Dat/kaplan/time

[D.D.S.]

Hey I am finally enrolled into the Kaplan DAT course ($$$ ) . It begins April 10th til May 23rd. I am planning to study my A$$ off for it while taking 12 units( Virology, Psych and Research). I also want to take the DAT's before June 1st because councelors and others have been advising me to. Has anyone studied only about a month and half and done well on the DAT's? Do I have to take the DAT's before June 1st? Why can't I take them in July or August? Please give me some advice about when exactly to take my DATs including all the application factors involved. I want to maximize my opportunities of getting in!!

Thanks in Advance!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dauber]

I studied for about a 5 weeks and did alright 19/20/21 with a 26 bio. I wouldn't say that was anything more than average and I took mine Aug 3rd. In my opinion that wasn't late. The DAT official scores just get mailed to the schools, unlike the AADSAS which has to be processed prior to mailing. I would say take the DAT earlier so that if you don't get the score you want you can retake it. Plus if you wanted to get your app in asap, you'd already have your DAT at those schools.

 

[xdianaax]

I don't think there is anything wrong with taking your DAT in July or August, just no later. Just make sure to have your app in early, so that all you have left to submit are your DAT scores.

 

[Mstoothlady2012]

i agree july/aug is not late for DAT as long as you have finished your application....dont take DAT unless you are fully prepared...because if you do not do well & want to retake it again....you will have to wait for another 90 days and by then it will be september...then y not just wait till aug, get well prepared & then take it...m plannin to take it at the end of july!!i havent even started studying since i am full time student, dont have time to study for DAT... hopefully will do tht during summer break.
good luck!!

 

[DDSY]

With the exception of Case, taking the DAT in July or August is not a problem. Of course, the earlier you complete your application the better.

I studied for two months, hadn't taken any chem, organic chem or bio classes for over five years and did relatively well on the DAT (20+ on all sections). The trick is to work hard and continuously. Unlike many other exams (such as the SAT), the DAT is an exam that can be improved upon.

 

[isuclones85]

ok I am retaking a chem course this summer to boost my gpa a lil bit due to some major slacking as a dumb 18 year oldmad. My question is if I wait to get my application in after this course is over (July 11'ish because I want the new grade to replace the old one on my transcript) I know the earlier the better but is this too late?

Also, I plan on taking the DAT in the late June to mid July range as well, my second question is if I dont do as well on it as I had planned and want to retake it quick, will the not so good DAT scores be sent to the schools or can I axe those and hope to nail it the next time I take it without the schools of choice seeing my blunder? (Assuming I do not so hot the first time which I hope doesn't happen )

 

[reapply2007]

you can submit the AADSAS with your transcripts from the summer class. fill out the coursework section for classes in progress and submit your official transcript only after you complete your summer classes. However, you should know that AADSAS has up to eight weeks to mail out your application after it has everything. this could potentially mean your application doesn't get mailed to schools until mid September. You might not be considered for an interview until October, at which point some schools such as Case are already scheduled for interviews through Feb. Of course, if you do extremely well on the DAT and your GPA it might not matter. Either way, putting in your application in mid-July might cause you some stress in the Fall.

 

[Mstoothlady2012]

July is not too late but its not early either....i am kind of confused with what you are saying...even if you repeat the same course you will still have to put all the grades regarding that course on AADSAS (somebody correct me if i m wrong) & then AADSAS will take an average of all those grades of that particular course & give you a grade (for eg. lets say u get C 1st time & A 2nd time in org chm I then ur grade for org chm I would be B)
About DAT...hmm i guess when you go take DAT dont select any schools ...so your scores wont be send to the schools & lets say if u do good then i think u gonna have to call ADA & let them know that u want ur scores to be sent to these schools. If u do bad then dont call them & retake it again & at tht time select the schools that u want the scores to be sent at. This is the only think i could think of but i am not sure if this would work....coz i dont know if those people have access to all DAT scores that you have had so far.
i hope this helps! i tried my best

 

[SirShagaLot]

July is not too late but its not early either....i am kind of confused with what you are saying...even if you repeat the same course you will still have to put all the grades regarding that course on AADSAS (somebody correct me if i m wrong) & then AADSAS will take an average of all those grades of that particular course & give you a grade (for eg. lets say u get C 1st time & A 2nd time in org chm I then ur grade for org chm I would be B)
About DAT...hmm i guess when you go take DAT dont select any schools ...so your scores wont be send to the schools & lets say if u do good then i think u gonna have to call ADA & let them know that u want ur scores to be sent to these schools. If u do bad then dont call them & retake it again & at tht time select the schools that u want the scores to be sent at. This is the only think i could think of but i am not sure if this would work....coz i dont know if those people have access to all DAT scores that you have had so far.
i hope this helps! i tried my best

yeah, ive already taken the DAT, but im planning to take it again, in july/august hopefully. point is, i will submit my aadsas much sooner than i retake the DAT, so if I do worse then I just wont send those scores to the schools.....the problem here is that u have to mark on the aadsas if u are planning to take the DAT in the near future.....so say u do bad, if at an interview they may still ask u about how u did and why they never received ur score.....i guess if u lie on ur addsas then they wont expect another score but then if u do well on the DAT and submit ur scores they may ask why u didnt announce that u were going to retake the DAT. wut to do, wut to do

 

[Mstoothlady2012]

yeah, ive already taken the DAT, but im planning to take it again, in july/august hopefully. point is, i will submit my aadsas much sooner than i retake the DAT, so if I do worse then I just wont send those scores to the schools.....the problem here is that u have to mark on the aadsas if u are planning to take the DAT in the near future.....so say u do bad, if at an interview they may still ask u about how u did and why they never received ur score.....i guess if u lie on ur addsas then they wont expect another score but then if u do well on the DAT and submit ur scores they may ask why u didnt announce that u were going to retake the DAT. wut to do, wut to do

oh gossh!!!u r right....it would be wise to check the box tht u r goin 2 tke DAT soon....& leave it upto god m sry i dont know what else to say...I am sure if you study hard then u will be fine....i havent even taken DAT yet...plannin to take it at the end of July...but i will make sure that i submit my aadsas application before that ...& I am not a good test taker...but i dont think that committee will judge me just through my DAT scores...there are other points that they look at...so try your best on DAT & dont freak out a lot just because you dont do great on it!there are many students who are on average & below average who are still applying to d-school
so dont stress out!DAT is not everything that you are! just remember that!

 

[isuclones85]

At my school the new grade completely replaces the old one, so does that still mean the AASDAS will average the two, cuz if they did I'd be a little peeved. Second, how soon are some of you getting your AASDAS app. in line? I really want to get my new chem grade on there(4 cred. class so it could boost me quite abit) so am I forced to wait?

Last thing, while we're on topic I am in a physics class right now and the teacher is brand-spankin new to teaching undergrads. He still thinks he is teaching grad. students and must have forgotten he is now teaching an entry level course to physics. Long story short I am getting about a C+ in the class right now despite trying very hard(we dont even get to use a calculator on our tests ). I am getting a 4.0 this semester so far without that class figured in. This being said whats the whole policy on P/NP classes for the AASDAS and some d-schools. I know its one of the required classes to go through and I've heard a bunch of things about what supposedly happens when you take a class P/NP. I'm not even sure I could switch it to P/NP now or not, I would have to talk to my advisor but I guess I'm just curious. Thanks for the responses ppl.

 

[SirShagaLot]

oh gossh!!!u r right....it would be wise to check the box tht u r goin 2 tke DAT soon....& leave it upto god m sry i dont know what else to say...I am sure if you study hard then u will be fine....i havent even taken DAT yet...plannin to take it at the end of July...but i will make sure that i submit my aadsas application before that ...& I am not a good test taker...but i dont think that committee will judge me just through my DAT scores...there are other points that they look at...so try your best on DAT & dont freak out a lot just because you dont do great on it!there are many students who are on average & below average who are still applying to d-school
so dont stress out!DAT is not everything that you are! just remember that!

..........

 

[ddstobe]

all I can say about kaplan course is "BIG WASTE OF $$$". N years ago some fresh-out-of-d-school dentist told me if I want to aces the DAT, kaplan course is a must. Yeah, right! I regreted that I didn't waste my hard-earned $1300 on strippers or a trip to Vegas, or a criuse to carribean islands. Kaplan course = scam, period.

 

[Mstoothlady2012]

At my school the new grade completely replaces the old one, so does that still mean the AASDAS will average the two, cuz if they did I'd be a little peeved. Second, how soon are some of you getting your AASDAS app. in line? I really want to get my new chem grade on there(4 cred. class so it could boost me quite abit) so am I forced to wait?

Last thing, while we're on topic I am in a physics class right now and the teacher is brand-spankin new to teaching undergrads. He still thinks he is teaching grad. students and must have forgotten he is now teaching an entry level course to physics. Long story short I am getting about a C+ in the class right now despite trying very hard(we dont even get to use a calculator on our tests ). I am getting a 4.0 this semester so far without that class figured in. This being said whats the whole policy on P/NP classes for the AASDAS and some d-schools. I know its one of the required classes to go through and I've heard a bunch of things about what supposedly happens when you take a class P/NP. I'm not even sure I could switch it to P/NP now or not, I would have to talk to my advisor but I guess I'm just curious. Thanks for the responses ppl.

well what i said before about grades is what my pre-health advisor told me! i dont have much info about AADSAS coz i never really cared to looked into how their grading policies are...hmmm m sorry i dont wanna give out any wrong info! but if i do find out anything i will post it!i guess u gonna hav 2 wait until aadsas opens (may 15th) or ask some1 who is a reapplicant.
sorry once again!couldnt help u much