The Long Journey: Need Some Guidance

[MamaTeeth1231]

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I am new to this forum so Ill try to keep it short:

I am a single mother with aspirations of becoming a general dentist. I have been a student since 2008, both full time and part due to financial hardship. At 18, my goals could not overshadow my desire to hangout and have fun and always have a relationship at a college that was 10 hours away from home state. Fast forward to 2010, I became a mother and my gpa was terrible ( 2.4ish) when I transferred to another school. 2011, I am 21 years old, working full time and a new mother. I went to a pretty crappy school, and pretty costly as well, which caused yet another set back for me financially and academically (2.3 gpa before leaving in 2013)

2014, I start at a wonderful institutions and finally able to get above a 3.0 in my first semster. Given the amount of credits I have, I will be graduating in fall 2016. My question is although I am improving my gpa slowly, how will my past history affect my gpa? I have some failed courses that I have retaken and some c's as well, but I am improving. I take the DAT next summer and I feel like my gpa is going to hold me back from gaining acceptance.

 

[Datooth]

How many credits did you take at the first school and how many at the new place? Did you take any science / math courses your first time around? If so, how many credits? When do you plan to apply?

 

[MamaTeeth1231]

1st school

• 42 credits at my first school, took the bio lab (c) ,(dropped the lecture bc I was lazy), 6 credits of algebra (b+), physic 1( d) and calc ( F ) and anatomy (c) and a lot of requirements for bio degree

2nd school

• 29 credits- bio 1&2 (b/c+), physics 1&2 ( c+/b-) chem 1( f/d in lecture and lab, retook for b-/b), precalc (c+), chem 2 ( c-, retook at current institution, b-/c probably)

My current school I have orgo 1&2, physiology, biochem, mircobio, and upper level nutrition classes which i seem to really enjoy. I plan to apply in july of 2015

 

[Datooth]

Doing a some quick math, you're around ~1.9 area for the sGPA (given what you listed). I'm not sure what else you left off as part of the 'a lot of requirements for bio degree' but depending on those grades, this calculation could be an over/undershot. If you get A's in all the classes you're taking now (orgo 1&2, physiology, biochem, mircobio, and upper level nutrition) it'd put you around a ~2.5 sGPA which isn't quite where you want to be. You'd need about 30 more credit hours of straight A's (so ~48 hours total -- of JUST science classes so hopefully all you have left is upper division science / math for your degree) just to have a sGPA/oGPA above 3 (3.0/3.02 respectively) which is the cut off for most schools. Its doable (only 16 credit hours a semester for the 3 remaining semesters before you apply), but you really have your work cut out for you. If you smash the DAT and have good EC's that could really help swing things in your favor.

 

[MamaTeeth1231]

I really appreciate your help, I calculated the same thing. I plan on doing really well on DAT, and I will continue to strive for high grades for the remaining semester. Its really a challenge, but I am not giving up so easily. I have 51 credits to go before I graduate and they are all sciences so I will keep with an upward trend.

 

[Datooth]

I really appreciate your help, I calculated the same thing. I plan on doing really well on DAT, and I will continue to strive for high grades for the remaining semester. Its really a challenge, but I am not giving up so easily. I have 51 credits to go before I graduate and they are all sciences so I will keep with an upward trend.

Just be realistic. There is a very REAL possibility that even with a solid DAT that you may not gain acceptance anywhere; especially if you slip up and get 1 B somewhere in those 48 credits (resulting in a sub 3.0 GPA). So have some backup career paths ready.

 

[#kalel]

Just be absolutely sure that you are willing to accept the possibility of not gaining any acceptance for several years to come, if ever (since from what I gathered in the past few years on this forum, competition is getting fiercer every year). For your sake, have a solid backup plan.

I literally can't see anything that can make up for a 2.3 GPA. Not even a perfect DAT. So prioritize the grades and try to raise it to high 2.0's if possible.

 

[MamaTeeth1231]

everyone cant have the straight and narrow path like most applicants, so if it doesn't happen the first time, I will try again.
And currently my gpa is not 2.3, its 3.2 at my new institution and it will increase with every semester. So I will come back and let you all know what happens.