Still Competitive?

[178624]

Overall GPA: 2.8
Science / Pre-health classes GPA: 3.0

Major: Civil Engineering - Structural Branch

Executive position in fraternity. (We started a new chapter for a general service/social fraternity at my college)

Over 100 community service hours.

A DAT of 22 / 25 PAT

Father is Alumni from NYU Dental school


What else would I need to make up for that gpa... granted it is an engineering gpa.

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[blankguy]

You could take upper level biology courses or/and you could go for a Special Masters program. Your DAT is outstanding. Why don't you apply next cycle and see what happens it doesn't hurt to try. In fact some of the adcoms can give you useful advice even if you get rejected. You father being an alum doesn't help you have to get in by your own merit.

 

[caffeinehigh]

With a GPA that low, its likely that your application isnt placed in the "pile" to be reviewed for interview invites just based on the fact that a majority of schools use some sort of minimums or math formula (DAT x GPA) to weed out sub-par applicants.

Your best bet is to apply to your state school, some private schools, come up with a great answer as to why your GPA is so low, and probably take some sort of upper level courses to raise that GPA?

 

[178624]

Does the fact that my father is an alum from NYU help a lot? I really don't want to go for MA or anything. I just wanna take my engineering degree and go straight to dental school after I graduate.

 

[jackbauer!]

You could take upper level biology courses or/and you could go for a Special Masters program. Your DAT is outstanding. Why don't you apply next cycle and see what happens it doesn't hurt to try. In fact some of the adcoms can give you useful advice even if you get rejected. You father being an alum doesn't help you have to get in by your own merit.

since when?

OP: your dad being an alum of NYUCD can only help; if he has donated money then it will definitely help! take advantage of this connection..

jb!

 

[Regmata]

It probably won't help much unless he has stayed active in the school or attended with those who are now active in the school...just because he went there doesn't mean they will easily overlook that your GPA is below a B


Nice DAT though, that will certainly help

 

[caffeinehigh]

Does the fact that my father is an alum from NYU help a lot? I really don't want to go for MA or anything. I just wanna take my engineering degree and go straight to dental school after I graduate.

In all honesty, my father is an alum of one school, and the dean at another school was in his class at said school. (anybody who can put those two together go for it)

The school that he went to said "If it comes down to your son and another student then that may come into play, otherwise it is likely that it will not"

The school with the dean who was in my fathers dental school class said nearly the same thing

Bottom line, its very unlikely to help you.

 

[blankguy]

since when?

OP: your dad being an alum of NYUCD can only help; if he has donated money then it will definitely help! take advantage of this connection..

jb!

If that happens behind the scene, fine!
But you never should expect preferential treatment.
I think people should get in by their own merit but people make too much fuss over politics.

 

[caffeinehigh]

On a side note, if your family decides they want to build a new dental school, I'm sure you can get in that way?

(This post is both humerous, and serious at the same time)

 

[ibeflossin]

Grades don't mean everything... and if you have high DAT scores, that can make up for your grades. Just make sure you have lots of experience to show that you want to be a dentist...

 

[superfinger45]

Just apply to UoP, they love DAT scores over 21 and I've heard that they also put a high emphasis on the PAT. They are also a school that gives the DAT much more weight than gpa. The DAT is the great equalizer...

 

[Vapor1122]

(This post is both humerous, and serious at the same time)

By including that disclaimer, you negated the former

 

[jdoc04]

take upper level biology courses or/and you could go for a Special Masters program.

Exactly what you need to do.

 

[178624]

how many upper level bio courses, and what sorts of courses are we talking about here...

like:
microbiology, microbial physiology, immunology, molecular biology, anatomy?


do the adcoms adjust a certain GPA based on major or weight it differently?
generally engineers have lower GPAs than bio or chem majors for instance and just getting A's in a few more bio courses isn't going to sway a 2.8 gpa averaged over 3 years.

 

[dentstd]

In all honesty, my father is an alum of one school, and the dean at another school was in his class at said school. (anybody who can put those two together go for it)

The school that he went to said "If it comes down to your son and another student then that may come into play, otherwise it is likely that it will not"

The school with the dean who was in my fathers dental school class said nearly the same thing

Bottom line, its very unlikely to help you.

Do you honestly think a man in the public spotlight representing the school such as the Dean would openly admit to corruption?

 

[dentstd]

Overall GPA: 2.8
Science / Pre-health classes GPA: 3.0

Major: Civil Engineering - Structural Branch

Executive position in fraternity. (We started a new chapter for a general service/social fraternity at my college)

Over 100 community service hours.

A DAT of 22 / 25 PAT

Father is Alumni from NYU Dental school


What else would I need to make up for that gpa... granted it is an engineering gpa.

Lots of schools'll overlook that GPA. Go for it, because you have a shot at many schools as is.

Don't apply to UCSF or Case. You're an automatic rejection for those schools. There could be more, but you'd have to research which schools those are.

 

[blankguy]

how many upper level bio courses, and what sorts of courses are we talking about here...

like:
microbiology, microbial physiology, immunology, molecular biology, anatomy?


do the adcoms adjust a certain GPA based on major or weight it differently?
generally engineers have lower GPAs than bio or chem majors for instance and just getting A's in a few more bio courses isn't going to sway a 2.8 gpa averaged over 3 years.

Yup. If you haven't taken those courses there is a good chance that with good grades from those you might end up boosting your BCP grade. I think sometimes they might overlook a weak overall GPA if you have a strong science GPA and strong BCP GPA. Do this before you resort to a masters program. Apply before you do a masters.