Is 18 a copemtative DAT score

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walbert42

Pre Dental
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Just curious, it seems that on Predents a lot of the schools' average DAT scores are 19 or 20. I've been told though that 18 or even possibly 17 is competative. If a person has a 18 AA and 18 TS, is this still competative?
 
There are a lot of factors that go into your application. I think with your is very competetive GPA which should offset your average DAT score, but it also depends on what your lowest scores were and which schools you are applying to. Schools heavy on the DAT e.g. UCLA, Columbia, UoP would definitely like for you to retake while others would just recommend it.

I think if you got yourself 20/19s across the board it would make you a very good candidate for the upcoming cycle.
 
i dont think 18 is competitive as DAT score by itself. Mean DAT of accepted is usually around 19-20 in most dental schools and being below accepted average would definitely not be competitive (17 is the average of DAT scores of everyone that takes that exam in theory and therefore 17 is definitely not competetive).

but like the person above stated, it all comes down to whole applicant's package.

if you have GPA that is above average of accepted (in general idea around 3.6+), then having 18 would be enough to show many schools that you are a qualified applicant. or being URM sometimes would let you get away with below average DAT score

but in my case, I had 21/20/21 with 3.4 oGPA, and I still havent got accepted (although had 2 interviews) and when I asked ADCOM, they said my sci GPA is too low although my DAT is solid (my sci GPA is 3.13 - and those two schools have avg sci GPA accepted as 3.6+)

so if you have solid GPA, you might be able to get some acceptances with 18 but if you want to be safe, go with at least 19+ on every section
 
18AA/TS isn't very good. You want to have a 20/20 and a good gpa to be truly competitive academically.
 
Sorry but 18 AA and 18 TS is not even considered competitive anymore. With the economic recession that we are currently in, many people are trying to apply to grad or health professional schools, like dentistry. Therefore, even with your high GPA, lots of adcoms tend to favor students who demonstrate good grades and DAT scores. I would say aim for 20-21 to ensure that you are in a position for interviews with top name schools. If you need help with studying for the DATs, look up the DAT discussions on this forum and you will have a better idea on how to prepare for it. Good luck.
 
I'm a 1st year. I had 18AA/19TS and a 3.72gpa when i applied and I went to a well known state school for undergrad. I applied in August and the application was sent to schools about sept. 10th, but I still got 6 interviews..only went to 3 and got 2 acceptances. The school interview where I didn't get accepted was Stony Brook, which has like a 21 DAT so that figures, and the interviewer basically told me I wasn't getting in with that score. At one of the other schools where I was accepted, they pointed out that with a good gpa at the school I went to they would expect to see a higher DAT score. I said I thought it was good at frist but then when a lot of people said it wasn't too high I had already scheduled interviews so I figured not to retake. The other school didn't even mention it. My classes average DAT is about 19.5 and I've heard of people with 17's and I think even a 16, so whatever that tells you.

Of course a higher score is only better, but If you dont retake, just try to get some good ECs and dental experience, that probably helped me. Also, you probably know yourself better than anyone else does, so at any interviews, just make sure you know why you want to be in dental school and be able to sell yourself on your strong points.

Just editing to add something. Some people on here will tell you you can't get in with at DAT below 20. Thats definitely not true, but consider how much time you studied for the test and how much time you have to retake it and if you think you can do better I would try. That extra time and effort during this application process would be a lot better than worrying and retaking during a second cycle.
 
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Depends on how you are competing, iff all you have are academic work you are not competitive
 
I've been told though that 18 or even possibly 17 is competative.

Who told you that? 17 is the average DAT for all applicants. 19 is the average DAT for matriculants. 18 and you probably need to retake, unless you have a 3.7+ from a top tier university, or you are URM...
 
with an AVERAGE matriculate sitting aroung 17-19....yea, i would say 18 isnt too bad. although i would hope you would have other things going for you other than your DAT score
 
with an AVERAGE matriculate sitting aroung 17-19....yea, i would say 18 isnt too bad. although i would hope you would have other things going for you other than your DAT score

average matriculant is 19, not 17-19... 19 is the average for people that get in. the average applicant is 17, which is the people that don't get in...
 
average matriculant is 19, not 17-19... 19 is the average for people that get in. the average applicant is 17, which is the people that don't get in...
not sure where that number came from...(not that i really care)...but besides that, the OP still has a fighting chance.

GL!
 
I got into my state school with 18 AA/16 TS/ 21PAT and 3.5 overall and sci gpa. If you have a solid application and good letters its definitely possible to get in.
 
if you're dyslexic, it's competitive.
 
I think some people who are replying are confusing between competitive and possible in terms of dental school acceptance.

18 can definitely get you into dental school as long as you are a solid applicant but the score itself is subpar from average accepted and is not considered competitive
 
I think some people who are replying are confusing between competitive and possible in terms of dental school acceptance.

18 can definitely get you into dental school as long as you are a solid applicant but the score itself is subpar from average accepted and is not considered competitive
That said, it's rather "hit or miss" whether or not someone with at 18 will have enough accompanying ECs and a high enough GPA to offset that score. The vast majority of people who score and 18 don't have these... so it's almost like getting cut twice.
 
I don't think 18 is a competitive DAT score. According to wikipedia, the average AA score of applicants is (or used to be) 18. But that information is probably somewhat old, since the standards seem to be climbing higher every year. I remember going to an interview at Buffalo earlier this year, and a faculty member mentioned during our lunch that average AA this year went up to 21.

NOTE: I am not entirely sure if he meant that 21 (AA of 21 this year puts you on the 91th percentile, at least during my exam cycle) is the average for. He could have meant that 21 is the average for either all applicants, all test takers, or all accepted applicants.

But, if you just look at predent.com, you'll see that there are lots of people when get into dental schools with 18 AA; which goes to show that DAT isn't everything. If you end up getting an 18 AA on your DAT and feel worried, I'd recommend looking at the extra curriculars that the accepted 18ers have on their predent profile

Hope this helps!
 
I don't think 18 is a competitive DAT score. According to wikipedia, the average AA score of applicants is (or used to be) 18. But that information is probably somewhat old, since the standards seem to be climbing higher every year. I remember going to an interview at Buffalo earlier this year, and a faculty member mentioned during our lunch that average AA this year went up to 21.

NOTE: I am not entirely sure if he meant that 21 (AA of 21 this year puts you on the 91th percentile, at least during my exam cycle) is the average for. He could have meant that 21 is the average for either all applicants, all test takers, or all accepted applicants.

But, if you just look at predent.com, you'll see that there are lots of people when get into dental schools with 18 AA; which goes to show that DAT isn't everything. If you end up getting an 18 AA on your DAT and feel worried, I'd recommend looking at the extra curriculars that the accepted 18ers have on their predent profile

Hope this helps!

He most likely meant that the interviewees at Buffalo had an average AA of 21.
 
Like everyone has stated, what does the 18 come with? If the 18 has an excellent letters of recommendation, volunteered, nice GPA, etc.

As everyone knows, not everyone is the best at taking standardized exams. In fact Harvard's low AA is 18 and Minnesota's low TS is 16. So, it just depends what comes with the package.
 
I'm a 1st year. I had 18AA/19TS and a 3.72gpa when i applied and I went to a well known state school for undergrad. I applied in August and the application was sent to schools about sept. 10th, but I still got 6 interviews..only went to 3 and got 2 acceptances. The school interview where I didn't get accepted was Stony Brook, which has like a 21 DAT so that figures, and the interviewer basically told me I wasn't getting in with that score. At one of the other schools where I was accepted, they pointed out that with a good gpa at the school I went to they would expect to see a higher DAT score. I said I thought it was good at frist but then when a lot of people said it wasn't too high I had already scheduled interviews so I figured not to retake. The other school didn't even mention it. My classes average DAT is about 19.5 and I've heard of people with 17's and I think even a 16, so whatever that tells you.

Of course a higher score is only better, but If you dont retake, just try to get some good ECs and dental experience, that probably helped me. Also, you probably know yourself better than anyone else does, so at any interviews, just make sure you know why you want to be in dental school and be able to sell yourself on your strong points.

Just editing to add something. Some people on here will tell you you can't get in with at DAT below 20. Thats definitely not true, but consider how much time you studied for the test and how much time you have to retake it and if you think you can do better I would try. That extra time and effort during this application process would be a lot better than worrying and retaking during a second cycle.

Did you get an interview at Stonybrook, THEN they tell you you're not getting in??? Wow, I hope that's not the case.
 
(I am a Canadian)

Overall GPA = 3.1

Canadian DAT

Carving: 27
Pat: 21
AA: 18
Bio: 18
Chem: 17
Reading Comp: 20

And I got accepted to UBC dentistry.

But my lor and personal essay kicked ass.
 
wow are u from BC?

(I am a Canadian)

Overall GPA = 3.1

Canadian DAT

Carving: 27
Pat: 21
AA: 18
Bio: 18
Chem: 17
Reading Comp: 20

And I got accepted to UBC dentistry.

But my lor and personal essay kicked ass.
 
Just curious, it seems that on Predents a lot of the schools' average DAT scores are 19 or 20. I've been told though that 18 or even possibly 17 is competative. If a person has a 18 AA and 18 TS, is this still competative?
Dogg, really? Competative?? Jesus. Wow. 😱
 
Just wanted to shout out that it took 3 posts to get the spelling of competitive right 🙂
 
In my opinion, an 18AA is barely squeaking by (again depending on the rest of your app). I am VERY thankful and fortunate to have a single acceptance with my stats:

18AA
18TS
19 PAT

3.19 Cumulative GPA
3.01 sGPA

However this doesn't include my upward GPA trend, my LORs, essay, extracurricular activities and experiences (which were good from what I was told).

Take this for what it's worth but DO NOT settle for an 18 and think it's safe 😀
 
Just curious, it seems that on Predents a lot of the schools' average DAT scores are 19 or 20. I've been told though that 18 or even possibly 17 is competative. If a person has a 18 AA and 18 TS, is this still competative?

With your GPA, I think you've got a very solid shot at a lot of schools if you get 18s across the board on the DAT and have a strong set of ECs and some dental experience.
 
With your GPA, I think you've got a very solid shot at a lot of schools if you get 18s across the board on the DAT and have a strong set of ECs and some dental experience.

isn't this the advice we give to all pre-dents? starting to sound like a broken-record....
 
In my opinion, an 18AA is barely squeaking by (again depending on the rest of your app). I am VERY thankful and fortunate to have a single acceptance with my stats:

18AA
18TS
19 PAT

3.19 Cumulative GPA
3.01 sGPA

However this doesn't include my upward GPA trend, my LORs, essay, extracurricular activities and experiences (which were good from what I was told).

Take this for what it's worth but DO NOT settle for an 18 and think it's safe 😀
Finally, someone who is honest and upfront about their stats!
 
URM is under-represented minorities. and 18 is DEFINITELY a competitive DAT score!
 
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