GPA vs DAT scores

[addis4ever1]

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Hey all! I could never understand why some schools prefer a high GPA while others a high DAT scores. Does it have to do with a school being private? For example, Columbia emphasize more on the DAT scores than the GPA. Why is that?

 

[free99]

Hard to say, some schools just value different attributes over others. ASDOH for example, seems to place equal importance on community outreach and involvement as GPA/DAT scores. The best thing to do is to try to keep all your scores high. Second best thing to do would be to apply wisely (ie, if you have a high DAT score, apply to Columbia, UoP, UCSF, etc).

 

[addis4ever1]

Ok thanks!

 

[Dotoday]

Schools are looking to see if you can handle Dental school learning curve. Some think if you have high GPA you are more likely to succeed, on the other hand some schools believe more in aptitude than training. It comes down to different beliefs in learning strategies.

 

[addis4ever1]

Schools are looking to see if you can handle Dental school learning curve. Some think if you have high GPA you are more likely to succeed, on the other hand some schools believe more in aptitude than training. It comes down to different beliefs in learning strategies.

Thanks a lot. But what do u think is a general concensus about the DAT & one's ability to succeed in dental school? I guess I'd like to know what quality or capability does the DAT determine in a person? Like is a person likely to excel in dental school with avg DAT scores? Or does ur GPA determine ur success?

 

[sgv]

Thanks a lot. But what do u think is a general concensus about the DAT & one's ability to succeed in dental school? I guess I'd like to know what quality or capability does the DAT determine in a person? Like is a person likely to excel in dental school with avg DAT scores? Or does ur GPA determine ur success?

honestly dental school requires you to budget your time and cram as if it were finals week in college. someone with a full load of science classes, researching, volunteering, and maintaining a high gpa obviously has great time management skills and discipline. doing well on the dat requires you to cram if you plan on taking it during the summer in college. if you're a nontrad with a bunch of time, there's no excuse for you to not do well on the DAT. doing well on the dat shows that you know how to cram which you will have to do in dental school and how well you know the basic sciences. the more you know the basic sciences, the easier it will be for you to pick up on the more difficult subjects in dental school. dental schools look bad when their students have to drop out due to being unable to understand the material and fail a class. but mostly, the dat is there to screen out people with high gpa due to their going to a school with severe grade inflation and not due to their hard work and learning because all schools vary in difficulty. high gpa could also show how well you cram. the person determines everything. you could have a low incoming stats and then all of a sudden be very motivated and disciplined to do well in dental school. the other way is also true. you could have done really well in college just to get into dental school and when you realize that you don't want to specialize and that gunnin' for that A isn't all that important, you could slack off. so in the end, the best way to pick an applicant is actually getting to know them. but they can't do that so they resort to interview, biased reports from other people who have gotten to know you, and measurements of performance.

there's buttload of studies trying to find correlation between gpa and dat with dental school performance. just google it or look it up on ncbi. the important take away is that correlation is not causation.

 

[Dotoday]

Thanks a lot. But what do u think is a general concensus about the DAT & one's ability to succeed in dental school? I guess I'd like to know what quality or capability does the DAT determine in a person? Like is a person likely to excel in dental school with avg DAT scores? Or does ur GPA determine ur success?

I think higher science sections scores and a good math score will definitely help.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I think higher science sections scores and a good math score will definitely help.

You think math?

I can attest that the first one is true, at least with gaining admissions... When one of my interviewers noticed my TS score about 10 minutes into my interview (he had already commented on my GPA), he basically cut the whole thing off, telling me I was clearly an exceptional student and that it was pretty much just "up to me" to decide if I wanted to attend that school. I was floored... But yeah! That was an awesome interview, to say the least. Your DAT scores can certainly help.

 

[addis4ever1]

Thanks a lot for your help sgv! What you wrote definitely makes sense. There's no true correlation and I've always believed that if someone is motivated and dedicated enough then they'll succeed, no matter what their background is. I'll definitely google it though.

 

[sacapuntas]

You think math?

I can attest that the first one is true, at least with gaining admissions... When one of my interviewers noticed my TS score about 10 minutes into my interview (he had already commented on my GPA), he basically cut the whole thing off, telling me I was clearly an exceptional student and that it was pretty much just "up to me" to decide if I wanted to attend that school. I was floored... But yeah! That was an awesome interview, to say the least. Your DAT scores can certainly help.

Just like Madonna says...Never let an opportunity to talk about yourself go to waste!