DAT SCORE :/ and :)

[RioRMC]

Date of submission: June 1st
Overall GPA: 3.87
Science GPA: 3.80
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: ~ 3.9
DAT score (include AA and all sections):
PAT:19
QR 16
RC:20
BIO:22
GC:20
ORG:18
TS:20
AA:19
Total: 19AA/20TS/PAT19
State of Residence: Virginia

Undergrad Attended: if you want to include this
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: No
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No
Shadowing Experience: 2 general dentists ~ 300 hrs
Volunteering Experience: tutoring ~ 300hrs probably going to start also at a soup kitchen
Employment: gym, and restaurant
Research: No
Other Extracurriculars: secretary of health club, play in 3 basketball league, mutiple other health clubs
Relevant Honors or Awards: Pi Gamma Mu honor society, dean list every semester
LOR type and strength: Chemistry LOR and Organic Chemistry LOR. Assuming both are solid
Misc Info: No
School list:
VCU
HOWARD
WVU
NYU
UMD
NEWENGLAND
Detroit
Boston
Buffalo
Arizona

Thanks for the help 🙂

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[Mr.Smile12]

Your app would be stronger with the soup kitchen experience before applying.

DAT is okay but not great. But you have a ton of dental hours shadowing... what did you see for that many hours?

Fine manual dexterity?

Howard is HBCU so you might not be a good mission fit there. WVU doesn't take a lot of OOS, and you have to show a strong desire to work with that patient population. Why are you drawn to UB?

 

[RioRMC]

Honestly I just want to stay on the east coast and these schools aren’t like insanely competitive you know. You have any recommendations? Also the QR is really making me mad. Im not willing to retake to increase math. Scared i might lower my science lol

 

[Ryxndek]

Honestly I just want to stay on the east coast and these schools aren’t like insanely competitive you know. You have any recommendations? Also the QR is really making me mad. Im not willing to retake to increase math. Scared i might lower my science lol

UB is relatively difficult if you're OOS, your best chances will be Private schools given your DAT, except for VCU and WVU since they would be from your state and would be your state schools. You'd be able to get into OOS public schools if you fit their mission well or have reasons for attending being an OOS student.

But your QR score isn't viewed as important as TS AA and PAT, but it does affect your overall AA score and increasing QR could increase your AA. But I wouldn't shoot yourself in the foot bc of the score, if you've done relatively well in your math classes in college it should be able to help offset that score. You probably don't need to retake unless you think you can improve, but if you apply broadly enough you should get into a school.

Best advice? Have everything ready to apply as early as possible when the app opens. Rolling admissions do affect your chances, so get your apps in and secondaries done as soon as possible when schools send them to you. Good luck!

 

[OncePreDent]

Just some of the stats, but honestly I think you would get an acceptance without retaking the DAT for most of the programs that you are applying to. You're DAT is lower but you have a pretty healthy GPA to help cover for you. What program is your top school? VCU?

Because if you want VCU, I would seriously consider retaking the DAT

 

[RioRMC]

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Just some of the stats, but honestly I think you would get an acceptance without retaking the DAT for most of the programs that you are applying to. You're DAT is lower but you have a pretty healthy GPA to help cover for you. What program is your top school? VCU?

Because if you want VCU, I would seriously consider retaking the DAT

Vcu is my top option. What other schools do you recommend?

 

[RioRMC]

UB is relatively difficult if you're OOS, your best chances will be Private schools given your DAT, except for VCU and WVU since they would be from your state and would be your state schools. You'd be able to get into OOS public schools if you fit their mission well or have reasons for attending being an OOS student.

But your QR score isn't viewed as important as TS AA and PAT, but it does affect your overall AA score and increasing QR could increase your AA. But I wouldn't shoot yourself in the foot bc of the score, if you've done relatively well in your math classes in college it should be able to help offset that score. You probably don't need to retake unless you think you can improve, but if you apply broadly enough you should get into a school.

Yeah i dont think i wanna retake in case i lower my science. That 22 in BIO took ALOT OF EFFORT . But yeah im just going to expand my list in to i guess average schools and nothing crazy. What do you think of USC?

 

[Ryxndek]

Vcu is my top option. What other schools do you recommend?

You could throw in Rutgers and Touro, and maybe the University of Louisville (I'd toss Howard, I don't think you fit their mission like @Mr.Smile12 said eariler), why Arizona? Do you have ties to the state?

I wouldn't apply to USC unless you want 600k of debt, same with NYU. Be realistic with yourself, private schools are expensive. Your state schools is best option for lowest amount of debt. But if you can get away with less at a private school that's fine too.

 

[RioRMC]

I mean honestly peivate schools have lower DAT averages uk. Im just worried about that QR. do you have like 10-15 schools you would recommend regardless of private vs public?

 

[Ryxndek]

I mean honestly peivate schools have lower DAT averages uk. Im just worried about that QR. do you have like 10-15 schools you would recommend regardless of private vs public?

your QR will probably be fine if you apply to schools that don't have 17 subscore minimums (have you done okay in your math classes?), I don't think there are a lot anyways. The list you have is pretty good. I'd try to have maybe your state school plus 2-3 more public schools that are at or just out of reach of your stats and fill the rest with 6-8 more privates. You could try more publics but you need to be a good mission fit given your DAT score.

 

[OncePreDent]

Vcu is my top option. What other schools do you recommend?

Depending on how important it is to go to VCU, I would retake the DAT. Unless you don't care that much about going there/retaking the DAT isn't important enough. W/your DAT I wouldn't plan on VCU happening, but you never know. I'm assuming by Boston you mean BU, if you're interested in living in Boston add Tufts your DAT is good enough it get invited for an interview.

 

[Ryxndek]

VCU for the class of 2024 had 274 IS Students apply, interviewed 108, and accepted 89 (32.4% accepted from IS) the average DAT AA was 21.4 with 20.6 PAT and 21 Sci and the 5th percentile was ~19AA, 18PAT, and 19Sci. So less than 5% of the class had an AA of 19 or lower.

 

[RioRMC]

Depending on how important it is to go to VCU, I would retake the DAT. Unless you don't care that much about going there/retaking the DAT isn't important enough. W/your DAT I wouldn't plan on VCU happening, but you never know. I'm assuming by Boston you mean BU, if you're interested in living in Boston add Tufts your DAT is good enough it get invited for an interview.

Yeah i love boston lol i would love it there

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP: LECOM may be the only other school I might suggest. Look for private schools with low cost but a decent sized class that may be okay with your DAT. I think both BU and Tufts fall in that category. Do your homework on ASDOH (just a suggestion from me...it could be a fit for you but I'm not you).

 

[OncePreDent]

OP: LECOM may be the only other school I might suggest. Look for private schools with low cost but a decent sized class that may be okay with your DAT. I think both BU and Tufts fall in that category. Do your homework on ASDOH (just a suggestion from me...it could be a fit for you but I'm not you).

I agree, LECOM would be a great addition as well that would most likely overlook your DAT

 

[Ryxndek]

I do think, though, that LECOM has 17 subscore minimums. But I could be wrong. I will fact check myself and update this in that's the case.

I was wrong, thinking of a different school. Ignore this! (I do know that UB does, but they're specific subsections, so double-check their website before applying)

 

[OncePreDent]

I do think, though, that LECOM has 17 subscore minimums. But I could be wrong. I will fact check myself and update this in that's the case.

I believe only the AA needs to be above 18 for LECOM and there isn't a minimum for the subsections

Edit: Random Resource - Couldn't find it on their website.

 

[Ryxndek]

I believe only the AA needs to be above 18 for LECOM and there isn't a minimum for the subsections

Yeah you're right, just checked. Not sure why I was thinking LECOM. Too many schools to keep track of!

Here's the link:

School of Dental MedicineEntrance Requirements - Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Discover the entrance requirements for LECOM School of Dental Medicine. Prepare for your future dental career today!

lecom.edu

 

[RioRMC]

What u guys think of NYU?

 

[Ryxndek]

What u guys think of NYU?

NYU is extremely expensive, right now I think grads are coming out anywhere with 550-700k in debt with interest if they're taking all the loans provided. It is a great program, however, and prepares applicants well, but it's also the largest School with 360 students per class. So there's pros and cons to the school that you need to weigh.

I applied bc my mentor went there and I had a connection, but after learning more about the school I don't think I would have subjected myself to taking that much money out in loans. It's just nuts. Glad I got in somewhere with a lower COA. So be weary of the schools you apply to, advice I wish I would have listened more to is: Apply to schools you could see yourself attending and taking loans out for. Because if you get into only 1 school and you didn't really want to go then you'll be stuck in an awkward position of either taking a ton of loans out and going or having to reapply. So just keep that in mind! I wish I did more, I would have applied to other schools.

 

[RioRMC]

So the general consensus is to keep the score and apply broadly.

 

[Ryxndek]

So the general consensus is to keep the score and apply broadly.

Yes, and apply as soon as you can to maximize your chances. An app submission in June is drastically different than an app submission in September as you will be competing for fewer interview spots.