18 AA but 3.87 GPA?

[GreenMichigander]

So I have seen on here time and time again where people have a lower GPA but then kill it on the DAT... lucky me is the opposite. I am re-taking my DAT mid-July but say I only get a little higher like a 19AA (to be on the safe side), which schools would be best to apply to?

I have ~6,000 working hours as an assistant, 600 volunteer and 120 shadowing (before I became an assistant). I am an older-ish applicant (25).

Current list:
Michigan (in state)
UDM (in state)
Indiana
NOVA
Kentucky
Louisville
Midwestern - AZ
Midwestern - IL

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[Its_Me_G]

You should apply to around 15 schools with your stats, unless you bring that DAT up to 21+

 

[Quinque]

tbh if you have a 3.87, you shouldn’t be scoring an 18 in my opinion. How did you study for it? Maybe fixing your study approach will land you a 20+

 

[dent_wannabe]

I have heard of somebody getting into Michigan with an 18. But yeah, definitely retake.

 

[Medin2017]

if you are taking mid July, you should be able to get a 21 at least. I studied around a month for around a 23. Go full time (8+ hours a day) and it's easily doable. Most of my peers studied like 4-6 hours a day and got 20-21. Go beyond that.

 

[Tim_Whatley]

if you are taking mid July, you should be able to get a 21 at least. I studied around a month for around a 23. Go full time (8+ hours a day) and it's easily doable. Most of my peers studied like 4-6 hours a day and got 20-21. Go beyond that.

Hmm, I must've missed the seminar where they said that study time is directly proportional to DAT scores regardless of materials and strategy. I would've studied 20 hrs/day if I'd known that!

 

[Medin2017]

Hmm, I must've missed the seminar where they said that study time is directly proportional to DAT scores regardless of materials and strategy. I would've studied 20 hrs/day if I'd known that!

I mean it's not an Iq test by any means. You can do your Chad's some destroyer some feralis with moderate intensity, work on weaknesses, etc all in the span of the time I listed. It's general bio, organic chemistry and general chemistry that aren't as detailed or deep conceptually as in undergrad, highschool math up to like basic precalculus, and a reading section that's not as difficult as the SAT. And you're mostly relearning all these concepts anyway. Don't see what's wrong about someone studying twice as much likely scoring more than the average especially with his gpa.

 

[Jlm50]

I got an 18 AA/19 TS with a high GPA (not a 4.0). I applied to 6 schools and was accepted to 2. BU and UNE. I think it also depends on what else you have on your resume/application.

 

[fit2]

What school did you go to for undergrad? That might matter to some extent in your case

 

[DocDoom]

auto reject from NOVA for sure. the dean of admission recommends 21AA,20+for all sciences

 

[TherealnorthOMFS]

I mean it's not an Iq test by any means. You can do your Chad's some destroyer some feralis with moderate intensity, work on weaknesses, etc all in the span of the time I listed. It's general bio, organic chemistry and general chemistry that aren't as detailed or deep conceptually as in undergrad, highschool math up to like basic precalculus, and a reading section that's not as difficult as the SAT. And you're mostly relearning all these concepts anyway. Don't see what's wrong about someone studying twice as much likely scoring more than the average especially with his gpa.

You can't really recommend how much time another person needs in order to achieve a certain score. Imo it hugely depends on how proficient they are with the bio/chem/orgo stuff to start with. Can a good score be achieved after one month of studying? sure, but for someone who's information is readily available/fresh to them. But from my experience, people who score 22+ study on average for 2-3 months. At the end of the day, you really can't extrapolate your experience to others, it depends on many variables.

 

[Medin2017]

You can't really recommend how much time another person needs in order to achieve a certain score. Imo it hugely depends on how proficient they are with the bio/chem/orgo stuff to start with. Can a good score be achieved after one month of studying? sure, but for someone who's information is readily available/fresh to them. But from my experience, people who score 22+ study on average for 2-3 months. At the end of the day, you really can't extrapolate your experience to others, it depends on many variables.

Yes you're right, I based it off my peers and I, both from undergraduate years and in dental school. But would you agree that 30 days 8+ hours a day is more than the norm in your experience? I don't know anyone who studied that much and got below a 20 so it's weird to me. Even those with lower GPA's than the original poster.

 

[GreenMichigander]

auto reject from NOVA for sure. the dean of admission recommends 21AA,20+for all sciences

Should I wait to apply there until I take my DAT then? I put on my app my expected date of the new DAT so I didn't know if they would just wait until that is received to look at the application completely.

 

[DocDoom]

Should I wait to apply there until I take my DAT then? I put on my app my expected date of the new DAT so I didn't know if they would just wait until that is received to look at the application completely.

not sure if dean lippman is retiring this year but I was able to submit my app with my old DAT scores and have it processed. When I had my preliminary scores from my latest dat, he allowed me to just email the unofficial scores to him and I received an interview invite a few hours later! So, I believe they look at your entire AADSAS report while they wait for your dat retake. Just be sure to indicate you're retaking it.

 

[serendipity30]

The only reason why schools treat DAT as their ultimate score is because some schools are much easier to get 4.0.

They can't really tell what happened by the time you took courses that's why there is an exam called DAT.

Low GPA, high DAT makes more sense than High GPA, low DAT.

 

[Marspumpkin]

The only reason why schools treat DAT as their ultimate score is because some schools are much easier to get 4.0.

They can't really tell what happened by the time you took courses that's why there is an exam called DAT.

Low GPA, high DAT makes more sense than High GPA, low DAT.

Do you think 3.85 gpa with 20 aa is okay? Or is 20 aa too low for 3.85 gpa?

 

[DentPhaze]

Do you think 3.85 gpa with 20 aa is okay? Or is 20 aa too low for 3.85 gpa?

Yeah, 20 is fine for 3.85, even a 19 would be okay also. I'm applying this cycle with 21AA, 3.53 gpa. Studied over winter break for 2.5 weeks 8-10hrs a day.