Receiving my second Bachelors, need help.

[Barbiee]

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I am currently a Senior (undergraduate) seeking a degree in Biology. I already have a Bachelors in History. I will be graduating with my Biology degree next May (2014).

I want to go to Dental School but because of my mistakes in the past and illness in the family, my GPA is not where it should be. After receiving my first Bachelors degree I have raised my GPA but I am looking at a 2.3 when I graduate with my Biology degree next May.

I did an Internship in a Dental Clinic for a semester and after the Internship, I was offered a job as a Dental Assistance and have been working as as Dental Assistance for the past year.

I know that with my GPA, no Dental School is going to consider accepting me or even consider looking at my application. I did some research online and read that to raise your GPA, you should go back and do a post back program. In my case, that is what I am doing at the moment, getting a second Bachelors and trying to raise my GPA as much a possible.

I was wanting to know what I need to do now, after graduation. Should I apply for a Masters? If so, where? What Master programs should I look into to have a better chance to gain admissions into Dental School.

Please help.

 

[free99]

What's your biology degree GPA? sGPA? BCP GPA? If, even after your 2nd bachelors your GPA is 2.3, you're in a really tough spot. Perhaps consider doing an special masters program, which are generally 1 year of graduate level biomedical science courses like pathology, histology, immunology, biochem, etc, etc. you'll have to destroy this program and settle for no less than very high 3s or a 4.0. Honestly, though, there may be no overcoming a 2.3 GPA after 2 bachelors.

 

[Barbiee]

That will be my overall Biology degree GPA.

 

[free99]

That will be my overall Biology degree GPA.

See above, I edited my post.

 

[Barbiee]

What are the GPA requirements for the Master Programs that you mentioned? Let say I keep a 3.0 or 4.0 in the Master program, how does that affect my undergraduate GPA?

Also, what are some of the schools that I can look into to do a Masters.

Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it.

 

[Hawkteeth]

What are the GPA requirements for the Master Programs that you mentioned? Let say I keep a 3.0 or 4.0 in the Master program, how does that affect my undergraduate GPA?

Also, what are some of the schools that I can look into to do a Masters.

Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it.

Not a 3.0 a high 3, like 3.75+. You will need to take the DAT or GRE, but may need to do well on the DAT to get into a masters with a 2.3. What is your GPA for each of the last two semesters? I went to Barry University in FL and got a masters in Biomedical Sciences.

 

[nikond600]

.

 

[tommyinVA]

Your 2.3 GPA in your second bachelor degree in Biology shows that you have no ability in science. Getting a 3.8+ in a Science Master program is not easy. And even if you did it, there would be no guarantee that dental school will accept you. Don't waste your time and money on any Master degree. Instead, choose a different career. Not everyone can become a dentist.

I hate to make it sound like the hammer's getting dropped on you, but I have to agree with nikond600. If you've got 2 bachelor's degrees in 2 completely separate concentrations, then you've probably got about 180-190 credit hours amassed between the 2. If you only have a 2.3cGPA after that, there's NO WAY you can hope to get anywhere near a 3.0. Trust me.

You can read my "long journey" post linked to my signature, but basically I had a ~2.2 after about 115 hours. Even after averaging nearly 3.9 over an additional 110, my cGPA was STILL only 2.7. AADSAS will count every single grade you ever make. Even if you took a course again as a repeat-forgive, both the F you most likely got and the new grade you got the 2nd time will count, which is why AADSAS-calculated GPA's are typically lower than university-calculated GPA's and also why people with tarnished academic pasts have an almost impossible task of improving their cGPA's.

I don't know how long it's been since your 1st and 2nd bachelors and what your GPA was for your 1st as opposed to your 2nd. I'm really hoping when you say you're "looking at a 2.3" that you're referring to your GPA for BOTH degrees, because if you were only able to achieve a 2.3 over your B.S in bio, then nikond600 is really right and you really have no place or right to enter a health professional program. A 2.3 is just plain terrible. It takes some serious failure to do that poorly, and your transcript probably looks horrible. I know, because when I filled out my first AADSAS and entered my grades from 1996-2001, I wanted to puke. I was embarrassed for myself, and I was filling it out in the dark alone at 1 in the morning. If you have a 2.3 over 180 hours, I'm willing to bet that any admissions officer who sees your application will either chuckle at how many mediocre and unsatisfactory grades there are or shake their head in disgust. (I personally did the latter)

I truly believe that just about anybody can get into dental school if they commit themselves to it, but in your case I think the hole you've dug yourself into is far too deep. Either you really weren't that serious about it, or you just aren't cut out for a science-based profession. I had TEN YEARS of time to distinguish the difference in performance between my 1st and 2nd times in school. I don't know if even that would help you at this point.

 

[gn4]

I think it depends on how he does on the DAT. If he destroys the DAT, he can find a school that will admit him even with the low GPA. By destroying the DAT, I'm talking about 90th percentile on each area of the test

 

[MedDevil]

I think it depends on how he does on the DAT. If he destroys the DAT, he can find a school that will admit him even with the low GPA. By destroying the DAT, I'm talking about 90th percentile on each area of the test

That's still not high enough given a sub-3.0 GPA. OP would need nearly 180 credit hours of straight A's to break even at 3.0 given their current GPA and college credits, which alone would take about 5 years of full-time schooling.

 

[tommyinVA]

I think it depends on how he does on the DAT. If he destroys the DAT, he can find a school that will admit him even with the low GPA. By destroying the DAT, I'm talking about 90th percentile on each area of the test

That's still not high enough given a sub-3.0 GPA. OP would need nearly 180 credit hours of straight A's to break even at 3.0 given their current GPA and college credits, which alone would take about 5 years of full-time schooling.

No, there's a difference between having a low GPA by dental school standards and just having a low GPA period. A 2.3 is horribly low. I would be amazed to find ANYONE matriculating to dental school with a 2.3, especially in today's level of competition. MadDevil's right about a high DAT not being enough. Honestly, even if the OP got straight 30's across the board, there would always be the question of either "How the hell did she get those scores?" or "Why or HOW the hell did she do so poorly in undergrad...TWICE?"

But he is wrong about one thing: it wouldn't take nearly 180 hours, it would almost certainly take OVER 180 hours. With a 2.3, I'm willing to bet she's got more than a couple D's and F's. AADSAS still considers those in their calc's, even if they were erased from her transcript by repeat-forgive.

 

[LaughingGas]

Sorry, but 2.3 gpa after 2nd bachelor in biology? It's probably better to find another career choice. You don't even qualify to if any, all SMPs. As others have said, you will need to take more classes to get to 3.0 (overall and science). And do an SMP,and even then, there is no guarantee that you will get in. You are expected to spend another 4 years. Have money and time? go ahead.But you should have changed about yourself before stepping in that 2nd bachelors in biology.