good freshman year, rock bottom soph, rebounded for my junior year...my chances?

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americanpierg

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Hi, I finished my freshman year with a 3.7 gpa with only a couple 3.5s in nonscience classes (4.0s in bios/gchems/labs), then saw it drop down to a 3.2 by the end of my soph year with a 2.0 in orgo 1, physics 2, and a 2.5 in psychology, calc 1, calc 2, physics 1. I also failed orgo 2 that semester(0.0 because i didnt even go to the last exam nor the finals). i turned things around during that long summer when i spent a good amount of time thinking about what had happened and worked my @ss off last semester to get my 4.0 in
physiology I, human gross anatomy/structural biology, ecology, biochem I, and this semester im farily confident im going to 4.0 physiology II, biochem II, orgo 2 (RETAKE from 0.0 soph year), intro physical chem, and probably 3.5 microbiology these last 2 weeks. I've been living off of my books for the past 7 months that I'm fairly optimistic about doing well on the DAT when i take it this summer.

The rough stretch during my soph year (gpa of 2.8 during that span) was due to just lack of motivation and just plain not caring (never went to class for weeks at a time, luckily managed to 4.0 some filler classes to totally not bomb out of school). Failing orgo 2 brought me back to reality and ive been hitting the books like a madman ever since. my question is that since i will be having a 3.9 over my last 40 credits (mostly upper tier science classes) if things go as plan these next 2 weeks, will this strengthen my transcript enough to take off the weight of a horribly poor sophmore year of failed easy classes and grant me admission to at least SOME dental schools, assuming i get adequate DAT scores (say 19s/20s/21s), or did failing ORGANIC CHEM totally ruin my chances? Also, my scheldule has been quite light credit wise as each science course is only 3 credits, having taken only 14, 15, (12 SUMMER) 12, 12, 13, 15 credits each of these first 6 semesters. How do u think thats gonna affect my admission also?

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You definitely know you have to retake orgo 2, because as a prereq you need at least a C. That said, people say upward trends are favorable. Personally, I was told overall GPA was much more important. If you don't make the cut off, they won't look at the trend at all. You aren't dead in the water. You still have a good chance if you do well and keep that GPA climbing. What do I know though? You are taking advice from someone who hasn't even started school yet. It was someone on an admissions committee (not of the school I am attending) though who told me that info about GPA.
 
You definitely know you have to retake orgo 2, because as a prereq you need at least a C. That said, people say upward trends are favorable. Personally, I was told overall GPA was much more important. If you don't make the cut off, they won't look at the trend at all. You aren't dead in the water. You still have a good chance if you do well and keep that GPA climbing. What do I know though? You are taking advice from someone who hasn't even started school yet. It was someone on an admissions committee (not of the school I am attending) though who told me that info about GPA.

Im taking the class right now as already stated, finals are two weeks from now and ill need only ~75% on it to 4.0, which should be a given at this point. If my grades come out as planned this semester ill have around a 3.44 overall, and 3.44 science as well, which would be right around average i think. I cant get the gpa up much higher as 12 more credits (only option as ill have at most 1 summer left before the absolutely latest id need to send my app in) of 4.0s will only bymp it up to a 3.5 or ~0.6 which wouldn't make much of a difference im assuming. The only problem stems from the poor orgo/physics/calc grades. Just hoping if the strong Physio/biochem/anatomy/microbio grades could put less significance on those lower level sciences.
 
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Your story is really similar to mine. I had a 3.6 fresh year, then a 2.8 soph. Then I busted my butt and got nothing below 3.75 the next 2 and half years (had to make up a few classes, including a D in org 2).

Then I applied to what seems like every school imaginable, but I ended up getting into a few school my first try. So don't be discouraged, you still have a good chance. Schools like to see upward trends. You just don't have as much leeway for mistakes as some other people.
 
Im taking the class right now as already stated, finals are two weeks from now and ill need only ~75% on it to 4.0, which should be a given at this point. If my grades come out as planned this semester ill have around a 3.44 overall, and 3.44 science as well, which would be right around average i think. I cant get the gpa up much higher as 12 more credits (only option as ill have at most 1 summer left before the absolutely latest id need to send my app in) of 4.0s will only bymp it up to a 3.5 or ~0.6 which wouldn't make much of a difference im assuming. The only problem stems from the poor orgo/physics/calc grades. Just hoping if the strong Physio/biochem/anatomy/microbio grades could put less significance on those lower level sciences.

You will be fine! Check this site out: I found it helpful.
http://www.adea.org/Resources/OG/OG_3_WhereToApply.pdf
It's from last cycle though, so tack on a little bit higher of a GPA.
 
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