Regarding SMP, is it the best way to go if one wants to make his app more competitive? For most people at a 2.75 GPA, is it best to do a SMP or informal postbacc taking upper level science courses? Or when schools say you should do a masters they mean the ordinary 2 years masters?
Special masters program?
- Thread starter casiouser
- Start date
i mean when people say they did their masters, do they mean a SMP or a real 2 year thesis based masters program? Does it make a big difference, like if i wanted to improve my sub 3.0 gpa, and did a SMP and got a 3.70, do i have a chance at that point (speaking purely on numbers)?
Thanks 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Yes, it doesnt matter what kind of program you are in.... As long as you take the right courses... Choose whatevr fits you.
I am in a masters program in biology....nothing special or anything... Just a regular masters program. For my school, there are two options to choose from: plan A- thesis based; plan B- non-thesis. Most regular masters programs are two years but you can always graduate within a year if you want to take ~15 credit hours per semester of graduate courses. I am currently finishing up plan B. i took very intense graduate level courses such as pharmacology, anatomy, neurobiology, medical physiology, biochemistry, immunology...etc. mostly classes that dental students take. This shows the adcoms that you can manage graduate level courses and plus you are already exposed to the materials compared to other students.... I am graduating this semester with a 3.8 gpa and ive got three interviews already.
Let me know if you have anymore questions!
I am in a masters program in biology....nothing special or anything... Just a regular masters program. For my school, there are two options to choose from: plan A- thesis based; plan B- non-thesis. Most regular masters programs are two years but you can always graduate within a year if you want to take ~15 credit hours per semester of graduate courses. I am currently finishing up plan B. i took very intense graduate level courses such as pharmacology, anatomy, neurobiology, medical physiology, biochemistry, immunology...etc. mostly classes that dental students take. This shows the adcoms that you can manage graduate level courses and plus you are already exposed to the materials compared to other students.... I am graduating this semester with a 3.8 gpa and ive got three interviews already.
Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Hey awesome news on the interviews! What was your undergrad GPA? DId u do a masters cuz it was low?
What do you think is better a special or a thesis based masters? But even if 1 is better, does it make a big difference for d school.
What do u think is better to do? Like do a lot of dental schools not like special masters?
What do you think is better a special or a thesis based masters? But even if 1 is better, does it make a big difference for d school.
What do u think is better to do? Like do a lot of dental schools not like special masters?
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
- Messages
- 1,144
- Reaction score
- 119
It won't really make a difference if it is a regular 2 years MS or a SMP, same with thesis vs. non-thesis. What really matters are the numbers at the end of it... your GPA.
To be brutally honest a 2.75 is very low... and even if you did a 1 yr SMP ~ 30 credits and got a 4.0, it would still bring you up to only a 3.0, which is still very low for dental admissions. You also have to consider how they calculate your GPA's. You will have an undergrad GPA and a Masters GPA, then an overall. Even if you have a 4.0 with your SMP, you will still have a 2.75 undergrad GPA, which is not only a red flag, but also might be below some schools cutoffs, which equals automatic rejection.
I think personally you should do a year of upper division informal postbac and then go from there. To be honest, you really need to look deep inside yourself and see if you are even capable of achieving A's in upper division sciences... and not just 2 or 3... you need to take 4-5 a semester. B's will simply not cut it and raise your GPA enough... do you have what it takes?
After the 1 year of postbac, you will have a 3.0, which may be enough. If not you can then do a 1 year SMP, but either way you need to get your undergrad GPA up.
Best of luck!!!
Hmmm so youd think a informal post bacc (so undergrad GPA can go up) is better to do than a masters in this case.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2012
- Messages
- 182
- Reaction score
- 0
Did you do UMDNJ's masters program?
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
- Messages
- 1,144
- Reaction score
- 119
I personally think so, because not only will your undergrad GPA go up, but if you get anything less than a 4.0, you will be in the 2.9 range, which is still not good.
You can always do an SMP after an informal postbac, but you can't do an informal postbac after an SMP. Make sense?
I am just not convinced that a 3.0 GPA will get you into dental school, with or without an MS. However, i think a 3.3 (after 1 year postbac and 1 yr SMP) with an MS looks much more promising.
Unfortunately GPA fixing is not a 1 year process. It usually takes people 2-3 years and lots more money to make it right.
I personally think, and from an experience.... Advise you to do the masters program. Yes, its true that your undergrad gpa will stay they same, but adcoms will look much more into your graduate work. I personallythought it was a waste of time to do a 2 to 3 years of pos bac. You should maybe talk with one of the admission committe at your schools dental school if you have one. That is what I did and the adcoms told me it doesnt matter what program I am in as long as I do well, which I did!
With choosing thesis or nonthesis program, think about if you are interested in research or not. Also if you are interested in research and want to apply to dental schools that oike research experiences...then do thesis....I personally have no interest in research and did a non thesis which only requires completionof 30 credit hours of graduate work.
Along with the masters program, what helped me was to volunteer and assist at my schools dental clinic for about two years. And i got really great recommendations from the dental school and science professors.
With choosing thesis or nonthesis program, think about if you are interested in research or not. Also if you are interested in research and want to apply to dental schools that oike research experiences...then do thesis....I personally have no interest in research and did a non thesis which only requires completionof 30 credit hours of graduate work.
Along with the masters program, what helped me was to volunteer and assist at my schools dental clinic for about two years. And i got really great recommendations from the dental school and science professors.
Thanks! According to my appkication on AADSAS, my undergrad sgpa is 2.8 and ogpa of 3.0. The overall gpa which includes undergrad and graduate: sgpa 2.94 and ogpa of 3.1. Yes, I did a masters bc of my poor sgpa. Dental schools dont care whatyou do, aslong as you do well in ur program. Also, my DAT helped my application: 22 pa, 18qr, 23 rc, 22 bio, 21 gc, 22 gc, 22 TS, 21 AC.
Hope this helps.... Let me know if you have more questions 🙂 and good luck!
