I need an real man's answer

[2PacClone23]

So.....I'm applying June 3rd and I'm going to have everything good to go.


The trouble comes because I already took the DAT last september and got a 19AA though I think I can do much better the 2nd time around.


The part that confuses me is that I NEED to be considered an early applicant. My GPA is a bit below average and I need all the help I can get. Not "sorta early" or "quasi-early". I need to be early.


So do I go ahead and re-take my DAT...say on July 20th with only 1 month of studying or do I re-take it later on like August 5th? or August 20th and still be considered a COMPLETE applicant. I mean, they're going to have my old scores right? I just need this problem fixed. Please.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[CANgnome]

I have heard that to be considered an early applicant, your application must be turned in before august? So latest safe date is around mid july, correct me if i am wrong.

I have also heard, however, that dental schools also look highly at students who submit on the first day or as early as possible, indicating that they have everything together beforehand, and have a firm commitment to becoming a dental student. I am personally going to get schools to send transcripts a week before application and hopefully I can submit everything -DAT in the first half of June. Who knows if this is true though, and what goes through each school adcom's head.

 

[DrDDSman]

So.....I'm applying June 3rd and I'm going to have everything good to go.


The trouble comes because I already took the DAT last september and got a 19AA though I think I can do much better the 2nd time around.


The part that confuses me is that I NEED to be considered an early applicant. My GPA is a bit below average and I need all the help I can get. Not "sorta early" or "quasi-early". I need to be early.


So do I go ahead and re-take my DAT...say on July 20th with only 1 month of studying or do I re-take it later on like August 5th? or August 20th and still be considered a COMPLETE applicant. I mean, they're going to have my old scores right? I just need this problem fixed. Please.

You can submit your AADSAS the minute it opens, but if you indicate you are retaking the DAT at a give date, the application wont be looked at by any schools until they have your most recent DAT. So, it wont be complete until they receive your DAT in July/Aug. I was in the same boat last cycle. Submitted 1st week of July, DAT late Aug. Apps complete in Ocxtober. Ouch

 

[teeth32]

I have heard that to be considered an early applicant, your application must be turned in before august? So latest safe date is around mid july, correct me if i am wrong.

I have also heard, however, that dental schools also look highly at students who submit on the first day or as early as possible, indicating that they have everything together beforehand, and have a firm commitment to becoming a dental student. I am personally going to get schools to send transcripts a week before application and hopefully I can submit everything -DAT in the first half of June. Who knows if this is true though, and what goes through each school adcom's head.

According to the AADSAS website, "The first possible date to create an application and submit materials to AADSAS will be June 3, 2010.".. You also have to include a transcript matching form which you will not be able to print until you register on June 3.

 

[alanan84]

You can submit in June with your old scores but don't put that you're going to retake. Then you send the new scores after you retake. What I wouldn't do is rush into taking the DAT.

 

[FutureDent020]

So.....I'm applying June 3rd and I'm going to have everything good to go.


The trouble comes because I already took the DAT last september and got a 19AA though I think I can do much better the 2nd time around.


The part that confuses me is that I NEED to be considered an early applicant. My GPA is a bit below average and I need all the help I can get. Not "sorta early" or "quasi-early". I need to be early.


So do I go ahead and re-take my DAT...say on July 20th with only 1 month of studying or do I re-take it later on like August 5th? or August 20th and still be considered a COMPLETE applicant. I mean, they're going to have my old scores right? I just need this problem fixed. Please.

You could submit your application with your old DAT scores on June 3rd without notifying AADSAS that you will take the DAT again. Then take it again Mid-July. Fax the unofficial score report to admission offices the day of the exam. They cannot use it, but they will definitely make note of it and wait for your official scores to come in. Yes, the risk of this is getting denied early on. But depending on your GPA, I doubt a 19 AA will get you the boot out of many right off the bat. This may not be your best option, but i'm just throwing ideas out there.

*Just realized I said pretty much the exact same thing as alanan*
So +1

 

[2PacClone23]

Such a stressful time....damn man. Maybe I can start studying on like May 20th (which is about 3.5 weeks before my school ends so there will be overalp).


So once again, if I SUBMIT my application June 3rd, take the DAT July 20th, then I'm still considered a super early applicant correct?

 

[skylark]

i think u should be okay, but it depends. i think the real question is: How LONG does it take for schools to receive you new DAT scores right after you send them. Then you can work backwards from the date they should receive the scores, since this is your limiting factor. with this, u can plan when to take your DAT.

anyway im curious too, how LONG does it take for schools to receive you new DAT scores right after you send them.

 

[alanan84]

Such a stressful time....damn man. Maybe I can start studying on like May 20th (which is about 3.5 weeks before my school ends so there will be overalp).


So once again, if I SUBMIT my application June 3rd, take the DAT July 20th, then I'm still considered a super early applicant correct?

Hmm, not sure you've understood what FutureDent and I said.

It takes about 3-4 weeks for the schools to get your scores. (my experience was more like 3 weeks)

Sooo, if you submit on June 3rd AND indicate that you are retaking, schools will put your app on hold until they receive the new scores. (Which would be in mid-August) You can call that super early, early, kind of early, or not early. It doesn't really matter. You still will have a handfull of people that have been submitting complete apps since June. A lot of schools start interviewing in August which means they are sending invites out in July.

Now, what we suggested as a possibility was that you submit on June 3rd but DON'T indicate that you will be retaking. The upside? They will go ahead and evaluate your app and extend an interview if they want, OR put your app on hold because it's not quite good enough. Then, if they didn't give you an interview and they get your retake scores in August, they will re-evaluate you. The downside? It's possible that they could reject you before the retake scores come in. (Not likely)

You make the call.

 

[acs]

.

 

[2PacClone23]

So you guys are saying I shouldn't indicate that I'll be retaking the DAT? I mean my first DAT scores we're that bad at all. I got 19AA afterall so I don't think I'll be rejected from the offset. But are you guys sure this strategy works? Have them evaluate my application as a "complete" application and then have the DAT scores re-updated later on? Won't they be pissed?

 

[icedspice]

this is the way the system works. a lot of people have regretted having told their schools that they plan on taking it. Because there is absolutely nothing you can do during that waiting period (from aadsas submitted date to your new dat + 3 weeks) than sit on sdn and listen to AAALLL these people getting their interview offers.

 

[2PacClone23]

Ugh and NOT telling them would......benefit me by letting my application go under review WHILE I study for the retake? Then why I submit the newly updated scores, won't they be like W.T.F.???

 

[mashinka]

so i spoke with the dean from ASDOH, Jack Dillenger earlier this year (haha I feel like such a douchebag for saying that) but he said that it should take only about one week for the DAT scores to be submitted into the school. You should totally be fine if u submit your app June 3rd and then take DATs in July or even mid August (like i plan on doing) because it takes 4-6 weeks for the school to just process the app before they can even start reviewing it. So if you submit June 3rd the app should be processed by end of July and then you submit your DAT scores shortly after and all is well with the world. Dont stress....just concentrate on studying and doing well

 

[2PacClone23]

so i spoke with the dean from ASDOH, Jack Dillenger earlier this year (haha I feel like such a douchebag for saying that) but he said that it should take only about one week for the DAT scores to be submitted into the school. You should totally be fine if u submit your app June 3rd and then take DATs in July or even mid August (like i plan on doing) because it takes 4-6 weeks for the school to just process the app before they can even start reviewing it. So if you submit June 3rd the app should be processed by end of July and then you submit your DAT scores shortly after and all is well with the world. Dont stress....just concentrate on studying and doing well

Okay this helps alot. So in that case, maybe I won't be put in the "we will review later app" pile

 

[GiTsticker]

this is the way the system works. a lot of people have regretted having told their schools that they plan on taking it. Because there is absolutely nothing you can do during that waiting period (from aadsas submitted date to your new dat + 3 weeks) than sit on sdn and listen to AAALLL these people getting their interview offers.

Judging by your avatar, I don't think you meet the requisite of replying to this thread clearly indicated by it's title.

 

[solstice]

1. A real man's answer not an...

2. REAL man's ....

 

[2PacClone23]

LOL what?

 

[2PacClone23]

More help. Do I re-take at all to begin with? I don't HAVE to.....I got 19AA and AADSAS GPA is like 3.2ish.

Do I risk not being an early applicant and take the exam August 1st? What do I do?

 

[dentalWorks]

More help. Do I re-take at all to begin with? I don't HAVE to.....I got 19AA and AADSAS GPA is like 3.2ish.

Do I risk not being an early applicant and take the exam August 1st? What do I do?

2PacClone23 ~

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH (sorry Jack Nickelson)

Honestly man, I don't think anybody here in their right mind can tell you what YOU should do....... However, i can tell you what I WOULD DO if I was in that situation. I would apply early (june 3rd) with my 19AA... Right after applying (Im guessing due to my low-ish gpa, I would aim for 20+ schools). Then while AADSAS is verifying my junk, I would start calling every dental school that I am applying to, explaning to them my situation and weighing how many of them tell me to retake vs how many tell me not to retake.... IF the retake "yes" was higher, I would call them again and tell them that your planning to retake it sometime in August..

End of story, there is really nothing else you can do.

 

[2PacClone23]

Asking them would take forever though. And I can't base my DAT re-taking based on them. I mean, I know I can do better the 2nd time....but I don't wanna sacrifice my early application. Taking it like August 1st would kill my status.

 

[dentalWorks]

Asking them would take forever though. And I can't base my DAT re-taking based on them. I mean, I know I can do better the 2nd time....but I don't wanna sacrifice my early application. Taking it like August 1st would kill my status.

Well from what you just typed here, it seems like you've already made up your mind on what you want to do. Go with your instincts I say, good luck

 

[2PacClone23]

But then if I don't get any interviews, how can I ever live with myself....having nightmares to the thought of "what if I had taken the DAT again?" so I feel like I have to....only question is when and will it sacrifice my application?

 

[DrReo]

What's the excuse you can't start studying now? Your ugrad + DAT studying is going to be a walk in the park compared to NDBE I vs D1 or D2 school. Start learning how to manage your time. No excuses.

Back in the day, my adviser said that a good cut off time to take the DAT is July 1st.

 

[2PacClone23]

Well my undergraduate doesn't end until June 13th...It's kinda hard to start studying in the middle you know between 4 classes (two of which are nutrition and cell bio!)

 

[dentalWorks]

But then if I don't get any interviews, how can I ever live with myself....having nightmares to the thought of "what if I had taken the DAT again?" so I feel like I have to....only question is when and will it sacrifice my application?

I know you want EVERYTHING to line up before you pull the trigger this year. But if worst comes to worst and you don't get in this cycle, there is always next year.

Its just, your putting SOOO much unnecessary stress on yourself, Just take it easy, work hard on the DAT, apply whenever YOU SEE fit. There is really nothing else you can do.

 

[2PacClone23]

Okay.....