Terrible undergrad, but good grad GPA?

[promethion]

Hello!

So I graduated undergrad a couple of years ago with some rough stats - 2.92 oGPA and 2.64 sGPA with a downward trend that ended much like the Titanic - long story short: picked up one too many part-time jobs during my last two years and I was very depressed as a result, but adcoms probably don't care about sob stories soooo...

I am now in the middle of a Master's in Biomedical Sciences program (not a SMP) and I have completed 27 semester units thus far with a 3.88 GPA (all A's with an exception of one A- and one B+). I will be graduating from this program in May and in a best case scenario (all A's this semester), I will have a graduate oGPA of 3.952 and sGPA of 3.91. Combining my undergrad + grad, in a best case scenario, my combined oGPA will be 3.17 and my sGPA will be 3.1.

I have over 250 hours of shadowing + dental assisting experience both here and abroad and significant (in my opinion) leadership/volunteer/teaching experiences. I have yet to take the DAT, but plan on doing so early June. I'm aiming to get a 22 AA. I am also confident I will have great LOR's.

My question is if I do well on the DAT and apply this cycle, do I have a reasonable shot? If not, what should I do? I have considered the possibility that I may have to go back and take undergraduate coursework, but I would really like to avoid doing so if I can since I'm already digging myself quite a hole when it comes to student loans. I've been reading many threads about others' experiences, but they haven't necessarily answered my questions. Thanks for reading!

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[DMDDDSHopeful]

People with an upward trend during Undergraduate have a tough time getting admitted with a high Graduate GPA such as yourself. Some schools really focus hard on Undergraduate performance. One school I applied to told me they didn't even consider my Graduate GPA. Take the DAT, score well, and see what happens. Prepare to apply more than one cycle to prove you're not just some drifter. They'll wanna see your persistence and consistency.

Best of luck!

 

[promethion]

People with an upward trend during Undergraduage have a tough time getting admitted with a high Graduate GPA such as yourself. Some schools really focus hard on Undergraduate performance. One school I applied to told me they didn't even consider my Graduate GPA. Take the DAT, score well, and see what happens. Prepare to apply more than one cycle to prove you're not just some drifter. They'll wanna see your persistence and constituency.

Best of luck!

Thank you for the advice. Assuming all goes well with the DAT, I think I will still apply this cycle. Any thoughts on what I should do if I don't get in? Take more classes?

 

[C_BryantDDS]

I think you might have a decent shot but it's hard to predict. I would really focus on doing well on the DAT and apply broadly to 10-15 schools. If you don't get in this cycle I would just take more classes and maybe take the DAT again depending on your scores the first time. How were your grades in the prrequsite classes?

 

[promethion]

I think you might have a decent shot but it's hard to predict. I would really focus on doing well on the DAT and apply broadly to 10-15 schools. If you don't get in this cycle I would just take more classes and maybe take the DAT again depending on your scores the first time. How were your grades in the prrequsite classes?

I didn't take gen bio because I got AP Credit for it so I'm planning on just applying to schools that will accept the AP credit, but:

Gen Chem 1: A
Gen Chem 2: B+
OChem 1: C+
OChem 2: C+
Physics 1: B+
Physics 2: C- (retook this, got an A)
Biochem: B+

 

[8_man]

I didn't take gen bio because I got AP Credit for it so I'm planning on just applying to schools that will accept the AP credit, but:

Gen Chem 1: A
Gen Chem 2: B+
OChem 1: C+
OChem 2: C+
Physics 1: B+
Physics 2: C- (retook this, got an A)
Biochem: B+

You won't find many that do. I would just retake it.

 

[C_BryantDDS]

Yeah I'd say you'll need to take Bio 1 and 2. Most schools don't take AP credits for prerequisites, especially a science. If you don't get in this cycle you could also consider retaking Organic Chem.

 

[Tooth_fairy91]

Yes you have a shot, many people have done it myself included! I would try to do well on the DAT and also possibly retake OChem 1 & 2 (one during summer, one during fall) your other prereq grades are fine. It may be a good idea to take bio 1&2 so that you can apply more broadly (for schools that don't accept the AP credit). Check with the schools you're interested in to see if you've taken all the classes they want for example many schools want you to have microbiology, and anatomy and physiology. Also, be prepared that the GPA you think you have might be lower on AADSAS. Mine was significantly lower than the GPA my school calculated because my school replaced retake grades but AADSAS includes them both in your average. I would still apply in this upcoming cycle.


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[chives_irvine]

One C in a required course won't sink you, but two may be tough to overcome without retaking. If you retake, you could argue that you learned your lesson and you only retook it to prove to admissions that you can handle these kind of courses

 

[promethion]

Yes you have a shot, many people have done it myself included! I would try to do well on the DAT and also possibly retake OChem 1 & 2 (one during summer, one during fall) your other prereq grades are fine. It may be a good idea to take bio 1&2 so that you can apply more broadly (for schools that don't accept the AP credit). Check with the schools you're interested in to see if you've taken all the classes they want for example many schools want you to have microbiology, and anatomy and physiology. Also, be prepared that the GPA you think you have might be lower on AADSAS. Mine was significantly lower than the GPA my school calculated because my school replaced retake grades but AADSAS includes them both in your average. I would still apply in this upcoming cycle.


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If I do decide to retake OChem 1 & 2, is there a place in the application where I can indicate that I am retaking the courses?

I calculated my GPA manually using the AADSAS guidelines so I think it is accurate. I have also taken Micro, Phys, and Anatomy - in undergrad I got a B+ in micro and a B+ in anatomy. I took Micro, Phys, and Anatomy last semester in my Master's as well and got all A's in those.

Thank you!

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

If I do decide to retake OChem 1 & 2, is there a place in the application where I can indicate that I am retaking the courses?

I calculated my GPA manually using the AADSAS guidelines so I think it is accurate. I have also taken Micro, Phys, and Anatomy - in undergrad I got a B+ in micro and a B+ in anatomy. I took Micro, Phys, and Anatomy last semester in my Master's as well and got all A's in those.

Thank you!

I disagree with people telling you to retake. Throwing that out there. Do take the Gen Bio courses and focus on other classes in the sciences that you haven't taken. You're doing well in the upper-level courses. You're spending time and money on this and last thing you want is to ruin all that with retaking a lower-level science pre-req and NOT getting an A. Anything less than an A on a retake will hurt you especially if the retake is AFTER all those A's in the upper-level courses.

My opinion doesn't mean I'm right though. That's just how I see it.

 

[promethion]

I disagree with people telling you to retake. Throwing that out there. Do take the Gen Bio courses and focus on other classes in the sciences that you haven't taken. You're doing well in the upper-level courses. You're spending time and money on this and last thing you want is to ruin all that with retaking a lower-level science pre-req and NOT getting an A. Anything less than an A on a retake will hurt you especially if the retake is AFTER all those A's in the upper-level courses.

My opinion doesn't mean I'm right though. That's just how I see it.

Can I take the Gen Bio courses at a community college or is it necessary for me to take them at a 4-year school? Not because of the level of difficulty, but because of the cost.

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

Can I take the Gen Bio courses at a community college or is it necessary for me to take them at a 4-year school? Not because of the level of difficulty, but because of the cost.

As long as majority of your other science courses and upper-level courses were at a University, that should be fine. If you have specific schools already in mind, you could always shoot them an email and ask beforehand. For most cases though, this is fine.

 

[Tooth_fairy91]

I'm not sure if there's a place in the application for you to indicate you are retaking it. Does anyone else know? I know you can update the schools you applied to with your final grades after you receive them though. And I understand what the person is saying about retaking the classes being a bad idea. I agree that if you don't get a A it won't look good but I am someone that did get a Masters and had a 3.8 grad GPA as well but I still retook OChem 2 (I did it at a community college which I feel is cheaper and usually easier) and I got an A, but if you aren't confident you can do well in them don't retake it.


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[socal6]

Hard to say. I'm sorta in the same boat. When I asked my advisor, he said to email around and ask the individual schools since their policies vary. I also think where you did your masters counts too. Some D schools are more forgiving if you excel in a reputable program. And in some cases, doing well on the DAT can offset poorer performance in a specific class.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

It's gonna be a hard journey. You did what you can, now kill the DAT. Don't get discouraged if you have to apply multiple times, even though you may not have to. Prove to yourself you can do it, because you can, and I think you will. Best of luck buddy