DAT score of AA 21

[mikedoc]

How should I feel about DAT AA score of 21?

I don't feel necessarily bad, but on the other hand, not good either.

I feel like, in medical school application-wise, I got below 30 on MCAT.

I know it's impossible to compare,

but would DAT score of 21 convert to 30 or above on MCAT?

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[dizzle23x]

How should I feel about DAT AA score of 21?

I don't feel necessarily bad, but on the other hand, not good either.

I feel like, in medical school application-wise, I got below 30 on MCAT.

I know it's impossible to compare,

but would DAT score of 21 convert to 30 or above on MCAT?

21 is like 90th percentile dude
that's like a 36 on the MCAT (i just made that up but it's still up there)

 

[jlicious]

AA 21 is 92.2 percentile, at least it was when I took the test. A lot of people would be happy with that score

 

[Dooey23]

Althought an AA of 21 is pretty good (better than mine)

schools don't JUST look at the AA, but you know that

but a 21 should be around 92~93 percentile

 

[reapply2007]

21 can fit well into your overall application package. The DAT by itself won't get you into dental school. With a 21 there is no need to retake, unless you have something pulling down your overall package like a really poor section score, bad GPA, no shadowing, no volunteer work, no strong LORs, or poor personal statement. The initial package will get you into an interview if it is strong. At that point it's up to your shining personality to get in.

 

[jackbauer!]

when my med school friends ask how i did on the DAT i tell them 22.... they always ask what kinda mcat score is that equivalent to....i multiply it by 1.5.....since the MCAT is out of 1.5x more points than the DAT.

when i was premed i took the MCAT and scored a 34.... using my DAT conversion...i scored a 33 ...so it's kinda close

jb!

 

[dddsmack]

You shouldn't feel too bad that only ~seven percent of the applicants were smarter than you on that one exam. ( .07 * 12000 apps = 840 apps better than yours as far as AA is concerned). Not too bad.

 

[dr.rex]

i think the biggest problem you are going to have is the interview because if you cant see for yourself that above the 90th percentile is good than you probably arent the best candidate.....come on buddy

 

[Revelde]

21 is just slightly above the matriculants average at most schools(~20).

get at least 23 or above to feel superior or good about your DAT score.


question answered ~?

 

[EmanUT]

21 AA is a great score. That should be around the 93rd or 94th percentile. I have no idea what the MCAT converstion is, but I think it depends on your GPA if you should retake. If you have a 3.3, then I would consider retaking. If you have a 3.8, then you're perfect. A 3.8 GPA and the top 7% on the DAT makes you a great candidate for almost every school. A 3.3 GPA and the top 7% on the DAT makes you a good applicant for most schools, but those top schools might hesitate at the 3.3, not the 21 AA.

 

[ChronarchB]

I honestly think you need to retake the DAT. Cmon now people use some common sense. "is a 3.9 GPA any good?" is the same type question. I think the poster is just trying to pat himself on the back.

 

[vize]

Yeah, Chronarch, I agree. What a waste of a post. Who cares what it compares to on the MCAT, if you're applying to dental school?

 

[BodybldgDoc]

why does it matter what it converts to on the MCAT if youre applying to dental school? I dont get it....

 

[Drpr1982]

Obviously you have not researched the DAT. Above 20 is generally the 90th percentile, which means you are better than 90% of the others that have taken the exam. If you want to compare to the MCAT it is about 33, however the MCAT, unlike the DAT, it weighted on each individual test day and is compared to all that took it on that particular day. The DAT has 5 versions, each equal in difficulty and question base. Congrats on simply wanting acclimation for your AA of 21.

 

[Toothfairy86]

i dont think you can compare DAT score to an MCAT score based on percentiles, or multiplying by 1.5. the DAT is a lot easier than the MCAT. the verbal is ridiculous on mcat and science questions are straight forward like they are on the dat. i think you'd be flattering yourself if you think you'd get a 36 (~98%) on the mcat. let's be honest we know the dat is a joke compared to the mcat. a 21 is a very good AA tho, you should be fine to get in if your app is well rounded.

 

[Toothfairy86]

**sorry, i meant to say the science questions are NOT straightforward on the mcat like they are on the dat.

 

[collegeboy30000]

i dont think you can compare DAT score to an MCAT score based on percentiles, or multiplying by 1.5. the DAT is a lot easier than the MCAT. the verbal is ridiculous on mcat and science questions are straight forward like they are on the dat. i think you'd be flattering yourself if you think you'd get a 36 (~98%) on the mcat. let's be honest we know the dat is a joke compared to the mcat. a 21 is a very good AA tho, you should be fine to get in if your app is well rounded.

On SDN and predents.com an AA of 21 is seen alot, however, the national average is still around 17-18. If the DAT is a joke its only because you prepared very-well for it, and so it was what you expected. To study for the MCAT one needs a different approach then that of the DAT. Plus we have PAT which is useful.

 

[Toothfairy86]

im sorry, i didnt literally mean the DAT is a "joke" all im saying is that it does as your straightforward questions on bio, orgo, chem, where as on the mcat in sciences you have small passages or data that you have to use utilize to get an answer (on some occasions). besides organic chem, if you take and do well in AP chem and AP bio and study for PAT, someone coming out of high school could be prepared for the most part because of how the questions are asked. im not saying the dat is easy, but it is more simple in comparison to the mcat, and you cant really compare dat scores to mcat score because of the different material and the difficulty. sorry if i offended anyone.

 

[BodybldgDoc]

im sorry, i didnt literally mean the DAT is a "joke" all im saying is that it does as your straightforward questions on bio, orgo, chem, where as on the mcat in sciences you have small passages or data that you have to use utilize to get an answer (on some occasions). besides organic chem, if you take and do well in AP chem and AP bio and study for PAT, someone coming out of high school could be prepared for the most part because of how the questions are asked. im not saying the dat is easy, but it is more simple in comparison to the mcat, and you cant really compare dat scores to mcat score because of the different material and the difficulty. sorry if i offended anyone.

lol its funny how you felt the need to explain yourself about the DAT being a joke comment.

 

[jackbauer!]

i don't want to turn this into an MCAT vs. DAT debate, but for me personally i found the DAT to be tougher.

true, you have to pull info out of passages and apply them on the MCAT...but the level of info that you have to know is basic in comparison to the DAT.

whatev....anything over a 20 on the DAT or a 30 on the MCAT is a damn good score and should never yield a post on SDN asking "is a 2X enough??"

jb!

 

[maksidaa]

here's my 2 cents

i got a 21 on the AA and got 6 interview invites, went to 4 and got accepted to 3. i had a 3.8 gpa and when i did mention that i might take the DAT a second time all the adcoms i talked to were like, "wouldn't that be a waste of money?" spend your time doing better things like shadowing or working in a clinic somewhere. a 21 is a great score and if everything else on your app looks solid then don't worry too much. just apply to ten schools and see who wants you the most. be sure to apply to state and private schools.

also, if your main concern is feeling like the most hardcore DAT takin' bada$$ then it'll probably show through in your application and interviews, so if that's why your concerned then lay off the ego and let it go.

 

[collegeboy30000]

im sorry, i didnt literally mean the DAT is a "joke" all im saying is that it does as your straightforward questions on bio, orgo, chem, where as on the mcat in sciences you have small passages or data that you have to use utilize to get an answer (on some occasions). besides organic chem, if you take and do well in AP chem and AP bio and study for PAT, someone coming out of high school could be prepared for the most part because of how the questions are asked. im not saying the dat is easy, but it is more simple in comparison to the mcat, and you cant really compare dat scores to mcat score because of the different material and the difficulty. sorry if i offended anyone.

Its ok! Just curious are you that girl in the photo? If so, I want to know,
"How you doin'?"

 

[AnonymousADCOM]

How should I feel about DAT AA score of 21?

I don't feel necessarily bad, but on the other hand, not good either.

I feel like, in medical school application-wise, I got below 30 on MCAT.

I know it's impossible to compare,

but would DAT score of 21 convert to 30 or above on MCAT?

it doesn't matter. if you have a 3.0 gpa, 21 is worthless. if u have a 4.0 gpa, 21 is good. i dont think you shuold worry about comparable mcat scores. u can't compare them as mcat requires different skills.

 

[KOM]

i dont think you can compare DAT score to an MCAT score based on percentiles, or multiplying by 1.5. the DAT is a lot easier than the MCAT. the verbal is ridiculous on mcat and science questions are straight forward like they are on the dat. i think you'd be flattering yourself if you think you'd get a 36 (~98%) on the mcat. let's be honest we know the dat is a joke compared to the mcat. a 21 is a very good AA tho, you should be fine to get in if your app is well rounded.

Are you registered on predents.com with the handle toothfairy and from NC?

 

[Dauber]

How should I feel about DAT AA score of 21?

I don't feel necessarily bad, but on the other hand, not good either.

I feel like, in medical school application-wise, I got below 30 on MCAT.

I know it's impossible to compare,

but would DAT score of 21 convert to 30 or above on MCAT?

C'mon buddy... If you don't consider a score in the 93rd percentile as a good score you're crazy.

And converting DAT to MCAT scores is like converting your A in English to an A in Chemistry. So you're right, it is impossible to compare. Good job on the AA though; you'll see it's much higher than most schools' average AA in last years class.

 

[Toothfairy86]

KOM- im not on predents

 

[Blitzdt]

if you got over 21 and 3.5+, and you didn't get into a dental school. It's your own fault!!!

 

[IheartTeeth]

How should I feel about DAT AA score of 21?

I don't feel necessarily bad, but on the other hand, not good either.

I feel like, in medical school application-wise, I got below 30 on MCAT.

I know it's impossible to compare,

but would DAT score of 21 convert to 30 or above on MCAT?

Are you freakin serious??????? I'm very proud of my 21 AA (it was 92 percentile). I have a 3.75 GPA and got interviews at 9/10 schools, went to 7 and got in at 5 and waitlisted at the other 2. I think thats pretty damn good....having 5 choices of dental schools to pick from

PS. a friend of mine got a 36 on his MCATs and was in the 94 percentile so a 34-35 on the MCAT (depending on the year and applicants) probably converts to a 92 percentile like my 21 on the DAT. Thats also pretty damn good for the MCAT. I still can't believe you posted that...

 

[Blitzdt]

Are you freakin serious??????? I'm very proud of my 21 AA (it was 92 percentile). I have a 3.75 GPA and got interviews at 9/10 schools, went to 7 and got in at 5 and waitlisted at the other 2. I think thats pretty damn good....having 5 choices of dental schools to pick from

PS. a friend of mine got a 36 on his MCATs and was in the 94 percentile so a 34-35 on the MCAT (depending on the year and applicants) probably converts to a 92 percentile like my 21 on the DAT. Thats also pretty damn good for the MCAT. I still can't believe you posted that...

sometimes people just want to say they're smart!

 

[SugarNaCl]

KOM- im not on predents

If not, you should be now that you know about it. Seriously...girl to girl heart to heart... people here are ::whispers:: hypersensitive. I hope you realize that be it in medicine or dentistry, you have to be perceptive of the feelings of people you are working with. Your previous post did not indicate that you are very perceptive, so people did, rightly so, get offended. I wasn't offended by your post until you apologized for it bc it was so obvious that I'm having a hard time with accepting the authenticity of your retraction. Anyway, good luck with medicine or whatever you want to do.

 

[Sprgrover]

why does it matter what it converts to on the MCAT if youre applying to dental school? I dont get it....

I think the OP is just looking for a point of reference, that's it.

 

[shuna]

I think the OP is just looking for a point of reference, that's it.

I think the OP is just looking for attention. Yes, 21 is great....do u feel better??

 

[Mahaveer]

Mikedoc if you are asking how you should feel about an AA of 21 I do not think you should apply to Dental School. As a dentist you are going to have to face a lot situations where judgement is important.

 

[Red Falcon]

21AA is a sick DAT score. 90% of most applicants make below that mark. If somebody is asking this question, then it sounds like they haven't done much research into predentistry.

 

[AlphaQUp]

21AA is a sick DAT score. 90% of most applicants make below that mark. If somebody is asking this question, then it sounds like they haven't done much research into predentistry.

Actually, it's 90% of all test takers not applicants.

 

[dddsmack]

Actually it is more like 93.7%ile

 

[AnonymousADCOM]

Actually, it's 90% of all test takers not applicants.

90% of ALLLLL the testS taken in the past? they include retakes too, right? how is the percentile calculated anyway? is it for a certain time interval? b/c if the percentile is calculated including every tests taken in the past, a score of 21 should be less than 90 percentile for this particular cycle.

 

[nguyenq09]

Thanks guys you really put it into perspective. I actually got a 21 on my AA as well and on my score sheet it told me i was in the 97th percentile (23 on gchem/ochem and 18 on bio 20s on rc and quant). It seemed to me like that was a really good score.......until i met a couple fellow interviewers that got 25+. One guy had a 3.4 gpa but 25DAT and another had a 3.9 gpa with a 25AA..... At that point i was really discouraged and almost withdrew my application from those schools.

What I've come to realize is that a 21 on AA is like the bottom cut of the high end pool of DAT scores. It is a pretty good score when compared to the average ~19 but has to be combined with other aspects of your application to make you a well rounded applicant. certainly a 23+ is godly, but you gotta put it in perspecive. Especially when interviewing- the score already got you the interview so then its all upto you to secure that seat.

anyway just my 2 cents

 

[jmh018]

So for every 100 people that take the DAT, only seven did as well or better than you. I was pretty happy with it.

 

[ryansgs]

Imo a 21 is a bit on the low side. When you take a test do you aim for the 100% or for 90%?

 

[dentalWorks]

Thanks guys you really put it into perspective. I actually got a 21 on my AA as well and on my score sheet it told me i was in the 97th percentile (23 on gchem/ochem and 18 on bio 20s on rc and quant). It seemed to me like that was a really good score.......until i met a couple fellow interviewers that got 25+. One guy had a 3.4 gpa but 25DAT and another had a 3.9 gpa with a 25AA..... At that point i was really discouraged and almost withdrew my application from those schools.

What I've come to realize is that a 21 on AA is like the bottom cut of the high end pool of DAT scores. It is a pretty good score when compared to the average ~19 but has to be combined with other aspects of your application to make you a well rounded applicant. certainly a 23+ is godly, but you gotta put it in perspecive. Especially when interviewing- the score already got you the interview so then its all upto you to secure that seat.

anyway just my 2 cents

Mine was like that too... 21AA was like 97.xx%.... usually 21 is in the 90-92% range.

by the way, original post was from 2007

So for every 100 people that take the DAT, only seven did as well or better than you. I was pretty happy with it.

not exactly.... I think %ages are only for THAT particular version of the test

 

[jmh018]

not exactly.... I think %ages are only for THAT particular version of the test[/QUOTE]

Yeah but when it is "usually" around a 91-93, then it is true. It varies between tests but it is still true. so between 7 and 9 are the same or better.