Take post-bacc and/or SMP

[gatorsmile]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello,

I applied last cycle to a couple of schools, not expecting to get in but still hopeful. My grades had a downward trend when my application got sent in, but I graduated with a B.S. and this past year was the best year I've had academically. I have quite a few C's, but most of them are retakes of organic chemistry I & II.
I got extremely sick and had to get surgery eventually, and I wasn't very wise at the time and tried to make up for my not passing a couple classes/getting C's by taking an 18 credit course load of upper level science classes (don't do it) right after my surgery. It didn't work out very well.
So even though I screwed up, it was thankfully all in the same year (2012). It was just a bad year that tanked my GPA. I currently have a little over a 3.1 oGPA, but my science GPA is only 2.9, and my BCP...all those organic chem retakes lowered it down to a 2.75.
Needless to say, I have a colorful transcript, but thankfully I messed up in the same year, so it wasn't consistently terrible. And I ended my undergrad career on a strong note (mostly A's/A-'s, and B+s).
I'm taking anatomy/anatomy lab post-bacc right now, so my stats will go up a tiny bit. But I'm starting to realize how expensive taking all of these classes is.
I was very fortunate and got a full time position working as a research assistant/research coordinator for a periodontist. She is letting me have my own project as well. I worked the last couple of years as a receptionist for a private dental practice, have gone on mission trips to Haiti, held an officer position in pre-dental ASDA, and have been involved in a number of other things. I know my extracurriculars are fine. I just know my GPA got me in the auto-reject pile last cycle, and I would like to prevent that from happening so I can get an interview. I also took the DAT in a rush as I last-minute decided to apply last cycle to see what would happen and got an AA of 19, and plan on retaking to get 22+, with proper studying.
My question is: should I NOT do an SMP next year and just continue to take these classes a la carte, boost my oGPA to a 3.3, sGPA to 3.1? Or should I take a few courses post-bacc, boost my stats up to above a 3.0, apply to an SMP, beast it out, and then apply again to dental school? I would just like to hang on to this hope that my own year of being stupid didn't ruin my chances of getting into a dental school.
Thanks for reading my novel and most likely procrastinating instead of doing some sort of work.

 

[shays]

I don't have any useful advice since I haven't been accepted to dental school yet, but we are in a VERY similar boat.
I graduated with a 3.35 oGPA, my last year has been all A's and 1 B, have a killer resume, rushed the DAT and applied last year with an AA of 17, retaking the DAT this round with much higher hopes. I applied and got accepted to a 1 year master's program starting this fall. I chose that because I knew I had to overcome my low GPA in some way to prove that I can be successful in dental school. If I do get an interview this year, I know that they will ask my about my low GPA. The SMP gives me another chance to "start over" and prove myself at a higher level. That's why I chose it. I have been advised from many people not to retake classes that you got a C in because they expect you to make a higher grade the second time and achieving that doesn't prove anything. In my opinion, the SMP would be essential to getting an interview and accepted in your situation. That being said, if you have to wait a year to apply for a SMP, that means dental school is 2 years away. If money is not an issue, I would try applying multiple times. It can't hurt to submit your dental application again this year to see if you have any responses from schools. Good luck!

 

[Chris V]

Hello, I am new here to SDN, how do I calculate my science GPA if I repeated courses? Can you give me an example?? I know aadsas averages the two grades, but how do I incorporate it into the other classes that I only took once??

 

[Chris V]

I don't have any useful advice since I haven't been accepted to dental school yet, but we are in a VERY similar boat.
I graduated with a 3.35 oGPA, my last year has been all A's and 1 B, have a killer resume, rushed the DAT and applied last year with an AA of 17, retaking the DAT this round with much higher hopes. I applied and got accepted to a 1 year master's program starting this fall. I chose that because I knew I had to overcome my low GPA in some way to prove that I can be successful in dental school. If I do get an interview this year, I know that they will ask my about my low GPA. The SMP gives me another chance to "start over" and prove myself at a higher level. That's why I chose it. I have been advised from many people not to retake classes that you got a C in because they expect you to make a higher grade the second time and achieving that doesn't prove anything. In my opinion, the SMP would be essential to getting an interview and accepted in your situation. That being said, if you have to wait a year to apply for a SMP, that means dental school is 2 years away. If money is not an issue, I would try applying multiple times. It can't hurt to submit your dental application again this year to see if you have any responses from schools. Good luck!

Hello, I am new here to SDN, how do I calculate my science GPA if I repeated courses? Can you give me an example?? I know aadsas averages the two grades, but how do I incorporate it into the other classes that I only took once??

 

[Mediumrare]

Hello, I am new here to SDN, how do I calculate my science GPA if I repeated courses? Can you give me an example?? I know aadsas averages the two grades, but how do I incorporate it into the other classes that I only took once??

AADSAS will calculate every course taken. So to find your science GPA, just put in all science credits to a GPA calculator

 

[asusundevilll]

I don't have any useful advice since I haven't been accepted to dental school yet, but we are in a VERY similar boat.
I graduated with a 3.35 oGPA, my last year has been all A's and 1 B, have a killer resume, rushed the DAT and applied last year with an AA of 17, retaking the DAT this round with much higher hopes. I applied and got accepted to a 1 year master's program starting this fall. I chose that because I knew I had to overcome my low GPA in some way to prove that I can be successful in dental school. If I do get an interview this year, I know that they will ask my about my low GPA. The SMP gives me another chance to "start over" and prove myself at a higher level. That's why I chose it. I have been advised from many people not to retake classes that you got a C in because they expect you to make a higher grade the second time and achieving that doesn't prove anything. In my opinion, the SMP would be essential to getting an interview and accepted in your situation. That being said, if you have to wait a year to apply for a SMP, that means dental school is 2 years away. If money is not an issue, I would try applying multiple times. It can't hurt to submit your dental application again this year to see if you have any responses from schools. Good luck!

ur gpa is not too terrible, I think it was more your DAT score that lacked

 

[xxx14]

I don't have any useful advice since I haven't been accepted to dental school yet, but we are in a VERY similar boat.
I graduated with a 3.35 oGPA, my last year has been all A's and 1 B, have a killer resume, rushed the DAT and applied last year with an AA of 17, retaking the DAT this round with much higher hopes. I applied and got accepted to a 1 year master's program starting this fall. I chose that because I knew I had to overcome my low GPA in some way to prove that I can be successful in dental school. If I do get an interview this year, I know that they will ask my about my low GPA. The SMP gives me another chance to "start over" and prove myself at a higher level. That's why I chose it. I have been advised from many people not to retake classes that you got a C in because they expect you to make a higher grade the second time and achieving that doesn't prove anything. In my opinion, the SMP would be essential to getting an interview and accepted in your situation. That being said, if you have to wait a year to apply for a SMP, that means dental school is 2 years away. If money is not an issue, I would try applying multiple times. It can't hurt to submit your dental application again this year to see if you have any responses from schools. Good luck!

Which masters program are you attending this fall?

 

[predentalhopeful2015]

@gatorsmile how many times have you taken orgo? the retakes didn't lower your gpa it was the fact that you failed it and needed to retake.

how many credits would it take to get the bcp and sci gpas to a 3.0? whats your dat?

 

[gatorsmile]

Deleted.

 

[stomatology]

If you're going to be working full time and studying for the DAT next year why are you asking about post-bacc vs SMP? Is that for the year after? I'm not sure what individual school policies are on cutoffs, but I'd generally say start with a post-bacc and then do a SMP if you have to. Two semesters of science classes to raise that bcp will look good and is not too much.

Just FYI, to my knowledge a W does not affect the GPA unless it's a WF (in which case it counts like an F).

 

[Chris V]

AADSAS will calculate every course taken. So to find your science GPA, just put in all science credits to a GPA calculator

Thanks, also, I had Cs in math classes that I took and have already graduated. Do you think it is necessary to re-take them if my sGPA 2.6?

 

[shays]

Which masters program are you attending this fall?

Iowa State

 

[shays]

ur gpa is not too terrible, I think it was more your DAT score that lacked

Thats what I'm thinking. I retake it July 22nd. I have been studying SO much more. I did hardly any studying when I took it the first time. If I do well I will feel pretty confident in my application. I will have done everything I could have! Fingers crossed!