- Joined
- Nov 30, 2016
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 1
Hello all! I have been a long time lurker here, but finally decided to break my silence by asking this awesome and experienced community for some advice.
I graduated May 2016 from NYU with a B.S. in Public Health and completed all of my prereqs plus a few extra science classes. However, my GPA was mediocre at best (3.3 cGPA, 3.0 sGPA). Long story short, my naive self had my head on upside down and backwards throughout undergrad. My saving grace is that I did gain research experience in an orgo lab during a semester abroad in Sydney and gained about 300 hours of hands-on clinical dental experience with an underserved population in Champaign, IL. Ultimately, I decided to move home after graduation to use my gap year working full time at the local health department. In order to raise my GPA and form relationships with science professors that I did not make while at NYU, I will be leaving my job to obtain second bachelors degree in Biology starting in August. My advisor determined that it will only take me 2 semesters (the 2017-2018 school year) of a full and manageable science schedule to obtain a second degree. Additionally, I am scheduled to take my DAT this May.
I originally planned to complete the degree, apply June 2018, and use the time during the rest of the application/interview cycle to gain more relevant dental experience by ideally assisting (essentially taking a second gap year). My advisor, who is heavily involved with the university's dental school, strongly suggested that I begin the application process June 2017. My reservations with applying for this upcoming cycle are that it seems to defeat the purpose of me going back to school in the first place (1. Raise GPA to be a stronger applicant 2. Form relationships with science professors for decent LORs). On one hand I want to follow his advice because he is so connected to the dental school; on the other hand, I don't know if it is a good idea for me to apply right now when I am not a strong applicant and don't have great (if any) options for LORs from science professors from NYU.
THE QUESTIONS: Should I start my application this June as my advisor suggested? If I begin to apply in June 2018, will admissions frown upon a second gap year if I use it to gain more hands-on dental experience? What are the benefits/trade-offs to either? Can I even make a decision like this without a DAT score?
tl;dr Took a gap year, 3.3 cGPA 3.0 sGPA, scheduled to take DAT in May, returning to university complete a second bachelors in the 2017-2018 school year, should I apply in June 2017 or June 2018
I graduated May 2016 from NYU with a B.S. in Public Health and completed all of my prereqs plus a few extra science classes. However, my GPA was mediocre at best (3.3 cGPA, 3.0 sGPA). Long story short, my naive self had my head on upside down and backwards throughout undergrad. My saving grace is that I did gain research experience in an orgo lab during a semester abroad in Sydney and gained about 300 hours of hands-on clinical dental experience with an underserved population in Champaign, IL. Ultimately, I decided to move home after graduation to use my gap year working full time at the local health department. In order to raise my GPA and form relationships with science professors that I did not make while at NYU, I will be leaving my job to obtain second bachelors degree in Biology starting in August. My advisor determined that it will only take me 2 semesters (the 2017-2018 school year) of a full and manageable science schedule to obtain a second degree. Additionally, I am scheduled to take my DAT this May.
I originally planned to complete the degree, apply June 2018, and use the time during the rest of the application/interview cycle to gain more relevant dental experience by ideally assisting (essentially taking a second gap year). My advisor, who is heavily involved with the university's dental school, strongly suggested that I begin the application process June 2017. My reservations with applying for this upcoming cycle are that it seems to defeat the purpose of me going back to school in the first place (1. Raise GPA to be a stronger applicant 2. Form relationships with science professors for decent LORs). On one hand I want to follow his advice because he is so connected to the dental school; on the other hand, I don't know if it is a good idea for me to apply right now when I am not a strong applicant and don't have great (if any) options for LORs from science professors from NYU.
THE QUESTIONS: Should I start my application this June as my advisor suggested? If I begin to apply in June 2018, will admissions frown upon a second gap year if I use it to gain more hands-on dental experience? What are the benefits/trade-offs to either? Can I even make a decision like this without a DAT score?
tl;dr Took a gap year, 3.3 cGPA 3.0 sGPA, scheduled to take DAT in May, returning to university complete a second bachelors in the 2017-2018 school year, should I apply in June 2017 or June 2018
