Barely any improvement on my DAT retake. Will this put me at a disadvantage?

[mattrex35]

Retook my DAT, and was kind of bummed out. A dental school that I previously applied to (back in 2019) said that being a reapplicant is harder than doing it for the first time, and I needed at least a 23+ DAT to stand out as a reapplicant. I initially took my DAT back in 2019 when I first tried to apply for Dental school. After taking it again, I don't know if I have the time and energy to do it again. Trust me, I understand Dental school is much harder, but at least you are in dental school achieving something. I cannot drop any more time for the DAT anymore. I did all I could to improve my DAT score as much as possible, but I don't think I have it in me anymore. I'm getting older, and I have different responsibilities to handle right now. Here are my results:

Previous DAT scores ---> New scores:
19 AA ---> 20AA (+1)
20 TS ---> 21 TS (+1)
24 BIO ---> 23 BIO (-1)
20 OCHEM ---23 OCHEM (+3)
19 GenChem ---> 19 GenChem (Same)
17 RC --- 21 RC (+4)
21 PAT --- 21 PAT (Same)
16 QR ---> 16 QR (Same)

3.5 oGPA, 3.4 sGPA, and 3.6 bcpGPA

I know many people retake the DAT and get +5 or +7 improvements to their AA, but I can only manage to squeeze one extra point to my AA. Does anyone have advice for someone who barely improved their score to reapply? My biggest fear with retaking the DAT was getting a worse score than I did initially. Thank you in advance!

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[Ryxndek]

you should be fine, no need for a retake. Even +1 point helps. Apply broadly and to well targeted schools and I don't see why you shouldn't get some hits this cycle

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You're in a better position with your newer scores. Maybe not outstanding enough for that school that gave you feedback, but you addressed RC. QR is always challenging for many applicants. With 20's across the board (except QR), stand pat with this for now (like being on an 18 in a blackjack game... except you have 20's). Apply smartly to your geographic and mission fit schools.