i need advice..what do i do ?
Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice because I'm really stuck between two options right now.
I applied this past cycle and unfortunately didn't have success getting accepted. I have a strong GPA but a lower DAT, and l've already taken the DAT twice. The hardest part is that I genuinely felt like I gave it everything I had the second time around, so the thought of studying for it again is mentally exhausting.
Recently I learned about a dental master's program that offers a pathway into their dental school if you maintain a certain GPA during the program. On paper, it sounds like an amazing opportunity and I'm seriously considering it. At the same time, I've heard the curriculum is very rigorous, which makes sense since it's meant to prepare students for dental school. I'm nervous about the pressure of having to maintain such a high GPA in a condensed program while also being far from home and taking on a big financial commitment.
So now I'm torn between:
- Taking the master's pathway and betting on myself to succeed in the program, or
- Taking another gap year and retaking the DAT for a third time before reapplying. Not even knowing if I'll do any better and possibly applying to this next cycle late.
What makes this hard is that I'm not sure what I would realistically do differently on a third DAT attempt. But at the same time, I'm scared of passing up a good opportunity if the master's program could ultimately open the door to dental school.
I know nobody can make the decision for me, but I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been in a similar situation or has experience with master's-to-dental-school pathways.