I have a low GPA, 2.5 with only 1 semester of college remaining. if I take a full load of classes and assuming I get a 4.0 for the semester my cum. GPA will hardly budge. I would have to go to college for another 3-4 years and earn solid As to make any significant difference in my GPA. at this point not a single dental school will even look at my application. they would prob look at it, laugh, and go to the next. I know I have to knock the DAT out of the park. are there alternatives to having to go and retake a bunch of classes? ive heard of post-bac programs but I dont know if that would be something worth doing. what options do i have? I have done research for 4 years and published a few papers at a major major university.
low GPA
- Thread starter dogeatdog
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Taking more advanced science coursework and getting A's would be a good start. I don't think doing well on the DAT will make up for a 2.5 gpa. Even if you manage a 22+ AA on the DAT schools will still be concerned with whether or not you can handle dental school with your low gpa.
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Maybe you should look into a graduate program (which has a separate GPA), such as a one-year Master's program?
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Option #1:
Informal postbac. Take advanced science-courses at the University you will graduate at. Ace them all with a 4.0. This GPA will be calculated into your undergrad GPA and also have a separate GPA on the AADSAS application. Do well on the DAT.
Option #2:
Enroll into a formal postbac program. Make sure you get at least a 3.5 GPA. The higher, the better of course. Do well on the DAT.
Option #3:
Enroll in a 1-year Masters program (non-thesis) in a field of biology such as Biomedical Sciences. This does NOT go into your undergrad GPA. Make sure to get at least a 3.5 GPA, though. The higher, the better of course. And do well on the DAT.
🙂 Hope this helps! 🙂 I do not recommend applying without one of these options in progress.
Informal postbac. Take advanced science-courses at the University you will graduate at. Ace them all with a 4.0. This GPA will be calculated into your undergrad GPA and also have a separate GPA on the AADSAS application. Do well on the DAT.
Option #2:
Enroll into a formal postbac program. Make sure you get at least a 3.5 GPA. The higher, the better of course. Do well on the DAT.
Option #3:
Enroll in a 1-year Masters program (non-thesis) in a field of biology such as Biomedical Sciences. This does NOT go into your undergrad GPA. Make sure to get at least a 3.5 GPA, though. The higher, the better of course. And do well on the DAT.
🙂 Hope this helps! 🙂 I do not recommend applying without one of these options in progress.
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Focus on getting a 4.0 this semester. Don't worry about anything else right now. You need to stay focused on school to boost you confidence for the long road ahead. After you finish this semester, sit down and calculate your overall, BCP, science and non science GPA's. Then figure out how many hours you need to take to reach 3.0 in each category. Purchase the ADEA Guide to Dental schools and look up the stats for your state school. There are schools that accept people with less than a 3.0. You have a better shot at getting into your state school, but some don't accept students with low GPA's and others do. If you are lucky enough to live in a state that has accepted some sub 3.0 applicants, then set up an appointment with your state school(s). Don't do this until you have at least one and preferably two 4.0 semesters. You want to let the schools know that you are now serious about a career in dentistry and willing to work hard to get there. Ask them if you should do a post bac or a masters. Good luck!
If dentistry is the field that you really want to go, NEVER give up. Take a look at reputable master's programs such as BU's GMS, get a real high GPA and kill the DAT. It will prove that you can handle graduate level science courses which adcoms love.
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if your gpa is a 2.5 after 7 semesters, then you should take time to figure out what you have been doing wrong. Dont just jump in with the attitude of " I will get a 4.0 for the next 4 semesters", because that seems unrealistic. Try and take a mental break, understand the magnitude of what you must do, and try to plan how to do it. It will be an uphill battle, it will be very difficult. So you must be mentally prepared before you take the dive.
I looked into BU's GMS program and the admission requirements. It says "The median overall GPA for acceptance into the program is 3.1 with a higher average for the prerequisite sciences." If i dont have that what do I do?
It's just a median not a minimum requirement. So why don't you give it a shot?
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If you do well on your DAT they will highly consider you.
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heres the big secret to getting into dental school: grades
If you cant prove to be a safe investment for dental school then they will not risk it. Each dental student over the span of 4 years is worth 200K to 500K for dental schools.
Simply put, getting good DAT score is not enough or doing a load of research.
What you need is to stay in school for another 1-2 years (withdraw your graduation for now) and take upperdivision science courses and get amazing grades. Your GPA wont budge much, but dental schools will see the upward trend. AND then knock out DATs.
I guarantee you dental school if above advise is taken.
If you cant prove to be a safe investment for dental school then they will not risk it. Each dental student over the span of 4 years is worth 200K to 500K for dental schools.
Simply put, getting good DAT score is not enough or doing a load of research.
What you need is to stay in school for another 1-2 years (withdraw your graduation for now) and take upperdivision science courses and get amazing grades. Your GPA wont budge much, but dental schools will see the upward trend. AND then knock out DATs.
I guarantee you dental school if above advise is taken.
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