DAT score of 20, a good score?

[clam chowder]

hey everyone.

i wish i had known about this website BEFORE having taken the DAT exam - so many great resources available here at SDN!!!

anyways, i was just wondering what my chances were of getting into dental schools with the following DAT/GPA scores:

Standard Score
Perceptual Ability: 20
Quantitative Reasoning: 19
Reading Comprehension: 23
Biology: 19
General Chemistry: 20
Organic Chemistry: 19
Total Science: 20
Academic Average: 20

My Science GPA is ~3.2
My total GPA is ~3.3-3.4


I am planning on applying to UPenn, Temple, Columbia, NYU, Tufts, UMDNJ and University of Maryland Baltimore. I am a state resident for only one school. Upon graduating, I've been working at the Cancer Institute and came out with a couple publications. I do have community service and some predental experience including shadowing dentists and exposure to hospital settings. Unfortunately, while in undergrad, i have transferred a couple times due to personal reasons.

Overall, i feel prepared to enter dental school and have expressed this on my dental admissions essay. However, I'm a bit worried because having read through a number of entries here, many of the SDN members have performed well above a score of 20 on their DATs in all sections. Do you think the schools i'm applying too are out of my league?

Anyone with any bit of advice or comments, please type away.


:0)
cheers,
clam chowder

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[Yellow-Jellow]

20..u'r kiddin'..?...sure it is a very good score...!..i wish if i can get 20 in my test ....the point is to get above 18 , ..u got 20 which puts u at the safe side of the boat!!..good luck!!

 

[luder98]

hey everyone.

i wish i had known about this website BEFORE having taken the DAT exam - so many great resources available here at SDN!!!

anyways, i was just wondering what my chances were of getting into dental schools with the following DAT/GPA scores:

Standard Score
Perceptual Ability: 20
Quantitative Reasoning: 19
Reading Comprehension: 23
Biology: 19
General Chemistry: 20
Organic Chemistry: 19
Total Science: 20
Academic Average: 20

My Science GPA is ~3.2
My total GPA is ~3.3-3.4


I am planning on applying to UPenn, Temple, Columbia, NYU, Tufts, UMDNJ and University of Maryland Baltimore. I am a state resident for only one school. Upon graduating, I've been working at the Cancer Institute and came out with a couple publications. I do have community service and some predental experience including shadowing dentists and exposure to hospital settings. Unfortunately, while in undergrad, i have transferred a couple times due to personal reasons.

Overall, i feel prepared to enter dental school and have expressed this on my dental admissions essay. However, I'm a bit worried because having read through a number of entries here, many of the SDN members have performed well above a score of 20 on their DATs in all sections. Do you think the schools i'm applying too are out of my league?

Anyone with any bit of advice or comments, please type away.


:0)
cheers,
clam chowder

Those are nice numbers. Make sure you apply early otherwise they don't mean much. There are quite many over-achievers here. I did a survey and attached is the result.

 

[organichemistry]

your dat scores are very solid. puts you in the ~85-90 percentile. your gpa is very average, but you should still easily get into "safety schools" and probably some other schools, too.

 

[onetoothleft]

every cycle is different, but from what I see you performed very similarly to me. I got into most of the schools I wanted to. I think there is a lot to do with when you apply and those extra curriculars, which you seem to have a lot of. Good luck!

 

[gabrielmeraz]

Your DAT scores are excellent; you should not worry about getting admitted somewhere...you will. Relax, apply to all the schools you want, and start saving for all your road/air-trips. Congratulations!!

 

[clam chowder]

your dat scores are very solid. puts you in the ~85-90 percentile. your gpa is very average, but you should still easily get into "safety schools" and probably some other schools, too.

When you say "Safety Schools", what exactly do you mean? I know that dentals schools are no longer ranked. Are you just looking at the stats from the previos entering class of that particular school? if that's the case... i don't even think getting into my state school is realistic:
GPA average of 3.48, total DAT score of 19, PAT of 17

 

[dexadental]

Oh hush you'll get in somewhere. Stop stressing out, with your publications and all that BS you're bound to find some school that will take you. You're GPA kinda is on the sucky side, but you're DAT is definitely above average. You make up for your crappy GPA by your research and extra curriculars, in which you have done a good job. You're fine.

 

[AL391]

His GPA is fine, not outstanding, but enough to get interviews and definitely get in somewhere. Send your application in early and you'll most likely get interviews wherever you apply. Good luck.

 

[Sprgrover]

First off, congratulations on those great scores! While your gpa is a bit average those scores should boost your application quite a bit. Trust me, you'll have no problems during this application cycle and come December first you should have several acceptances in your mailbox.

 

[clam chowder]

First off, congratulations on those great scores! While your gpa is a bit average those scores should boost your application quite a bit. Trust me, you'll have no problems during this application cycle and come December first you should have several acceptances in your mailbox.

Thanks to everyone for your encouragements.

Applying to dental schools can be a tad bit scary and like many, i have the tendency to expect the worst.

for those applying this year, good luck and stay positive. aiight?

 

[RxTech]

Thanks to everyone for your encouragements.

Applying to dental schools can be a tad bit scary and like many, i have the tendency to expect the worst.

for those applying this year, good luck and stay positive. aiight?

APPLY EARLY!!! I wish I would've known that when I applied.

Good Luck

 

[podil]

Those are nice numbers. Make sure you apply early otherwise they don't mean much. There are quite many over-achievers here. I did a survey and attached is the result.

Who are the subjects for this survey? SDNers or people at your school?

 

[luder98]

Who are the subjects for this survey? SDNers or people at your school?

SDNers, including visitors too.