Dat scores advice!!!!!!!!!

[Utdent]

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Ok I'm a first time poster and I took the dat in sept 08. I applied on the day of deadline and I didn't get in, obviously. I'm now a RDA and have been working at a dental office for about six months. My gpa is about 3.4 and my sci gpa is 3.1ish. What do I do???? Do y'all think applying early will help or just retake the thing? Thanks to everyone so much!!

Pat 20
QR 16
RC 18
BIO 17
GC 17
OC 21
TS 18
AA 18

Thanks again to all SDNers!!

 

[Utdent]

pretty please help me?? I'm on the verge of breaking down and crying....

 

[iwannabadentist]

good news first...congrats on your PAT score! your other scores are alright, nothing fantastic. QR is pretty low, but many schools consider that the least important section, so you might be able to slip thru. 18 AA is hovering right near the average and with that GPA you might be able to get SOME interviews, but I wouldnt be surprised if you don't get one. not tryin to discourage you, jus layin down the facts. also, a lot has to do with where you want to apply.


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602109

check that out and look at the averages for the schools you may want to apply to, and see where you fit in. also, the trend over the past 5 or so years is that average stats (DAT scores and GPA) have been going up slightly every year so also try to take that into account. if you really feel like you can do a lot better, then id recommend a retake. i know it sucks...its up2 u. gluck

 

[DrReo]

Apply early and retake. You will need a strong AA to offset your subpar GPA. Look at www.predents.com and compare yourself to some schools you're interested in.

 

[Utdent]

Do y'all think that me being a RDA will improve my chances? I'm thinking that it will show my determination in pursuing dentistry.

 

[sdooner30]

Do y'all think that me being a RDA will improve my chances? I'm thinking that it will show my determination in pursuing dentistry.

of course being a RDA will help your application. But I believe that GPA and DAT are the two biggest things schools look at. So I would suggest retaking the DAT and/or take more upper level science classes to boost up that 3.1 Sci-GPA. Good Luck!

 

[Jongho Yoon]

I agree. Nothing will hurt to apply early and retake, I think.

Apply early and retake. You will need a strong AA to offset your subpar GPA. Look at www.predents.com and compare yourself to some schools you're interested in.

 

[paul2pr]

wow Utdent, u and i have very similar DAT scores! personally im not planning to retake it. I hope i dont regret my decision. I would say for you to raise up that GPA if you plan to keep that DAT score. good luck!

 

[Utdent]

thanks everyone for the advise.. i guess i should retake... it just sucks that i work full time at a dental office and barely have time to study now. good luck to everyone else too!

 

[jay47]

thanks everyone for the advise.. i guess i should retake... it just sucks that i work full time at a dental office and barely have time to study now. good luck to everyone else too!

If you are really serious about actually being a dentist, take off time or quit and study for the DAT. I know that it would "seem" like they want you to do a lot of work for a dentist or shadow, but they would really prefer you to have a good DAT score. Without the score it will be really difficult to get in, especially with a low GPA.

I'm sure you can do it, if you are going to UT that is, but you just have to put in the time. Good luck , Jay .

 

[UCfan]

I agree with other SDNers. You may need to take DAT one more time since your GPA is average(or little bit lower). If you will apply early, aa of 21-22 will be satisfactory. However, this will not be the case for late application. You may need aa of 23 or above (for guaranteed spots). Try to do very well on DAT (especially aim at least 19 in every section to get rid of cutoff problems). I think it is possible with a lot practice. Good luck with your application.

 

[gentile1225]

I'm joining the crowd, I say retake, sorry. You're sciences, in my opinion, should be no less than a 19 in each section if you have a low science gpa. maybe you could try taking one or two summer classes, maybe online, to raise that gpa a little bit.

also, a year is a good amount of time for more volunteering. look into emergency rooms, maybe a specialist, etc. To prepare I'd recommend Kaplan subject test (the course is a waste of money), DAT Destroyer, Cliffs AP BIO, maybe some SAT math books, and CRACK DAT PAT (20 isn't bad, but they're going to be looking for progress if you retake, so there's some pressure to do better in each section.

good luck the rest of the way.

 

[brightsmiles9]

I also say retake, sorry. If you choose not to, try to apply as soon as you can. Good luck!

 

[purplepanda]

pretty please help me?? I'm on the verge of breaking down and crying....

Study REALLY REALLY hard and retake. You can do it, you just have to commit to it. You need to retake/apply early.