Definitely need help making a plan of action! non-trad, 2nd time taking DAT

[minotaur9]

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Hello all,

I am 32 years old and realized I wanted to be a dentist last September. This is my 2nd time applying, I haven't hit submit yet this cycle, and having a hard time completing app because I did poorly on DAT and feeling depressed.

My stats are, Overall GPA 3.0 Science GPA 3.0 and AA 17 (2nd time taking).

My father is a dentist, a few of my friends are dentists and I definitely know that this is what I want to do. I love everything about Dentistry and it's either Dentistry or something completely different, I'm not into the hygenist or assistant options.

I have about 120 hours of shadowing and volunteering, however I think I need to get some research under my belt to enhance my application. I have some good LOR's and I am applying and hoping to get into the same dental school my dad went to, don't know if that helps or not but I'm definetly not relying on it. I know the best option would probably be to raise my DAT to 21 or above, but that feels like such a daunting task. I am considering taking the Kaplan course to raise my confidence, because my tutors said they felt like I was in the 19 range, not 17, but I think my nerves got the better of me. I was freaking out during the test, because I knew it was such a big deal to get a high score to overcome my low GPA's. Kinda tight with money though so don't like the cost of Kaplan but need help.

I have been able to take this past year off from work to raise my GPA, I took 22 hours of classes and got a 3.82 GPA, but I will have to go back to work soon.

My undergrad degrees were a double major in Biology and Psychology but I had no focus at the time so didn't really care too much about grades. Definitely care now and see how important they are. I have all the pre-req's done, mostly at a state school, very few CC classes.

Any help and/or questions would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. I am open to the hard truth as well, don't need anyone sugar-coating my possible future. One of my main motivators is a friend who has known me for 10 years says, "whenever you've wanted to do something, you've made it happen no matter what". I guess that's what keeps me going but I need some specific direction as well.

Ok I'll stop babbling now, please let me know what your opinions are!!

Thanks everyone!

 

[jaypea65]

I feel your pain. I am basically in the same boat at the age of 44. Yes, I said 44. I received an 18 on my DAT. I do not know whether to apply again or just move on from here. I am anxious to see what kind of advice you get from this thread. I did meet with a dean of a dental school to go over my application. He basically ripped it apart piece by piece starting with my personal statement. He said that I need a 20+ on my DAT to show them that I really know my stuff. He was quite arrogant, and he basically treated me like an 18 year old. I felt like he thought that I was wasting his time. He told me that research is not that important to this particular school. I know that dental school is challenging, but I have been through some challenges and experiences in my life that are at least equal. It is do-able as many have come before us. For non-trads that work full-time, have a family, and go to school, the road to dental school admissions can be difficult. I did get the impression from the dean that age is a factor in admissions although he told me it was not. He said, " I do not even look at age when I review applications, unless I need a 40 year old". That tells me that a few older students are used to fill a quota, so that the school does not get sued. He ended by telling me to apply to some of the more expensive schools or my state schools. Maybe you should meet with an admissions counselor or dean to see how to become a more competitive applicant. Good luck.

 

[4thMolar]

Hello all,

I am 32 years old and realized I wanted to be a dentist last September. This is my 2nd time applying, I haven't hit submit yet this cycle, and having a hard time completing app because I did poorly on DAT and feeling depressed.

My stats are, Overall GPA 3.0 Science GPA 3.0 and AA 17 (2nd time taking).

My father is a dentist, a few of my friends are dentists and I definitely know that this is what I want to do. I love everything about Dentistry and it's either Dentistry or something completely different, I'm not into the hygenist or assistant options.

I have about 120 hours of shadowing and volunteering, however I think I need to get some research under my belt to enhance my application. I have some good LOR's and I am applying and hoping to get into the same dental school my dad went to, don't know if that helps or not but I'm definetly not relying on it. I know the best option would probably be to raise my DAT to 21 or above, but that feels like such a daunting task. I am considering taking the Kaplan course to raise my confidence, because my tutors said they felt like I was in the 19 range, not 17, but I think my nerves got the better of me. I was freaking out during the test, because I knew it was such a big deal to get a high score to overcome my low GPA's. Kinda tight with money though so don't like the cost of Kaplan but need help.

I have been able to take this past year off from work to raise my GPA, I took 22 hours of classes and got a 3.82 GPA, but I will have to go back to work soon.

My undergrad degrees were a double major in Biology and Psychology but I had no focus at the time so didn't really care too much about grades. Definitely care now and see how important they are. I have all the pre-req's done, mostly at a state school, very few CC classes.

Any help and/or questions would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. I am open to the hard truth as well, don't need anyone sugar-coating my possible future. One of my main motivators is a friend who has known me for 10 years says, "whenever you've wanted to do something, you've made it happen no matter what". I guess that's what keeps me going but I need some specific direction as well.

Ok I'll stop babbling now, please let me know what your opinions are!!

Thanks everyone!

Overall, it is very possible for you to get into dental school, whether it be this cycle or next. First off, did you contact the schools from this past application cycle and ask them why you weren't accepted and what the weak areas in your application were? You have a below average GPA and DAT scores, and those are some of the main criteria for adcoms to determine if you are worthy of an interview.

When are you planning on re-taking the DAT? I wouldn't wait too long otherwise it will hold your application up. If you take it by the end of the month, you should be fine. Also, re-evaluate your study methods and see what you did poorly on the first time. You can use more resources (just check the DAT forum and you will see plenty of advice). I took the Kaplan course and thought it gave me the basic materials to establish a foundation for the all the sections, but it is definitely pricey, and if I had to do it again, I would personally just buy the kaplan book and other resources instead of paying for the class.

Your GPA is low at a 3.0, but if you have a high enough DAT score, It may be possible to get interviews, especially at your state school. You did a good thing in taking a year off from work and taking classes to raise your GPA, and if you can, I would advise you to continue that. Perhaps you should also look into masters programs, but I would ask adcoms what they think. Your GPA seems to be at a range where you can probably take post-bacc classes instead of enrolling into a formal masters program, which can get very expensive. I don't think research is what is going to enhance your application, but it's your GPA that needs to go up. If you can do research for credit, I would go for it then.

Also, if you haven't submitted your application yet, I would go ahead and do so. Admission is on a rolling basis, so you would have a better chance of landing interviews the earlier you apply. Don't wait until after you take the DAT to re-apply. Once you take the DAT, it would also be a good idea to fax each school your unofficial scores until they receive your official scores.

 

[doc toothache]

I am 32 years old and realized I wanted to be a dentist last September. This is my 2nd time applying, I haven't hit submit yet this cycle, and having a hard time completing app because I did poorly on DAT and feeling depressed.

My stats are, Overall GPA 3.0 Science GPA 3.0 and AA 17 (2nd time taking).

My father is a dentist, a few of my friends are dentists and I definitely know that this is what I want to do. I love everything about Dentistry and it's either Dentistry or something completely different, I'm not into the hygenist or assistant options.

I have about 120 hours of shadowing and volunteering, however I think I need to get some research under my belt to enhance my application. I know the best option would probably be to raise my DAT to 21 or above, but that feels like such a daunting task. I am considering taking the Kaplan course to raise my confidence, because my tutors said they felt like I was in the 19 range, not 17, but I think my nerves got the better of me. I was freaking out during the test, because I knew it was such a big deal to get a high score to overcome my low GPA's. Kinda tight with money though so don't like the cost of Kaplan but need help.

I have been able to take this past year off from work to raise my GPA, I took 22 hours of classes and got a 3.82 GPA, but I will have to go back to work soon.
One of my main motivators is a friend who has known me for 10 years says, "whenever you've wanted to do something, you've made it happen no matter what". I guess that's what keeps me going but I need some specific direction as well.

Your handicaps are your gpa and your dat and no amount of research is going to improve those scores. You decided last September that dentistry is for you and this is your second time applying? Your feeling that improving your dat is a daunting task and your reliance on a cliche concocted by your friend do not add up to enough motivation on your part. The stated ambivalence does not help. Taking classes only for the purpose of increasing the gpa without a degree in mind does not sound like a good formula. For your next encounter with the DAT you might want to try some Zoloft the night before and the morning of. Now, can you come up with a list of items to be resolved?

 

[minotaur9]

Thank you for the responses.

Currently I have several ideas in mind....

***take a Kaplan course that runs 7/11/09-9/17/09, I will miss the 1st 2 classes due to being out of town but they said there are easy ways to make them up.

***study for at least 5 hours a day at the library

***keep in touch with the schools I want to attend and let them know my progress

***complete and submit my application in the next week

***look into post-bacc/master's programs available locally for this fall

I believe I need to score a 20+ in all sections to even be considered for an interview due to my low GPA

Just to clarify what I stated earlier, I applied last cycle (very late, December) and I am re-applying this cycle. I have taken the DAT twice now and I plan to retake as soon as the Kaplan course ends. Here were my scores in detail:

PA 17/18
QR 13/15
RC 21/20
BIO 16/17
GC 13/17
OC 14/17
TS 15/17
AA 15/17

Now I have a couple questions:

1. If I raise my DAT score 20+ in all sections, do you think I could get into dental school without doing a post-bacc/masters program?

2. If I did take a post-bacc/masters program, are there any local to Rochester NY that are 1 year? There's one at U of R but it's 24K!!! I'm looking for other options and to stay local, and to be honest, I don't know much about these types of programs.

Again, any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

Have a great 4th everyone!

 

[262912]

Now I have a couple questions:

1. If I raise my DAT score 20+ in all sections, do you think I could get into dental school without doing a post-bacc/masters program?

2. If I did take a post-bacc/masters program, are there any local to Rochester NY that are 1 year? There's one at U of R but it's 24K!!! I'm looking for other options and to stay local, and to be honest, I don't know much about these types of programs.

Again, any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

Have a great 4th everyone!

What kind of life experiences have you had since you graduated? I'm assuming you haven't been in college this whole time. Perhaps you can draw on your life experience to help your PS. Perhaps you can strive for a DAT of 22+? If you really love dentistry, you will find a way to get in, even if that means doing hygiene first. DH is still part of dentistry. I wouldn't pidgeonhole myself into "dental school or nothing at all" because it may be that's the only route that could get you to your goal.

 

[xianexiane]

"***take a Kaplan course that runs 7/11/09-9/17/09, I will miss the 1st 2 classes due to being out of town but they said there are easy ways to make them up."

Please don't waste your time or money on the Kaplan course, there are far better resources out there. Look at the 20+ DAT scores posted, most of them are kind enough to post study materials and time frames.

good luck

 

[4thMolar]

What exactly were your study methods for your first two times? Your biggest problem it seems is your sciences, you haven't made a single score over 17, and you've taken it twice. You don't want to take the DAT for a fourth time either. You need to re-think your strategies for studying and use some of the resources provided on these forums. I took the Kaplan course, but I personally think you should just buy the Kaplan BB (I saw it for $80 at Barnes and Noble), DAT destroyer, topscore, etc. and use those instead of spending the money for the Kaplan course. While the Kaplan course did allow me to take an organized approach to studying and kept me motivated, I didnt think it was worth the money, IMO. But if you have done everything else there is to do, i.e. use all the supplemental material mentioned on this site, then maybe the Kaplan course will benefit you.