I have a couple red flags.. :( please help?

[Ryan08]

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Hey, so I really screwed up my freshman year of undergrad.

The stress from that screwed me up HARD. I finished my first year with 1.8

Since then, I have recovered and gotten A's and B's. After my second year my GPA was 2.8. I have also retaken a few classes. first time was F, WU, D.
Do dental schools only look at the retaken grade or what?

I'm now in my third year and have started getting MOSTLY A's. If I can keep getting A's and get my GPA to 3.3+ will I have a chance at getting in?

Oh yeah, I havent even started my Pre-reqs yet, so I am planning on a 4.0 for those.

I am planning to study my brains out for the DAT. I don't care what I have to do, I will get a 23+ if I need to. Do you think a score this high is needed? I am a Psychology major by the way.

I also want to volunteer in a dental office as much as possible... I havent started yet but I am planning on doing 4 hours a week for 1 year. so about 200 hours.

Right now I am working 18-19 hours a week doing odd ends at a company that produces skin care and hair care products. Will this effect my odds of getting in? Been there for a little over 1 year.

I live in Southern California, I don't wanna go to far away.

I really feel like I have a fighting chance at best. However, If I do succeed at raising my GPA and destroying the DAT's, what will be my odds of getting in?

I really think that I could be a valuable student with a unique, well rounded perspective at life. Dental school likes well rounded students right?? Will the admission people understand this?

Thanks to anyone who responds to this. I really appreciate any insight 🙂)

 

[hausee]

finish what you want to do and then come to ask the question again...good luck and people do make mistakes...

Hey, so I really screwed up my freshman year of undergrad. I got arrested for petty theft during my first quarter of school. Convicted of a Misdemeanor, (which my attorney is going to be expunging in a few months).

The stress from that screwed me up HARD. I finished my first year with 1.8

Since then, I have recovered and gotten A's and B's. After my second year my GPA was 2.8. I have also retaken a few classes. first time was F, WU, D.
Do dental schools only look at the retaken grade or what?

I'm now in my third year and have started getting MOSTLY A's. If I can keep getting A's and get my GPA to 3.3+ will I have a chance at getting in?

Oh yeah, I havent even started my Pre-reqs yet, so I am planning on a 4.0 for those.

I am planning to study my brains out for the DAT. I don't care what I have to do, I will get a 23+ if I need to. Do you think a score this high is needed? I am a Psychology major by the way.

I also want to volunteer in a dental office as much as possible... I havent started yet but I am planning on doing 4 hours a week for 1 year. so about 200 hours.

Right now I am working 18-19 hours a week doing odd ends at a company that produces skin care and hair care products. Will this effect my odds of getting in? Been there for a little over 1 year.

I live in Southern California, I don't wanna go to far away.

I really feel like I have a fighting chance at best. However, If I do succeed at raising my GPA and destroying the DAT's, what will be my odds of getting in?

I really think that I could be a valuable student with a unique, well rounded perspective at life. Dental school likes well rounded students right?? Will the admission people understand this?

Thanks to anyone who responds to this. I really appreciate any insight 🙂)

 

[tjddmskiss]

people do make mistakes! but it seems like you haven't learn from the mistake yet.

 

[UKdreams]

Having a job in college for over a year looks really good, especially if you use your hands.

And you will have to put every grade for every class that you re-took, withdrew, etc.

Pre-reqs are harder than think and getting a 23+ on DAT is harder than you think.

If you want it bad enough you can do it

 

[UKRDON]

As far as the retaken courses, I think most Dental Schools average the two grades together. So say I had a C in one class, retook the class and got an A, it really to a Dental School would only be a B. Hopefully that is understandable as I am not sure how else to describe it. Also, just do your best with everything and it will work out.
I would also say spread yourself out over the dental field. Shadow an oral surgeon or do a clinical observation program with one of the dental schools you are close to. Extra-curricular is key as well. Be a part of your community now as you should be while a dental professional.
Good luck

 

[k00laid]

Hey,

I think if you can actually achieve everything you said, you'll be OK to get into dental school. Like everyone else said, people make mistakes. The important thing is to show that you have learned from it and that you have grown.

All the things you said - raising GPA, doing well on the DAT, volunteering/shadowing, working, etc will show that you've grown up and you're not the same person you were before. Of course, this is all easier said than done, but if you can do it, it'll show that you're extremely motivated and determined to get into dental school and to become a dentist. When it comes time to apply and write your personal statement, you can talk about the petty theft and how you've evolved from that and so on.

You shouldn't just limit to yourself to Southern California though. It's hard to get into a dental school as it is, and you shouldn't be stubborn and only look at one area. It's very likely you'll have to go somewhere else.

Anyways, just work hard and have it show in your application. Be prepared to explain yourself, and I think the adcom will understand.

 

[duycuonggg]

You are on the right track. Like everyone else said, learn from your mistakes and the adcomms will see it.

The hard part though is doing everything you said. You gotta kick it into overdrive. Getting 4.0's in every single prereq is a big claim. So is getting a 23+ on the DAT. Saying it is easier than doing it but don't give up and back up what you said, do what you say you will and you will come out happy and proud.

Good luck =)

 

[wwuviking]

as the cliche goes...if you want it bad enough, you'll get it.

 

[dentalWorks]

Hey, so I really screwed up my freshman year of undergrad. I got arrested for petty theft during my first quarter of school. Convicted of a Misdemeanor, (which my attorney is going to be expunging in a few months).

ouch... this could hurt you in the long run. I'd call up some schools and ask them whats their policy for pre-dents with misdemeanor charges are.

The stress from that screwed me up HARD. I finished my first year with 1.8

Since then, I have recovered and gotten A's and B's. After my second year my GPA was 2.8. I have also retaken a few classes. first time was F, WU, D.
Do dental schools only look at the retaken grade or what?

answer = "or what"
Basically, a retaken grades, on AADSAS looks as if you took another class. So for example, if you took Biology the first time and you got a C, and you retook it the 2nd time and got an A.... AADSAS will take both grades in and average them out to a B..... a retaken grade just gets added up into your overall GPA.... it does NOT erase the old/bad grade.

I'm now in my third year and have started getting MOSTLY A's. If I can keep getting A's and get my GPA to 3.3+ will I have a chance at getting in?

Oh yeah, I havent even started my Pre-reqs yet, so I am planning on a 4.0 for those.

I am planning to study my brains out for the DAT. I don't care what I have to do, I will get a 23+ if I need to. Do you think a score this high is needed? I am a Psychology major by the way.

I don't understand why your freaking out. Your current GPA is what? 3.0-3.2 I am guessing right? And you still haven't taken a single pre-dent yet. You have a LONG way to go. You have alot of time to work hard and bring your overall GPA to a respectable 3.4-3.5.

Ideally, students with 3.5 overall and science GPAs topped off with a 19AA on the DAT have the best chance to land a good number of interviews.

Right now I am working 18-19 hours a week doing odd ends at a company that produces skin care and hair care products. Will this effect my odds of getting in? Been there for a little over 1 year.

Of course it would hurt your chances. Dental schools hate students who work with skin care products (Just kidding ). No but in all honesty, why would this hurt your chances?.... its a part time job and its helping you pay the bills.

I live in Southern California, I don't wanna go to far away.

Well, it would be wise to apply to more than just calif schools.

I really feel like I have a fighting chance at best. However, If I do succeed at raising my GPA and destroying the DAT's, what will be my odds of getting in?

Come on, your studying to become a dentist, you should have enough common sense to answer this on your own.

I really think that I could be a valuable student with a unique, well rounded perspective at life. Dental school likes well rounded students right?? Will the admission people understand this?

Thats great, but how will you be able to demonstrate your uniqueness? (rhetorical question). I am guessing your personal statement and during the interview process. And yes, dental schools (most of them at least) love mature & well rounded folks. It is a professional environment, and maturity plays a huge factor

Good luck with everything

 

[Ryan08]

Thank you guys so much. I really appreciate the advice you are giving me. I think as time goes by, the visions of being arrested and the extreme struggles I had while bombing all my classes just eats away more and more of me.

But, I think that it is eating away my old self. They say in developmental psych that personality can change over time. I really think that I am living proof. I dont even look the same as I did back in freshman year. I even think the nuances of my voice are different. I like my hair differently, the list goes on lol.

I am definitely open minded about anything in the dental field (general dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics, ortho, etc.) Ortho was what originally got me hooked into dentistry, that is the only reason why I said it. I hear that 60% of all incoming pre-dents want to be an ortho, but only 5-10% get accepted!! 😱

I'm definitely gonna volunteer at one of those shared practices that have 4 or 5 different dentist specialties.👍

haha kinda gettin sick of this so cal weather anyways. whatever I have to do!!😉

Seriously, as cliche as it is, I cannot think of anything more important in my life than following my dreams. No matter what roadblocks come my way I will make it in through the gates of dental school. When I want something I WANTTTTT something. 😍

But yeah, talking about what ima do is a lot easier that doin what ima do.

 

[k00laid]

Good luck! You can do it 👍