There is hope out there for low GPAs just believe!!!

[eddiescott]

Hey guys and gals. I want to give encouragement to everyone out there and share a story.

I have a friend (matt) who did very poorly in college. (not too poor) He got a 3.0 overall gpa and a 2.0 Science pre-req. Poor science. Overall ok in my opinion, however science sucks.

He wanted to go to dental school so bad but it just wasnt going to happen for him so he wrapped up his college experience with a degree in business management.

2 1/2 years ago, he quit his job and went back to college and repeated all of the science pre-reqs !!!! I believe he got nearly all A's/

After which his overall increased just a bit and his science GPA was a 2.8 or close because he didnt repeat science classes that werent required that he had taken and gotten C's in before (anatomy, micro, etc.).

He also scored a 20 and 22 on the DAT.

Anyway, to make a long story short - - - Last year he was accepted into dental school. He was even right at the top of his class this year in his first yr of dental school.

So my advice is if you have low grades and want this bad enough then go to some dental schools and meet with the academic counselors and see what your options are.

Also, apply to schools that look at the overall picture. Matt had changed his image and suddenly they looked at his as a 4.0 science gpa individual rather than a 2.0 because he had changed his life and really worked to get a seat in dental school.

So, eventhough you may do bad in college, you still have a chance later down the road if you are willing to correct your errors.

PEOPLE CHANGE.

I think matt was 28 when he got in school.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[demonicr]

i noticed that all the students who turn their lives around from being a sub 3.0 GPA to a 4.0 students are ranked among the top of their class in dental school. congrats to your friend. i guess this is another successful story for the under 3.0 club.

 

[favabean]

eddiescott - thank you so much for that story. You couldn't have posted it at a better time (my rejection list is getting longer each week). I feel really inspired knowing that someone like me has made it. thanks

 

[blankguy]

Eddiescott,
did your friend do anything else beside taking the prereqs?

 

[eddiescott]

Eddiescott,
did your friend do anything else beside taking the prereqs?

nope. Just was able to get foot in the door and wooed them with his maturity.


I think what lots of people are not understanding here is that you dont necessarily have to do research, get outstanding grades, and shadow dentists for 5 years and do the best on the DAT.

You just have to want it.


I have known people with excellent grades not get in medical schools.

hell, good grades dont make you a great candidate if you cannot communicate or have a bad attitude. It just makes you a waste of the interviewing schools time.

Lets face it. The schools take who they want. If they dont like you then there are plenty of others out there.

Just want it.

 

[spc213]

I have a similar story to Eddie's friend, with similar outcomes.

I started undergrad with dreams of being a pre-med/dent, took calculus, biology, zoology, but realized I did not have the focus needed to compete (a D in calculus will do that to you). So after my freshman year, and a whopping 2.1 gpa, I took an economics course and loved it. I graduated from a very good school, BA in Econ, with an overall gpa of 2.91 -- not stellar, but respectable considering where I started. But healtcare never left the back of my mind.

I went on to a successful career in the military, then business development and sales, earning an MBA in the process. But again, healthcare never left the back of my mind.

After 9/11 and two business layoffs, and then getting called to active duty, I finally decided to go for it. I started taking courses at a local community college at night, going to my Army job during the day, and started knocking out the pre-reqs. I met with the admission director at a nearby dental school who laid out a path for me, and went to visit with as many dentists as I could. I also started shadowing dentists at an Army clinic (loved it btw). After doing well initially at the comm. college, I transferred to a local university and completed the prereqs through this last spring, summer and fall. Since all my latest work is science-only, my sci gpa is higher than my overall and undergraduate. I have a whole new love and focus for the sciences that I didn't have at 19.

Bottom line: It can be done. At 38, I am going to dental school this fall, despite the initial gpa of 2.9.

My advice: enroll in graduate classes to show you can handle the upper-level work, even better if you can juggle a career at the same time. Take the science courses needed or repeat bad ones at a local university (comm. college work won't hurt/help you as long as its only a few classes). Most important, don't give up on your dreams.

Good luck!

 

[dds8]

Anyway, to make a long story short - - - Last year he was accepted into dental school. He was even right at the top of his class this year in his first yr of dental school.

if this is short i would hate to hear your long stories

 

[eddiescott]

Anyway, to make a long story short - - - Last year he was accepted into dental school. He was even right at the top of his class this year in his first yr of dental school.

if this is short i would hate to hear your long stories

 

[eddiescott]

I have a similar story to Eddie's friend, with similar outcomes.

I started undergrad with dreams of being a pre-med/dent, took calculus, biology, zoology, but realized I did not have the focus needed to compete (a D in calculus will do that to you). So after my freshman year, and a whopping 2.1 gpa, I took an economics course and loved it. I graduated from a very good school, BA in Econ, with an overall gpa of 2.91 -- not stellar, but respectable considering where I started. But healtcare never left the back of my mind.

I went on to a successful career in the military, then business development and sales, earning an MBA in the process. But again, healthcare never left the back of my mind.

After 9/11 and two business layoffs, and then getting called to active duty, I finally decided to go for it. I started taking courses at a local community college at night, going to my Army job during the day, and started knocking out the pre-reqs. I met with the admission director at a nearby dental school who laid out a path for me, and went to visit with as many dentists as I could. I also started shadowing dentists at an Army clinic (loved it btw). After doing well initially at the comm. college, I transferred to a local university and completed the prereqs through this last spring, summer and fall. Since all my latest work is science-only, my sci gpa is higher than my overall and undergraduate. I have a whole new love and focus for the sciences that I didn't have at 19.

Bottom line: It can be done. At 38, I am going to dental school this fall, despite the initial gpa of 2.9.

My advice: enroll in graduate classes to show you can handle the upper-level work, even better if you can juggle a career at the same time. Take the science courses needed or repeat bad ones at a local university (comm. college work won't hurt/help you as long as its only a few classes). Most important, don't give up on your dreams.

Good luck!

congrats. But my god how many chem classes did you have to repeat to get your science grade up that high after doin so bad???

I am not sure if you are a non-traditional student that its even needed to worry about getting your science GPA up as much as it is to just show improvement........

good stuff though.

 

[eddiescott]

Anyway, to make a long story short - - - Last year he was accepted into dental school. He was even right at the top of his class this year in his first yr of dental school.

if this is short i would hate to hear your long stories

big man.

 

[spc213]

congrats. But my god how many chem classes did you have to repeat to get your science grade up that high after doin so bad???

good stuff though.

Thanks.

Fortunately, I stopped after BIO/ZOO/Calculus. Took Chem, Org, Physics, micro, etc. in the last 18 mos. Plus some of my graduate statistics counted in my sci gpa.

 

[eddiescott]

Thanks.

Fortunately, I stopped after BIO/ZOO/Calculus. Took Chem, Org, Physics, micro, etc. in the last 18 mos. Plus some of my graduate statistics counted in my sci gpa.

well congrats. I know that it will all be worth it for you in the end.

Just awesome!

 

[blankguy]

I'm wondering what you guys think of this. I'm finishing up my prereqs this spring with orgo II and Bio II. My mother being very supportive is pushing me to apply now. However having started with a low GPA (2.4-2.6). Multiple failures in orgo(some 10+ yrs ago at brandeis). I have aced all the courses that I have taken since I started taking the prereqs from fall of 2003. However there is this thing "we stress the most recent work" and "we look at overall GPA too". The thing is yes I will be done with prereqs but no my overall GPA will still blow. Is it worthwhile to apply now or should I hold off from applying until I do a masters? I know a lot of people on this board will dissuade me on this board. I do have a overall lower GPA than you guys, maybe you guys got away from doing masters since your GPA was borderline and the recent coursework pushed it over the edge. YOur stories are inspirational.

 

[eddiescott]

I'm wondering what you guys think of this. I'm finishing up my prereqs this spring with orgo II and Bio II. My mother being very supportive is pushing me to apply now. However having started with a low GPA (2.4-2.6). Multiple failures in orgo(some 10+ yrs ago at brandeis). I have aced all the courses that I have taken since I started taking the prereqs from fall of 2003. However there is this thing "we stress the most recent work" and "we look at overall GPA too". The thing is yes I will be done with prereqs but no my overall GPA will still blow. Is it worthwhile to apply now or should I hold off from applying until I do a masters? I know a lot of people on this board will dissuade me on this board. I do have a overall lower GPA than you guys, maybe you guys got away from doing masters since your GPA was borderline and the recent coursework pushed it over the edge. YOur stories are inspirational.

In state schools tend to look at your situation more than out of state schools.

They tend to see how you have improved. Thats the best chance I would think!