Low DAT scores getting in?

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heck196

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We all hear about the lower gpa's getting in (less than 3.2), but I am interested to see what low DAT scores people have and are getting in. Thanks for your time!
 
I had a AA 17, TS 16, PAT 21. Mine scores are not necessarily low, but are definitely lower than what the majority of people's stats are here. It's been rough for me. Even with a 3.9 GPA, I've only heard from one school out of 8. So from my personal experience, you need the DAT scores more than the GPA. Obviously, I'd be singing a different tune if I scored 20+, but I feel a GPA shows how hard a person works more so than a test score. And getting through dental school, for the majority of people, is a matter of how hard you're willing to work. That being said, seems like the cutoff now is 18 across the board on the DAT is necessary to have a legitimate shot, not saying you can't get in with lower. Some schools only look at AA and PAT, but most also take into account Total Science as well. I bet my 16 TS turned most schools off even with an above average gpa.
 
Yup, I agree with the above person as well.
I personally believe that DAT scores are way more important than GPA.
I've been hearing a lot of people with low gpa with high DAT scores getting in than high gpa and low DAT scores. If you have a certain gpa (~3.0) and as long as you do good on your DATs(above 20) than you have a great shot.
 
18 AA/ 20 PAT

3.69 GPA

yeah cool?
 
this girl from my school had AA16/Sci16/Pat17 and got in to marquette! her gpa i hear was 3.8 though. I'm still shocked that she even got an interview at usc and got in already at marquette!
 
peRsEVERENCE said:
this girl from my school had AA16/Sci16/Pat17 and got in to marquette! her gpa i hear was 3.8 though. I'm still shocked that she even got an interview at usc and got in already at marquette!
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that is because she is a girl.....
 
18/18/19 3.59 GPA 3.43 SGPA 3.27 BCP
1 acceptance.... IU
I honestly wasn't expecting one with my DAT. I think I'm gonna retake the DAT to help my chances at UNLV (Interview there next month).
 
some interesting information so far. keep it coming
 
18AA/19TS/19PAT 3.72/3.73

5 interviews, withdrew from last two before the interview after acceptance to another.
 
This might be shocking. This girl from my school got in both state schools with a 15 on DAT. yes 15! I wont say which state, but she's a minority(african american).

I felt cheated and didn't feel as good about my acceptance as i did before i heard that.
 
I applied to numerous schools, and got rejected from a few too. I did get my acceptance to LLU, which is my number one choice though. Here are my stats: 18 AA / 19 TS / 25 PAT

Nothing fabulous, but I'm in, so now I don't really care what was on the DAT.

About the girl getting accepted with a 15 on the DAT. Outrageous, just outrageous. Maybe her GPA was outstanding, great LORs, volunteer work, etc. Or, maybe it was because she was "African-American". Usually, the individual has a little bit more to offer. However, a 15 is quite low. Maybe she was in the 18%.... that's my guess.😕
 
I don't think the girl had a stellar GPA either. Around 3.5-6, at least that's what I heard. I don't know she could've had excellent LORs and so on. But i just thought it was ridiculous after seeing some of my friends getting rejected with 17 or 18s with the same schools.
 
Did the girl get a 15 on the AA, TS, PAT or maybe the RC or QR? If its AA or TS then that's pretty ridiculous. PAT I can understand, and QR and RC aren't as important as the other three.
 
In my opinion, a poor DAT completely discredits high GPAs. Specifically the TS. The TS is a test just like the ones in core science classes, so there's just no excuse.
 
For a person to get in with a 15 or 16 AA is pretty pathetic. Most schools will automatically disqualify an applicant with one section below a 17. I'm not bitter, I did get in to my top choice. No way should a person get in with those scores. Period. I don't care what type of extracurriculars you have. Those scores are like in the 30th percentile territory :scared:
 
s0chon02 said:
This might be shocking. This girl from my school got in both state schools with a 15 on DAT. yes 15! I wont say which state, but she's a minority(african american).

I felt cheated and didn't feel as good about my acceptance as i did before i heard that.
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She may have been "lucky" to get in, but it really is unfair to her. Not knowing this person, but from what I've seen, people with low score across the board who get in to dental school, are then miserable because they have to work so hard to keep up with the rest of the class. I know sometimes flukes happen and people somehow get low scores that don't reflect their knowledge, but if that is the score you're applying with and don't re-take it, then you're basically saying you don't think you can do any better and yes, tests DO measure your ability and it's only people who do poorly that disagree. WHy be "nice', accepting people with low qualifications when that just sets them up for low-self esteem and failure???
 
I think many of you are overlooking the rest of the application. I had a 15 in QA and still got into three great schools. My GPA wasn't the highest either, but I had a strong statement of purpose, letters of rec, and signifigant experience in the dental field. Don't automatically count yourself out because of your number scores. Work really hard to make the rest of your application strong!
 
pearlywhites23 said:
I think many of you are overlooking the rest of the application. I had a 15 in QA and still got into three great schools. My GPA wasn't the highest either, but I had a strong statement of purpose, letters of rec, and signifigant experience in the dental field. Don't automatically count yourself out because of your number scores. Work really hard to make the rest of your application strong!
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We are talking about a person who got a 15 AA getting into dental school. I know a lot of people who got a low score on the QR and still got accepted. There is a big difference b/t a person who got a academic average of 15 and a person who scored a 15 on one section of the DAT.
 
Just curious. What percentile rank would a score of 15 or 17 on AA fall under ?
 
dkny2kx said:
18 AA/ 20 PAT

3.69 GPA

yeah cool?
__________________
Interviews: Creighton (V), Buffalo (V), StonyBrook (V)
Rejections: Colorado, NYU
Accepted: Buffalo, Stony Brook NOV 30th
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no offense at all, actually props to you... but you LUCKY duck! Where do you go to school? A top private school? Man, I wish I got into SB!

Best of luck to you!
 
s0chon02 said:
This might be shocking. This girl from my school got in both state schools with a 15 on DAT. yes 15! I wont say which state, but she's a minority(african american).

I felt cheated and didn't feel as good about my acceptance as i did before i heard that.
Click to expand...


Why didn't you feel good about your own acceptance after discovering that a girl was admitted with a 15 on the DAT? How does that affect you in any way? You are going to be a dentist. Isn't that what you want?

No doubt her score was low. However, the admissions board saw something in her. Of course many of us would have retaken the test. Still, don't be mad because she went balls out and still applied. She took a shot in the dark. What do you know? She hit the target! Nothing is guarenteed during the selection process. A 3.9 GPA doesn't always guarentee you a seat and today we've learned that a 15 on the DAT doesn't always mean you're not going to get admitted. Trust me. That school will choose enough DAT superstars to be able to post a competitive DAT average for the incoming class.

However, what this young lady does in dental school is on her. She's entering school with a chip on her shoulder. She may want to prove to the admissions board that her DAT score doesn't accurately reflect her capabilities. You never know, she may be the very one setting all the curves next Fall. All I'm saying is take it with a grain of salt. Being jealous of other peoples blessings may be the one thing that prevents you from recieving blessings of your own.
 
PCrooks said:
Why didn't you feel good about your own acceptance after discovering that a girl was admitted with a 15 on the DAT? How does that affect you in any way? You are going to be a dentist. Isn't that what you want?

No doubt her score was low. However, the admissions board saw something in her. Of course many of us would have retaken the test. Still, don't be mad because she went balls out and still applied. She took a shot in the dark. What do you know? She hit the target! Nothing is guarenteed during the selection process. A 3.9 GPA doesn't always guarentee you a seat and today we've learned that a 15 on the DAT doesn't always mean you're not going to get admitted. Trust me. That school will choose enough DAT superstars to be able to post a competitive DAT average for the incoming class.

However, what this young lady does in dental school is on her. She's entering school with a chip on her shoulder. She may want to prove to the admissions board that her DAT score doesn't accurately reflect her capabilities. You never know, she may be the very one setting all the curves next Fall. All I'm saying is take it with a grain of salt. Being jealous of other peoples blessings may be the one thing that prevents you from recieving blessings of your own.
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You're right, I'm still going to dental school. But after seeing some of my close friends get rejected with higher stats,good LORs, nice personality and so on, i can't help but feel a little... well there's not a word for it. The girl might've had excellent LOR's or a fantastic interview or i might be totally misjudging her, but i can't get beyond the point when she asked my histlogy professor what the word 'malignant' meant..
 
I was dealing with a family member in the hospital and was at the hospital until midnight the night before I took the DAT and believe that it affected my performance. I might have actually been able to score a little higher although I am not suggesting I would have made a perfect score.

I do have a semi-good overall GPA (3.61) and science GPA (3.67) and it is frustrating that GPA is not as important. I know I can be just as successful in dental school versus someone who scored high on the DAT. Unfortunately, I have to accept the reality of this game-those with high scores on the DAT and lower gpas have a greater chance of acceptance versus one like me with low DAT scores and high GPAs. It is so hard being rejected.
 
Are you serious about that "malignant" statement??? :laugh: Geez.... then I'm sure most people think the reason she got accepted is because she was black. Affirmative action isn't always beneficial to those it "helps". She could be celebrating thinking she's now in dental school, but like others have stated, ...she might end up struggling, failing out, and/or getting depressed.

I do not agree with this, but I have seen several friends get rejected, even though they have been working their butts off to get into school, only to be rejected because a particular school admitted someone with an extremely substandard DAT score. Also, a person who seems to not see the larger picture of science by asking "Professor, what does 'malignant' mean?" :idea:
 
s0chon02 said:
This might be shocking. This girl from my school got in both state schools with a 15 on DAT. yes 15! I wont say which state, but she's a minority(african american).

I felt cheated and didn't feel as good about my acceptance as i did before i heard that.
Click to expand...



...............................................
 
Eledental said:
Are you serious about that "malignant" statement??? :laugh: Geez.... then I'm sure most people think the reason she got accepted is because she was black. Affirmative action isn't always beneficial to those it "helps". She could be celebrating thinking she's now in dental school, but like others have stated, ...she might end up struggling, failing out, and/or getting depressed.

I do not agree with this, but I have seen several friends get rejected, even though they have been working their butts off to get into school, only to be rejected because a particular school admitted someone with an extremely substandard DAT score. Also, a person who seems to not see the larger picture of science by asking "Professor, what does 'malignant' mean?" :idea:
Click to expand...

She got in because she's black? LOL, if that was the case there would be more blacks enrolled in these schools and in the profession. If you have seen the statistics of how many blacks are accepted vs. the number of blacks that apply each year you wouldn't have said that corny line about Affirmative Action. Besides, I know black students who applied with higher scores than 15 and were not admitted into a single program last year! Although, being a minority "suppose to help" with the admissions process it doesn't gaurentee you a seat in the incoming class. Please, understand that every black person admitted into dental school isn't a charity case.

No doubt, at this point in her academic career she should know the definition of malignant. If she isn't prepared for the rigors of dental school she'll go through many bumps and may even face failing out. However, that is remained to be seen. Besides, I'm sure that the possibilities of struggling and being depressed during dental school does not out weigh the fact that if she manage to scrap through the next four years with C's that she'll be a dentist.

My friend, you just have a conflict of interest. Your friends are being rejected and you think that they shouldn't. I'm sure her family and friends feels the same way about her. Besides, there are more to people than just their DAT score.
 
yorkiepoo said:
no offense at all, actually props to you... but you LUCKY duck! Where do you go to school? A top private school? Man, I wish I got into SB!

Best of luck to you!
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Yo yo, Nah, i go to a small college in NY
 
I do not care what else in on the application.... a 15AA should be an automatic rejection...... how is she going to do on the boards?? Most people could probably get a 15 out of high school with AP bio and Chem, 1 week with orgo and RC and Math are easy....
 
I thought America was founded on, " THe Best Man for the Job".... what a joke.... give me the "minority" check and I would have been interviewed at Harvard the first week with my stats... but of course not.... i am a white male
 
A 15's not all that bad. That's close to half the questions right on the exam. I mean, she prolly got the first quarter of the exam right on her own merit, and put C's down for the remainder of the exam. that'd give her close to have the questions right on the entire exam, for an amazing 15.
 
PCrooks said:
She got in because she's black? LOL, if that was the case there would be more blacks enrolled in these schools and in the profession. If you have seen the statistics of how many blacks are accepted vs. the number of blacks that apply each year you wouldn't have said that corny line about Affirmative Action. Besides, I know black students who applied with higher scores than 15 and were not admitted into a single program last year! Although, being a minority "suppose to help" with the admissions process it doesn't gaurentee you a seat in the incoming class. Please, understand that every black person admitted into dental school isn't a charity case.
Click to expand...

Two questions - Do you have a link to those statistics, and second, do those statistics include the students' academic stats ?
 
Montserrat said:
Two questions - Do you have a link to those statistics, and second, do those statistics include the students' academic stats ?
Click to expand...


good point.... if 50 percent have AA of 11-13 and the rest 14-16 then those stats really do not mean much..... each schools tries to like take one,,, and the best scores are like 15 ish... there is a school with a average DAT at 16 or so ,,,, meaning they have students with 13 and 14 AA average....
 
PCrooks said:
She got in because she's black? LOL, if that was the case there would be more blacks enrolled in these schools and in the profession. If you have seen the statistics of how many blacks are accepted vs. the number of blacks that apply each year you wouldn't have said that corny line about Affirmative Action. Besides, I know black students who applied with higher scores than 15 and were not admitted into a single program last year! Although, being a minority "suppose to help" with the admissions process it doesn't gaurentee you a seat in the incoming class. Please, understand that every black person admitted into dental school isn't a charity case.

quote]

that is the sad part.... how would anyone ever know? People can go to dentists and doctors that are charity cases??? that is not good either.... no one ever said "every" person.... but there are def some
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lollipop999 said:
I do not care what else in on the application.... a 15AA should be an automatic rejection...... how is she going to do on the boards?? Most people could probably get a 15 out of high school with AP bio and Chem, 1 week with orgo and RC and Math are easy....
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I definitely don't feel as though the DAT reflects one's ability to perform in dental school or projects board performance either. I know several applicants that did well on the DAT ONLY because they were fortunate enough to be able to obtain top notch test prep resources; Kaplan, Destroyer, Achiever, Blaster, Schaums' Guides, etc...and I'm sure you know others like that as well. Don't get me wrong, the DAT is a really important factor, but when you think about it, it just tests how prepared you are for the EXAM format not the exam material itself.
 
I don't understand why so many people are slamming this 15 AA girl. I feel very happy for her and I hope she achieves everything she desires. I don't understand why people feel numbers are everything. She could go to dental school, pass her boards and then become a great dentist that patients actually enjoy going to. The girl is probably already afraid of being eaten alive by her felllow classmates for getting in with a 15. I don't think such an elitist attitude should be acceptable for a profession that exists to serve the people.
 
colby27 said:
I thought America was founded on, " THe Best Man for the Job".... what a joke.... give me the "minority" check and I would have been interviewed at Harvard the first week with my stats... but of course not.... i am a white male
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Sounds like you're misinformed, and it sucks because a decent amount of people think like you do on this topic.

My friend told me that a lot of people in dental school and med school may believe that the minorities in their class had everything given to them. As stated earlier, if that were the case, then there just might be many more minorities in dental school. Anyway, I'm a solid applicant who happens to be multiracial, but luckily I've gotten use to some of the negativity that comes with it. The beauty of being belittled all the time.

On what I think is a higher level, I'm just happy to be in America because it seems like we (Americans) have an "American" check written for us. If you can't even get into Harvard now, then I'd feel really bad for you competing against the brightest people in the world, given that they had the same opportunity in applying as the typical dental school applicant (maybe you). As bad as it may sound, some people think that it's their right to get into a school of their choice. To me, getting into any dental school is a privilege, not a right. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm always willing to learn something new.
 
A DAT score indicates how prepared a person was for a given test on a given day. There are a thousand different ways that someone could arrive at a given score, but nobody can see that when just looking at the score. No one sees the obstacles (or lack thereof) that a person had to overcome to get that score. That is why we have interviews. If admissions decisions were solely based on numbers then there would be no need for the admission committees to get to know the people behind the scores. Everyone should keep in mind that we all have different journeys with different difficulties along the way. I would hope that those preparing to go into the health field would feel compassion for people of all backgrounds and circumstances.
 
A 15 in TS is a joke, I could've gotten that in high school. A 15 AA is an even bigger joke. Maybe we should make dentistry an undergrad degree.

Compassion my ass, if these people want to 'serve' so bad maybe they should be a DA or DH, something nonsurgical. There's nothing 'elitist' about trying to preserve the integrity of a profession.
 
rollypolly said:
A DAT score indicates how prepared a person was for a given test on a given day. There are a thousand different ways that someone could arrive at a given score, but nobody can see that when just looking at the score. No one sees the obstacles (or lack thereof) that a person had to overcome to get that score. That is why we have interviews. If admissions decisions were solely based on numbers then there would be no need for the admission committees to get to know the people behind the scores. Everyone should keep in mind that we all have different journeys with different difficulties along the way. I would hope that those preparing to go into the health field would feel compassion for people of all backgrounds and circumstances.
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👍
 
colby27 said:
I thought America was founded on, " THe Best Man for the Job".... what a joke.... give me the "minority" check and I would have been interviewed at Harvard the first week with my stats... but of course not.... i am a white male
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I am also a white male, and have already interviewed at and been accepted to Harvard. This has to be the most ignorant comment I have ever read.
 
tekstyle said:
you are kidding right? I think her minority status has to play a role in it, not her gender.
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people like jumping down others throats.... it was a joke..... not that I agree with anything that is posted above; do people find satisfaction with just ripping people apart?? just a side note
 
makushin said:
A 15 in TS is a joke, I could've gotten that in high school. A 15 AA is an even bigger joke. Maybe we should make dentistry an undergrad degree.

Compassion my ass, if these people want to 'serve' so bad maybe they should be a DA or DH, something nonsurgical. There's nothing 'elitist' about trying to preserve the integrity of a profession.
Click to expand...

Totally agreed. If they were genuinely interested in her as a future dentist and wanted to interview her, they might have suggested her to re-take her DAT with a minimum score dictating her final acceptance. It has nothing do with with elitism - it has everything to do with ethics. It's bad ethics for a school to admit someone who is less likely to pass their classes and the boards. What more of a red flag can there be than a 15 AA on a much less challenging standardized examination than the NDBE 1's ? Should they fail out, it would be a massive blow to the student's personal life, and they would still have to pay back the amount they requested in loans for that/those year/years. It's nothing short of being kicked in the ass twice on the way out.

Yeah, the DAT is one exam, on one afternoon. But the performance on that one day is very telling of one's ability at state and potential. The subsequent exams you'll face in dental school will also be one or more exams, on given day. The NDBE I is also one massive exam, on a certain day. The patients you will see in the future, will be one patient, in a given half hour or hour. This is about maximizing efforts and excelling at a task in a given moment, and developing the mental endurance to maintain that effort for periods of time.
 
Montserrat said:
Totally agreed. If they were genuinely interested in her as a future dentist and wanted to interview her, they might have suggested her to re-take her DAT with a minimum score dictating her final acceptance. It has nothing do with with elitism - it has everything to do with ethics. It's bad ethics for a school to admit someone who is less likely to pass their classes and the boards. What more of a red flag can there be than a 15 AA on a much less challenging standardized examination than the NDBE 1's ? Should they fail out, it would be a massive blow to the student's personal life, and they would still have to pay back the amount they requested in loans for that/those year/years. It's nothing short of being kicked in the ass twice on the way out.

Yeah, the DAT is one exam, on one afternoon. But the performance on that one day is very telling of one's ability at state and potential. The subsequent exams you'll face in dental school will also be one or more exams, on given day. The NDBE I is also one massive exam, on a certain day. The patients you will see in the future, will be one patient, in a given half hour or hour. This is about maximizing efforts and excelling at a task in a given moment, and developing the mental endurance to maintain that effort for periods of time.
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very well said..... good point👍
 
Montserrat said:
Totally agreed. If they were genuinely interested in her as a future dentist and wanted to interview her, they might have suggested her to re-take her DAT with a minimum score dictating her final acceptance. It has nothing do with with elitism - it has everything to do with ethics. It's bad ethics for a school to admit someone who is less likely to pass their classes and the boards. What more of a red flag can there be than a 15 AA on a much less challenging standardized examination than the NDBE 1's ? Should they fail out, it would be a massive blow to the student's personal life, and they would still have to pay back the amount they requested in loans for that/those year/years. It's nothing short of being kicked in the ass twice on the way out.

Yeah, the DAT is one exam, on one afternoon. But the performance on that one day is very telling of one's ability at state and potential. The subsequent exams you'll face in dental school will also be one or more exams, on given day. The NDBE I is also one massive exam, on a certain day. The patients you will see in the future, will be one patient, in a given half hour or hour. This is about maximizing efforts and excelling at a task in a given moment, and developing the mental endurance to maintain that effort for periods of time.
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You make an excellent point and the adcoms took a risk admitting her. Perhaps there was something so striking about her that it outweighed her subpar DAT and gave the committee an indication that she will perform well enough in D school. Schools are a business and they take the admission of students very seriously so there has to be something about the applicant that we don't know unless she has some pretty serious connections. If that were the case then it would be unethical. But yes, they are taking a risk admitting the student. All I am saying is, does her getting in with a 15 justify the abuse?
 
TheWiredNerv said:
All I am saying is, does her getting in with a 15 justify the abuse?
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lol, probably not..... people( myself included) studied really hard for months for the DAT to get awesome scores...... If i would have known a 15 could get me in, then i could have studied for 1 day and went on vacation all summer..... you have a good point about how she might have something great about her...... But whatever it may be, a 15 is a 15? right? If I am a little nervous of Dschool classes then she must be super nervous!!
 
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