Paralyzed by the fear of failure: Anyone with a 2.9 cum GPA get accepted?

[HopefulDr201]

I'm 23 and becoming a dentist is a goal of mine that I hope (by the grace of God) to achieve within my short time spent here on this Earth. However, this goal just seems almost impossible for me, given my embarrassingly low GPA of 2.9. And especially since admittance into dental school is becoming more competitive each year.

I plan on finishing off my pre-requisites starting this summer: ORGO and Physics. Then perhaps apply for a Master's degree. Then apply. Frankly, however, I am as broke as one can possibly be. I am lost as to how I'm able to finance all of this.

To those who were in a similar or worse situation than mine, how did you do it?! I'd truly appreciate your wisdom and advice.

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[sumin5924]

I had a 2.8 uGPA, did a SMP, and brought up my culmulative to about a 3.2. Got acceptances on my first cycle.

Give it your all. If you don't get in, at least you know you tried your best.

 

[fogorvostan]

Then apply. Frankly, however, I am as broke as one can possibly be. I am lost as to how I'm able to finance all of this.

Loans. I had to take out a small federal loan for my Masters degree. Although I have read somewhere that you can't get federal loans for an SMP because you aren't actually awarded a degree? NO clue if that is true or not. Maybe someone on here will know more.

 

[sumin5924]

Loans. I had to take out a small federal loan for my Masters degree. Although I have read somewhere that you can't get federal loans for an SMP because you aren't actually awarded a degree? NO clue if that is true or not. Maybe someone on here will know more.

I did a SMP, have a master's, and took out federal loans.

 

[Jbrowndds]

Loans. I had to take out a small federal loan for my Masters degree. Although I have read somewhere that you can't get federal loans for an SMP because you aren't actually awarded a degree? NO clue if that is true or not. Maybe someone on here will know more.

I heard the same thing. I was hope as well that people who have been through these programs can shed some light on how they financed it.

 

[HopefulDr201]

I had a 2.8 uGPA, did a SMP, and brought up my culmulative to about a 3.2. Got acceptances on my first cycle.

Give it your all. If you don't get in, at least you know you tried your best.

Hey thanks for the reply. Also, congrats on your acceptance! Which SMP would you suggest and where did you end up going?

 

[deleted740991]

There is no quick, easy fix. You will have to either privately finance further education, take out federal loans, a graduate assistantship with your classes as a stipend (which may not include your finances for housing, food, etc.), or a full-time / part-time job to support yourself (which is what the majority of adults do).

You honestly have a long road ahead, and you need to realize that from the get-go, otherwise the journey will give you false expectations. Like I've advised in other threads, you need to create a timeframe right now going forward with a plan on how exactly you want to spend the next 1-2 years of your life. This plan must include how you're going to pay your education, what classes you will enroll in, what extracurriculars you must fulfill, and a reasonable consideration for completing DAT scores and all necessary things to your file.

Unless you score extremely high in your DAT (23's across) with a 3.8 in graduate biomedical credits for a strong upward sGPA (minimum 35 credits), doing all of this in a year for matriculation next cycle will be a very long shot. Your timeline appears to be a minimum 2 year experience, with application for dental school in Year 3.

Consider all of this going forward.

 

[Soleus715]

It's definitely possible. First you have to really examine yourself and ask if becoming a dentist is what you really want.
I had to reevaluate myself over and over again. I think it shouldn't be money, security, helping people, etc that drives your motivation to become a dentist.
You just have to really like dentistry itself. I've seen the toll running a dental office has on dentists. It's not all rosy and bright. It's stressful and it's hard work.
After years of managing an office, I got to really see what dentistry was about. Business and clinical practice at the same time will make you work hard.

The reason I write all this is that you'll have to take on some risks to become a dentist with your current situation.
You know that investing money again on application/ DAT is very expensive especially if you're low income.
You're still going to be responsible for the $50k for masters if it doesn't work out. Even if it does, interest will accumulate all through out the 5 years spent studying.
Plus, you have to pay dental school tuition which is MUCH more expensive on top of all that.

I have a 3.0 gpa and 23 dat with no acceptances this cycle.

If I don't get an acceptance, I'll be doing a 1 yr masters program which costs a bit more than $50k for everything.
I'll be taking on federal loans and trying to have it deferred. I'll probably apply for the military scholarship so my debt at the end of 5 years will hopefully be the masters expenses.
This sounds all great, but what's the chance of everything going as I planned? Things can and always do change. We just have to plan smart and have be ready to adapt.

So if you're still in it for dentistry like I am, I think you can definitely do it. Just make sure you find plausible financial options and set realistic expectations.
It's a long and tough road but if dentistry is really that valuable for you, I think you should give it your all.

And lastly, as a Christian, I just want to say that you need to pray and ask if this is the will of God. I personally believe that God gave people talents so they can use them. Make sure this is it! Good luck!

 

[sweetpeeas]

It's VERY possible, but it takes a lot of will, patience and dedication. I graduated in 2013 with the same GPA, did a lot of community service and soul-searching to see whether dentistry was right for me. I think it's good to take a few months off from school to really reflect on everything.

After confirming it was for me, I went back and did a post-bac program (cheaper than master's program), did well (50 units, 4.0 GPA) & applied this 2015-2016 cycle. After 20+ straight rejections, I managed to get two interview invites. I got into an AMAZING dental school, and waitlisted at my DREAM school.

Work hard, constantly reevaluate yourself, be surrounded in a caring environment, and you'll be surprised where you can end up

 

[ElenaDDS]

I heard the same thing. I was hope as well that people who have been through these programs can shed some light on how they financed it.

You can get loans for the masters degree. However, my main recommendation would be NOT to go to an expensive graduate school. You do not want to be in a lot of debt before even financing dental school or knowing if you must attend private schools.

Keep in mind that upfront costs like moving and paying the first month/security deposit of a lease will be financed WITHOUT loans at first then you will get them after you enroll. This is an expensive process and you need to have good finances or someone who can give you thousands to move forward with applying to dental school. To go to an interview (just one) can cost between $500-1,000. Please plan ahead of time and be prudent about loans.

 

[ElenaDDS]

There is no quick, easy fix. You will have to either privately finance further education, take out federal loans, a graduate assistantship with your classes as a stipend (which may not include your finances for housing, food, etc.), or a full-time / part-time job to support yourself (which is what the majority of adults do).

You honestly have a long road ahead, and you need to realize that from the get-go, otherwise the journey will give you false expectations. Like I've advised in other threads, you need to create a timeframe right now going forward with a plan on how exactly you want to spend the next 1-2 years of your life. This plan must include how you're going to pay your education, what classes you will enroll in, what extracurriculars you must fulfill, and a reasonable consideration for completing DAT scores and all necessary things to your file.

Unless you score extremely high in your DAT (23's across) with a 3.8 in graduate biomedical credits for a strong upward sGPA (minimum 35 credits), doing all of this in a year for matriculation next cycle will be a very long shot. Your timeline appears to be a minimum 2 year experience, with application for dental school in Year 3.

Consider all of this going forward.

This isnt completely accurate. You can get into dental schools with maybe 15-20 graduate credits with a good GPA. And a 23 AA is not necessary but maybe a 20 AA is something to shoot for!

 

[schmoob]

First off, good for you. It takes guts to put stats like that out there with the amount of trolls on here. Your post says you really want this.
I won't post my stats, but I got an offer with under a 3.0. I had A LOT of other things in my app to include post bacc AND masters, but the important thing is that I got it. That's all that matters. My app showed that I wanted it. Honestly, there was some luck involved, I'm not delusional. I was preparing to reapply. But I got it.
Keep working and it will come. Even if it takes another 2-3 years, you'll get it.

Btw, side note: is anyone else noticing a trend around this time of year of doubtful applicants?
Bottom line is never stop moving forward towards your dream. If you want it bad enough, you WILL do whatever it takes to get it. If you dont, then you didn't want it as bad as you think you did.

 

[aznriptide859]

My uGPA was very low (~2.6 cumulative, 1.6 from my first institution then 3.6 at my next), however I completed a masters program last year with a 3.9 and did pretty well on my DAT. I think they key point is to show you have an upward trend but also with tougher classes, which demonstrate you're prepared for the rigors of dental school and that low grades was just a temporary setback. Different schools might view it differently, so YMMV with interviews/offers.

This year was my 3rd cycle applying; I've gotten 4 interviews, 2 wait-lists and 1 acceptance. Feel free to PM me any more personal questions you may have

 

[pgex2t]

I'm 23 and becoming a dentist is a goal of mine that I hope (by the grace of God) to achieve within my short time spent here on this Earth. However, this goal just seems almost impossible for me, given my embarrassingly low GPA of 2.9. And especially since admittance into dental school is becoming more competitive each year.

I plan on finishing off my pre-requisites starting this summer: ORGO and Physics. Then perhaps apply for a Master's degree. Then apply. Frankly, however, I am as broke as one can possibly be. I am lost as to how I'm able to finance all of this.

To those who were in a similar or worse situation than mine, how did you do it?! I'd truly appreciate your wisdom and advice.

Similar story to @sweetpeeas here; was depressingly deep into the sub 3.0 club after undergrad, did about 50 units of post bacc (3.7)<-I'm a P.O.S. I know, retook my DAT a third time 20AA->22AA->24AA, and received 6 interviews this cycle (3 waitlists, 2 waiting on response, 1 yet to attend). I think the take away message from this thread is that you have several options to get noticed by dental schools if you take the time to pursue them. If you're really hurting on money, I think the most effective path would be to attend a post bacc for a good amount of units (like 40ish) to push that sgpa to a 3.1-3.2 and crush the DAT (21+). Or if you want the absolute largest bang for your buck, get a Feralis/pikachurro score and avoid the post-bacc/smp altogether-this option is much harder to have control over. All things considered, having a great personal statement and extra-curriculars will only help you. If your app demonstrates a story of how intensely you want to be a dentist, schools will take notice and respond.

P.S. Out of curiosity, Is NYU your dream school @sweetpeeas ?

 

[sweetpeeas]

Similar story to @sweetpeeas here; was depressingly deep into the sub 3.0 club after undergrad, did about 50 units of post bacc (3.7)<-I'm a P.O.S. I know, retook my DAT a third time 20AA->22AA->24AA, and received 6 interviews this cycle (3 waitlists, 2 waiting on response, 1 yet to attend). I think the take away message from this thread is that you have several options to get noticed by dental schools if you take the time to pursue them. If you're really hurting on money, I think the most effective path would be to attend a post bacc for a good amount of units (like 40ish) to push that sgpa to a 3.1-3.2 and crush the DAT (21+). Or if you want the absolute largest bang for your buck, get a Feralis/pikachurro score and avoid the post-bacc/smp altogether-this option is much harder to have control over. All things considered, having a great personal statement and extra-curriculars will only help you. If your app demonstrates a story of how intensely you want to be a dentist, schools will take notice and respond.

P.S. Out of curiosity, Is NYU your dream school @sweetpeeas ?

Your story, @pgex2t, is very inspiring! I hope great things come your way~