Hi all,
I’m currently a pre-dent school who goes to a mediocre state school (UMass Amherst). I recently just applied for the honors college and was rejected :(. The minimum cut off for the honors college is a 3.4 and my gpa currently is a 3.424. I was a stellar student in high school, and now it seems like I’m finding it so difficult to get good grades at the university. Freshman year, I finished off both semesters with a 3.3 and 3.4 respectively. Last semester of sophomore year, I ended with a 3.57 and made the dean’s list, and I’ve got to now get 4.0’s from now on in order to finish off my junior year with a 3.71. Yes, my grades have been on an upward trend since freshman year, but no matter how determined I’ve been to get that 4.0, I’ve still managed to disappoint myself.
I honestly don’t know what i’m doing wrong…I don’t party. And I mostly just study. I work in a research lab, have a job and am starting to get involved in extracurriculars. How can I stand out as an applicant since my grades aren’t too hot?
I’m feeling incredibly stressed and I almost feel like I should apply until after senior year so my gpa is at least a 3.78 (if i get all 4.0s from now on). What do you guys think?
When applying to medical school, the importance of MCAT is usually higher than GPA assuming you have a solid 3.5-3.7 GPA. I would assume this is similar when considering taking the DAT and going on track to become a dentist. My father was a doctor and I can guarantee you he had a lower GPA than a 3.71 in undergraduate. Please take some time to think and realize that you have done fine so far. If your classes where easy they shouldn’t be considered Pre-Med/Dent classes. Lastly, UMass Amherst isn’t a “mediocre state school” IMO. lol… It is ranked 76# in National Universities, and #30 among Public Universities by US News. This is higher than all the SUNY’s, including Binghamton, and it’s above UVM as well. I’m sure that you may have had some more “prestigious” private schools on you list in the past but I would say that going to a State University, especially the state’s Flagship, shouldn’t change things too much unless you let it. Good luck!
Check out the pre-med/pre-dent forum here on CC. I think you’ll find some useful information on that front. For grades, it can be hard to transition from high school where you didn’t have to study to college where you do have to study. If you don’t have the study skills, the number of hours you spend studying won’t necessarily translate into better learning. Have you used resources like peer tutoring and office hours? They can help with the material and with study skills.
And I concur - UMass is not a mediocre state school. Yes, Massachusetts has Harvard, MIT, etc., but UMass is still a very good university in its own right.