Electrical EngineeringDental School
Self-attested. The author confirmed their identity to us. The content itself is unchecked.Starting conditions
- Institution
- Regional Public University
- Major
- Electrical Engineering
- GPA band
- 3.0-3.4
- Graduated
- 2017
- Location
- New York, United States
- Low GPA
- First-generation student
The sequence7 steps
- Coursework8 mo
Added the biology sequence alongside the EE core
State University
Added the biology sequence alongside the EE core. This took 8 months and was harder than expected.
Obstacle
Took too heavy a load and the grades showed it.
How it was resolved
Retook the course that mattered most rather than trying to offset it elsewhere.
- Coursework1 yr 1 moPivotal
Prerequisite sequence: organic chemistry and biochemistry
State University
Prerequisite sequence: organic chemistry and biochemistry. This took 13 months and was slower than expected.
Evidence for this stepObstacle
Took too heavy a load and the grades showed it.
How it was resolved
Retook the course that mattered most rather than trying to offset it elsewhere.
- Exam4 mo
First DAT attempt
First DAT attempt. This took 4 months and was slower than expected.
- Application9 mo
First application cycle
First application cycle. This took 9 months and was harder than expected.
Evidence for this stepObstacle
Applied broadly without understanding what the reviewers actually screened on.
How it was resolved
Narrowed the list and applied early in the cycle rather than late.
- Setback3 moPivotal
Rejected without interviews; reassessed for three months
Rejected without interviews; reassessed for three months. This took 3 months and was slower than expected.
Obstacle
The plan stalled here, and it was not obvious it would recover.
How it was resolved
Asked the people who rejected me what the specific disqualifier was, then fixed exactly that instead of everything at once.
- Coursework8 mo
Post-baccalaureate coursework to repair the science GPA
State University
Post-baccalaureate coursework to repair the science GPA. This took 8 months and was harder than expected.
Obstacle
Took too heavy a load and the grades showed it.
How it was resolved
Retook the course that mattered most rather than trying to offset it elsewhere.
- Application11 mo
Second application cycle
Second application cycle. This took 11 months and was harder than expected.
Evidence for this step
Outcome
Accepted to dental school (DDS)
Reflection
Would repeat
- Starting the outreach earlier than felt comfortable.
Would skip
- The first application cycle, which I entered underprepared.
Biggest obstacle
Underestimating how long the prerequisite work would take alongside everything else.
What was luck
- One person answered a cold email who did not have to.
Estimated cost: Roughly $15,000 across the whole transition.