Haunting GPA From First School...

[theomajigga]

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Hello all,

First time poster, long time lurker 🙂

WELLLLLL I'll try my best to make this as short as possible:

I graduated HS in 2005, 3.0 GPA.

Went to UW-Stout, got tied up in partying/drinking/not studying.

Transcript:



GPA Fail. 2.28

I obviously didn't give a S@#$ about school at all...

After I dropped out, I went on to work at best buy, started moving up fast, and then realized that I didn't want to be a retail "bitch" the rest of my life and reconsidered going back to school. I met a man by the name of Paul Schultz from the UofMin Dental outreach program and we got to talking about school and dental schools also. I came to the realization that I wanted to get back into school, and that, for multiple reasons, Dentistry might be the right choice for me.

I started looking back into schools. My brother went/goes to Luther in Decorah, IA and, considering my UW-Stout GPA I figured there was NO way I was going to get in.

I did.

Quit my job, and said let do it.

So now, here I am back in school 1 year done, with a 3.11 GPA. Quite the improvement...

Semester 1 went OK, wasn't in the right rhythm, but got it fixed after midterm. Started taking my Adderall again, and realized that regardless of how much I hated the drugs, I had to have them to succeed at all. Semester 2 went very well, 3.40 GPA.

Now I am in year 2 @ Luther and I am taking Micro, GChem, and Spanish (lang req).

I am doing good -fine in micro, good - fine in Spanish, but fine - bad in Chem.

I didn't do very well in my first chem test, studied the wrong material... I am hoping that I can make it back up...

(I guess the drive behind this post is the Chem test that I just took i bombed.)

I guess all the thread really comes down to is:

1: Will my first 2 years at UW-Stout ruin any chances that I might have?
2: What are any recommendations for becoming a decent applicant to UofMin?
3: Do i have a chance, realistically?


Thanks for taking the time to read my story, and any help you might be able to offer 🙂

-theomajigga

 

[Gbrando2]

My first semester I got a 1.2 or something and my second semester was a 0.6 for a grand total of a 0.9 GPA my Freshman year. And most of those credits were science classes. I was on academic probation and one more bad semester away from suspension or expulsion. My sophomore year I got a 2.95 overall, bringing my grand total to a 1.9 something. Now, your first 2 years were better than my first 2 years, so it's possible for sure. I just buckled down, got a couple of 3.8s and 3.9s, and average about a 3.6 my last 2 years of school. I also repeated and got As on all of the classes I originally failed to prove I could handle them. I finished up with a 2.97 GPA overall on AADSAS, which was about a 3.4 on my transcript (my school doesn't count the first try when you retake a class in your GPA calculation). I graduated this past April, took the DAT in June, and put in my app as quickly as possible (yes, I had to check the box that says I've been on academic probation). So far I have gotten 3 interviews.

Now, I know I'm not actually into dental school yet, I'm just trying to say that schools are willing to overlook some horrible grades to a certain extent. I would say work your butt off until you graduate to pull that GPA up as much as possible, study like CRAZY for the DAT and kill it, and then get your app in as early in the cycle as you can. Do as many extracurriculars as you can and write an awesome personal statement. So yeah, I think if you do those things, you have a shot.

 

[theomajigga]

My first semester I got a 1.2 or something and my second semester was a 0.6 for a grand total of a 0.9 GPA my Freshman year. And most of those credits were science classes. I was on academic probation and one more bad semester away from suspension or expulsion. My sophomore year I got a 2.95 overall, bringing my grand total to a 1.9 something. Now, your first 2 years were better than my first 2 years, so it's possible for sure. I just buckled down, got a couple of 3.8s and 3.9s, and average about a 3.6 my last 2 years of school. I also repeated and got As on all of the classes I originally failed to prove I could handle them. I finished up with a 2.97 GPA overall on AADSAS, which was about a 3.4 on my transcript (my school doesn't count the first try when you retake a class in your GPA calculation). I graduated this past April, took the DAT in June, and put in my app as quickly as possible (yes, I had to check the box that says I've been on academic probation). So far I have gotten 3 interviews.

Now, I know I'm not actually into dental school yet, I'm just trying to say that schools are willing to overlook some horrible grades to a certain extent. I would say work your butt off until you graduate to pull that GPA up as much as possible, study like CRAZY for the DAT and kill it, and then get your app in as early in the cycle as you can. Do as many extracurriculars as you can and write an awesome personal statement. So yeah, I think if you do those things, you have a shot.

Not going to say that this isn't a relief 🙂

my only worry is my time span too.. 05 fall to when i get done??

-T

EDIT: I guess the biggest worry is the fact that it is from 2 schools..

 

[slm266]

Not going to say that this isn't a relief 🙂

my only worry is my time span too.. 05 fall to when i get done??

-T

EDIT: I guess the biggest worry is the fact that it is from 2 schools..

My first semester was summer 04 from 1 school, I'll graduate Summer '10 from a different school. Your biggest worry is your GPA, not the 2 schools. Keep working hard, you'll get there. Keep your options open though. Best of luck

 

[theomajigga]

My first semester was summer 04 from 1 school, I'll graduate Summer '10 from a different school. Your biggest worry is your GPA, not the 2 schools. Keep working hard, you'll get there. Keep your options open though. Best of luck

It's not the 2 school thing, but its the low gpa from the first school, and the fact that I am getting better grades now.

I want am asking if that they see that I didn't do good, but that when I realized what I wanted to do and was doing better at a different school, that i actually started to try, and got better grades...

It might not make sense but... yea....😳

 

[doc3232]

You retook Math 121 and dropped from a C- to an F?

Well, if you are happy with doing "fine" in your classes now then don't bother applying to dental school.

You have a 2.5x I am guessing, fine is no good. Aim for A's and A+'s. You really need to get your gpa up. I think you should retake as many science prereqs as possible.
High DAT score will be needed to prove you really do know your stuff. good luck

 

[theomajigga]

You retook Math 121 and dropped from a C- to an F?

Well, if you are happy with doing "fine" in your classes now then don't bother applying to dental school.

You have a 2.5x I am guessing, fine is no good. Aim for A's and A+'s. You really need to get your gpa up. I think you should retake as many science prereqs as possible.
High DAT score will be needed to prove you really do know your stuff. good luck

that was from my first school... this is from the school i'm going to now... and i retook the F to a C-

Now my classes are:

Bio 150 C
Math 140 B+
Bible 101 B-
Hist 243 B+

Bio 151 A
Math 141 B+
Anthro B+
Ethics B

So my grades are significantly better than my first 2 years, and I plan on continuing to do as good/better...

does that make sense at all??

I am taking ALL of my bio prereq at the new school.

 

[doc3232]

that was from my first school... this is from the school i'm going to now... and i retook the F to a C-

Now my classes are:

Bio 150 C
Math 140 B+
Bible 101 B-
Hist 243 B+

Bio 151 A
Math 141 B+
Anthro B+
Ethics B

So my grades are significantly better than my first 2 years, and I plan on continuing to do as good/better...

does that make sense at all??

I am taking ALL of my bio prereq at the new school.

Well...these are a LOT of grades. I can't really see where you stand right now...

What's your gpa?

You have to realize that if you don't make up your low gpa with A's (which includes all college grades) then you have to REALLY rock the DAT. I am just trying emphasize the importance of getting only A's.

 

[theomajigga]

Well...these are a LOT of grades. I can't really see where you stand right now...

What's your gpa?

You have to realize that if you don't make up your low gpa with A's (which includes all college grades) then you have to REALLY rock the DAT. I am just trying emphasize the importance of getting only A's.

My Current GPA at this school is a 3.11.

Will the fact that it was "so long ago" (in the sense of my educational career), help me out at all? The fact that I am trending up???

 

[doc3232]

My Current GPA at this school is a 3.11.

Will the fact that it was "so long ago" (in the sense of my educational career), help me out at all? The fact that I am trending up???

You have to average the two gpas. When schools look at your gpa they will see the average of the two.

You really need to raise your gpa. You need 2 years of A's...

 

[Philippines03j]

I would recommend taking a class load where you can get A's for all your classes. Once you can do that consistantly start adding more classes. My Gpa for my first 35 credits was 2.9ish with 3 biology, 3 chemistry, and 1 physics class. Took a break and came back to a 4 year university (previous was C.C.) and my gpa for my last 75 credits is 3.94. This includes alot of upper biology, ochem, biochem ect... Make school your full time job, settle for nothing less than an A and if you have to fight for every point😀 You can do it, it will just take alot of focus and work.