The Under 3.0 Club part 02

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I do have some ECs, some community svc, and officer positions in my dental club. But its the weakest part of my applicaiton. I just have to wait and see.

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Hey everybody. I have a 2.99 science GPA (AFTER post-bacc work, so it was even worse right out of undergrad) and just received my 3rd acceptance today. Stay strong and study hard!
peterngu,

Where did you get accepted? Just curious. Congrats and Good Luck with everything!
 
peterngu,

Where did you get accepted? Just curious. Congrats and Good Luck with everything!
Hey Dan,
I got accepted at Michigan, Indiana and Western.
Thanks!
 
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What were your DAT scores? As you can read previous to our conversation I am a mature student going back to school. I am working on my remaining prerequisites right now and plan to retake the DAT. Anyways just thought I would ask you as I know money can be tight at times raising a family and it would be nice to know what schools could potentially accept me with what I bring to the table. Thanks again for getting back too me.

Take care,

Dan
 
What were your DAT scores? As you can read previous to our conversation I am a mature student going back to school. I am working on my remaining prerequisites right now and plan to retake the DAT. Anyways just thought I would ask you as I know money can be tight at times raising a family and it would be nice to know what schools could potentially accept me with what I bring to the table. Thanks again for getting back too me.

Take care,

Dan
My DAT scores were consistent 19s, except for a 18 in QR, a 20 in GC, and a 23 in PAT. Nothing special or considered competitive on these boards.
 
I was wondering..to do formal post-bacc or informal one. I haven't got all pre-req and my gpa is 2.X so...do you have any suggestions thx
 
got NYU so far :thumbup:

Keep the faith under 3.0 club, work hard do well on your DATs and work towards a masters. There is light at the end of the tunnel for us.
 
hello everyone,
im completely lost and in major need of some advice and direction.
my stats: graduating in june 09
UCSD majoring physiology and neuroscience
GPA cum/sci 2.5. i dont think it is possible for it to go up any higher since i have pretty much taken all course ucsd offers. i have reached the maximum unit limitation. my GPA is low due to many pers/family issues however i have been working as a dental assistan for the past 3 years and i also have lots of volunteer experience. i want to do a postbac/smp but my GPA does not qualify me. i want to know what i can do to raise the GPA and i will do whatever it takes but i dont know how to go about this?.. please let me if anyone is/was in a similar situation and what you have done? any advice is appreciated.
 
You're gonna probably need to take a few yrs to hammer this one out, but you should probably apply to a different school, and change your major. Once you get a degree its gonna be extremely difficult to get into a 2nd bachelor's program. You can also go to JC and start retaking the general bio/chem/physics to offset Cs and C- you may have gotten in those classes at SD.

Once you can I'd apply to a master's program, and then take it from there.

My grades from UCSD were 2.3/2.1 in engineering so I have a good idea of where you're coming form
 
chober,

thank you for the quick reply. iam assuming you have graduated and persuing dentistry, if so, what are u doing/done about it? i can hold off on graduation and try to transfer somewhere else--i think. does this sound plausible?
 
Yea I spent 5 years since I graduated trying to bring my grades up. It looks like a rough application year and even people with decent grades and scores are finding it hard to get interviews.

I had to spend 2 years at JC to bring my grades up so that a Cal state school would take me in. Since then I've spent another 3 years at CSULA and my grades are at about a 3.0 right now. I don't know if I will make it in this year, but I'm considering retaking my DATs and lookin for a masters program at the moment.
 
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thanks alot playa :thumbup:

any word yet for yourself???

I didn't apply for this cycle. just gathering everything and getting ready to apply in May. I'll be asking u for tips for sure!
 
I didn't apply for this cycle. just gathering everything and getting ready to apply in May. I'll be asking u for tips for sure!


well you got the DAT scores already :thumbup:


You taking courses now or working?? Every lil bit helps


Let me know when your writing your personal statement.
 
Hope everything works out for you. I am taking my prerequisites right now and hope to have them finished by the end of the summer. I will be retaking the DAT likely in August if I can and then the Canadian DAT in November. My plans are to apply early (May or June) and then work at completing the rest of the prerequisites and retaking the DAT as I only had one prerequisite course completed before taking the test. I have heard that taking the Kaplan is a waste of time when you are preparing for the DAT and that you should put your money to good use and by some other study materials. Is there any advice that anyone could give in regards to prep material or generally application ideas in terms of what to do to increase my chances of getting in? I already have about ten hours of observation time with a Dentist and plan on having some more by summer (possibly 20-30hrs). I did apply to the 2009 cycle but realize that my chances of getting in are very slim. I thank you in advance for all of the advice and feedback.
 
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well you got the DAT scores already :thumbup:


You taking courses now or working?? Every lil bit helps


Let me know when your writing your personal statement.

I'm just boosting up my volunteer/shadowing hours right now and applying to masters programs for the Fall. Also looking for a job but tough due to the economy. I'll definitely shoot you a pm once that personal statement is ready..thanks for the help homie.
 
hey congrats achilles! dude i'm part of this club too and hope to be in your position in a year or two hehe :D
 
I'm just boosting up my volunteer/shadowing hours right now and applying to masters programs for the Fall. Also looking for a job but tough due to the economy. I'll definitely shoot you a pm once that personal statement is ready..thanks for the help homie.


no question man, I'm pulling for ya :thumbup:

Make sure you have your letters of rec and official transcripts submitted soon as AADSAS allows you so you can pull the trigger right away.

hey congrats achilles! dude i'm part of this club too and hope to be in your position in a year or two hehe :D

no doubt man, keep the faith and work hard :cool:

The under 3.0's are my people I'll never forget where I came from, hit me up if you need advice and keep striving.
 
Hi everyone,

I just want to keep the positive vibe going! I graduated undergrad with a 2.7:oops: I took a year off and then entered into a post-bac program where 2 years later I now have a 3.9. That still only pulled up my cumulative GPA to a 3.1. I've been accepted to Tufts and BU and received interviews to NYU and Pitt as well. It may take some time to achieve your goals, but in the words of Kevin Garnett, "Anything is possibllllllllle!":laugh:
 
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Nice job Hula girl!! Hopefully i get the same love. What were ur DAT scores?
 
Nice job Hula girl!! Hopefully i get the same love. What were ur DAT scores?

With your scores, I'm sure you will!! Great job on rocking the DAT:thumbup: Mine were 20/19/18 - in that range where the schools will look at you, but probably need a little more... But maybe what helped me that little more were my EC's? Getting where you want to go may be a tough ride, but if you really want it, you can make it over those bumps. Cheesy, I know, but you really have to believe it:p Good luck!!
 
Hey,

So I am a junior at UC berkeley, i will have around a 2.93 gpa overall and slightly lower for my science gpa. I switched majors last year from bioengineering to nutritional science and the only courses that are dragging down my gpa (2 in particular) are completely unrelated to my current major and dentistry (multivariable calc and programming). I have had 3 years of research at UCSF and I am getting currently published on 2 peer reviewed articles and I already have an abstract that has been published. I am hoping to do really well on my DAT, but I would like opinions on my chances of getting into dental school (I am going to file applications to matriculate in 2010). I have really good letters of recommendation as well as shadowing experience, and i have other extracurriculars, captain of the racquetball team, etc.

thanks!
 
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Hi everyone,

I just want to keep the positive vibe going! I graduated undergrad with a 2.7:oops: I took a year off and then entered into a post-bac program where 2 years later I now have a 3.9. That still only pulled up my cumulative GPA to a 3.1. I've been accepted to Tufts and BU and received interviews to NYU and Pitt as well. It may take some time to achieve your goals, but in the words of Kevin Garnett, "Anything is possibllllllllle!":laugh:

Where did you do your post-bac at?
 
Hi! i just send you a PM asking about your stats and how you got in :)
 
Where did you do your post-bac at?

Hi MolarExpress,

I actually did my post-bac program at my state school. Just in case you're in a similar position, I applied to all the traditional post-bac programs (Tufts, Syracuse, etc) and got in but after seeing that the cost was almost as much as grad school (I think Tufts was $45,000/yr:scared:), I declined to enroll. If you can afford it, by all means go for it. Otherwise I would suggest looking at schools (preferably state schools) that offer 2nd degrees. Right now I pay about $2000/semester - they gave me an academic scholarship since my GPA was high.

In the post-bac, I took nothing but science classes, and in fact I took so many that I am actually graduating again this May:rolleyes:

I hope that helps!
 
Hey guys,

I love you guys on SDN and your on going support and advice. I am about to graduate this quarter from a UC (maxing out units), but I am beginning to see my dream of being a dentist drift away from me. Here is my situation:

Science = 2.51
Non-Science = 3.51
Culmulative = 2.86
DAT: 16 (I was sick when I took it)
Plenty of extra-curriculars, dental volunteering etc. (perhaps too much)

I just submitted applications to a post-bacc program at SFSU and the MA-Biomedical Sciences Program at Midwestern.

If I am not accepted into these programs, I don't know what to do. Simply retaking the DAT right now won't help with my GPA. What would you guys do if you were in my situation? My other options are more JC classes or full time work.

Thanks guys! :)
 
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I've decided to commit to a post-bac program, but would like some insight as to what qualifies as one. There is a 16 month post-bac program as a dental hygienist, but would that be competitive or even worthwhile to work in that field for a year or so, then reapply and take the DATs? What do you think you guys?

Stats:
+ Graduated 2007 with Double Major Biochem and Psychology
cGPA: 2.73
sGPA: 2.5

+ DAT's AA: 16 (orgo 15 and QR 15) and PAT: 19

+ Working full-time now with legal matters with Pharm drugs and FDA.
 
Hello! I've been reading around the forums quite a bit and am really glad I came across this thread! Gives me some hope coming out of a really bad undergrad. Right now I need some advice though...
Here's my situation:
Graduated UCR in 2007 w/ a B.S. in environmental science.
Took all my prereqs for dental school and did not do very well in them except in a few classes. (cgpa: 2.765 bcmpGPA: 2.3:()
Now here's the dilemma... Is it best to pursue a second baccalaureate in biology to up my GPA and to retake some of my C's and a D in the bcmp classes? I know the retakes will only average the gpa and not replace them.
OR
Enter a Masters program in a hard science or MPH program and do really well in those classes.

Are there any other options for me to consider?
 
.
 
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Hello! I've been reading around the forums quite a bit and am really glad I came across this thread! Gives me some hope coming out of a really bad undergrad. Right now I need some advice though...
Here's my situation:
Graduated UCR in 2007 w/ a B.S. in environmental science.
Took all my prereqs for dental school and did not do very well in them except in a few classes. (cgpa: 2.765 bcmpGPA: 2.3:()
Now here's the dilemma... Is it best to pursue a second baccalaureate in biology to up my GPA and to retake some of my C's and a D in the bcmp classes? I know the retakes will only average the gpa and not replace them.
OR
Enter a Masters program in a hard science or MPH program and do really well in those classes.

Are there any other options for me to consider?


I'd really considering pursuing the Master's program. Be sure to selection a science program. Dental schools will look at this as more of a reputable circumstance.

PDG
 
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Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone has attended/or knows about Midwestern's Biomedical sciences program in Chicago? I am mainly doing this to enhance my gpa cuz its at a 2.9 rite now. Has anyone gotten into dent/med/do/opt/vet schools ect... through this program? Any input would be great! Thanks.
 
Quite a few people have recommended Midwestern's BMS program - personally, I've never heard anything negative about it.

Any other success stories out there??
 
Hey all! Just here to throw in some positive thinking! I graduated with a 2.9 GPA in biology and decided that I wanted to do dentistry. I honestly felt like crap at the time, because my grades were so low, and I knew I could have done better, but at the time I really was not motivated, I was just trying to graduate! Anyhow, I was always saying to myself, "This sucks, I'll never get in." And then, I log into the under 3.0 club :) and I read this post about positive thinking and how this person was accepted. So I was like, "okay, only good thoughts from now on." I joined the pre-dental club and took my transcript to the admissions office and asked them what I needed to do. They told me NOT to sign up for the master's program, because it was too late to apply but to take a semester of classes with the Master's students, and at least get a 3.5, which I did. They told me to take the DAT and come to them with my scores, which I did. They told me to shadow a dentist for 50 hours, which I did. They told me to try to get a job as a dental assistant, which I did. Long story short, I got 3 interviews, and was accepted to NYU and Indiana!:D

I honestly think that positive thinking is really the way to go! I know sometimes when you are looking at your grades, it can be kind of depressing... and you are thinking to yourself...."I don't even know why I am trying, because no one will accept me and I will never get in." However, once I dropped that negative thinking, thought positively and honestly just said to myself that I WAS gonna get in (I literally said this to myself everytime I felt upset), it seemed like out of nowhere, great things started to happen!

Seriously, if you have a school in mind you want to go to, call the office up, go to the office with your transcript, start talking to people in the admissions office about what you should do to be a better applicant, show that you have interest! You literally need to stalk these schools to show that you want it! And trust me, it does not bother them one bit. Because, if they really see that you are committed and dentistry is something that you really want to do, they WILL acknowledge that. The admissions lady literally told me that I needed to do what she said, so that when my name came up to the committee and they have doubts about me as an applicant, she could say that I did everything that she told me to do, and that shows commitment!

I'm not saying that if everyone does this, they're gonna get accepted. Nor am I saying that you will be accepted right away, it may take some time. However, if dentistry is something you really want to do, do not and I repeat DO NOT let anyone anywhere tell you that there's no chance, because there is!

I'm a religious person, so I always tell myself this, and if you are religious, perhaps you should say this to yourself sometimes: "God will NEVER present you with a situation that you cannot handle." Just say that to yourself if you are sitting there studying and just really wanna throw yourself down a flight of stairs...haha, because that phrase has honestly helped me a lot.

Happy studying and good luck to you all!
 
Dentgal....congrats on your accomplishment. Have you decided which school you are going to yet? I guess the tables have turned....now you get to decide if you accept them.
 
Fellow under 3.0ers, I was wondering if i might be able to get some advice on if I should apply or not. I have a 2.985 cGPA and a 2.7ish sGPA, my DAT scores are TS 22, AA21. I have done research at my schools dental school, volunteered a lot with the dental schools clinic, and shadowed as well. I have a lot of ec hours in service. I am going to be enrolled in an SMP beginning in the fall, and I was wondering if I should apply to dental schools anyways, and update with my fall grades from the SMP in dec, or if I should just wait until I am done with the program. Any advice would reallllllllllllllllllllllllllly help!
 
Hey all! Just here to throw in some positive thinking! I graduated with a 2.9 GPA in biology and decided that I wanted to do dentistry. I honestly felt like crap at the time, because my grades were so low, and I knew I could have done better, but at the time I really was not motivated, I was just trying to graduate! Anyhow, I was always saying to myself, "This sucks, I'll never get in." And then, I log into the under 3.0 club :) and I read this post about positive thinking and how this person was accepted. So I was like, "okay, only good thoughts from now on." I joined the pre-dental club and took my transcript to the admissions office and asked them what I needed to do. They told me NOT to sign up for the master's program, because it was too late to apply but to take a semester of classes with the Master's students, and at least get a 3.5, which I did. They told me to take the DAT and come to them with my scores, which I did. They told me to shadow a dentist for 50 hours, which I did. They told me to try to get a job as a dental assistant, which I did. Long story short, I got 3 interviews, and was accepted to NYU and Indiana!:D

I honestly think that positive thinking is really the way to go! I know sometimes when you are looking at your grades, it can be kind of depressing... and you are thinking to yourself...."I don't even know why I am trying, because no one will accept me and I will never get in." However, once I dropped that negative thinking, thought positively and honestly just said to myself that I WAS gonna get in (I literally said this to myself everytime I felt upset), it seemed like out of nowhere, great things started to happen!

Seriously, if you have a school in mind you want to go to, call the office up, go to the office with your transcript, start talking to people in the admissions office about what you should do to be a better applicant, show that you have interest! You literally need to stalk these schools to show that you want it! And trust me, it does not bother them one bit. Because, if they really see that you are committed and dentistry is something that you really want to do, they WILL acknowledge that. The admissions lady literally told me that I needed to do what she said, so that when my name came up to the committee and they have doubts about me as an applicant, she could say that I did everything that she told me to do, and that shows commitment!

I'm not saying that if everyone does this, they're gonna get accepted. Nor am I saying that you will be accepted right away, it may take some time. However, if dentistry is something you really want to do, do not and I repeat DO NOT let anyone anywhere tell you that there's no chance, because there is!

I'm a religious person, so I always tell myself this, and if you are religious, perhaps you should say this to yourself sometimes: "God will NEVER present you with a situation that you cannot handle." Just say that to yourself if you are sitting there studying and just really wanna throw yourself down a flight of stairs...haha, because that phrase has honestly helped me a lot.

Happy studying and good luck to you all!
What's your DAT score?
 
I just wanted to add my story to help motivate and hopefully inspire others along the way. My story would not be possible without pure dedication and the support of my girlfriend, friends and family members.

Like many others I started my college career with VERY rocky grades and I ended up with a GPA of 1.68 for the first year. I was placed on academic probation and eventually on academic suspension for a semester. That semester off I took 5 classes at a community college and aced them all. So yea under a 2.0 from my undergrad school and a 4.0 at a community college. That semester was the time I realized I really wanted to be a dentist and that dream would not be attainable unless I do something about it. I returned to my university after the suspension and performed well. For the rest of my college career I continually improved my GPA from 1.68--->3.25 overall and science GPA of 3.1 overall. My bio advisor was impressed with my come back and supported me all the way. His hand in helping me has been invaluable. It was not easy at all especially with upper level science courses along the way.

By end the summer of 2007 I started studying for my DATs Allllllll summer. This was the second time I took them. I also took 5 courses to complete my minor. I then applied to 15 dental schools, yep 15! I did ok on my DATs but with my GPA that was def not enough. I did not receive a single interview that year : ( and from my average DAT performance (scoring well in the sciences) I really thought my dream of being a dentist would not come true. I remember after my DATs I came home closed my room door and cried for the first time over an exam. I will never forget that day.

I spent the rest of the summer shadowing an orthodontist and two general dentists. I had accumulated over 15 letters of recommendation from science teachers, head of departments, anesthesiologists, dentists, dental lab technicians and hospital managers. I accumulated over 400 hours of shadowing experience over the year and over 300 hours volunteering at local hospitals. I completed an anesthesia internship at the New England Baptist hospital (summer 2005) and even worked in a dental lab all summer.

Meanwhile all my friends were working with 9-5 jobs saying how much money they were making and how great life was being out of school. I didn't start any jobs yet because I really wanted to focus on my dental career. I enrolled at Harvard Extension School Fall 2007-Spring 2008 (post-bacc) and killed all the upper level science courses with a 3.8 GPA. I took developmental bio, organismic bio (immuno, devo, evolution, ecology and physio), cellular molec, histology and biochemistry. It was tough to keep going with these classes especially with all the rejection letters I was getting. Man, around this time I was so down on myself, really didn't know where to go from here.

By the end of April 2008 I started applying to Masters programs. I applied to BU, Tufts and a few others. I was accepted to BU masters program for med sciences and ended up dropping all the other applications. I was happy to find that I had something to look forward to for the next year. The program started end of summer in Aug 1 and man was it tough. I killed the classes, thats all I did study study and study. I got a 3.85 and so far a 4.0 this semester for my classes. All the classes were medical school level classes. I was among the top students in the classes.

Once I was into a masters program I immediately reapplied to dental schools that summer 2009. By January 2009 I had received two interviews, one from BU and another from Arizona. I attended the BU one and a few weeks later was finally accepted into their dental school. During my interview, I was asked about all of my recommendations and they were impressed with all the people who supported me. They told me each letter was unique and together with my personal statement they really didn't even have to interview me : ) My persistence, motivation and of course performance really stood out and they were impressed. I then declined all other interviews from Tufts and Arizona, as BU was my no.1 choice : )

I look back at all the struggle, all the people who supported me, all the hours or studying, the time spent shadowing / experiencing various realms of dentistry, and all the little things that I had to do to keep up with everything. It really makes me feel like anything is possible. I am now on my summer vacation writing my thesis for my masters. I shall start D-school in Aug and can't wait.

I hope this helps those of you who maybe down about the process of getting in. Just keep trying and if you really want it you will get it eventually. Stay positive and dedicated.

Anythings possible, impossible is nothing!
 
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Wow very inspirational stories on this thread!
It makes me really happy to read stories like these cause it keeps my hopes up.

I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on my situation..
I'm from Canada and currently considering a career in dentistry,
I wil be entering the 4th yr of my undergrad in sept.
- so far Cumulative GPA is 2.9
- I havent writtent the DAT seeing how the canadian DAT is held in Nov.
- I have experience volunteering in a hospital and have shadowed a dentists (only for one day though 12 hrs.)

First question - do I have a shot?
Second - should I apply in this cycle seeing how it is still May or should I wait till next yr.?
 
Why dont you write the american DAT and apply to US schools. I am in a similar situation and preparing to apply for this cycle.
 
can someone explain what's a post-bacc program? is this just grad school or something else? would this be like Barry University's graduate degree Biomedical Sciences (Master of Science) for example?? http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp

thanks
 
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Post-Bacc programs are basically courses you take after you acquire your bachelors. A masters would be one example.
 
When people say post-bacc, they are generally referring to specific programs that are designed for students with their Bachelor's to take in order to increase their GPA with the intent of applying to professional school. The classes don't go toward a degree.

Obviously, in a Masters program you are working toward a degree. Also, the classes aren't geared toward your specific purpose the way a post-bacc program is. However, if you fail to get into dental school, at least you can receive a Masters, or switch into a PhD program instead of wasting time in a post-bacc and not having any advanced degree to fall back on.

So, are you confident that you can do well in a post-bacc program and get into dental school? Or would it be a better idea to enter a degree program?
 
Im a Canadian considering to apply for this cycle, but havent written the DAT yet.

I understand that there are US schools that consider the canadian DAT
but say that i have written both the US DAT and the candian one and my canadian score is higher, is it correct that they will only look at my US score (since ive written both versions)?
 
dsony: very impressive!

few questions for you
1) how many schools and where did you apply the second time other than the 3 you listed
2) how many credits did you have in one semester at harvard's PB program?
3) what is anesthesia internship?
thanks.
 
Ok. i so glad I have found this thread, make me feel better that I am no alone out there. So there my stat are

cum: 2.6-undgergrad to 2.8 post-bac
bcp: 2.7
no DAT yet

what if there is no post-bac in MN or is there? some of my post-bac course were complete at CC and except my last two course what should I do. Also reading the website they also said that pre-req should be within 5 year range and I graduate in 2004 with a biology degree with gpa of 2.6. If I retake all the pre-req courses that are more than five years would it be better or would better if I get into a masters program or any suggestions would be great...
 
Post-Bacc programs are basically courses you take after you acquire your bachelors. A masters would be one example.

Hmm not exactly. Post-Bacc are the same exact courses you took in undergrad, Bio, Gen Chem, Org Chem I & II. It is for people who want to apply to med/dental but either didn't take the courses in undergrad or did terrible and need to improve their grades in those courses. You do not obtain a degree with eh Post-Bacc.

An SMP (Special Masters Program) is a masters where you take classes with med/dental students or classes similar to those which med/dental students take in their first year. These classes are usually like Gross Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Neuroanatomy, etc.
 
I'd like to know how you guys made a compelling case during the interviews about your bad grades in undergrad? Part of mine was that I had no motivation, I realized too late that I chose the wrong major. I don't know how to make this compelling in the personal statement or the interview. Thanks!
 
This is my third time applying dental school
here's my story.
I graduated undergrade with 2.98 gpa (2.95 sgpa).
and I started masters program in biomedical science and got 3.87 gpa.
I got one interview and placed on waitlist

The problem is my RC score in dat
I got 20 TS 19 AA 19 QC 19 bio 19 orgo 16 RC 19 pat 21 genchem

Do you think i should retake the dat?
 
.
 
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