DAT retake??

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jh778jh778

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Hi,

I took the DAT this past weekend and got:

PAT-21
QR-20
RC-23
BIO-21
GC-21
OC-21
TS-21
AA-21

I graduated from UC-Berkeley last summer where I got a 3.284 (overall GPA) and a 2.993 (science). As a result, I decided to enroll in a post-bacc program where I got a 4.0 last quarter and hope to continue doing well. I would like to apply in the coming cycle after my winter and spring quarter grades are in.

Should I retake the DAT to make up for the low GPA or just take a heavy load to try to raise the GPA as much as possible?? Would one full year of 4.0 or close to 4.0 GPA be convincing enough to committees??

Thanks in advance!
 
Do NOT retake that! Those are great scores across the board. I agree that your sGPA is a bit low, and I think taking some more science classes and doing well in them would be a great idea.
 
I agree - those are great scores, and you're taking steps to fix your GPA problem =)
 
Nice scores. With a DAT that high increasing it maybe one more point won't make up for your GPA anymore than it already has (21 is already ~91-93 percentile). Just work hard to raise your GPA like you said and make sure you are a well rounded candidate with enough observation, volunteering and leadership experience and you should be good to go.

Good luck!
 
thanks for the advice jmh018! i dug a huge hole during my first year in undergrad and i am still trying to climb out of it. i have ~300 hours of shadowing, 1 year of research, and ~1000 hours of volunteering as youth group coordinator for my church. hopefully i am accepted somewhere!
 
Congratulations on your DAT! 🙂

Just a quick question, if you don't mind... what kind of post-bacc programs did you look into? I'm kind of in the same boat as you with my GPA.
 
Hey I have a question. How can you enroll postbacc if finished your predental requirement? I thought post bacc is only for ppl who didnt take prereq?
 
Hey I have a question. How can you enroll postbacc if finished your predental requirement? I thought post bacc is only for ppl who didnt take prereq?

There are post-bacc programs for both situations. In my post-bacc program there were people there who just needed to take a few classes to raise their GPA's as well as folks who were non-science majors taking all the pre-reqs.
 
No retake, great scores, and even tho gpa is a lil low uc Berkeley degree will stand out and could make a difference as its a great school
 
Isn't Ivy League schools are inflated? I think they understand that all the smart people attends there, but we all know that usually those smart people are lazy. That's why sometime there GPA is really high.
 
Congratulations on your DAT! 🙂

Just a quick question, if you don't mind... what kind of post-bacc programs did you look into? I'm kind of in the same boat as you with my GPA.

Thanks! There are three formal post bacc programs in the SF Bay Area where I live: SF State, UC Berkeley Extension, and CSU-East Bay. I chose CSU-East Bay because they specifically had an Academic Enhancer track, where students can take classes that they haven't taken/need to retake. The advisors at CSUEB are also great. But I think informal postbacc is just as effective as long as it's at a 4-year accredited institution. The only difference probably is that there aren't advisors and resources to help with things like a committee letter, personal statement, and application process. good luck!
 
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