GPA too low for D-school, what next?

[kdent6297]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey guys,

I am graduating in Spring 2015 with a BS in Human Nutrition, and I am wanting to pursue dental school, if possible. The only thing is, my GPA is much too low, and has me feeling hopeless. I currently have a 2.5 GPA. I haven't attempted the DAT yet, because I know it'd be pointless to apply with my current GPA. I am wondering if there are any pathways that could get me into dental school, masters, post-back, etc. This is a career I've been interested in for some time, and I'm having a really hard time finding anything else I would want to do. I have some observation hours and some volunteering/extra curricular from when I was a freshman/sophomore in college, but no research. Anyone that has been in my position and succeeded? Or advice in general on where to go from here? Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

[dieanotherday]

a lot of people think doing a postbac formal or informal will raise their gpa but since you are so close to graduating already i dont think that many classes will make a dent on that gpa enough to give you more than 3.0. I think applying to a masters and getting a separate graduate GPA would be better as adcoms will view the undergrad/grad courses separately.

if you are sure about d school though, make sure you get the prereqs out of the way so that you can maximize your chances and be able to apply broadly, anatomy/biochem and even microbio have become more of requirements lately than just recommended upper division course work and my undergrad didn't offer anatomy just physio so be sure to buy the 2015 adea official guide

 

[sjv]

If you 100% want to be a dentist then 4.0 in SMP, improve extracurriculars, high DAT score and keep trying until you get in.

 

[jmukid]

I think you're looking at a minimum of two years of graduate school. I would suggest first doing a one year post-bac program to raise your GPA and then most likely a masters program. I was in your shoes when I graduated from undergrads although I had a higher GPA. My first year of graduate school, I took a lot of graduate courses as a non-degree seeking student to raise my GPA. Then the following year I did an official post-bac program and now I am completing my masters in physiology. Its taken 3 years of really hard work in graduate school but I finally got accepted into my top choice school so it was definitely worth it. I also think you should wait a year or so before taking the DAT. Your DAT scores will expire after 3 years and since you don't really have a high chance of getting into dental school next year then I think it would be best to hold on a year or two before taking the DAT. Message me if your need any more help.

 

[kdent6297]

Thank you for all the advice! I must say, I've thought about giving up completely, but I still am holding on to my dream career. jmukid, what was your undergrad GPA if you don't mind me asking? I love hearing success stories of others that were once in my shoes. I realize I am climbing a (rather large) uphill battle, but if it is possible for me to one day become a dentist, then I'm definitely up for the challenge 🙂

 

[dieanotherday]

dont look at it as "being behind" but approach it like: "hey i need to pay off some student loans, gain some work experience, shadow some more, try a new environment/school" type of deal.
if you think of it like you're behind and you're trying to "fix" yourself comparing yourself to others on sdn or in your classes, it will wreck your self esteem and that type of mentality will hold you back and make you do terribly in grad school

i have friends going through the same thing but because their self esteem is so low and they're constantly comparing themselves to others, thinking its impossible, they give up on themselves before really trying and giving themselves a chance to prove to anyone they're really capable. this became more ranty/long than intended but anyway good luck

 

[threemileisle]

It isn't the same situation as I was a non-science major, but I haven't seen many with a GPA as low as mine was (AADSAS calculated 2.4). Unfortunately, the college I attended required a bunch of science classes as well, so my science GPA was also impacted.

I ended up doing a formal undergrad post-bac of the career-changer variety, finished that with a 3.9 GPA, then scored a 23AA on the DAT. I still ended up with an oGPA of 2.9 and a sGPA of 3.2. Also have a few hundred hours shadowing, did a clinical program in a hospital, plus a few years non-dental work experience -- nothing too extraordinary.

Not quite a success story yet: I'm currently in my first cycle applying and submitted apps to over 30 schools, as per the recommendation of numerous people I talked to. I've gotten 7 interviews (though waitlisted at all).

I've already started looking at SMPs if things don't pan out this cycle -- and I'm sure that'd be enough to push me over the edge since it already looks like I'm pretty close.

It goes without saying that there are no guarantees, but the point is that no matter how low you start, if you kill everything else you do from here on out, at the very least, you'll have a great shot.