Is it too late to take the DAT in late August and Submit my application in the first week of September ?

[PreDentalProcess]

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ghedim]

Hi everyone,

I am a Canadian predental student that wants to apply to US dental schools for this application cycle. I have had a very busy summer, and I can not write the DAT anytime sooner than the end of August. I am planning to have my official transcript and recommendation letters sent in early August and have everything except the personal statement ready by the end of August so that after I am done writing the DAT, I write the personal statement within a week, and submit my application by the first week of September. Do I have a chance of getting an interview by applying this late? Is there something that I should do differently?

Here are my stats:
GPA: 3.87
Extracurricular Activities: 3 research publications, lots of volunteering and +100 shadowing hours.
Recommendation letters: I expect them to be very good.

I greatly appreciate any feedback!

Thanks!

I submitted my application late august and did the DAT mid September and got plenty of interviews and got in. However take this with a grain of salt as this was during COVID cycle and everything was just kinda hectic.

You can submit ur app without DAT and Rec letters, and once you get those you can update ur application

 

[Rumple]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it.
I’ve heard that applications are considered incomplet, and therefore are not look at until the the DAT scores come back. Is that true?

This is true. Applications will not be considered for interview until they are complete.

 

[Rumple]

So in this case it wouldn’t matter if I submit my application at the beginning of September or Mid August ? (Since I am taking the DAT at the end of August)

Submitting your application earlier will only benefit you in that you will have all of the other time sensitive aspects of your application out of the way. There is a good amount of supplemental information and applications that schools will ask for. Waiting to submit everything else until you take your DAT will just result in more work at that time and thus a later submit date overall (theoretically). I would submit everything I could to try to get supplemental details from programs you are interested in, that way all the programs are waiting for is DAT and you won't be scrambling at the end to get things done. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Rumple]

Thanks for your feedback! Would it be ok to have everything except personal statement and DAT score ready by mid August and then write the personal statement within a week after taking the DAT (by first week of September). I am asking this because I only have about 6 weeks to study for the DAT and I feel like writing the personal statement would take time (which I don’t have lol).

Yeah. You'll have a 2 week period after you take the DAT for official scores to be reported to AADSAS. Finish it within that time frame.

 

[jessicasky12]

I submited my application in July and took DAT in mid August and as soon as my score was released I started getting interviews. Just make sure you do good !