What are my chances for acceptance? High GPA but low DAT score

[Aspiringdentist93]

Hello everyone, I have been hearing mixed things and would like to know my chances of being accepted into dental school. I plan on applying early in the cycle and am in my last semester of undergrad. I have a great amount shadowing and volunteer experience along with some research experience. I would greatly appreciate some opinions.

Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.60

DAT scores
AA:18
TS:18
OC:19
GC:19
Bio:17
RC:16
QR:17

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[watermelon15]

take the dat again....you will have much higher chances of acceptances
you have plenty of time to take it again, send your app as soon as you take the test, no later than july 1...this way you have nothing to worry about at all....trust me, the least worries during the app cycle the better
Good luck

 

[Hannah Banana]

Hello everyone, I have been hearing mixed things and would like to know my chances of being accepted into dental school. I plan on applying early in the cycle and am in my last semester of undergrad. I have a great amount shadowing and volunteer experience along with some research experience. I would greatly appreciate some opinions.

Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.60

DAT scores
AA:18
TS:18
OC:19
GC:19
Bio:17
RC:16
QR:17

I have 18AA (18 straight across), 19PAT, lower GPA than yours (3.5ish) and got 3 interviews this cycle. However, I'm not sure about the two 17's you got though. If you want to maximize the chance, I'd say retake the DAT. Pretty confident that you will do much better. Good luck!

 

[irishmom]

My advisor (who is the chair of the medical school admissions at my undergrad) said that when they see low MCAT and high GPA it tells them that the school you went to wasn't a "hard" school and that they probably graded students easier. If it is the opposite, high MCAT and low GPA it means to them your school didn't just hand out A's, you had to work hard. They prefer the second scenario.

Good Luck.

 

[Aspiringdentist93]

Thank you for all of your replies! I will probably apply early and see how that goes while studying for the DAT again.

 

[Blake1e]

Definitely retake. That 16 RC is killer as it's below the cutoff for most schools.

 

[derbear]

Get 19+'s across the board and you should be safe.

 

[shays]

You can submit your app early with the current DAT scores, then retake the DAT this summer and have the new scores sent. Some schools don't even start looking at apps until September so you shouldn't have to worry about instant rejections.

 

[Lock_Jaw]

Retake for sure, it's not terrible, but your GPA isn't that "high" I would study for a month and retake and apply early still. That's what I did (just my first and only attempt) and it worked for me.

 

[packerland]

Our GPAs/DAT are almost identical. Except my RC was a 22. Other than that, practically the same. I got into 4 schools December 1st, silence from 2, and only 1 solid rejection... soooo I don't know. I felt like I was being risky by applying with my DAT score and no intentions of retaking it- but I guess it worked in my favor. I think really researching the schools you apply to and what ranges/averages for DAT and GPA they accept are, and their OOS/IS ratios will be important as well. I think my PS, ECs, and LORs were phenomenal so just gauge it off of the rest of your application! Good luck!

 

[H4LfAd1ME]

Like irishmom stated above, adcoms may question the rigor of the undergrad institution when a student has high GPAs and low DAT scores. The DAT is used as an equalizer between applicants because everyone went to different undergrad schools. My GPA was a bit lower than yours, but because my DAT scores were very high, it opened A LOT of doors for me and I got acceptances from top schools. If you want a sure bet of getting acceptances, I'd retake since your QR is low. Getting your scores even a little bit higher will make your life so much easier during the cycle. If you choose not to retake, don't be surprised if you don't get pre-dec interviews (although getting post Dec int/acceptances is possible).

 

[Mboy]

I have 18AA (18 straight across), 19PAT, lower GPA than yours (3.5ish) and got 3 interviews this cycle. However, I'm not sure about the two 17's you got though. If you want to maximize the chance, I'd say retake the DAT. Pretty confident that you will do much better. Good luck!

Did you got accepted?