Help please...lots of questions, low GPA

[Aerogirl7210]

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I have some questions about credits, for purposes of trying to determine how many semester credits it will take to raise my GPA.

I have 56 SEMESTER hours from the University of Colorado. I transferred to Colorado Tech (big mistake) where I took 104 QUARTER hours. It is my understanding that I divide that 104/1.5 to convert it to semester hours.

I graduated 6 years ago...horrible stats. 2.5 from UC, 2.6 from Colorado Tech. In that time I took a few science classes. General Bio, Intro to Chem, Nutrition, Physics. B+, A, B, B, respectively. Anatomy + Physiology. Bombed. D+. I am certain I can drastically improve on that as I was basically a dumb kid who didn't understand the concept of "time management" the first time around. :-/

I am looking into the Science in the Evening post bac program at University of Maryland. I'm hoping the fact that I still have LOTS of science yet to take, might be my saving grace as far as the Science GPA goes. Shooting for straight A's of course, as I'm sure this is the only way possible to have my GPA remotely competitive in the applicant pool.

In the years since graduation I have worked full-time, have considerable volunteer hours (not healthcare related, human services), and am in the Air National Guard. I know that shadowing a dentist and volunteering also need to be priorities.

Anyway, now that you have the background....is my plan for the Science in the Evening program a good one? How will my previous undergrad credits be looked at by the ADCOMS? Does the transfer matter in there at all? The semester/quarter hours?

Essentially, any advice, tips, recommendations that any of you can provide would be so greatly appreciated. Am I totally out of the race here, even if I finish post-bac classes with awesome grades?

I've looked at Predents.com at all of their accepted/rejected stats and it is so disconcerting to me to see so many very high stats that get rejected. To keep myself motivated, I try to tell myself it's because GPA isn't the only thing that matters but I'm wondering if I'm delusional. DO the DAT, personal statement, LOR's really weigh in as well?

Okay, I'm getting wordy 🙂 Enough for now. Thanks guys!

 

[dentalWorks]

I am going to estimate that you have an overall GPA of 2.5 with about 124 semester credits.

This is called a mathematical hole (something next-to-impossible to overcome) because even if you take 124 post-bacc credits (say... like a 2nd bachelors degree) and 4.0 every single course, your new overall GPA will be brought up to 3.25.... This is very extream, and an unlikely scenario.

However, there is hope for you afterall. The only problem you will face is that you won't be ready to apply to dental schools for at least 3 years. IMO, your going to need a good solid 50-60 credits of upper level bios from post-bacc (and maybe even masters). Upward trend + good DAT are going to be your salvation.

Your never gonna be able to bring the overall above 3.0 (maybe you'll keep it hovering around 3.0) but the upward trend, like, having 2-3 years of solid 4.0 performance topped off with a good DAT will showcase maturity, determination, and most importantly, your new found self is now capable of handling the rigors of dental school.

all the best

 

[youknowthedrill]

It sounds like a good plan. You have a few years of hard work ahead of you. You need to commit yourself and earn A's to have a chance. Are you planning to work full time and take 1-2 classes or are you going to take a full course load? You need to stay focused on school if you're serious about a career in dentistry. Set up a meeting with a couple of dental schools after you have 1-2 semester of A's under you belt a some shadowing.