Feeling discouraged; relying solely on the DAT... Need to hear some positivity!

[craigory]

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Without going into a long winded tirade, I'm one of the unfortunate students with a sub-par GPA who truly needs to do very, very well on the DAT to have a fighting chance. I got an 18 the first time I took it, but I was ill prepared (translation: did not study at all). This time around, I've actually begun preparations and I'm getting around an 18/19 AA in Topscore Pro (20 in PAT on the DAT, 20 on Topscore PAT everytime) which seems more difficult than the actual DAT did. I want to take it sometime in March, I've completely isolated myself and stocked up on studying supplies. My study regimen is picking up steam and I'm hoping for a fantasy AA of 23. Unfortunately, my GPA is at 3.08 and my academic history is bruised, to say the least.

I remember talking to a few students with sub-3.0 GPAs who got in - I am confident if I can make it to the interview stage I will do just fine. I have completely changed my life in the last year and developed real study skills - I know I will have to either do phenomenally on the test to prove that or I will have to go back to school to do so (and I'm prepared to do so).

Well that turned out a little longer than I had hoped, but what I wanted to say is - if you got in with an abysmal GPA and a decent DAT, I'd love to hear from you! I know I'm up against terrible odds, but I am very dedicated and I just wanna hear a little positivity as I gear up for this final attempt!

 

[rose786]

Welcome to the forums. I don't have much to say, other than I'm in your shoes. What motivated me, and got me thinking about how to tackle this test, was reading over posts about people finishing and noting what they did.

I think the key is to 1) Keep the big picture in mind. You are going to be a dentist! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 2) Study what you hate, because chances are you don't know this topic as well as you should.

Also, have you thought about looking into a post-bacc or masters so that you don't have a possible lag year? It would boost the ol' gpa.

 

[Cinnabans]

I am also in your shoes although I haven't taken the DAT at all yet and my GPA is ever so slightly higher than yours. I would love to hear from anyone who can give me (us) some positive feedback, God knows we need it. I just about had a nervous breakdown yesterday thinking about how well I need to do on this test...

 

[mikeyc2040]

I can't say that i'm in you shoes. I have a decent gpa, but i can relate as my science gpa is on the lower scale. The positive feedback i would give is this though: this is your life. If dentistry is really what you want with it, just know that it is what you will achieve. Maybe you have to take a year off to boast the gpa, or maybe a year to boast other credentials. In the long run you will become a dentist, if it is what you want. It takes work to get what you want. Nothing is given to you, so just do what you need to in order to make it there, and enjoy life along the way. Seriously, dont let the DAT scare you. Its just a test. After your in, it won't mean nearly as much as it does now. Just study as hard as possible, knowing that this is what you really want.

 

[jigabodo]

My GPA is a bit higher than yours - it was close to a 3.3 when I applied last year. I did fairly well on the DAT though, and I think that's what saved my application. All I can say is that through perserverance and hard work, I am sure you can make it. Good luck! 👍

 

[heatwheat]

If you actually get a 23+ on the DAT then you shouldn't be too worried, but not overly confident either.

 

[Cinnabans]

My GPA is a bit higher than yours - it was close to a 3.3 when I applied last year. I did fairly well on the DAT though, and I think that's what saved my application. All I can say is that through perserverance and hard work, I am sure you can make it. Good luck! 👍

WOW, is all i have to say about your DAT scores..... In a nut shell, how did you do that?! (length of time studying/day for how long? what materials?) Do you think you studied your way to your scores or did you have a strong grip on most of the material pre-studying? Once again, awesome!👍

 

[tRNA]

to the OP, your initial scores should be hope enough for you, if without studying at all you got 18/19, imagine retaking with studying, I bet much higher than that, usually without studying pple get 15 and 16, so i think you'll be find🙂

 

[CMistry]

If it makes you feel any better, know many students with a similar GPA who did NOT need a 23AA to get into dental school. To be honest, 22+ are hard to come by even here on this forum. It is very difficult, and you shouldn't be discouraged if you don't reach that mark.

-Cyrus

 

[jigabodo]

WOW, is all i have to say about your DAT scores..... In a nut shell, how did you do that?! (length of time studying/day for how long? what materials?) Do you think you studied your way to your scores or did you have a strong grip on most of the material pre-studying? Once again, awesome!👍

I spent around 2 months studying. I would do it everyday - basically I would wake up in the morning, study, eat lunch, study, eat dinner, study and then sleep.

Before I began, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of Ochem/bio, and I was fortunate that PAT came natural to me. However, I did pretty horrible in GC and Calculus courses during undergrad so I was pretty much starting from scratch there.

I used Achiever, google, TS, Kaplan BB, subject tests, midterms, finals and my old lecture notes. Good luck!

 

[craigory]

Thanks for the kind words, I really like hearing from people who got in largely because of their DAT score. My original DAT was interesting in that I got a 23on the RC, 18 on QR, and everything else hovered around the 16/17 range except PAT. I'm hoping I can boost the average scores so there isn't such a huge discrepancy where only one section of the test brings up my AA.