No interview with a 26! Is my dream of dentistry over?

[rajmahal1980]

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Schools got my application in August and still not a single interview!!

I got a 26 on the DAT, have two degrees, international background, years of work experience, 100 hours observation, 3 pre dental courses and am still working hard to improve my application!!

My GPA on my application from AADSAS was 2.8 (because I did two degrees at the same time, graduated in 2002). I also have a few W's because I took such a big work load and had to drop some courses. I have gone back to school and taken courses to raise the science to 3.0 and BCP to 3.1. By end winter my science will be 3.3.

AADSAS won't send this information until February. I sent letters to the schools letting them know this but I have a feeling no one reads them. I'm not even saying I deserve to be admitted to any school, but to not have one interview to explain my situation is really bad.

I am as passionate about dentistry as anyone on here but am being penalized for doing two degrees many years ago and am thinking about giving up my dream of being a dentist. I'm not an undergrad, I'm an older applicant and I have to start thinking about supporting a family so I can't waste more time. I am not in a financial position to get in more debt doing a masters degree.

Any advice? Is there any shot for me to be a dentist? Constructive advice only please, I have been bashed on here about my undergrad GPA but I can't do anything about it now!

 

[food4thots]

stop freaking everyone out. you'll be fine. what i suggest you do is though, is to follow up with the schools themselves and tell them your situation with the grades. maybe that would help.

i do know how u feel, it's a tense situation. i went thru it last year and am currently going thru it now. at least your application is in. i'm still waiting on aadsas to send mine. (sigh...)

u're dat scores are unreal. gpa is important.. but urs isn't bad, esp with a double major.

 

[Tracy47]

You kept on saying how your GPA is low is because of your double major. I know a lot of people who doubled majors and they did fine. I was a few credits away from my second major and I did fine. I don't think schools would appreciate it if you bring up that excuse.

It's still early. You have a great DAT score, but that's only part of the overall picture. If you don't end up getting in this year, you should do a post-bac program to pull up your GPA, and reapply. Don't give up so easily. It'll be worth it when you get that acceptance letter!

 

[SuperC]

Go get drunk and stop worrying.

Would you like a hug?

Good Luck,
-C

 

[rajmahal1980]

You kept on saying how your GPA is low is because of your double major. I know a lot of people who doubled majors and they did fine. I was a few credits away from my second major and I did fine. I don't think schools would appreciate it if you bring up that excuse.

It's still early. You have a great DAT score, but that's only part of the overall picture. If you don't end up getting in this year, you should do a post-bac program to pull up your GPA, and reapply. Don't give up so easily. It'll be worth it when you get that acceptance letter!

Your right about double majors but my school also had tons of pre-reqs so it does come down to course load. For example I would have quarters were I was taking 6 classes (24 quarter units) while the average student was taking 12-16. Still I agree my GPA should have been better, and after deciding on dentistry I have gone back to school to rectify the situation.

I did think about post-bac programs but isn't it too to get in for this year? If I started next September once againt he grades would not get to the schools in time.

Thanks for the advice though!

 

[dat_student]

Your right about double majors but my school also had tons of pre-reqs so it does come down to course load. For example I would have quarters were I was taking 6 classes (24 quarter units) while the average student was taking 12-16. Still I agree my GPA should have been better, and after deciding on dentistry I have gone back to school to rectify the situation.

I did think about post-bac programs but isn't it too to get in for this year? If I started next September once againt he grades would not get to the schools in time.

Thanks for the advice though!

I think UOP doesn't care much about GPAs. They have the lowest GPA avg in California and probably one of the lowest GPAs in the country. You may want to call UOP and tell them your situation. [I double majored and did fine. Major #1:Molecular Genetics, Major #2 Software Engineering, Minor: Chemistry. I even took 22-23 units [8 classes] and still did fine].

 

[tinman831]

i would say that the heavy course load excuse (although maybe valid in YOUR case) wouldn't really fly. i have a few overachiever friends who took 18-22 hours a semester for a dual degree (not just double major) and they have awesome stats. your dat scores surely make up for your lack luster gpa. i say its time to sit back, take a chill pill (or your pill of preference), and wait for those schools to contact you. theres nothing more you can do now but wait.

 

[johnstylzes]

You might be right about Pacific's GPA being the lowest in California in the past, but its gone up remarkably the last year or so. I wouldn't be surprised if their average GPA starts to match traditionally competitive schools (besides Penn, UCLA, UCSF).

http://dental.pacific.edu/admissions1/DDS/faq.htm

Q: What level of performance is the Admissions Committee looking for in my academic history?

A: Many of our successful applicants completed three or more terms of full-time study within the last three years. Full-time study is defined as four or more courses per term. Three of their four courses were predental science courses approved for biology majors. They achieved a B or better in each course; no D, W, F or I grades.

Our incoming class Grade Point Average (GPA) averages are: overall GPA - 3.39 and science GPA - 3.30.

And Pacific is one of the only few schools that emphasizes the DAT, specially PAT, AA, and RC. At least that is working on your side...


GL

I think UOP doesn't care much about GPAs. They have the lowest GPA avg in California and probably one of the lowest GPAs in the country. You may want to call UOP and tell them your situation. [I double majored and did fine. Major #1:Molecular Genetics, Major #2 Software Engineering, Minor: Chemistry. I even took 22-23 units [8 classes] and still did fine].

 

[donkeywhisperer]

I tripple majored in nuclear physics, mathematics, and sign-language, and I did fine too. I even did it with one arm tied behind my back. Oh and did I mention that I took eleventy billion credits at once and still got a straight A's.
Just kidding, don't sweat too much, as long as you haven't got rejection letters there's still a chance. A buddy of mine didn't hear anything from anyone until January, and he got in somewhere.

 

[Todds2be@work]

I called UOP and the lady told me that their mean GPA was 3.35 and science 3.30. I dont consider this a low GPA at all. I almost finished double major too. I did Computer science and Biology. Computer Science was the hardest program at my university. It hurt my GPA a lot.

But doing two majors, I made it sound like I was more knowledgable and more well-rounded.
In your case you always made it sounds like you are looking for sympathy. My suggestion make it strong point, not your weak point. I suggest even when you email schools, show them that you are well-rounded and vastly experienced rather than looking for sympathy.

 

[r0entgen]

Your right about double majors but my school also had tons of pre-reqs so it does come down to course load. For example I would have quarters were I was taking 6 classes (24 quarter units) while the average student was taking 12-16. Still I agree my GPA should have been better, and after deciding on dentistry I have gone back to school to rectify the situation.

I did think about post-bac programs but isn't it too to get in for this year? If I started next September once againt he grades would not get to the schools in time.

Thanks for the advice though!

i wouldn't tell that to your dental schools...that will only sound like a big excuse. i'm sure they can read and notised that you double majoured...but whether that is a valid enough reason to excuse a low gpa is really up to them. i don't think you should call them and explain because that will only be annoying to them, and the last thing you want to do is to annoy them.

 

[dat_student]

I called UOP and the lady told me that their mean GPA was 3.35 and science 3.30. I dont consider this a low GPA at all.....

Even if their mean GPA is 3.3 it is still the lowest mean GPA in the state of California. UCSF's mean GPA, UCLA's mean GPA and USC's mean GPA were higher than UOP's mean GPA in the past many yrs....

 

[syn_apse]

can somebody please get raj a paper bag to breathe into?

seriously, raj, i would be shocked if you didn't get in anywhere... relax and stay positive! 😎

 

[mochafreak]

can somebody please get raj a paper bag to breathe into?

seriously, raj, i would be shocked if you didn't get in anywhere... relax and stay positive! 😎

*handing raj a paper bag*...relax and perhaps write every school a letter explaining that you didn't realize you wanted to go to dental school in undergrad, so your gpa doesn't reflect your best work. However, explain that your dat does reflect your intelligence and interest in dentistry.

...now give me my bag back please, I need it. 😀

 

[dat_student]

...
seriously, raj, i would be shocked if you didn't get in anywhere... relax and stay positive! 😎

I thought Raj would get in everywhere but apparently that is not the case. I think he should try to apply to some more schools. Raj should contact some dental schools and explain his situation. I think some schools like to have a student with GPA = 2.8 and AA = 26. Again, I will be very very very very surprized if UOP rejects him. UCSF, UCLA and USC may not be the right choices. UCSF says that it rarely accepts anyone with GPA < 3.0. That usually means nobody with GPA < 3.0. I spoke with the admissions director @USC about a month ago and he told me GPA was the most important factor for USC. UCLA's selection factors are:
#1 GPA
#2 TS Score
#3 Academic Average and PAT (they call it PMAT)
#4 Reading esp. for English as a Second Language applicants
#5 course load
#6 Letters of Recommendation
#7 Interview
http://www.dent.ucla.edu/admissions/index.asp?id=345

Bottom line: Raj should apply to more schools but he should contact each school before applying.


"Striving to better, oft we mar what's well"
Shakespeare - King Lear

interviews: UCSF, UPENN, Columbia, University of Maryland, Boston, University of Pittsburgh, Temple, Indiana, Case Western Reserve University, UMKC, UMDNJ, I don't recall the rest [I won't go to all interviews]

 

[Rezdawg]

When that interview arrives, just dont mention that your GPA was low because of courseload. Dental school will deliver you double digit science courses per semester, so that excuse will not be something that the interviewer will appreciate.

 

[r0entgen]

When that interview arrives, just dont mention that your GPA was low because of courseload. Dental school will deliver you double digit science courses per semester, so that excuse will not be something that the interviewer will appreciate.

exactly...and likewise, you shouldn't call up the schools and make that excuse before you receive your interview either. just sit, chill out, and wait for the interviews to come.

 

[TimR]

Some other threads have made it pretty clear that because of the large volume of applicants this year, most dental schools are running a little behind schedule on their application processing. You just need to be patient. You sound so whiny. This isn't for the faint of heart.

 

[superchris147]

maybe you should try applying to schools in the country that you're from. i know this sounds naieve or however you spell it but schools like to train people that they think are going to treat people in their state. that's why being out of state is such a big deal. that is of course if you don't get in and dentistry is still your dream

also complaining about your course workload is not going to get you anywhere. your load in dental school is going to be way harder than your quadruple major or whatever. so if you interview and they bring that up i would think hard about what you say

 

[Audio]

maybe you should try applying to schools in the country that you're from. i know this sounds naieve or however you spell it but schools like to train people that they think are going to treat people in their state. that's why being out of state is such a big deal. that is of course if you don't get in and dentistry is still your dream

Doesn't sound naive, sounds like you're a red neck

 

[superchris147]

Doesn't sound naive, sounds like you're a red neck

just because you're from canada don't get your panties all up in a bunch

 

[Audio]

just because you're from canada don't get your panties all up in a bunch

It's because I'm from Canada that I'll forgive you. I mean, you do have to cope with severe inbreeding depression

 

[libratl]

I believe GPA is the main factor hurting you here. But you have pursued the right direction which is to take courses to raise your overall GPA. If anything, you should be competitive once you raise your GPA to 3.0 and above.

For your reference, my DAT score is 26/30/22 (AA/TS/PA), GPA around the 3.5 range. So far I have received 4 interview invitations this year.

 

[rajmahal1980]

Thanks for the advice guys. You're right I just need to chill and I'm sure things will work out.

libratl, wow those are amazing scores. Is UOP one of the 4 schools you got an invite from?

 

[dreaming2k5]

B.Sc. Management Science & B.A. Anthropology
UCSD 2002
GPA: overall 2.8, science 3.0

Schools applied to: UOP, NYU, USC, UCSF, Boston, Loma Linda, Tufts, UNLV

Management science... anthropology? I dunno -- if you did double major in Electrical Engineering and Biomedcal engineering, giving overloaded coursework as an excuse might pass over better.

In any case, what's done is done - have you gotten requests for secondaries from any of the schools at least? Or any letters at all? I got a post card from UCSF saying, "give us secondaries." A letter from NYU saying, "we're reviewing you." An invitation over email from boston. They aren't saying much, but my files aren't even complete (no LORs).

Instead of writing them letters - you should just call them up directly and ask, "hey, am I missing anything, what's going on over there? damnit, look at my DAT, I got a 26! LET ME IN YOU PEACHY BASTARDS!"

 

[greenday]

I called UOP and the lady told me that their mean GPA was 3.35 and science 3.30. I dont consider this a low GPA at all. I almost finished double major too. I did Computer science and Biology. Computer Science was the hardest program at my university. It hurt my GPA a lot.

But doing two majors, I made it sound like I was more knowledgable and more well-rounded.
In your case you always made it sounds like you are looking for sympathy. My suggestion make it strong point, not your weak point. I suggest even when you email schools, show them that you are well-rounded and vastly experienced rather than looking for sympathy.

Same here.
Computer science major has a mean GPA of 2.5 compared to Biology of 3.1 at my school.
I was asked about my major in one of my interviews and got a chance to elaborate and impress 😍

 

[dat_student]

Same here.
Computer science major has a mean GPA of 2.5 compared to Biology of 3.1 at my school.
I was asked about my major in one of my interviews and got a chance to elaborate and impress 😍

Same here. Computer Science/Software Engineering GPA is 0.035 lower than Molecular Genetics GPA but received my computer degree with departmental honors mainly as a result of a bioinformatics* research project that I created and worked on. 😉

*bioinformatics = Computer + Biology

 

[Todds2be@work]

Yes, I totally agree with it. Computer Science was much harder than Biology. BCP is 3.7 and total science is 3.37. It is only because of computer science courses where studying a lot does not even make a difference. Its either you get it or not.

 

[food4thots]

i took a C++ class once.. dropped it after the first midterm.. luckily i didn't go that route..

 

[Tracy47]

I was a comp sci major, and I did fine. I don't think it's wise to tell the adcom that "my major is harder than their major". Just my opinion though.

 

[Todds2be@work]

I was a comp sci major, and I did fine. I don't think it's wise to tell the adcom that "my major is harder than their major". Just my opinion though.

Yes, I already know that. Thank you for advice. All we are saying that it was harder to get better grades. No one is asking for sympathy.
I always made it look like that it is advantageous for me that I have done two majors, rather than showing why my GPA is low because it was entirely my decision to do computer science. Infact, I never mention my GPA is low. I always say that I am well-rounded applicant.

 

[Lostinbul]

Pretty sad how this thread was began by someone asking for some encouragement and advice in regards to his situation and application, and instead it has become saturated with "pat ME on the back" posts ("well I did two majors and didn't have a problem....") If you want to talk about yourself, start your own post! To the OP....I have a hard time believeing that you won't get in with those stats! Keep in mind however that the more contact you have with the individual schools the better. Call them on the phone, send them emails, visit the schools, what ever you feel comfortable with. The idea is to get them to keep looking at your application. Best of luck to you and hang in there! I'm sure things will work out.

 

[Tracy47]

I honestly wasn't trying to rub it in at all. I think it's just silly that people blame on their majors for not doing well. And I know some people have even told adcoms this. And the difficulty of majors is really dependent on the person. A person who is logical could do very well in comp sci, but a person who has a wonderful memory will excel in biology. That's only what I am trying to say. Sorry if it seemed like I'm trying to brag about myself.

 

[reLAXgirl]

Have you followed up with the schools to make sure they have your application completed?

Sometimes AADSAS or others mess up and if your file is incomplete it will be sitting untouched until it is.

Worth looking into!

 

[organichemistry]

i have taken plenty of engineering and science courses. i don't think it's fair to say engineering is harder than science because of lower mean GPA's.

at my uni, the mean GPA for engineers is about a 2.7 compared to 3.15 of Biology majors.

this is a bit misleading though because most pre-meds (and pre-dents, pre-opts, pre-pharms) are biology majors and are gunning for a 4.0 every semester. in fact, i'd say half of the biology majors at my school are vying for professional school spots.

contrast this to engineering where many are just trying to get through so they can be making $50,000 at age 22.

both are very difficult fields, but i think comparing their difficulties using mean GPA is a bad idea.

the mean GPA of psychology is lower than that of biology at my school. why? because all the freshman pre-meds who couldn't cut it switched into psychology 🙂

 

[uclaguy]

Your double major excuse is nothing. If your making excuses for 6 classes in undergrad then admissions committees are not going to be impressed. Dental school is tough, making excuses is not a way to impress schools.

Your DAT shows your smart so relax.