does it matter how many times one takes DAT?

[ddschris]

i think my title is self explanatory.
is it worth it to take it for the third time??

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[D.D.S.]

i think my title is self explanatory.
is it worth it to take it for the third time??

I believe for your third time, you have to petition or have an advisor write you a letter or something like that... other than that, i dont think it matters weather you take it for your third time.

 

[Nowhat14]

I think you can take three times if you want and need a permission for the fourth time...correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[JMJRDH1]

I think you can take three times if you want and need a permission for the fourth time...correct me if I'm wrong.

That is indeed correct. Three times without question, then the fourth time you need to get permission.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I think the answer to this question is obvious. If your first DAT score is weak, you have no choice but to take it over. If your 2nd score is strong, then you did the right thing. ADCOMS will interpret your 2nd strong performance as the true indicator of your skills.

However, if your 2nd score is low (mid teens or lower), you have one last chance to take the test. Without taking the 3rd test, you're a weak applicant anyway.

If you score low the 3rd time (once again in the mid teens), there is only one way for dental schools to interpret your scores....if you are on an admissions committe, how else would you interpret three poor DAT scores?

 

[ddschris]

thanks all of y'all for your input.
but i wanted to hear sdners' opinion how the school look at the score.

I earned 21/21/21 on my second try,
and assuming(or hoping) i will get a better score on my third attempt,
will they look down on my score because of the number of time I had taken the test?

thanks in advance!

 

[ought2sleep]

Unless you have a realllly low gpa, I think 21/21/21 are great scores. I don't know if it'd be worth it to take it again for you, but if you feel like you can really do better, than why not.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I totally agree with ought2sleep. Why would you want to retake your test with 21/21/21? By the time you take the 3rd test, the schools wouldn't be able to review the new numbers until after Thanksgiving. It's more important just to get your application reviewed to get a Fall interview.

 

[ddschris]

I know 21/21/21 would be good enough for most of you guys,
but considering my sadly low GPA, I feel like I will need more.
And i am a re-applicant aiming at 2008 cycle.

I was just wondering if anyone has any info whether
schools have certain rules on this matter,
like, just taking the most recent score, or average those numbers, etc.

anyhow, thank you all again for your inputs.
Wish all the best to you guys! and me!

 

[tinman831]

I know 21/21/21 would be good enough for most of you guys,
but considering my sadly low GPA, I feel like I will need more.
And i am a re-applicant aiming at 2008 cycle.

I was just wondering if anyone has any info whether
schools have certain rules on this matter,
like, just taking the most recent score, or average those numbers, etc.

anyhow, thank you all again for your inputs.
Wish all the best to you guys! and me!

How low is your GPA? 21's across the board seems like fantastic scores.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

The schools will look at all of your DAT scores. Some will have different ways of interpreting two or more scores. One thing is for certain, they will be looking at your trends.

I'm under the impression that you scored higher on your second DAT than on your first; therefore, your scores of 21/21/21 will be viewed positively.

Your scores of 21AA (92 percentile) and 21 PAT (93rd percentile) puts you in the top 5% of DAT scores since few people simultaneously excel in both of these categories.

In order for you to "impress" the adcomms, you will need to score in the 97-98 percentile to beat your 2nd score. If you score 21 again, what did you just prove?

You now have to weigh your risks. If you think you can score 23 or higher, then take the test. Realize that only 2-3% of all test takers hit this score. If you succeed, the schools will interpret your stellar score as your true potential.

On the other hand, there is a chance that you could score a 20 or 19 on the 3rd shot. If this happens, you actually made your application weaker since it shows that you are inconsistent.

Good luck with your final decision and best of luck to you.

 

[ddschris]

thank you Ron jermey.
I like my score as well,
but i think i will need some rediculous DAT to impress the adcom.
My GPA is that bad.
Also, i didn't use any of the resources that SDNers speak so high of(destroyer, achiever, etc), because I didn't even know about their existence.
I guess i will be taking the test for the third time. i won't be doing much this summer anyway so why not give myself another shot. i guess that's the least i can do to ease myself. best of luck to you all.