Who here is getting their masters to increase GPA before applying?

[hannahsahib]

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And are you going to do a 1 year or 2 year program?
Just curious + thanks🙂

 

[dentalWorks]

Increase GPA? Do you mean "create new GPA column"?

With most schools, masters GPA and undergrad GPA do not get counted together. You will have 2 seperate GPAs, one for undergrad and other for masters

 

[DividedByZero]

AADSAS submits a undergrad GPA, graduate GPA, and a cumulative GPA to schools. It's up to the schools to use whichever one they prefer.

 

[userah]

I'm in the masters program at umdnj. It's technically a year and half program (doing 10 credits a semester) but if you really wanted, you could knock it out in a year. Although I do have to add that they generally frown upon people trying to finish in a year. I'm just assuming that's because they don't want you to screw over your chances by taking a heavy course load and bombing your classes. Especially since for many of us, masters program is our last ditch effort to prove to dental schools that we're not dumb haha

 

[Destiny11]

I'm in the masters program at umdnj. It's technically a year and half program (doing 10 credits a semester) but if you really wanted, you could knock it out in a year. Although I do have to add that they generally frown upon people trying to finish in a year. I'm just assuming that's because they don't want you to screw over your chances by taking a heavy course load and bombing your classes. Especially since for many of us, masters program is our last ditch effort to prove to dental schools that we're not dumb haha

wow only 10 credits/semester? Is that even full time? That's less than even the minimum for undergrad, and how would taking 10 credits/semester prove anything if you will be taking 20+ in dental school.

 

[Andrew324]

wow only 10 credits/semester? Is that even full time? That's less than even the minimum for undergrad, and how would taking 10 credits/semester prove anything if you will be taking 20+ in dental school.

Grad programs are different

 

[DividedByZero]

^ Even then, I would agree with destiny on this. I'm taking about 19-20 units per quarter in my masters program and doing just fine. Grad programs are different but 10 units/semester is ridiculously small unless you have a ton of research units tacked on top of that.

 

[Jake8]

And are you going to do a 1 year or 2 year program?
Just curious + thanks🙂

I did a one year program because my original stats were on the bubble so I needed just a little boost to get in. If I was in a more precarious situation I would have opted for a two year program that would have provided a longer history of excellent grades to mask the undergrad grades, and prove a character change.

In the end you have to choose which is the right path for you.

 

[userah]

10 credits might be a lot but when you're in undergrad, you're never taking 15 credits of solely biology courses. As opposed to masters, in UMDNJ's case anyway, is 10/11 credits that are all upper level biology courses. It might not seem like a lot but in terms of courseload, it's quite a lot to handle. Now yes, compared to the courseload in dental school, it might not be a lot but taking 15+ credits and getting B's won't really help your cause. Optimally of course, you take 15 credits a semester and get A's but seeing as how grad school is really a last ditch effort, do you really want to take THAT much of a risk?

 

[DividedByZero]

In undergrad I was taking about 15 or so credits of solely bio courses.... which probably explains why I'm in a masters program now.

But the lesson I'm gathering out of my grad school experience is all about time management which is what dental schools want to see. I actually finished 18 credits of pure science this quarter (pharmacology, micro, phys, anatomy, biochem) and did well in them. Taking 10 credits/semester shows absolutely little time management skills and is an obvious ploy to raise a bad GPA (albiet very slowly).

But hey, I wouldn't sweat it though. UMDNJ is a great program.

This is all IMO btw and by no means am I claiming to know what an admissions committee thinks. But if I were on the adcom, then this is how I would view things.

 

[ub40]

before i was accepted this cycle i had looked at the oral biology masters at nyu and the biotech masters at columbia. both looked sweet and nyc is the place to be. couldnt hurt.

 

[userah]

before i was accepted this cycle i had looked at the oral biology masters at nyu and the biotech masters at columbia. both looked sweet and nyc is the place to be. couldnt hurt.

I had a friend who did the masters at nyu. He transferred out after the first semester because he found out after he started that NYU doesn't consider you for acceptance while you're in the program. That and he said the program wasn't really all that great either. He transferred over to UMDNJ and did his masters there. And in case anyone is wondering, he got into Temple this cycle after completing his masters.

 

[Albuterol]

In undergrad I was taking about 15 or so credits of solely bio courses.... which probably explains why I'm in a masters program now.

But the lesson I'm gathering out of my grad school experience is all about time management which is what dental schools want to see. I actually finished 18 credits of pure science this quarter (pharmacology, micro, phys, anatomy, biochem) and did well in them. Taking 10 credits/semester shows absolutely little time management skills and is an obvious ploy to raise a bad GPA (albiet very slowly).

But hey, I wouldn't sweat it though. UMDNJ is a great program and has an awesome linkage deal I wish I had. I'm stuck at midwestern which claims to have a linkage deal and then goes back on it but that's another story for another thread.

This is all IMO btw and by no means am I claiming to know what an admissions committee thinks. But if I were on the adcom, then this is how I would view things.

what's this awesome linkage deal at UMDNJ that you speak of? I have never heard of anything like that.

 

[DividedByZero]

.

 

[Albuterol]

Well, if you pass your classes and you go to UMDNJ dental you don't have to retake the classes. Whereas, at Midwestern you could get a 4.0 through the whole thing and they really couldn't care less despite taking the same classes with the same faculty.

Just by that deal alone, it shows that the dental program has much respect for the masters students there and look favorably upon them (something I wish I had here at Midwestern)

OH. Yes you are correct, a B+ or A and you don't have to retake it. I was assuming something of a guaranteed interview or acceptance when you used the word linkage.