DAT retake dilemma

[that guy]

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so after much debate i retook the DAT today and alittle mixed by the results..
first some background:
-GPA 3.4, Science GPA 3.4
-this is my second year applying, havent gotten in anywhere yet but on 3 waiting lists and no rejections
- i had told my intentions to retake the DAT to the admission councilors
they responded: "sounds like a good idea"
"if you think you can do better"
"be warned that this will affect your rankings"
-so in the end I decided to retake because of my mediocre scores
(left column: before; right column: after)
PAT: 18 ...22 👍
QR: 18 ...18 😎
RC: 23 ...20 👎
Bio: 19 ...22 👍
GC: 21 ...18 👎
OC: 24 ...21 👎
TS: 20 ...20 😎
AA: 21 ...20 👎

so to summarize:
-i kicked butt in the PAT and the BIO
-science stayed the same
-but the real killer is the AA going down by a point. also down in the gen chem and orgo.😡


so my question is: should i be quick to send in my new scores or should I wait until they are sent officially?

that 1 point going down on the AA is really depressing and dont think will be looked at kindly...
damnit i knew i should have rescheduled for next week!!

PS. the DAT is much harder than i can remember.. never heard of some of the chemistry terms in my life! and math is all trig now... @#$)!

thanks for the advise.

 

[letsgfuad]

admissions committees told you to retake your first time. In general you had higher scores than me, except for a few categories i scored 22 where you did 19. But i didnt score 23 or 24 where you did. I also busted out a 15 on math. I got rejected my first year and i asked if i should retake and they said no dont worry about your math. Your second scores are about where i was at. I dont see why you didnt get accepted anywhere... where did you apply and did you apply early. Anything else on your app that hurt it? Good letters of rec?

 

[whydentistry]

man i can't believe they made you retake the DAT with those scores....what schools are you wait-listed at?? I am just really surprised they would say it was a good idea to retake it, you scored really highly to begin with....anyone else think so??

 

[musl85]

i honestly have no clue why you chose to retake. I would have been happy with those scores. The only thing that is weak IMO is the 19 in bio. The 23 on RC is also very nice. Must be some other reason why you were waitlisted and not accepted. Your GPA aint too bad either.

When did you submit and where did you apply?

I would not be in a rush to send them in since some schools dont review the waitlist until spring anyway. Let ada send them.

 

[tamkhan]

I think your first set of scores were good enough. Strange that you had to retake. Are these ultra competitive schools...the ones you've been wait listed at?

 

[musl85]

man i can't believe they made you retake the DAT with those scores....what schools are you wait-listed at?? I am just really surprised they would say it was a good idea to retake it, you scored really highly to begin with....anyone else think so??

i agree which school recommended you retake?

 

[that guy]

the first time i applied I was really late in applying... late september

as for this year, I got everything in pretty early (july) but only got 1 pre-december interviews, 2 in january... to be honest I dont know what is wrong with my application... maybe i dont have a great essay (i think it is great..) or the fact that I didnt go back to school to improve my GPA (however I did take classes but audited them instead to save money-- terrible idea)


What do you thik about my AA going down a point??!
and ive noticed the Percentiles are much lower even though ive scored the same... the world is getting smarter.

 

[that guy]

I am waitlisted at Case (also waitlisted last year and didnt move on their alternate list) and UB (doubtful ill get in, didnt go well). just got done interviewing at OSU who said they will let me know FRiday (but the stats at OSU for some reason are incredible this year 3.7 GPA for example)

case told me to retake
bu said if you think you can do better
osu gave me the warning

 

[tamkhan]

You think it has to do with you being out of school for some time? I don't think that should matter. As far as taking extra classes goes, unless you're taking them to complete your pre reqs, you can do whatever you want with them. I dropped my minor halfway through this year and picked up a job (to save money, and make money).

I really don't see why this is happening to you? Have you tried asking the admissions coordinator what you're lacking?

 

[NewMexDent]

the first time i applied I was really late in applying... late september

as for this year, I got everything in pretty early (july) but only got 1 pre-december interviews, 2 in january... to be honest I dont know what is wrong with my application... maybe i dont have a great essay (i think it is great..) or the fact that I didnt go back to school to improve my GPA (however I did take classes but audited them instead to save money-- terrible idea)


What do you thik about my AA going down a point??!
and ive noticed the Percentiles are much lower even though ive scored the same... the world is getting smarter.

I really doubt your DAT scores were your real problem and I can't believe you were told to re-take. IMO don't worry about your DAT scores - fix other areas of your application. It would be wise to wait this cycle out and if you don't get accepted you should call the schools and find out what was lacking in your application.

 

[tamkhan]

I am waitlisted at Case (also waitlisted last year and didnt move on their alternate list) and UB (doubtful ill get in, didnt go well). just got done interviewing at OSU who said they will let me know FRiday (but the stats at OSU for some reason are incredible this year 3.7 GPA for example)

case told me to retake
bu said if you think you can do better
osu gave me the warning

I assume this is UB and not BU. For BU, your scores are more than enough.

I think you should just wait now. That drop in AA shouldn't hurt you too much.

 

[that guy]

You think it has to do with you being out of school for some time? I don't think that should matter. As far as taking extra classes goes, unless you're taking them to complete your pre reqs, you can do whatever you want with them. I dropped my minor halfway through this year and picked up a job (to save money, and make money).

I really don't see why this is happening to you? Have you tried asking the admissions coordinator what you're lacking?

i havent officially asked where i am lacking since i haven't been rejected anywhere (8 schools: 3 interviews, 5 haven't heard a thing) so I am patiently waiting for an acceptance.. My interviews have been going great (*except at UB) so i dont know where my weakness is... i really have no idea.🙁

 

[musl85]

I am waitlisted at Case (also waitlisted last year and didnt move on their alternate list) and UB (doubtful ill get in, didnt go well). just got done interviewing at OSU who said they will let me know FRiday (but the stats at OSU for some reason are incredible this year 3.7 GPA for example)

case told me to retake
bu said if you think you can do better
osu gave me the warning

Do you think your interview performance is what is hurting you? How did you feel about the Case and OHSU interviews? I would do what newmexdent said and call if you dont get in this cycle.

 

[that guy]

I really doubt your DAT scores were your real problem and I can't believe you were told to re-take. IMO don't worry about your DAT scores - fix other areas of your application. It would be wise to wait this cycle out and if you don't get accepted you should call the schools and find out what was lacking in your application.

to be honest, i think it is because i haven't done much since applying last time.. I have taken classes but they were audited and i just started working... i sent in 2 new LoR which i hope were good (i knew the teachers well)

Last year i had an interview with OSU AFTER being rejected and one of their adcoms told me to retake the DAT also to improve my PAT and get a masters (which i was not going to do)

 

[that guy]

i feel i did great at my interviews (UB was a bit iffy due to the awkward questions they asked)..
do schools even consider the interview as important? one of the guys at case was in the middle of his lunch during our interview and said i would get a good score from him if i answered a riddle.. which i did.

 

[tamkhan]

Interview do matter, but there are many other things that come into play. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been out of school? If it's been only one year, and you've worked during that year, I am utterly amazed at how this would affect you chances. If anything, it should work in your benefit. Work brings more experience than school.

 

[that guy]

Interview do matter, but there are many other things that come into play. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been out of school? If it's been only one year, and you've worked during that year, I am utterly amazed at how this would affect you chances. If anything, it should work in your benefit. Work brings more experience than school.

I graduated in May and took 2 audit courses at a local college for hte fall semester... i just got a part time job at a tutoring center but hours are minimal... i hadn't been keen on getting a job however only because i never really needed the money

 

[that guy]

i would still like to know whether I should send in my new DAT scores or just wait the 3 weeks for them to send them officially?

 

[tamkhan]

I think you can go ahead and sent them. Here's the thing:

-Some schools might just consider the highest of the two attempts
-If you don't send them now, it might be too late later on
-You've improved you pat section by 4 points, which SHOULD sort of overshadow you 1 point drop in AA.

But, this is quite a difficult decisions, I can see.

 

[tekstyle]

i think your first scores are good. I got accepted to 1 school, my one and only 🙂 with scores like yours.


if I were you, i would wait.

 

[that guy]

AHHH i dont know what to do!!! PAT is a huge improvement, everywhere else is blah, and the AA is A POINT LOWER! man i am freaking out

ohio state said they only look at the newest DAT to rank but i havent heard a committee decision yet (friday is the big day so hopefully ill be in and all this will be hindsight)

 

[JMJRDH1]

I cannot believe that they suggested a retake. I am simply flabberghasted! 😕

 

[bluejellybelly]

I think your scores are great. Our AA is the same and your PAT is higher than mine. My GPA is around yours, I applied in July. I didn't get any rejections and got a few acceptances. I don't know why they made you retake it? 😕😕 Is your degree from a community college?

 

[bluejellybelly]

Last year i had an interview with OSU AFTER being rejected and one of their adcoms told me to retake the DAT also to improve my PAT and get a masters (which i was not going to do)

I have a feeling that they're only saying that because they couldn't find a real problem in your application. Your DAT is NOT the problem. I've known so many people with lower stats able to get into dental school.

 

[that guy]

I have a feeling that they're only saying that because they couldn't find a real problem in your application. Your DAT is NOT the problem. I've known so many people with lower stats able to get into dental school.

thanks for the complements. my degree is from miami u, which is a pretty competitive undergraduate school. i dont really know what is wrong... im clueless as to where i went wrong at this point.. maybe not enough shadowing hours or a bad LoR?... mystery to me.

do you mind me asking where you got in and where you applied?

 

[ating]

Here is the bright side for you...... you have an AA and TS that can get you into dental school on both tests, but your PAT went up considerably! I think it is irrelevant that you AA went down by a point, because it is still good enough! Dental schools should see that you are determined and that you can consistently score well on the DAT. The drop may mean that it was a bad day or there were some questions that you were not as familiar with, but you still did about average!

 

[doc toothache]

-GPA 3.4, Science GPA 3.4
-this is my second year applying, havent gotten in anywhere yet but on 3 waiting lists and no rejections....
"sounds like a good idea"
"if you think you can do better"
"be warned that this will affect your rankings"
-so in the end I decided to retake because of my mediocre scores
(left column: before; right column: after)
PAT: 18 ...22 👍
QR: 18 ...18 😎
RC: 23 ...20 👎
Bio: 19 ...22 👍
GC: 21 ...18 👎
OC: 24 ...21 👎
TS: 20 ...20 😎
AA: 21 ...20 👎

so my question is: should i be quick to send in my new scores or should I wait until they are sent officially?

that 1 point going down on the AA is really depressing and dont think will be looked at kindly...

The results of your second DAT supports the statistical evidence that retaking the DAT is a risky business (see appropriate post on this subject). Chances are pretty good that your fate has been decided. If the waitlist turns empty, in all likelihood it is the GPA that is holding you back. One suspects that what the good doctors at CASE were trying to tell you is not so much that your DAT scores were low, but that your scores were not high enough to offset the low GPA.

Your DAT scores are within the ball park. They show you are fairly consistent and that on a good day you can do better than on a bad day. For this year, the second set may however serve to be the proverbial feather. Sending them now or withholding them will have limited impact.

If this year's results end up being a repeat of last year's you may want to rethink the good advice given to you by OSU.

 

[that guy]

lets say they ranked me based on my DAT scores... would sending in the new scores move me up or down the list?

 

[SoCalDent]

It seems unlikely that your stats are whats holding you back. I would do an extensive look at your extracurriculars and such. There must be something else.
As stated earlier, both of your DAT's are good enough to get you in somewhere. How many schools did you apply to?

 

[that guy]

It seems unlikely that your stats are whats holding you back. I would do an extensive look at your extracurriculars and such. There must be something else.
As stated earlier, both of your DAT's are good enough to get you in somewhere. How many schools did you apply to?

hmm that's not good to hear then . I assume my LoRs have been good since I knew the professors well, went to office hours, got good grades. I think my letter was well written and professional.. I have plenty of shadowing hours (they forced us to document them at OSU), community service is very good... my AADSAS was completed and sent in July so that may have something to do with it.. it may also have to do with the schools i chose (8applied) but they were schools around here (central: case, marquette, vcu, penn, md, etc).. i just dont know! id hate to ask them now since i am still being considered but im absolutely sick of this.

 

[doc toothache]

lets say they ranked me based on my DAT scores... would sending in the new scores move me up or down the list?

It looks like we have a fixation on the DAT scores. You can say what you want, but it unlikely that your ranking was based on your DAT scores. You are wait listed and that decision was based on the stats you presented and were the only ones considered. It was not based on any future DAT scores or on an update of the academic status. In general, even for those wait listed, it is unlikely that adcoms are going to change the ranking every time they receive an update from an applicant otherwise they may be updating them daily. With some notable exceptions, for most ds DAT scores appear to be overshadowed by GAP considerations. Your second set of DAT scores brought you AA down. Even if taken into consideration, weather those would move you up or down the list would be a function of the stats that are above and below yours. When push comes to shove, and adcoms need to make a decision on the next person on the list, your lower scores may make a difference.