waiting 1 or 2 years?

[thimsmits]

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I have 4 rejections and 1 interview. I appied to a total of 16 schools. If it doesn't look good for me on Dec. 1, I am considering applying to a 1-year master's program in the unfortunate event that I don't get into school.

If I did the 1-year masters, would I essentially waiting 2 years for dental school? I ask this because I won't have grades to show the dental schools for the fall 2009 admissions. When applying in June 2008 for dental school, I would be just starting the master's program.

Do I look a lot better as an applicant just because I am in a master's program, even without grades to show?

Does this make sense? Let me know what you think?

 

[OhNoImmaPreDent]

OoOo I was wondering the same thing. I didn"t apply this app cycle for dental school. But I am applying for a post bacc and an SMP (both start summer/fall 08). Should I apply next cycle because then I'd only be in the program and there are no grades to show for the dental school application. Is this essentially waiting 2 years then? Another question if someone could answer...if I have a sub 3.0, when I apply..is it true that there are 2 piles and my application probably will be overlooked even with a post bacc or incredible volunteer service hours?

 

[714guy]

How are your stats?

Last year I had 16 rejections and 1 interview and no acceptances. This year with the same stats, a few more science classes and more dental experience and having my app. in at the end of May I've gotten 5 interviews so far. The only other thing I did was tweak my Personal Statement.

My stats aren't that great either.

DAT: 20/21/21
GPA: 3:10 overall

Good luck..

 

[StudentDentist]

I never understood this Masters degree shindig. The degree is relatively useless. Get an MBA, so you can manage your own clinic. Get a JD, so you can understand policy better. Get your hygiene degree, so you can boast dental experience. Get...anything but a masters to sit there and do nothing.

 

[thimsmits]

That is a good point, but I wouldn't consider a Masters degree useless. I would justify a master's degree because it would boost my science GPA, and it would prepare me for the tough classes in dental school.

Also I think all an MBA, a JD, and a hygiene degree are all at least 2 years.

My stats are 19/18/19 with a 3.1/3.2 at an Ivy
I also competed in D-1 athletics, and I have a good amount of dental experience.

I also thought about just increasing my dental experience and taking few extra classes in upper level sciences.

 

[ToothPrincess]

I dont mean to sound like a weirdo right now, but does it really matter if you got a 3.1/3.2 at an Ivy? People always throw that in there, but I dont think that the education at an Ivy is harder than a different school. I have friends who went to Ivy's who studied far less than I did and most of them made above a 3.5. I was accepted into several Ivy's, but chose to go to Auburn for engineering. So what I am basically trying to ask is, if you have a 3.2 from an Ivy in say Bio or English, why would that have more weight than my 3.87 with a double major in Engineering and Film?

Not trying to knock the Ivy's, I dont want to start a war, just a question that I have had.

 

[OhNoImmaPreDent]

So would you guys suggest that we wait until after we have gone through the SMP and received grades or would it be ok to apply having been accepted to an SMP but without grades?

 

[sl2obel2ts]

I dont mean to sound like a weirdo right now, but does it really matter if you got a 3.1/3.2 at an Ivy? People always throw that in there, but I dont think that the education at an Ivy is harder than a different school. I have friends who went to Ivy's who studied far less than I did and most of them made above a 3.5. I was accepted into several Ivy's, but chose to go to Auburn for engineering. So what I am basically trying to ask is, if you have a 3.2 from an Ivy in say Bio or English, why would that have more weight than my 3.87 with a double major in Engineering and Film?

Not trying to knock the Ivy's, I dont want to start a war, just a question that I have had.

seriouslyyy... Stanford lets you drop a class on the day of final. If any smart person went to stanford, he/she can get 3.5 ~ 4.0 in lets say within 6-7 years? If he/she drops all the classes that he/she thinks gonna get below B. I had a talk with a Stanford graduate today, my opinion is slightly biased and may be wrong. 👎

 

[thimsmits]

Sorry if I was to sound arrogant about going to an Ivy. I just wanted to note that it was a descent undergraduate that I went to. I have heard that sometimes admissions weight grades a bit if the applicant went to a good school. If it is a prestigious school (like Auburn, Harvard, Northwestern, Tulane, etc), the student population you are competing against on the curve is more competitive than many other undergraduate programs.

p.s. Stanford is not an Ivy

 

[StudentDentist]

OP, you never brought up the Ivy thing as an issue. It's just that some ppl with, shall we say...things on their minds, decided to make this an Ivy issue. Defensive about going to a lesser school, when the issue was never brought up

And if you're getting a masters just to boost your GPA, undergraduate and graduate gpa's are calculated separately. You see schools like Case Western and UCSF routinely rejecting people with a 2.9 undergrad GPA and a 3.8 grad GPA and a 21AA. That's because undergrad GPA controls. You may want to seriously set yourself apart from the pack of low GPA/Masters and get yourself an MBA.

and PS, lots of students like to take away from the achievements of Stanford/Harvard/Brown undergrad by attacking the particulars of their class. They don't weight out how a 1590 SAT MAY get you considered for Harvard. Or that 25% of Harvard have a 1590 or higher SAT.

 

[thimsmits]

I have been considering some of the MBA/DDS programs, so why not get one before I go to dental school? It would only help me in the long run. Thanks for the info!

 

[StudentDentist]

well, if you're serious about the MBA, you'll spend one extra year compared to the Masters. But the added benefits is profound. You gain a very distinct advantage over other dental applicants because you have a unique degree, clinic management skills, networking skills (with many chances at schmoozing), and overall good business sense. The majority of dentistry is business and people sense. I think an MBA will do your career much good over the long term.

And considering the avg GPA for MBA's in the low 3's, your GPA from an IVY's golden.

 

[estrella00]

Just to clear something up on a previous post, Stanford does not let you drop a class the day of the final unless you take a W on your transcript and you have the professor's permission. (I'm pretty sure this is how most schools handle this policy). This was for undergrad, maybe it is different for graduate school. Also, here's my two cents about a school with entrance stats like Stanford versus say a state school (both of which I've attended). My Stanford classes were harder. I was setting the curve at the state schools versus being subjected to a curve set by a SAT 1600 student at Stanford.

 

[ToothPrincess]

Sorry if I was to sound arrogant about going to an Ivy. I just wanted to note that it was a descent undergraduate that I went to. I have heard that sometimes admissions weight grades a bit if the applicant went to a good school. If it is a prestigious school (like Auburn, Harvard, Northwestern, Tulane, etc), the student population you are competing against on the curve is more competitive than many other undergraduate programs.

p.s. Stanford is not an Ivy

OMG you totally werent arrogant about it at all, I was just asking a general question because I wanted to know if I would be looked at as differently for my GPA... sorry that I didnt phrase that in the right way...

 

[ToothPrincess]

OP, you never brought up the Ivy thing as an issue. It's just that some ppl with, shall we say...things on their minds, decided to make this an Ivy issue. Defensive about going to a lesser school, when the issue was never brought up
.

Ummmm... yea... I know that the ivy thing wasnt brought up and it was just a question, and innocent question that had nothing to do with attacking this person for going to an ivy... and I am not defensive about going to a lesser school at all, in fact I was accepted into harvard, princeton, and cornell, but decided that Auburn would be a better fit because of their top ranked
aerospace engineering program and their rocking greek life... yes I wanted to be in a sorority and live it up... that was my decision and I in no way regret that... to anyone who went to an Ivy, rock on.... great education, great connections, great experience, but not my experience... I was just asking a simple question and people like you so quick to make someone sound like they are jealous when in fact that is not the case.... so to you honey, get you facts straight and don't accuse people of being defensive when they arent... NOW I AM BEING DEFENSIVE because of your erroneous comment.

 

[ToothPrincess]

Just to clear something up on a previous post, Stanford does not let you drop a class the day of the final unless you take a W on your transcript and you have the professor's permission. (I'm pretty sure this is how most schools handle this policy). This was for undergrad, maybe it is different for graduate school. Also, here's my two cents about a school with entrance stats like Stanford versus say a state school (both of which I've attended). My Stanford classes were harder. I was setting the curve at the state schools versus being subjected to a curve set by a SAT 1600 student at Stanford.

That makes perfect sense, I just want to know if someone with a 3.8 in engineering from a state school will be looked at less favorably to d-school than a 3.2 english or bio major from an ivy because they went to an ivy... but the whole SAT thing is something that i didnt take into account... thanks for pointing that out!

 

[dr bojangles]

listen, if you want to do a master's, do it. weigh the pros and cons....if you do it and get d-school rejection, fine, you have a master's degree though (helps in jobs, reapplication, etc.). or you can get into d-school and have your masters (awesome! 2 degrees). post-bacc is fine too, but i feel like that won't really do you any good (its a certification/prereq, not a qualifying degree that you can use in the workforce).
personally, i'm also interested in basic science research, so whether i get into d-school or not, i figure i'll still have a master's degree anyway. if you're really geared towards the business of dentistry and maintaining a practice, take the GMATs and get an MBA. if you want to get into public health policy and litigation, get a JD (probably much harder). those are ~2 and 3 years years, respectively (i saw someone said 2 years above somewhere).

 

[thimsmits]

That makes perfect sense, I just want to know if someone with a 3.8 in engineering from a state school will be looked at less favorably to d-school than a 3.2 english or bio major from an ivy because they went to an ivy... but the whole SAT thing is something that i didnt take into account... thanks for pointing that out!

I am almost positive that a 3.8 in Engineering at a state school is looked more favorably than a 3.2 in English or Bio at an Ivy. I have been told by an admissions officer that going Ivy only weights your GPA 0.2 -0.3, so you are still way above that mark.

 

[thimsmits]

listen, if you want to do a master's, do it. weigh the pros and cons....if you do it and get d-school rejection, fine, you have a master's degree though (helps in jobs, reapplication, etc.). or you can get into d-school and have your masters (awesome! 2 degrees). post-bacc is fine too, but i feel like that won't really do you any good (its a certification/prereq, not a qualifying degree that you can use in the workforce).
personally, i'm also interested in basic science research, so whether i get into d-school or not, i figure i'll still have a master's degree anyway. if you're really geared towards the business of dentistry and maintaining a practice, take the GMATs and get an MBA. if you want to get into public health policy and litigation, get a JD (probably much harder). those are ~2 and 3 years years, respectively (i saw someone said 2 years above somewhere).

Thanks for all the info! I got to make some descions coming Dec. 1 if things aren't looking too good.

 

[ToothPrincess]

listen, if you want to do a master's, do it. weigh the pros and cons....if you do it and get d-school rejection, fine, you have a master's degree though (helps in jobs, reapplication, etc.). or you can get into d-school and have your masters (awesome! 2 degrees). post-bacc is fine too, but i feel like that won't really do you any good (its a certification/prereq, not a qualifying degree that you can use in the workforce).
personally, i'm also interested in basic science research, so whether i get into d-school or not, i figure i'll still have a master's degree anyway. if you're really geared towards the business of dentistry and maintaining a practice, take the GMATs and get an MBA. if you want to get into public health policy and litigation, get a JD (probably much harder). those are ~2 and 3 years years, respectively (i saw someone said 2 years above somewhere).

What about an MPH, one of my best friends just finished her MPH at Yale and is now at d-school at Columbia... she said that it was great for her because she got to get her feet wet prior to going into school again... She feels more prepared and she feels a lot more mature...

 

[rose786]

What about an MPH, one of my best friends just finished her MPH at Yale and is now at d-school at Columbia... she said that it was great for her because she got to get her feet wet prior to going into school again... She feels more prepared and she feels a lot more mature...

The only problem is that most people who consider doing a masters before dental school do so in order order to offset a low science gpa. A non-science masters would be fine if you did well in undergrad. (In which case, why would you do a masters?)

 

[dr bojangles]

The only problem is that most people who consider doing a masters before dental school do so in order order to offset a low science gpa. A non-science masters would be fine if you did well in undergrad. (In which case, why would you do a masters?)

mph is fine if thats your cup of tea. probably no lab-based research involved, so maybe less science courses (as in previous post if your undergrad gpa is fine), by all means go ahead.