DAT!!! boo hoo

[jojohygienist]

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Just took DAT this am-did really really bad
I only got a 15TS highest was 17 on RC.

I am a dental hygienist and have 2 college degrees do you think that has any weight or do I definitely have to retake. It has been 7yrs since I took my sciences. My overall GPA ia 3.65, science is 3.3. What is your advice and opinions? should I apply anyway or just retake and wait till next cycle?
Thanks for any feedback.
JoJo

 

[anesthesia_209]

Definitely retake. No question about it. How long and what did you use to study?

 

[paul510psu]

I'm sorry to say it, but yes a re-take is definitely your best option.

 

[klpennin]

Retake and study your butt off.

 

[keliao]

start from page 1 of every book if you need to.! GL

 

[jojohygienist]

Definitely retake. No question about it. How long and what did you use to study?

I studies off and on with Kaplan for a few months, its hard when you work full time 🙁

 

[rdhdds1]

I studies off and on with Kaplan for a few months, its hard when you work full time 🙁

Do not rely on your experience as a dental hygienist to seemingly automatically give you a spot in dental school.

It is true, to a degree, that schools will give a dental hygienist a little slack but one should still strive for 18-20 on the DAT.

I know it is hard to work full time and then study but it is doable. Tell your friends and family that for the next three months you are a shut-in, hermit if you will, and to leave you alone. Second option. Re-take next year which will give you more time to study and hopefully you will not find it too stressful.

You should defintely supplement with other resources if all you are currently using is Kaplan.

 

[Andrew324]

Sorry, Retake

Also at many schools the science courses are only good for a certain number of years.

 

[eldirty]

Unfortunately you are in need of a retake ...

 

[klutzy1987]

I studies off and on with Kaplan for a few months, its hard when you work full time 🙁

You need to manage to devote time to studying and you need to get rid of the kaplans. Its good as a basic exlpanation of some stff, but it doesnt have the detail required.

 

[dabramo]

you might need to retake but dont worry! at lleast you have some background and can only go up from this point!

 

[jojohygienist]

You need to manage to devote time to studying and you need to get rid of the kaplans. Its good as a basic exlpanation of some stff, but it doesnt have the detail required.

What other study materials do you recommend?

 

[anesthesia_209]

What other study materials do you recommend?

Cliff's AP Bio
Destroyer
Crack DAT
A GRE Math book can help you for the QR section too if you need it.

 

[klutzy1987]

Cliff's AP Bio
Destroyer
Crack DAT
A GRE Math book can help you for the QR section too if you need it.

Yup sounds right to me maybe add
Achiever
Top Score
Schaums

However only one of the practice exams are necessary and schaums is overkill if you have cliffs, but the more you study the better you are so..

 

[needa20]

sorry to hear that you did not do as well as you had hoped.

I studied for about 2.5 months while working full time also. has not taken a science class in over 2 years. I do not take credit for doing ok, but def give God the credit.

By no means did I do fantistic, but hopefully well enough. I suggusest do nothing but study for 5 hrs a day 6 days a week for the next few months and then retake. I am sharing my experiance to show you that i can be done while working full time. Like i said, hard work, dedication, give up social life for a few months and pray.

good luck and God bless

 

[rewJW]

This is probably going to sound very harsh but isn't intended to. Working full time unfortunately won't be seen as a good excuse for doing poorly on the DAT (or in classes, for that matter.) When you are in dental school, you will be essentially working full time (classes) and then have to work full time (study) on top of that.

I learned the hard way when I took the DAT the first time around (last application cycle) that work wasn't an excuse for my subpar DAT scores. I didn't get a single interview and all the schools told me to retake the DAT. This time around, I literally dropped any social and fun life for 3 months and studied my behind off. Worked 7:45-5:00 every day, drove to library (or Kaplan class), studied, slept, woke up, did the same thing. I will add that I was able to get an entire week off and spent that week in the library all day a few weeks before my DAT. My hard work paid off. I 'thought' that I had done all I could for the last DAT take, and kept using work as an excuse for my lower scores, but after this time, I know I did not nearly scratch the surface of what I could have done last time. Do I feel like I could have scored higher if I didn't have to work at all and could have studied all day, every day for the same amount of time? Yes. But there was no way I could afford to not work, so this was the way I had to do it. It IS doable. You can do better than you did last time. You just have to be very motivated and apply yourself. Dental schools don't want to hear excuses.