What are my chances of admission with low gpa?

[Chrome44321]

Hey all, so I’m finishing up undergrad this semester and want to apply to dental school this cycle. My gpa is on the lower end (3.28 overall 2.9 bcp) but this is due to the fact that I’ve had to work to help my father support my family of 5 financially while also caring for my mother (she suffers from dementia). I’m also a first-generation student, to put things into perspective.

I’ve been able to accumulate 100 hours of shadowing and 70 hours of volunteering at a dental clinic, all done in the summers. And I’ve been involved in community service as well as research all 4 years of undergrad. Do you think a strong dat score can make a difference for me? If anyone can share their opinion I’d appreciate it.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Hey all, so I’m finishing up undergrad this semester and want to apply to dental school this cycle. My gpa is on the lower end (3.28 overall 2.9 bcp) but this is due to the fact that I’ve had to work to help my father support my family of 5 financially while also caring for my mother (she suffers from dementia). I’m also a first-generation student, to put things into perspective.

I’ve been able to accumulate 100 hours of shadowing and 70 hours of volunteering at a dental clinic, all done in the summers. And I’ve been involved in community service as well as research all 4 years of undergrad. Do you think a strong dat score can make a difference for me? If anyone can share their opinion I’d appreciate it.

A strong DAT score will highlight the disparity with your GPA, especially that BCP. You have an explanation for that low GPA, but explaining doesn't instill confidence you can handle a rigorous curriculum. With a GPA that low, I would suggest one of the predental postbac programs that offer a master's degree out there. Hopefully one will also offer DAT prep (I think a few do).