DAT Scores (26 AA 30 TS) UCLA, UCSF, UW?

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work on reading basic stats you can find on the internet + what is good dat score/gpa for dental schools. youll have your answer!
 
I had a 25 AA/25 TS as a CA resident and got into UCLA and UW. I was rejected from UCSF. To get into UW as a CA resident, you'll need ties to Washington state.
 
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dudeethatsrad said:
I had a 25 AA/25 TS as a CA resident and got into UCLA and UW. I was rejected from UCSF. To get into UW as a CA resident, you'll need ties to Washington state.
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Congrats! So you are at UCLA now? What made you decide UCLA over UW? That's weird that UCSF rejected you, because I have heard that UCLA is generally harder to get into than UCSF. Is that not the case?
 
saveferrisdrake said:
Congrats! So you are at UCLA now? What made you decide UCLA over UW? That's weird that UCSF rejected you, because I have heard that UCLA is generally harder to get into than UCSF. Is that not the case?
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I start in September 🙂 Instate UCLA is nearly $200k cheaper than OOS UW. UW seemed great, but it just wasn't right for me. About UCSF, yeah.. I'm not sure what happened. I'm very happy to be going to UCLA though, so it's not on my mind. UCSF has lower average academic stats, but really values diversity so maybe that's where I hit a snag.
 
saveferrisdrake said:
So, I got my DAT scores. I got a 26 AA and a 30 TS. I have a 3.98 Total GPA and a 4.00 science GPA. I am a CA resident. What do you guys think my chances are of getting into UCLA, UCSF, and UW? Those are my top choices right now. Any other suggestions?
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Can you post what did you use to study for the DAT? And as far as your chances your stats will get you in anywhere as long as your extracurriculars are good.
 
jg4318 said:
Can you post what did you use to study for the DAT? And as far as your chances your stats will get you in anywhere as long as your extracurriculars are good.
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I sure hope so!

As far as studying for the DAT, I think my advice would be to take lots of practice tests. I ended up taking 12 practice tests in the month leading up to taking the DAT. The more you take, the more comfortable you will be with the real thing; it will just seem like another practice test. Also, most practice tests are designed to be harder than the real thing, so when you take the real thing, it seems super easy. The entire science section seemed like a total breeze after taking so many hard practice tests. I felt like "Is this a joke?" haha. Also, you can find a lot of practice test websites that offer a free test before you subscribe. For example:

DAT Genius
Free DAT Practice Tests | DATgenius

ADA DAT
https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Education and Careers/Files/dat_test_sampleitems.ashx

DAT Bootcamp
Full Length DAT Practice Tests | DAT Bootcamp

Princeton Review
Free DAT Online Practice Test | The Princeton Review

Gold Standard (⅓)
Free DAT Practice Test

ADA OAT
https://www.ada.org/~/media/OAT/Files/oat_sample_test.pdf?la=en

I took advantage of these free tests and thus was able to save money that way. Also, I would suggest getting the DAT Destroyer book by Orgoman. It's super helpful. Do all of the problems in the entire book. And then go back and study the concepts of the problems you got wrong (and the ones you just guessed right on!). The Kaplan book is also a nice summary of all of the concepts on the DAT. I read the entire book within the month leading up to the DAT. It also comes with 2 really nice online practice tests.

In summary, I think it really comes down to exposing yourself to the greatest number of practice problems and practice tests, to the point where the real thing becomes a breeze.
 
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Damn how'd you only get a 26 AA with a 30 TS...you must blow at math. It's a shame, looks like you had the potential to finish the road to 28.
 
Likkriue said:
UW is expensive As hell and they are about 40 million in the red. Many many concerns of tuition hikes to deal with the the budget. Gotta research your schools, simple Google searchs is all you need.
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I did hear about this about UW and wondered what debt was like at other schools. Do you know about other schools' debt levels? Are other schools in debt? I couldn't find anything online
 
placebooooo said:
These types of chance me posts are toxic.
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Hey I can see why someone would post something like this though. Not everyone is super confident in themselves and need some outside validation. Can't blame people for that. There is no other reason for posting this thread or commenting in the one about getting high DAT scores that was like 18 years old other than for this purpose. I can definitely empathize with OP in a sense. Not everyone is raised in a household that gives good positive reinforcement or makes you feel adequate. I wanted to do well on the DAT to validate myself and post a beast breakdown. I never did post one, and my good score didn't make me feel any smarter or more capable. But I know where OP is coming from.

All we can do is give some good kudos and slowly but surely, the nervous duckling will blossom into a beautiful, confident swan. OP, good job on your score. You'll get in somewhere. Work on yourself more b/c the "high" of a good DAT score disappears after you've gotten into your dental school.
 
UW doesn't accept many if any CA residents. I'd only apply there if it is your absolute dream school. Great stats and amazing chances to any California school.
 
Awesome scores and GPA
Just make sure you have an adequate amount of shadowing/volunteering, decent Personal statements, and decent social skills during interviews.

My advice is to utilize your career center at your college. Go to them, schedule an appointment for a mock interview, give them a list of possible questions.
And then repeat the mock interview with a different person!
Do at least 3 mock interviews to be on the safe side.

Don't be cocky at the interview, nor too humble.
Regular confidence and genuine interest in their school will do the trick.

Also, apply to +5 schools, you never know what might go wrong!

Ps. Thank you for your tips. I will encourage you to share a breakdown in the dat section in the forum to help others.
Also, what was your strategy for RC?
 
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