Which GPA is considered for the HPSP?

[FutureDent020]

I read over some old threads and understand that to be matrix qualified for the HPSP you need a 19 DAT and 3.5 GPA. My question is, which GPA do the boards consider, your transcript GPA or AADSAS GPA? My school/ transcript GPA is a 3.44 and my AADSAS GPA is a 3.5.
Also, are scholarships (2/3/4 years) still being given out for the Fall 2010 matriculating class? I have contacted a recruiter with both the Navy and Air Force, but was curious if anyone on this forum had answers. I was told to expect a recruiters phone call before Friday.

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[g23armani]

I read over some old threads and understand that to be matrix qualified for the HPSP you need a 19 DAT and 3.5 GPA. My question is, which GPA do the boards consider, your transcript GPA or AADSAS GPA? My school/ transcript GPA is a 3.44 and my AADSAS GPA is a 3.5.
Also, are scholarships (2/3/4 years) still being given out for the Fall 2010 matriculating class? I have contacted a recruiter with both the Navy and Air Force, but was curious if anyone on this forum had answers. I was told to expect a recruiters phone call before Friday.

I believe they got rid of matrix qualifications this year (I know the Air Force did). You now need a 3.5 and 19 DAT simply to apply but you are not guaranteed entrance. They might make an exception if you are very close but you need to get it approved. (say you had a 3.49 cGPA, 23 DAT and 3.95 science GPA etc) I think you can use your AADSAS GPA.

The deadline for application is over. It was late November for 3 years and Dec 29th for 4 years. The board is meeting mid January to decide on who gets the scholarships.

 

[FutureDent020]

Thanks for the quick reply and information. So all the scholarships will be handed out in the following weeks and no more applications will be accepted? With so many acceptances handed out post-December, do they just expect pre-dental students to apply for the scholarship even before they are accepted? Or better yet, is that what most students do? I guess I should have done a little research and not waited so long.

 

[g23armani]

Thanks for the quick reply and information. So all the scholarships will be handed out in the following weeks and no more applications will be accepted? With so many acceptances handed out post-December, do they just expect pre-dental students to apply for the scholarship even before they are accepted? Or better yet, is that what most students do? I guess I should have done a little research and not waited so long.

I'm pretty sure the AF scholarships will be gone considering there were something only 4 or 5 of them this year. The Dec 29th date was the deadline to be considered for the first round. If you want to serve as a dentist in the military you might as well put in your application. If nothing else, you'll have everything ready for next year to be considered for the 3 year scholarship. The Navy and Army may still have a bunch of 4 years to give out past this first deadline? Not really sure.

 

[AFDDS]

Thanks for the quick reply and information. So all the scholarships will be handed out in the following weeks and no more applications will be accepted? With so many acceptances handed out post-December, do they just expect pre-dental students to apply for the scholarship even before they are accepted? Or better yet, is that what most students do? I guess I should have done a little research and not waited so long.

Yes. You should start applying for the HPSP when you are applying to dental schools.

 

[nartnad]

i guess i shouldve looked into this sooner... well, since it might be too late for a 4year/3year hpsp scholarship.....do they offer similar contracts for 2 years?

 

[AFDDS]

i guess i shouldve looked into this sooner... well, since it might be too late for a 4year/3year hpsp scholarship.....do they offer similar contracts for 2 years?

Occasionally 2 year HPSP scholarships are offered. You apply for the 3-year when you are in your 1st year of dental school.

 

[rowsdower]

I applied for the 4 Year HPSP. My calculated GPA turns out to be a 3.49 (I guess they don't use +- scale for AF). My DAT was a 19AA. My AADSAS GPA is a 3.51. Do you think they will let this slide? I wish we had some statistics on how many applicants there are for the scholarship considering that there is only 5 available.

 

[ALTOSS]

I read over some old threads and understand that to be matrix qualified for the HPSP you need a 19 DAT and 3.5 GPA. My question is, which GPA do the boards consider, your transcript GPA or AADSAS GPA? My school/ transcript GPA is a 3.44 and my AADSAS GPA is a 3.5.
Also, are scholarships (2/3/4 years) still being given out for the Fall 2010 matriculating class? I have contacted a recruiter with both the Navy and Air Force, but was curious if anyone on this forum had answers. I was told to expect a recruiters phone call before Friday.

As of last week all 4 yr HPSP (class of 2014) and 3 yr HPSP (class of 2013) were gone for both Army and Navy. Air Force HPSPs were sold out much earlier.

 

[USArmyHPSP]

As of last week all 4 yr HPSP (class of 2014) and 3 yr HPSP (class of 2013) were gone for both Army and Navy. Air Force HPSPs were sold out much earlier.

This is incorrect. There are still slots available for 3 and 4 year scholarships with the Army.

 

[dogluvr83]

I believe they got rid of matrix qualifications this year (I know the Air Force did). You now need a 3.5 and 19 DAT simply to apply but you are not guaranteed entrance. They might make an exception if you are very close but you need to get it approved. (say you had a 3.49 cGPA, 23 DAT and 3.95 science GPA etc) I think you can use your AADSAS GPA.

The deadline for application is over. It was late November for 3 years and Dec 29th for 4 years. The board is meeting mid January to decide on who gets the scholarships.

I am not sure if they give all out all 4 yr by a certain date. I just went to San Antonio, TX for an Army Physical & wasn't told by anyone there or my recruitor that it was too late. They have another board meeting in Feb...
However, all materials (transcripts, application, physical completed...etc) = EVERYTHING must be turned in about 2 weeks b4 their board meets...

 

[lphiewok]

As of last week all 4 yr HPSP (class of 2014) and 3 yr HPSP (class of 2013) were gone for both Army and Navy. Air Force HPSPs were sold out much earlier.

Wrong information here. Please check your sources or cite your sources when you are stating wrong information on SDN.

Air Force's deadline was Dec 29 (with exception of deadline extension if requested by the recruiter before Dec 29) and Army and Navy are still open although they just had their first board meeting for first round this past week I believe.
They want to have your application few weeks prior to the board meeting so they can notify you of any missing / incorrect documents before board gets to review them.
(I had to get 2 new LORs for Army because they were written in 2008 and they wanted recent LORs)

 

[ALTOSS]

This is incorrect. There are still slots available for 3 and 4 year scholarships with the Army.

Now that's incorrect. Most recruiters normally don't tell whether there are more slots available, especially in the early part of the cycle, because either they don't know (some of them really have no clue), or just don't want to turn good applicants away for possible openings if some of accepted applicants turn down the scholarship in that particular branch. Many of my classmates were told by several Army and Navy recruiters that all 4 yr and 3 yr are too late to apply in the middle of their application process in December (they were all about to take their physical). Now those are the honest/well-informed recruiters, because the likelihood of additional openings in the future, given the current economy and all, is very slim (i.e. applicants would stay for the scholarship and job, and military would not expand the pool for various funding issues). Last year my AF recruiter dragged my application process for months until January (that's when it was finally submitted), and later told me in March that the selection was finished in December. Now, that's some dishonest OR poorly informed recruiter.

In any event, as far as the selection stat is concerned, it'd be best to ask SEVERAL recruiters in order to find out what's really going on. I did that, and I found out that many of recruiter's information seldom agree, except some obvious ones.

Obvious: Would HPSP cover my tuition?
Not so obvious: When does the obligation-payoff start? (Here, the answer is not after you graduate. Time starts ticking after you got your license, which would be as late as 5-6 months after you got your diploma. Additionally, if you elect to receive the 10K annual specialty bonus, which you'd be eligible while you have your license, it would incur additional 1 yr service obligation which would run concurrently with the HPSP obligation. So if you're not careful, the actual obligation would be not 4 years (if you received 4 yr HPSP), but 4 plus some time.)

 

[krmower]

Now that's incorrect. Most recruiters normally don't tell whether there are more slots available, especially in the early part of the cycle, because either they don't know (some of them really have no clue), or just don't want to turn good applicants away for possible openings if some of accepted applicants turn down the scholarship in that particular branch. Many of my classmates were told by several Army and Navy recruiters that all 4 yr and 3 yr are too late to apply in the middle of their application process in December (they were all about to take their physical). Now those are the honest/well-informed recruiters, because the likelihood of additional openings in the future, given the current economy and all, is very slim (i.e. applicants would stay for the scholarship and job, and military would not expand the pool for various funding issues). Last year my AF recruiter dragged my application process for months until January (that's when it was finally submitted), and later told me in March that the selection was finished in December. Now, that's some dishonest OR poorly informed recruiter.

In any event, as far as the selection stat is concerned, it'd be best to ask SEVERAL recruiters in order to find out what's really going on. I did that, and I found out that many of recruiter's information seldom agree, except some obvious ones.

Obvious: Would HPSP cover my tuition?
Not so obvious: When does the obligation-payoff start? (Here, the answer is not after you graduate. Time starts ticking after you got your license, which would be as late as 5-6 months after you got your diploma. Additionally, if you elect to receive the 10K annual specialty bonus, which you'd be eligible while you have your license, it would incur additional 1 yr service obligation which would run concurrently with the HPSP obligation. So if you're not careful, the actual obligation would be not 4 years (if you received 4 yr HPSP), but 4 plus some time.)

Currently there are still 4yr scholarships available for the Army. 3 yr scholarships are gone unless new ones are created. Alternates are still being taken in case new scholarships are created or people turn down the scholarships they are offered. Boards typically meet once/month. At this time the chance for scholarshps are still pretty good. As they start to have fewer left they will return to the order of merit list where only the most qulified get the scholarship.

HPSP will cover all required expenses - tuition, books, equipment, and mandatory fees

Obligation begins when you come on active duty. You may be limited in what you can do while on active duty without a license - but you will still get paid and your obligation will count down at that point.

You are correct on the license/bonus/time owed comment you made. If you don't get your license until October, and you take the 10k bonus all 4 yrs - you will end up owing until Oct (extra 3-4 months past your 4 yrs). That is why some people elect not to take that bonus one of the years they are in so that things will all time correctly with whent they want to get out.