I need advice, please help...

[DDS:)]

Please help me, let me know what u think, thanks!

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[darius99]

i wouldn't just to raise the RC score. are u applying for this cycle?

 

[NerdIAm]

I agree with the above poster (BTW He already said he's applying to the 2007 cycle).

Your bio, gchem, and PAT can all use some improvement. There's no secret to RC, just practice practice practice - read lots of passages on the internet and time yourself. Maybe do some "EyeQ" exercises (speed-reading).

So the answer is YES, you should re-take your DAT, but only take it when you are ready. Do not take it as a practice. You still have lots of time left until mid-May when they start the 2007 cycle.

 

[DDS:)]

i wouldn't just to raise the RC score. are u applying for this cycle?

I am applying for 2007 cycle. Application starts around this May, right?

 

[Dental Jedi]

Sorry, I want to post it here rather than DAT forum is because more people on this forum already been through the application process, so may give me more feedbacks.

Just got done with my DAT on Feb. 06th and applying for 2007 cycle. I am worried about my RC score. I dont know what happened with my RC, I got only 16 on the real DAT, but scored 19-20 on topscore. English is my second language, the real DAT have longer passage than the topscore.

Bio=18, Gchem=19, Ochem=21, RC=16 , QR=22, PAT=17, AA/TS=19

The question is Should I retake the DAT???

I have tons shadowing hours, 1 year dental assistance, have 1 semester research, Did few community service.

My cum. GPA (without this spring semester): 3.38 Sci. GPA: 3.51

Is that true AADSAS calculated GPA will be lower than what it says on the transcripts ?



Please help me, let me know what u think, thanks!

All the dental schools will tell you to retake it whether they really want you to or not.

thats what happened to me and my RC was a 17.

I did not retake it because the whole test was hard as heck and I still got in so my advice to you is to decide on your own.

Any advice you get from people on SDN should be taken very lightly, most are just rude and incorrect 95% of the time.

 

[jokerjoe12]

That is true, most are rude and 95% of the time WRONG!!!!!!!!!!! 15 RC, 18AA/19TS/17PAT...GUESS WHAT! ima be a dentist and 4 schools want my A**. BU, TUFTS, TEMPLE, and USC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and columbia didnt have the heart to reject me so they waitlisted me. i'm a competitive applicant in all other aspects. your dats arent the only factor.

 

[MC Wiggles]

I've been told by admissions committee members at Baylor that the two areas of the DAT that they place the most importance on are the Biology and Reading Comprehension sections. As a future dental student, you better know your biology and you better be able to read fast and comprehend what you're reading. My two cents.

 

[xylashellx]

retake. you wont regret it

 

[DDS:)]

But I dont really know how to practice my RC, didnt really do any practice on it before my real DAT except topscore. What's speed-reading, just read fast?

 

[fightingspirit]

....

 

[howui3]

I think your decisions greatly depend what school you want to go to. If you are aiming at a very competitive top tear school, then you will have to retake and get a better score. It also depends on the confidence of your abilities, do you think you can do better on this section if you retook it? are you strong at RC and just had a bad day? And it also depends on how confident you want to feel during the application cycle. The higher your DAT score the better the chance of you getting in, so if you want to avoid some stress and feel confident that with some studding you will do better then take it again.

The worst you can do is taking it again and not be prepared and show no improvement.

good luck.

 

[Dental Jedi]

True, my bio and gchem, and PAT are not that great either. I am sure I can improve on those just by practice.
But I dont really know how to practice my RC, didnt really do any practice on it before my real DAT except topscore. What's speed-reading, just read fast?

maybe you should just start studying for the retake and quit posting on SDN?

 

[polarnut]

maybe you should just start studying for the retake and quit posting on SDN?

who's being rude now?

 

[Dental Jedi]

who's being rude now?

was it bad advice though?

This cat obviously wants people to say to not take it, while the nerds say yes you have to retake it.

Just log off, go study, retake it. Then post one of the WHATS MY CHANCES NOW threads and get accepted.

Simple as that.

No rudeness involved.

 

[beezies]

who's being rude now?

No kidding. Can't we all just get along?

As for the original post, I say retake it. Most likely retaking the test won't hurt you and it shows the schools that you are applying to that a 16 isn't acceptable in your book either. My advice is to pick up some snoozers (journals like cell, science, nature etc) and also some tough literature that might be more interesting (look online for highschool or college english reading lists) also the economist helps. Anything that will get you to read for detail and help with english as a second language. Also, reading the economist before my interviews helped a great deal. It's good to know what's going on in the world.

I never had a problem with Reading Comprehension, but these things will help. I also liked Barron's method of taking notes for it in the dat book.

Good Luck!

 

[DDS:)]

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

 

[utahdent123]

Since you know where you want to apply, why not just call them and see what they think. I had a low score in QR and I was told not to worry about it. RC is a little different but I'm sure they would be happy to answer any of your questions. Send them an email with your stats, including EC's. You are more likely to get a better feel from them.

 

[JohnUNLV]

I vote to retake it, only because you have great ochem and gchem scores, and your QR is off the charts (compared to the national average). You should retake it, focus on RC of course, and PAT and bio. Your GPA is solid and most areas are fantastic, but just to make sure you get a bunch of interviews and acceptances, I would say retake it.

Unless you want to just risk it. But wouldnt you rather feel REALLY confident rather than ask strangers online what they think?

 

[polarnut]

so there you have it. 50% saying you should re-take, 50% saying you dont have to.

welcome to sdn!

 

[SuperC]

One more idea...

I would NOT retake.... Why?
Your overall score is strong. 19/19/17. Which is above average in ALL respects.
English is your second language. I am here to tell you I would have had bueno suerte (good luck) if I could do that well on a spanish RC.

Like you I was very concerned about my DAT score in both RC and QR (18 and 16) respectively. FYI my scores were 19/19/16/18/20/20/23/20 (AA/PA/QR/RC/BO/GC/OC/TS).

Everyone of my friends said DON'T worry.... They were all correct.
I know it is hard but if you are planning on applying to "normal" schools you will be fine.

-C

 

[geckel]

so there you have it. 50% saying you should re-take, 50% saying you dont have to.

welcome to sdn!

Isn't that the truth!

 

[geckel]

By the way....if you can do it over and do better then you definitely should. Follow your own advice because if the worst happens then it will be on you. Take it from me, next year will be my third cycle because I took advice that I felt was bad.

 

[beezies]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. However, I am not really in favor of retaking it. Unless I have to, if my chances are low in the list of the schools i am thinking about. I know different school probably looking at different things. But please just let me know what u think from ur application experiences. Thanks a lot!

The schools I am thinking about are USC, Tufts, BU or even NYU. What you guys think about my chances of getting in those schools if I wont retake DAT? (Consider I will apply early, before June)

You won't get into Tufts or BU with any score that's that low unless it's QR, and even then, with the quality of the applicant pool, I doubt it. I've heard that all of the schools in Cali are difficult unless you're a resident, and NYU didn't even invite me for an interview b/c my QR was a 16. I applied on the first day too. Trust me, when I interviewed at BU and Tufts, even at UConn, they stated that the only reason they liked me (given my QR was so low) was that my RC was 23 and my Organic was 21. Otherwise, I would have been toast at those schools. Maybe you'll have better luck because english is your second language, but don't bet on it.

 

[sunnyside77]

like many other posts, i think your score is good enough for "normal" schools. especially it's still so early. but i'd retake it if i were you, simply because it's still early and you have plenty of time to improve upon the sections you didn't do so well on. DAT isnt the only thing schools look at, maybe except for Columbia. so if your top choice is Columbia, you'll need to retake it. but i don't think you'll have a problem getting an interview with Tufts. because i just had mine with my so-so score (bad PAT) and the fact i applied really late!
hope this helps and GOOD LUCK~

 

[VoodoToothDoc]

Wow...If you don't get your RC up to 19, you will end up like me a year from now.

My RC was 16, too. And I was interviewed by BU. Obviously, they know my score already, but they still invited me and TOLD ME AT THE INTERVIEW that their cutoff score for all sections is 19. #@$!

They told me to retake to bump RC up to 19. Now, I did my DAT a year ago. Half of the stuff I already forgot. I assume you just finish your DAT, you will save alot of time in reviewing by taking it again ASAP.

I was reluctant to retake it again after the interview. But now, I am studying my azz off. Why? Because if you dont have the will power to retake your DAT, how you think you gonna have the will power to do well in Dental School???

DAT is not just a test about science and perceptual, its also about determination.

I am not a native English speaker, and my other scores were higher than yours. But I am in deep crap.
AA 20/ TS 21/ PAT 27

LISTEN TO ME. RETAKE IT. I AM THE LIVING PROOF

 

[Pzak]

I dont think you need to retake it...I had a 17 on my RC

 

[Arsenalista]

My advice would be to take it again - English is your second language, but if you can do well on RC, then you have proved to the adcoms (and yourself) that you can read at a high level. As a non-native speaker, there will inherently be some doubt on your ability to understand/communicate - with a high RC score, you can extinguish any and all doubt. You already have good stats, improving your RC can make you an even stronger candidate!

 

[jchen8]

Hey DDS English is my second language too. Please retake it Miss DDS.....do not leave anything to chance. Take control of your future so u will not regret whatever happens. And Dental Jedi, please don't be jealous and flame posters just because they seek higher goals than you.