Any advice? Either take the DAT in early june during the same week or a week before my finals or drive an hour and a half away to take it in July

[ongerie]

Does anyone have any advice for this situation? Should I just take it a week before finals week and hurt my scores on my finals or is it worth it to drive one and a half hours away so I can take it during july after my finals?

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[Ryxndek]

When do you plan on applying to dental school? Both exam dates are going to make your app later than it could be because the scores have to be verified to get a complete app and that takes a month.

You want to do the best you can, so take whatever exam date that will give you the best chance for highest score

 

[PurpleSails]

1.5 hours isn't that much, especially for something as important as the DAT, so that shouldn't be the deciding factor. I would take it on the date you are more sure you would score better-- July, when you have few more months to study, or final week, when you remember all the stuff like orgo fresh from your classes?

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Does anyone have any advice for this situation? Should I just take it a week before finals week and hurt my scores on my finals or is it worth it to drive one and a half hours away so I can take it during july after my finals?

I agree with a lot of the advice already given and with more than 25 years of experience working with students, I strongly advise that the number one priority is to focus on coursework and GPA. Your grades will stay with you forever but there's always an opportunity for retaking the DAT if needed. When it comes to taking exams like this, rushing into them without being fully prepared can be detrimental – At the end of day my advice would be simply #think30 - do whatever it takes in order to ace your exam on the first try and properly prepare yourself for success!

Nancy, co/owner, Destroyers

 

[ongerie]

When do you plan on applying to dental school? Both exam dates are going to make your app later than it could be because the scores have to be verified to get a complete app and that takes a month.

You want to do the best you can, so take whatever exam date that will give you the best chance for highest score

I was planning on submitting my application by the end of June, would taking the DAT in early june still delay my application to the point where it would hurt me?

 

[Ryxndek]

I was planning on submitting my application by the end of June, would taking the DAT in early june still delay my application to the point where it would hurt me?

Your app would be considered incomplete until they receive your DAT but some schools will process your incomplete app and then make decisions after it’s complete. If you take it early June and apply late June you’ll probably be considered complete by mid July

 

[entireparsley]

Does anyone have any advice for this situation? Should I just take it a week before finals week and hurt my scores on my finals or is it worth it to drive one and a half hours away so I can take it during july after my finals?

Take it in July. 1.5 hours is not a long drive. If the Rest of your application is complete then you won’t even really be applying that late. This exam will help determine the rest of your life, you want to be fully prepared even if it means applying slightly later.