Currently a second year dental school ranked 130/150. GPA 2.97. Is it possible to get a GPR or residency with a low GPA? I don't have any extracurriculars right now. What can I do to improve my chances?
Specialty residency while being in the bottom 15% of the class? No. GPR? Probably. GPR at a prestigious or even semi-prestigious hospital? No.
You have a year to work on your class rank/GPA, so get studying. Also work to develop relationships with faculty members to get good letters of recommendation. You might want to look for some service or leadership opportunities to give you something to put on a CV, other than the fact you graduated from dental school.
LOR is clearly a popularity thing. I rarely use them when constructing the ROL. Institutional LOR somewhat better. Most D school faculty can’t write a meaningful letter anyway.
Takeaway: grades count
I know Hoss already knew that.