Is it possible to apply for the 2005 round if...

[aggie-master]

I don't take the DAT until December???

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[JRogoff]

It is possible, but it will hurt your chances of getting in. Time and time again it had been proven on SDN that the early bird gets the worm. If i were you i would take it this summer and then again in the fall if needed or asked to. Even if you think your first time score won't be good enough, do it anyways. It is always best to leave yourself time to take it again if needed. If you take it in December, you will not have time to take it again due to the 3 month waiting period between tests. I hope this helps.

 

[aggie-master]

I guess I have another question then. Does it hurt your chances to get in at a school if you were denied the year before.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because there are currently five courses that I must take to satisfy the prereqs for Baylor College of Dentistry:

CHEM II
PHYSICS I
PHYSICS II
ORG CHEM I
ORG CHEM II

I can have 4 of those done by December, at which point I think I'll be ready to take the DAT, but I don't want to take the DAT if I haven't even taken the courses yet.

If I apply this year and get rejected, then that would be okay with me if that rejection isn't going to hurt my application the following year.

 

[hockeydentist]

To answer your first question, you would be able to take the DAT in December in appplying out of state.
As for Texas I belive the due date for a completed application is Nov 1. So taking your DAT in Dec, would mostly likely disqualify your application for Texas schoools. Also first round of acceptances are sent out around dec 1 aswell.

 

[JRogoff]

A rejection in a previous year definetly will not hurt you in the following year, especially in your case with not finishing the prereqs in time. I think that once you have organic I and gen chem II under your belt, you will be ready. If you take those classes this summer and be studying at the same time for the DAT, you can take it towards the end of the summer. Then if needed or asked to, you can take it again in the fall sometime. Don't stress, but also don't wait till december to take the DAT! Hope this helps!

 

[aggie-master]

Thanks for the advice.

I was planning on taking the DAT next May and applying at all Texas schools in the 2006 round, but I realized that the Baylor dental school has less prereqs than the the Houston and San Antonio schools, so I wanted to see if it was possible to apply there for the 2005 round.

I might give it a try. Getting out of dental school a year earlier will really help me out since I'm already an old man at 23.

 

[JRogoff]

I would definetly try and get in for 2005, its worth a shot. If you don't get in this round, there is always next year. Good Luck!

 

[Mo007]

I'm already an old man at 23.

What are you talking about? 23 is just fine... most schools have an average age of 24-25. 95% of Dental students are less than 30 for most part of their dental school.

Relax.

 

[aileen]

If I were you, I would go for 2006 cycle. Why hurry?

 

[hockeydentist]

Most texas schools prefer that you have a degree or about to have your degree when you enter dental school. Baylor relies heavily on applicants having a degree when they enter there school. By all means apply without a degree, but be aware that a deciding factor could be that you don't have a degree. Having a degree shows a sign of maturity and a willingness to finish what you started. Not saying that one could not get through dental school without a degree, you look better I guess.

 

[aggie-master]

I have a B.B.A. and a M.S., but they are both in business, so I am short on the prereqs.

 

[Mo007]

Finish the pre-reqs... as long as you can finish them before the first day of dental school, you will be ok to apply for the next cycle with your B.B.A.

But taking the DAT in december will not help your application, because schools send acceptances at that time, so you will be risking to get on the alternate lists/waiting lists... and to get off that list, you will need a very good DAT scores (18-19+) minimum.

Good Luck.

 

[aggie-master]

I think I'm going to take it in late August and see what happens.

I probably won't do very well on it without the classroom experience, but I'll see what happens.

I guess I can always take it again.

 

[Calculus1]

Aggie-master, I'll be honest with you, I would cash it in for 05 and prep for 06. You're lacking so much and I remember on another thread that you wanted to go to Houston, well they require Biochem, which I'm sure you already know. I also wouldn't recommend taking Ochem in the summer. It's a lot of material to stomach in 2 semesters, let alone two months.Listen to Aileen, you would be torturing yourself for a whole year, whereas next summer(summer of 05) you can study for the DAT and have all required classes taken.

 

[aggie-master]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I've done some research and it appears that it is impossible for me to take Organic Chemistry this summer.

I'm going to try and prepare for the DAT as if I was taking it in late August with only Biology I & II, Chemistry I & II, and Physics I completed.

At that point I'll take some practice tests, bring this thread to the top with my practice scores and ask you guys how my app will look if I score around the same on the DAT. By then, I will also know a little more about what my science GPA will be. Right now it is a 4.0 science and 3.85 overall, but I've got a lot of science courses to take.

 

[ToothMonkey]

Don't worry about your age. As a dentist you'll make enough that a "late" start (and you're really not late, anyway) will hardly leave you in financial difficulties.

I do hope you're not one of those people who is racing through school in the belief that life really only begins after college. If I were you instead of straining myself grasping at an '05 slot I'd just kick back, relax, and coast in for the '06 cycle. JM2C