Third time DAT. need advice

[docr7]

Hey guys, I took my DAT for a third time and will be applying to dental schools a third time. I only received one interview with my first DAT scores. My scores are below:

2012 >> 2013>>2014
PA 16 >> 15>>20
QR 19 >>17>>16
RC 19 >>16>>19
Bio 17 >> 20>>21
Gc 19 >> 25>>20
Oc 19 >> 23>>22
TS 18 >> 22>>21
AA 19 >> 20>>20

I don't know what to think of these scores since my QR went down as well as the TS score. I did take some post-bacc classes but not many because I was trying to focus on the DAT this past semester. My sci GPA went from a 3.42 to a 3.47.

I was really frustrated with my second DAT scores and have been stressed out since because I wasn't expecting a 15 in PAT. But my main concern is I'm confused as to whether I should do a masters or just work and continue volunteering? . Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

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[kenny878]

1. figure out what you did right (i.e.. OC). continue doing that/improve if you can
2. figure out what you did wrong. fix it. study. study harder
3. take DAT again

just my .02
but its easy for me to say b/c I only took the DAT once and don't plan on taking it again

 

[DogeDDS]

1. figure out what you did right (i.e.. OC). continue doing that/improve if you can
2. figure out what you did wrong. fix it. study. study harder
3. take DAT again

just my .02
but its easy for me to say b/c I only took the DAT once and don't plan on taking it again

I think after the third DAT attempt, you need to wait a very long time and receive special permission to take it again so this might not be the best option.

How are your extracurricular (shadowing, volunteering, community service, research, leadership etc)? Can I ask how many credits and what GPAs you got in your post-bacc? I ask this to gauge how much it took for your sGPA to go up by 0.05. Was it a formal or informal post-bacc?

 

[lhmai7]

Yea after the third attempt, you need special permission to take it again. One thing you could do is apply to schools that look at your highest scores from certain sections. Call admissions of different schools and see how they look at the DAT scores. Just continue with the volunteering and EC. A master's could help, but just know that it could take 1.5-2 years to earn a MS, plus the costs of tuition. If you do a MS, applications should have been submitted already if you wanted fall admissions. Some institutions may have spring entry, so you could start applying now. Find schools with the program you'd like (I suggest biomedical sciences or bioengineering), look at start dates, email the advisors with interests of doing research with them (might land you an assistantship to waive tuition costs + stipend), and apply asap. Do well in the program and you'll have high GPA, research experience, while also showing dental schools that you have the capability of handling graduate level curriculum.

 

[docr7]

Oh ok thanks guys. Yeah , I understand I’m late with the masters thing. But I guess I can start in Spring if that’s the only option I’m left with.

And DogeDDS: I did get my shadowing hours up to 100, have around 130 volunteer hours and I’m working part time for this place which is like a community based thing for low income families (not dental related). I have 118 science credits as of now and I took 10 credits last semester and only one class this semester because I wanted to focus on the DAT. And it was an informal post-bacc. I did get A’s in all of the upper level science classes I took afterwards, even though it was just 13 credits. I’m kind of running out of classes to take which is why I was asking whether I need to look into a masters.

 

[customx]

One thing you could do is apply to schools that look at your highest scores from certain sections.

As far as I know, no school does this. They either take your most recent score, your best score, or they average all the scores together from each test.

 

[archonsbk]

As far as I know, no school does this. They either take your most recent score, your best score, or they average all the scores together from each test.

Which schools average all the scores together from each test??

 

[customx]

I don't know off the top of my head. Buy the ADEA guide for $10 and find specific info like that for each school.

 

[archonsbk]

Hey guys, I took my DAT for a third time and will be applying to dental schools a third time. I only received one interview with my first DAT scores. My scores are below:

2012 >> 2013>>2014
PA 16 >> 15>>20
QR 19 >>17>>16
RC 19 >>16>>19
Bio 17 >> 20>>21
Gc 19 >> 25>>20
Oc 19 >> 23>>22
TS 18 >> 22>>21
AA 19 >> 20>>20

I don't know what to think of these scores since my QR went down as well as the TS score. I did take some post-bacc classes but not many because I was trying to focus on the DAT this past semester. My sci GPA went from a 3.42 to a 3.47.

I was really frustrated with my second DAT scores and have been stressed out since because I wasn't expecting a 15 in PAT. But my main concern is I'm confused as to whether I should do a masters or just work and continue volunteering? . Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

And OP, I am just a pre-dent like you, but you have a strong science score (21 TS) and a decent AA (20). I read it somewhere that many schools put the QR as the least important section of the all sections. Just make sure you apply the schools that don't have minimum cut-off and you should be fine. Your GPA looks strong to me as well and your extracurriculum seems great also.