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How Iportant is RC
- Thread starter klutzy1987
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Gee Klutzy... I see that you're really worried about your RC score as I've seen you express this quite a few times. But I feel you. Your other scores are very competitive and i'm sure they like to see someone with high science scores as yours. That PAT score is something to be very proud of also. 18 doesn't mean that you're incompetent when it comes to reading comprehension and i'm sure adcoms know that. And if i remember correctly, when schools do have a "competitive" minimum for RC it's usually 17, 18 so you should be fine. As for Penn, they are the most competitive school out of the 4 that you listed so it might be a stretch. But who knows, just give it shot.
I hope so, because i am not an incompetent reader and I was in the 93% on my SAT verbal part years ago. I just do not think that different passages for everyone is fair because obviously some passages are much more difficult than others.
The percentile that they give you after your test, is that the percentile for that particular reading passage, or is that the perecentile for reading in general, all passages.
And yes i am very worried, I am considering retaking. I dont think i can do worse if i were to take it again. I knew the stuff better than my scores show. I am positive after dicussing it with several professors that there were two mistakes on my DAT in the sciences and in all likelyhood these were the questions that I got wrong. Several people have told me that i am crazy for thinking of retake but i know that i can do much better.
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Should be the percentile for the entire RC section. Whatever percentile you see seems much lower than you expected right? Isn't it shocking when you first see it?
Yes, there is no way in hell that an 18 is 40% for the reading passage I had. Im not a dummy and it was impossible. Most of the questions for the piano passage are not even in the text, and you need a knowledge of pysics and a prior knowledge of piano to have a prayer at doing well.
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I don't know... retake is risky after I saw the stats for those who retook in 2005. Have you seen that yet? I know you're frustrated with the potentially bad questions in your science sections but let that go. Your main concern is to rock the RC if you plan on retake. So when is the earliest you can retake the DAT? Are you planning on applying this cycle or already submitted it?
I already submitted. My sciences can only go higher as far as i am concerned. Only score that may drop a point or two is PAT. If i get tough angles or pattern development, those were the only two parts I didnt properly master. Its like i know the stuff way better then my grade, o to score what i did is a little frustrating. I did very well, but i am just not happy.
Nah in all likelyhood i will not retake. I am just trying to get a feel of other peoples opinions so that I can make a smart decision.
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I have to say, I found the piano passage ridiculously easy compared to the other ones I've had. I'm just saying - you never know what you might get if you retake it... Could be the dreaded ethics passage!
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Do you play any musical intruments???
Ha I feel the same way but even more strongly than you! We could study together again lol. Yea I always think bout retaking it probably a few times EVERY day caze I KNOW I can do better but hey man it was a fun ride and hopefully well both get it an it wont matter!
I didnt know you were applying to Maryland! You really thinkin of going there? Its my top choice, thad be awesome to go together. Btw was your AADSAS stuff mailed out yet?
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I have to agree with Orgo and Klutzy. Even though it sound sick, I also feel that I knew my stuff better than my scores reflected, except for maybe the QR, but the last time I took a math class before my DAT was my junior year of college and it was stats. I got a 19 on the RC and had the ethics passage and I know if I had a different version I could of smoked it out. I always think about re-taking it too just to get my RC up above a 20, but I just figure it is what it is and if it comes up in an interview just be able to explain why that section was a little lower than the rest of your scores. I know it is not good to make excuses, but you can definately have an explanation to defend yourself in regards to your reading capabilities, etc.
I also had two questions in Orgo that did not have right answers and I know that for a fact. One was a carbocation stability ranking question and there were none in the right order. All of them either had a benzyllic cation less stable than an allyic or something to that nature. It made me so mad because I know I should of done better in that section, especially since I tutor and am a supplemental instructor for Organic at my university. I was thinking about getting the test audited but I do not know how to go about it or think it would be worth it.
I also had two questions in Orgo that did not have right answers and I know that for a fact. One was a carbocation stability ranking question and there were none in the right order. All of them either had a benzyllic cation less stable than an allyic or something to that nature. It made me so mad because I know I should of done better in that section, especially since I tutor and am a supplemental instructor for Organic at my university. I was thinking about getting the test audited but I do not know how to go about it or think it would be worth it.
Id love to get my test audited. I had a spec question and they were missing a peak lol. I showed the question to 3 professors and they all said that it is impossible to figure out unless there are 4 peaks and I only had 3. I narrowed it down to like 3 answers ad thn guessed from there. I would write a letter but i dont know who to write to or how to tell them which version of the test to audit.
TRust me Klutzy you dont wanna get the FRAP RC anymore than the piano passage. Sure, if you retake, its prolly not very likely that you will get it... but what if you did and dropped in another section? I was smoking the RC on the topscore (which obv was too easy), I also scored very well on SAT verbal (94-95%), and got a 17 on the real thing 👎.
It is definitely tempting to take over, b/c it is unfair, but my advice is that you should not. Your scores are great and an 18 is not too bad (even if you think you can get a 20 on a fair passage).
Good luck with apps and lets all hope that our RC's can be overlooked 😀
It is definitely tempting to take over, b/c it is unfair, but my advice is that you should not. Your scores are great and an 18 is not too bad (even if you think you can get a 20 on a fair passage).
Good luck with apps and lets all hope that our RC's can be overlooked 😀
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18 on RC isn't too bad. 16 or below are bad.
I think your scores are too good for you to stress out.
If it makes you feel better, why don't you call your favorite schools and ask their opinion? First give them the overall scores, then ask what they think about 18 on RC.
I think your scores are too good for you to stress out.
If it makes you feel better, why don't you call your favorite schools and ask their opinion? First give them the overall scores, then ask what they think about 18 on RC.
Yeah I don't think the 18 will be what kills you if for some reason you don't get in. Some schools weigh RC heavily, others don't. I had no clue this was the case until after I received a 22 or 23 in it (don't remember which anymore)... I thought RC was kind of like QR in that it wasn't that impt... but apparently, some have found a correlation between dental school success and a high average on RC...not even sure for the reason behind that. Good luck. You have the rest of your app to back you up.
you need to take a chill pill
4.1 AADSAS GPA and you're sitting there posting this thread? =\
i think i might know how you ended up getting your 4.0
go make some friends
4.1 AADSAS GPA and you're sitting there posting this thread? =\
i think i might know how you ended up getting your 4.0
go make some friends
Lol go easy here hes got many friends and I am proud to be one of them. He (along with many others including myself) is just frustrated about the RC section since its VERY far from standardized. Its fine, I know he will get into many schools and yes this personality trait is what helped him achieve a stellar GPA.
Nice joblphiewok pulling a 22 on reading though!
Nice joblphiewok pulling a 22 on reading though!
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are you guys for real? looking at this thread makes me feel dumb 
come on guys...you all rocked the DAT!!! just give yourself a break and relax.
P.S. Nothing is fair in this world 🙂
come on guys...you all rocked the DAT!!! just give yourself a break and relax. P.S. Nothing is fair in this world 🙂
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Here we go with the piano crap again. That passage was so easy. Every answer was in the text, that's just a fact. Yes, you need to be able to interpret text. The answers were not word-for-word in the passage. But every answer could be reasoned without prior knowledge of a piano.
First, what did you get on the RC and DAT. Second, do you play any musical instruments??
I am not stupid and i can definitely read. I was pulling 25 on my practice tests and apparently i didnt have a problem reading any of the other sections. English is my first language and i speak read and write it quite fluently.
Nah, we make all cutoofs i think and as long as the rest is solid e should be good i think. At least that is what i could gather from asking around here and looking at school websites and the ADEA guide. (albeit from 2006)
So shut up and stop talking about a retake😀 You make me wanna retake it too
Boy, before the test, I was talking to my friends and I was like, "I just need to get an 18 on RC [I was afraid to score less], and I will handle the rest". After the test, I was like "why the hell did not I get a 20 on RC"
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I feel ya dude. I got a similar score with that damn piano passage, as I don't know the first thing about pianos or music and the questions were so abstract. I feel that my AA should have been 1 or 2 points higher, since my practice RC scores were always mid to upper 20s. I also had high verbal SAT, as well as high reading ACT and English AP tests... Oh well, I did better than I expected on Science so I'm not going to risk everything on a retake. You should be fine, 18 is solid enough to be offset by your other scores. I think you have a good shot at Stony Brook with your scores, and if they had a cut-off it would pretty much always be 17 not 18 (except Case with a 19 RC cut-off..)
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I'm sure many people ran sub 4:00 before the real first sub 4 mile was broken, right? Just didn't happen on game time, but that's what counts
Anyway, same here. I know how you feel.
hahah okay sorry klutzy, i would like to apologize for my rude comment (don't take my previous comment seriously)
im just tired of people with such great stats to ask others if they have chances (when i think we all know that those people will get into many dental schools) and makes people with much lower stats feel more worried.
to the original topic, man you have probably one of best stats that i have seen around this forum and with your GPA and DAT score (even with your 18 RC), you'll have no problem getting any interviews and at that time even if they do ask you about your RC score, i really don't think it'll hurt your chances much.
good job with the great work you've been doing since undergrad. and good luck to you man
*you really shouldn't even bother retaking your DAT just bc of 18 RC btw
If they were to ask like WTH happened to your RC why didnt you score well, what you cant read, what is the best answer to give.
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Klutzy, I am in the same boat. That piano passage was completely ridiculous. I don't care what the others above thought it was easy. The other 2 passages were fine, and I can clearly read as well haha. There were some answers that were not in the passage. I also think its terrible how different test takers get different passages. I mean cmon, people that get the piano/ethics passage have scored lower than people who havn't........wheres the standardization in that??
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Obviously, you guys expect the DAT to be perfect or near perfect in its construction. Since when have you seen any standardized tests to be in this condition let alone have anything in this world be perfect. The DAT is just the best way to compare every dental applicant against one another. You had to have known that unlike the science sections where you knew exactly what topics to study for, the RC was pretty much completely random - in a way, a lot like life. So when you guys complain about the RC section being unfair, you remind me of those pesky people that complain about their own life and rant on when the unexpected is thrown at you and only feel safe and comfortable when everything is in your control - when you know sometimes that can't be accomplished. But all in all, i understand your guys frustrations as the DAT is a very important factor in determining your admission. so don't get me wrong, i'm in no way telling you to stop as you're are entitled to your opinions as this is a public forum. Just toughen up a bit more. Oh and you guys did well on the other sections so don't forget to concentrate on the positives.
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HUH???
we are complaining about taking a test that is impossible to prepare for, in hopes of perhaps coming up with an excuse to use on an interview.
I understand what Dent2009 is saying. If anything I am more frusterated with myself than complaining. Yeah the test isn't perfect, but I feel my RC score is a poor indication of my abilities, since we are being judged by adcom's when they first see our scores, it may come across as being deficient in reading. Hopefully an interview will show that people are more than what is shown on paper.
Im complaining and upset with myself at the same time lol.
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For everyone else I would say: Enjoy your stellar scores and have fun at the many interviews which are coming your way. In YOUR case:
I honestly suggest a retake. I get the feeling you will let it haunt you if not so - retake and don 't report it to any schools- because nobody rejects a 4.0 because of an 18 in RC- the 4.0s get rejected if they fall into the "never-left- the-library" stereotype and appall their interviewers with their lack of personality, maturity, or REAL service/work experience- hence the reason for an interview. Sounds like that should be your only real concern.
