Fifth Year Undergrad Or Grad School?

[vivienne8585]

Hi,

 

My only goal is to get into dental school. After doing calculations based on my current academic performance at U of T, I think I will probably only arrive at a 3.54 by fourth year (that's only including 2nd and 3rd year marks; I messed up greatly in first and second year). I know that if I apply then, even with extraordinary DAT scores, my chances will be slim for UofT and UWO's dental schools. I have a few questions and hope that you'll give me your opinions:

 

1. Should I stay for a fifth year to pull up my grades and then apply again? If so, which marks will be considered in the calculations (i.e. 3/4 or 2/3/4?) Will staying back a year give the admissions officers any bad impression? Has anyone done something like this and is willing to share your success story?

 

2. Should I apply for grad school instead and apply again then? If so, will I need to take the prerequisite courses again? Do they care what kind of Master's degree I have?

 

Thank you very, very much for helping me out!

[1MolarSolution]

you would need to have a best 3 years at 3.90 GPA for an interview at UotT interview... for Western, you would need at least an 87% best 2 years for an interview.

 

An MSc would help for UofT as it would allow you a chance to get in with a 3.75 GPA (best 3 years)... Master's degrees that are thesis-based (research) in science generally have the greatest success.

[kimchiman103]

Given your GPA, I do not believe that a masters degree can help greatly with your admission process. Going to abroad dental schools (US, Australia, Irish) would be your best shot. 

[jillsmiles]

I agree with kimchiman103 - an extra year is not likely enough to get the gpa to where you need it, and a master's does give you a bit of an edge but does not compensate totally for a weak gap