a very special application.

 

[Gracie2011]

I would go ahead and apply to dental school. I was in a very similar situation as you. My overall Gpa was 3.3 and my sGpa was a 3.12. I didn't have the greatest DAT scores either 19AA and 17TS. My mom and friends encouraged me to get a master's. I spoke with my academic advisor and he said to not do the Master's program if dental school was where I really wanted to be. He said it would be a a waste of funds and it would limit the loan amounts I would be able receive for dental school. Im very thankful that took his advice!

 

[DTarver]

Study for the DAT for the next three months and get a good score. Enroll in a masters program this fall and apply next cycle. Get >3.8 in grad school. If you do those things you have a shot.

I'm choosing between the dat destroyer and crack the dat. I'm not sure which is better.

I had a lower GPA and a 20 on the DAT and wasn't accepted. I took a year off and got a masters in biomedical sciences, with a 4.0. Retook the DAT got a 23 and was finally accepted this year. So my advice would be to do what I did and find a MBS program, you take similar classes to your first year in dental school, and the one I went do only had a comp exam and no thesis.

I was thinking about that, but vcu only has a PhD program for biomedical studies. That's too much schooling to never use that degree, in my opinion.

I wouldn't touch any masters program... no need.
You have a good solid 3.3 science GPA foundation to start on, 1 year of post-bacc upper level sciences (and I am assuming you haven't run out of courses ofc) with strong performance will fix any GPA doubt.


If you decide on a 1 year post-bacc, perhaps you shouldn't apply this coming cycle. You can take the DAT either now or when ur close to applying (next year?)

I'm definitely leaning towards this because the graduate programs I'm interested in are all PhD programs at my local university.

 

[DTarver]

I would go ahead and apply to dental school. I was in a very similar situation as you. My overall Gpa was 3.3 and my sGpa was a 3.12. I didn't have the greatest DAT scores either 19AA and 17TS. My mom and friends encouraged me to get a master's. I spoke with my academic advisor and he said to not do the Master's program if dental school was where I really wanted to be. He said it would be a a waste of funds and it would limit the loan amounts I would be able receive for dental school. Im very thankful that took his advice!

I know without a doubt now that I'm to apply to dental school now. My fear was that my application would be thrown out basically without a second glance. Rejection frightens me and I know it's going to happen. I need to put on my big boy britches.

 

[tommyinVA]

Hello everyone,

I'm brand new to this forum and reading some of your stories has given me hope. I thank all of you. I graduated last fall and have been working in the real world, which is a trap. I have an overall gpa of 3.15 and a science of a 3.3. I need to take physics which I plan on doing over the summer. Im taking my dat in late april. Im current looking to take a cert program at vcu for the fall. Should I just apply to dental school and see what happens or should I take a cert program or even just enroll as a nondegree seeking grad student? There are so many options.

Understand that the cert program is just that: a certification program (which basically means nothing). It is NOT a master's program. It also does NOT provide any possibility of guarantee for interview with VCUDS (unlike the med program if you do well enough in cert).

If you've got ~$20k lying around to take it (you also WON'T be eligible for financial aid since it isn't a master's program), then go ahead. But you had better finish with no more than ONE "B" or else you'll have probably just wasted your money.

 

[perpetual labor]

The VCU CERT is a bad idea. It's a bit of a trap. They take very few students from their post-bac, and still relatively few from the full masters. The QCA (average grades given) are atrocious. This program hurts a vast majority of those who complete it.

You're much better off getting a graduate degree in a less-competitive and more enriching environment. That, or working, volunteering, and crushing your entrance exam.

I feel that I can speak to the matter. I was in the VCU CERT program, and I am now in medical school. There are no guarantees/commitments between the medical school and the cert program, except to interview students with one year of coursework at a 3.5gpa.

If you're crazy enough to do a post-bac, do one that has guaranteed spaces in a medical school class, and understand that it's a last-chance situation.

Good luck!

 

[teriyaki]

I would go ahead and apply to dental school. I was in a very similar situation as you. My overall Gpa was 3.3 and my sGpa was a 3.12. I didn't have the greatest DAT scores either 19AA and 17TS. My mom and friends encouraged me to get a master's. I spoke with my academic advisor and he said to not do the Master's program if dental school was where I really wanted to be. He said it would be a a waste of funds and it would limit the loan amounts I would be able receive for dental school. Im very thankful that took his advice!

It's funny that my school advisor said the same thing. I was wondering about the degree of truth to what he had said. But you have cleared my mind. I am pretty much in the same shoes as you once were, with cgpa 3.36 sgpa 3.37 my DAT 20/21/21. Can you share what else did you do to make it through dental school and what schools did you apply to? I would want to learn from the experienced! 🙂

 

[Gracie2011]

It's funny that my school advisor said the same thing. I was wondering about the degree of truth to what he had said. But you have cleared my mind. I am pretty much in the same shoes as you once were, with cgpa 3.36 sgpa 3.37 my DAT 20/21/21. Can you share what else did you do to make it through dental school and what schools did you apply to? I would want to learn from the experienced! 🙂

I'm very thankful I listened to my advisor! I haven't made it through school yet I just made it in. I will start in the fall 🙂 I did a lot of volunteer work in my community with different organizations. I had roughly 200 shadowing hours. I shadowed in a single dentist practice, two group practices, and an endodontic practice. I also worked part time while I was attending school. It is my goal to work in a rural area after I graduate and I made that very clear in my interviews. I only applied to three schools Nova, Lecom, and UF. I was denied from Nova, waitlisted at Lecom, and accepted to my dream school UF I was shocked when I heard back from UF. After seeing other posts I didn't think I had much of a shot especially since I went to a community college before I transferred to UF my junior year. I'm very thankful I was wrong 🙂 Where there's a will there's a way!

 

[jb1836]

I had a lower GPA and a 20 on the DAT and wasn't accepted. I took a year off and got a masters in biomedical sciences, with a 4.0. Retook the DAT got a 23 and was finally accepted this year. So my advice would be to do what I did and find a MBS program, you take similar classes to your first year in dental school, and the one I went do only had a comp exam and no thesis.

I am from the northeast and I think Im going to need a BMS program. I have a 3.2 cum and sub 3.0 sGPA so do you know of any schools that offer this program around the country? Also, you agree thats my best route to take, right? Thanks!

 

[Teeths]

I'm very thankful I listened to my advisor! I haven't made it through school yet I just made it in. I will start in the fall 🙂 I did a lot of volunteer work in my community with different organizations. I had roughly 200 shadowing hours. I shadowed in a single dentist practice, two group practices, and an endodontic practice. I also worked part time while I was attending school. It is my goal to work in a rural area after I graduate and I made that very clear in my interviews. I only applied to three schools Nova, Lecom, and UF. I was denied from Nova, waitlisted at Lecom, and accepted to my dream school UF I was shocked when I heard back from UF. After seeing other posts I didn't think I had much of a shot especially since I went to a community college before I transferred to UF my junior year. I'm very thankful I was wrong 🙂 Where there's a will there's a way!

👍👍 Congrats!

 

[wcombs]

You have a chance but don't get your hopes up too high or you'll set yourself up for disappointment like I did. I didn't get into any schools, including UF, and I think my application was pretty good. I interviewed with you, Gracie, though I'm not sure if we spoke. Congrats, I seriously wish I knew your secret.

 

[Hawkteeth]

I am from the northeast and I think Im going to need a BMS program. I have a 3.2 cum and sub 3.0 sGPA so do you know of any schools that offer this program around the country? Also, you agree thats my best route to take, right? Thanks!

It was my last option after applying 3 times without acceptance and it worked for me so I would recommend it. You can take your chances and apply but if you worked hard and got a 4.0 I think you would definitely be accepted (applying to at lest 15 schools)

I went to Barry University in Miami Shores/ Hollywood Fl and loved it. I would like to say most (if not all) of the students who did well (3.5+) were accepted into med/dental school. There are one year, 18 month and two year options for the MBS program. There is also a community dental clinic in Miami to get tons of volunteer/shadowing hours too. If you want more info/advice just PM me. Good luck.