a 19 is a Competitive DAT?

[NguyenDDS]

Hi there! 🙂 This just occurred to me... But...it seems that, on this forum, a score of 19 on the DAT is no longer great... I've noticed that those who get around a 19 AA and TS aren't satisfied with their scores.... even some with a 20 AA have to ask if its a good score. I understand that GPA plays a role and if you apply to Harvard or something... but it still baffles me 😕

Taken from Temple University Website...
"Applicants should try to achieve competitive scores of 18 or better in each category, though there is no minimum score. A low score in one area might be ignored if the applicant does very well in that academic discipline later on."

Taken from Louisiana State University Dental.....
"A competitive score on the DAT is considered to be an academic average of 19 with no score lower than 17. The mean academic average for entering freshmen is 20.


So, now I'm lost. I know higher, the better. But what is considered a competitive or acceptable DAT score? Does StudentDoctor forum just simply have higher standards of what's considered competitive????

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[ll REVOFEV ll]

I would say if you have a 19 you are competitive for sure. Student Doctor represents a small portion of the applying body for dental schools. People on here post high scores, but it is unlikely that there will be that many people applying to a school that have scores like people do on here. This site is not that representative of people applying to dental schools. A 17aa is still the average score on the DAT and an 18 or 19aa is still the average to get in to dental school. Don't let this site make you feel like you are inferior if you get a 19aa on your DAT because it is still competitive. It does depend on your GPA though...what is competitive for someone with a 3.9 is going to be different that what is competitive for someone with a 3.5 or 3.2.

 

[rav4182]

idk out of all the interviews i went to it seemed like everyone had at least a 20. the schools even showed us stats of how their entering class had 20's across all the dat sections.

 

[NguyenDDS]

I would say if you have a 19 you are competitive for sure. Student Doctor represents a small portion of the applying body for dental schools. People on here post high scores, but it is unlikely that there will be that many people applying to a school that have scores like people do on here. This site is not that representative of people applying to dental schools. A 17aa is still the average score on the DAT and an 18 or 19aa is still the average to get in to dental school. Don't let this site make you feel like you are inferior if you get a 19aa on your DAT because it is still competitive. It does depend on your GPA though...what is competitive for someone with a 3.9 is going to be different that what is competitive for someone with a 3.5 or 3.2.

That makes me wonder if admissions are 'expecting' a higher DAT for those with high GPA. Could having a super high GPA ever be of a disadvantage in terms of DAT? I know it may sound insane... but to me and based on only numbers, a person with a 3.4 cGPA paired with a 23 AA/TS.... looks somewhat better than a person with a 3.8 cGPA paired with a 18 AA/TS... But again, that's my weird view and I'm no where close to being on the admissions committee 😀

idk out of all the interviews i went to it seemed like everyone had at least a 20. the schools even showed us stats of how their entering class had 20's across all the dat sections.

Hmm... what schools are you referring to? I guess it also depends on the school. But it seems that the average dental school thinks a 19 is competitive. I guess it also depends on the GPA. Their GPAs may have been around 3.3-3.4 or something?

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

I would bet that the average DAT score for accepted students this coming cycle will be a 19 still. Schools are not expecting higher DATs (like 22 or higher aa's)....nor are they expecting higher DAT scores out of a person that has a higher GPA. I feel like this is a common misconception. If you have a high GPA you have a little breathing room for the DAT from what I understand. Obviously you want to have the highest scores possible but there is room to breath if you have a high GPA. I've talked to numerous schools since taking my DAT on the 19th. I got a 19aa, 19ts, and even a 14qr (but a 26rc) and schools still said I was a competitive applicant because I have a 3.912 GPA and told me not to retake the DAT. I just had a meeting with the director of admissions at a dental school today and they said I was competitive and they expect that I will be back in november for an interview (which i'm crossing my fingers for too). Also, it depends on the school. Some schools see your GPA as more important than your DAT scores, and some see your DAT score as more important.

 

[NguyenDDS]

Okay, that's good to know! A lot of stats on dental websites state their DAT averages are around 18-19. That means many got below, at, or higher than a 18-19. Same concept with GPA... most have averages around 3.5... that means some enrollees got below, on, or above. So, a 3.4 GPA isn't bad at all. It's actually decent. Anyway, now I'm just rambling 😳 Good to know that a 19 DAT is good and competitive.

(Btw, I envy your stats... I am conversing with a dentist to be 😛)

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

Haha...you're not rambling! It's good to be thinking these things through! Yes...so if the average DAT is a 19 and the average GPA is a 3.5 then students are being accepted below, at, or above those marks. I hope that I am a future dentist lol and thanks! That 14 qr is the only thing that may hold me back but from what I understand schools don't care (from what they've told me). The admissions director I talked to today even said that within their career....they think QR will be taken off of the DAT and replaced with a writing portion. Shows how important QR is to schools lol.

 

[NguyenDDS]

Hehe thanks. Yea, I've read and heard that QR is insignificant. I think the only thing that it CAN impact... is lowering/raising the AA by a tiny bit. Not a big deal. I'm not going to lie though, I HOPE they DON'T replace QR with a writing section... Here's a quick formula I just made up...

Writing section + taking DAT = wait for your scores for 1 month

The MCAT has the writing section, and they all have to wait for their scores for 1 whole month because of that section. I heard they are going to delete the writing section of the MCAT though... but anyway, that's a whole different topic 🙂

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

Well by that time we will both be dentists and we won't have to worry about it lol. Good luck to you with applying and your DAT if you haven't taken it yet!

 

[NguyenDDS]

Hehe Thanks! That reminds me.... I should go back to studying my DAT now 🙂 Good luck!

 

[Doc Smile]

Hi there! 🙂 This just occurred to me... But...it seems that, on this forum, a score of 19 on the DAT is no longer great... I've noticed that those who get around a 19 AA and TS aren't satisfied with their scores.... even some with a 20 AA have to ask if its a good score. I understand that GPA plays a role and if you apply to Harvard or something... but it still baffles me 😕

You have to get at LEAST a 25 to get into DSchools this year. Its a new requirement.

But you are right in saying that SDN represents a small portion of the application pool: usually the high end who are super achievers, the low end who are desperate for advice or support, and a few in the middle. Plus, if you didnt do so hot on the DAT would you post your scores? That is why they are so inflated on this site!

 

[Double Bonded]

Plus, if you didnt do so hot on the DAT would you post your scores? That is why they are so inflated on this site!

Exactly. If you failed a test in a class you wouldn't be bragging about it to your friends.

 

[dentalWorks]

only time 19 is competitive is when its accompanied by a decent GPA. If the GPA is lacking, 19 won't cut it.

 

[wizi]

only time 19 is competitive is when its accompanied by a decent GPA. If the GPA is lacking, 19 won't cut it.

How about sGPA 3.4 and 19 AA, 20 TS 20 PAT?

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

I guess one thing I would like to know too is, in terms of GPA, do schools see a big difference between a 3.5 and a 3.9? Do they look at a 3.9 GPA as being a lot higher than a 3.5 or just a little higher? I know that having a 3.5 means you basically got A's in half your classes and B's in half your classes, and a 3.9 means you basically got all A's. So I guess there is a big difference but I was just wondering if anyone has any information or knows anything about how schools view the GPA difference.

 

[glo1984]

Don't forget that while the avg DAT score may not change this year, due to increased competition it is becoming harder to score higher.

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

Don't forget that while the avg DAT score may not change this year, due to increased competition it is becoming harder to score higher.

Can you elaborate on this?

 

[dentalWorks]

How about sGPA 3.4 and 19 AA, 20 TS 20 PAT?

those are very close to national matriculation average (I think around 3.5 sGPA and 19.2 AA)

I guess one thing I would like to know too is, in terms of GPA, do schools see a big difference between a 3.5 and a 3.9? Do they look at a 3.9 GPA as being a lot higher than a 3.5 or just a little higher? I know that having a 3.5 means you basically got A's in half your classes and B's in half your classes, and a 3.9 means you basically got all A's. So I guess there is a big difference but I was just wondering if anyone has any information or knows anything about how schools view the GPA difference.

Who knows.... But I believe the difference between 3.5 and 3.9 is no where near as big as the difference between a 3.5 and 3.0.

Since the national GPA average for matriculation is between 3.5-3.6, this tells me there is a huge range of people between 3.4 - 3.7 and if your within this range, you are competitive enough to land an interview.

 

[glo1984]

Can you elaborate on this?

Since each test version is based on your percentile, the increased amount of high scores from others will make it harder to be in that percentile.