Is my DAT score good?

[crepuscular_rays10]

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Hi everyone! I recently got my DAT score back, and I got a 450 AA and a 400 PAT score. Is this good enough for dental school?? From the ADEA conversion chart pdf, I believe my AA score is a 22 and my PAT score is a 19 on the old scale. I am entering my third year of undergrad but, right now, I have a pretty solid GPA. Should I retake the exam? I’m really stressed.

 

[BikiniBottomBaller]

Great Scores! Be happy you never have to take it again. Just strengthen your application this year for the next cycle!

 

[crepuscular_rays10]

Great Scores! Be happy you never have to take it again. Just strengthen your application this year for the next cycle!

Thank you so much!! What would you suggest I do to ensure I have a strong application?

 

[BikiniBottomBaller]

Thank you so much!! What would you suggest I do to ensure I have a strong application?

Shadow, be active in philanthropy, hold leadership positions, and do what seems fun. Cant talk passionately about something if you're doing it only for the sake of an application! And obviously keep grades up.

 

[crepuscular_rays10]

Shadow, be active in philanthropy, hold leadership positions, and do what seems fun. Cant talk passionately about something if you're doing it only for the sake of an application! And obviously keep grades up.

Thank you, and you’re right!! I will keep this in mind. Best of luck to you!

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Your scores are great and there's no need to retake unless a school specifically recommends it.
A 450 AA falls between the old-scale concordance values for a 21 AA (440) and a 22 AA (460). The current three-digit score of 450 is the official score, and the ADA concordance table is intended to help compare scores across the old and new scoring systems.

If you're applying this cycle, focus on strengthening the rest of your app:


✅ Shadowing — aim for 50+ hours, ideally across general and specialty practices
✅ Clinical experience — work or volunteer in a dental setting (go beyond observing)
✅ Leadership, service, and a strong personal statement


You're in great shape. Now it's about showing who you are beyond the scores.
Best of luck!
– Nancy, Co-Owner of DAT Destroyer

 

[crepuscular_rays10]

Your scores are great and there's no need to retake unless a school specifically recommends it.
A 450 AA and 400 PAT convert to roughly a 22 AA and 19 PAT , strong numbers that are well within range for most dental schools, especially with a solid GPA.


If you're applying this cycle, focus on strengthening the rest of your app:


✅ Shadowing — aim for 50+ hours, ideally across general and specialty practices
✅ Clinical experience — work or volunteer in a dental setting (go beyond observing)
✅ Leadership, service, and a strong personal statement


You're in great shape. Now it's about showing who you are beyond the scores.
Best of luck!
– Nancy, Co-Owner of DAT Destroyer

Thank you so much for this!! I feel very reassured. 🙂

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Thank you so much for this!! I feel very reassured. 🙂

You're very welcome. Stay confident and keep moving forward. You’ve got this.
Wishing you all the best this cycle.

 

[DoctorBatman21]

Your scores are great and there's no need to retake unless a school specifically recommends it.
A 450 AA and 400 PAT convert to roughly a 22 AA and 19 PAT , strong numbers that are well within range for most dental schools, especially with a solid GPA.


If you're applying this cycle, focus on strengthening the rest of your app:


✅ Shadowing — aim for 50+ hours, ideally across general and specialty practices
✅ Clinical experience — work or volunteer in a dental setting (go beyond observing)
✅ Leadership, service, and a strong personal statement


You're in great shape. Now it's about showing who you are beyond the scores.
Best of luck!
– Nancy, Co-Owner of DAT Destroyer

I'm a little confused. I too got a 450 AA. The DAT conversion score puts that between a 21 (440) and a 22 (460). Which one do we follow?

 

[DAT Destroyer]

I'm a little confused. I too got a 450 AA. The DAT conversion score puts that between a 21 (440) and a 22 (460). Which one do we follow?

You are correct. Thank you for catching that.

A 450 AA falls between the concordance values for 21 AA (440) and 22 AA (460). The 450 is your official current DAT score; the concordance table is only meant to help compare the new three-digit scoring system with the former scale.

I also corrected my earlier post above so it doesn’t cause any further confusion. The new DAT scoring system has been a learning curve for all of us, especially when comparing it with the former scale.

Hope this helps, Nancy