my friend says i should apply now

[woohoo]

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hey guys,
heres the deal: I'm a Jr, and my friend (also a Jr) is already applying! this person is encouraging me to apply since a bachelors is "optional." but I'm afraid my stats are pretty mediocre: Dat is 19/19/14, overall gpa 3.4, sci gpa 3.0

What to do???????? Now I feel like I'm wasting a yr. If only I hadn't slacked off in the beginning 🙄

 

[vishal_k32801]

14 is bad. Do not apply, retake DAT after solid preperation.
Your GPA is acceptable. 14 will just not cut it. Please do not
waste your money in applying and re-applying!

 

[mard]

it all depends on what schools u want to apply, your state of residency, etc. With science gpa 3.0, PAT 14, and no bachelors, u'll have an uphill battle ahead of you. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Rezdawg]

14 may hurt you, but I have a friend that is currently a first year at NYU who got a 14 on PAT.

I think she had a 19/18/14 with a 3.2 from Washington University.

 

[vishal_k32801]

Here are the general accepted numbers:
http://lifesci.rutgers.edu/~hpo/dstats.htm

 

[aphistis]

I'm with the crowd on this one. 3.4/3.0 is acceptable if not remarkable, and the 19's on DAT won't hurt either. The 14 PAT is a killer, though. Spend some time concentrating on bringing that score up a few points, and you should be in pretty solid shape for the next application cycle. Good luck! 😀

 

[shizzleDDS]

Originally posted by mard
it all depends on what schools u want to apply, your state of residency, etc. With science gpa 3.0, PAT 14, and no bachelors, u'll have an uphill battle ahead of you. Good luck with your decision.

Ditto. Its also getting late, the earlier you apply the better chances you have (that is at schools with rolling admissions).
I'd wait a year and kick that PATs rump--after that I think you'll have no problem getting in. Best of luck!

 

[groundhog]

Yep I agree with the concensus. Your stats are acceptable but not earthshaking, you will be trying to get in without your bachelors degree, and you will be applying late in the cycle. Plus corporations are starting to line up again with job offers for the business, engineering, and computer science grads which may make dental school a tad bit less competitive next application cycle.

 

[woohoo]

I guess I should have listened to my gut and not some friend with AMAZING stats. I was planning on retaking the DAT, but I was told its only one part of the whole picture. And I hate to think about this, but what if I put so much effort into doing well on the PAT that I bomb the other sections? that would suk

Plus corporations are starting to line up again with job offers for the business, engineering, and computer science grads which may make dental school a tad bit less competitive next application cycle.

Groundhog, do u have any proof to back this up or is it just an opinion? I've heard the number of applications are increasing every yr

 

[PERFECT3435]

i hate to say this, but i think you'll be wasting your $$ if you apply before retaking the DAT.

14 on the PAT for this year is really gonna hurt you my friend.
on the other hand, if you wait 90 days to retake the DAT, thats still gonna hurt you.

i have no idea on this one. i would go with my instincts and retake it and hope i ace it the second time around.

 

[ecdoesit]

if you are going to apply now and re-take DAT next month,
i dont think that will be ur best decision.

since you are still at school, your GPA is quite crucial, too.
instead of studying for sch and DAT,
i think you will be better off studying in the summer
and apply next year.

Another thing is that Nov is no longer for early application.
A lot of schools have already scheduled their interviews and everything. It will be tougher for you.

 

[speter33]

I believe you need a 3.5 gpa in most schools if you want to apply after completing 90 credits without getting a bachelors.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by woohoo
Groundhog, do u have any proof to back this up or is it just an opinion? I've heard the number of applications are increasing every yr

I imagine Groundhog's statement was part speculation, part observation of recent economic numbers suggesting a turnaround is coming in the near future. Employment is rebounding, along with GDP growth and several other indicators, and the competitiveness of the admissions cycle for most graduate programs (master's, Ph.D., med, dent, etc) typically correlates loosely and inversely with the country's economic health at any given moment--sorta like how more people tend to join the military when they can't find a job, in a bad economy more college grads will opt against fighting a hostile job market in favor of attending grad school to wait the situation out until it improves.

 

[megabot]

Originally posted by speter33
I believe you need a 3.5 gpa in most schools if you want to apply after completing 90 credits without getting a bachelors.

My best friend just got in last year with 90 hours with a 3.3 GPA. Please keep false statements to yourself. THX

 

[dr_benj]

Originally posted by megabot
My best friend just got in last year with 90 hours with a 3.3 GPA. Please keep false statements to yourself. THX

It is quite the exception to get accepted with 90 hours and a 3.3 I don't think speter33 is spreading falsehood by making a statment that at MOST schools you need a 3.5

 

[savvysearch]

Id say apply now. PAT seems to be the hardest portion to raise on a second attempt. You can always apply again next year. But I think you should concentrate on your GPA. That's the most important, I think.

 

[arns51]

Originally posted by megabot
My best friend just got in last year with 90 hours with a 3.3 GPA. Please keep false statements to yourself. THX

That was last year, trust us, stats are going to go up this year. And the OP is asking for our advice, and saying you basically need a 3.5 to apply in November, with only 3 years undergrad, is great advice.

 

[woohoo]

I guess I was in a weird mood when I originally posted this and just wanted the whole thing to be over. Wishful thinking I guess..... I don't think I'll be applying this year, its too late and I want to give myself a fair shot. Its incredibly scary to have to take the DAT again, plus everyone on this board seems to have great stats.......... Anyways, I think I'll wait a year before applying, that will give me the chance to earn some $ for apps and also do some things to boost my resume. Wish me luck y'all 😎

 

[Zurich5]

Originally posted by woohoo
Its incredibly scary to have to take the DAT again, plus everyone on this board seems to have great stats.......... Wish me luck y'all 😎

wohoo,

Don't worry about anyone else on here. A 19/19/17... hell maybe even a 16 on the PAT would be good enough to get you into a few schools. You should have no problem bringing that score up if you work hard..you'll get in. Infact, I spoke with a D1 today who had something like a 3.0/2.8(sci) and got 18's on the DAT. Good luck.

 

[megabot]

Originally posted by woohoo
I guess I was in a weird mood when I originally posted this and just wanted the whole thing to be over. Wishful thinking I guess..... I don't think I'll be applying this year, its too late and I want to give myself a fair shot. Its incredibly scary to have to take the DAT again, plus everyone on this board seems to have great stats.......... Anyways, I think I'll wait a year before applying, that will give me the chance to earn some $ for apps and also do some things to boost my resume. Wish me luck y'all 😎

I do wish you the best of luck, but I think what you have done is a mistake. Look, read your previous posts on this thread. You are already beating yourself up before you took your first step. And I really don't understand what so many people have against "reapplying." This to me shows that you have the passion to pursue dentistry. I think you made a mistake, and I honestly don't think that I am the only one who thinks this. Other than money which is part of the process, I don't think you would have lost anything applying this year.

Best of Luck in the future

 

[Rezdawg]

Originally posted by Zurich5
Infact, I spoke with a D1 today who had something like a 3.0/2.8(sci) and got 18's on the DAT. Good luck.

I need to apply to that school...which is it? 🙂

 

[woohoo]

You are already beating yourself up before you took your first step.

umm, what exactly is this in reference to and how am I "beating myself up"? I'm realistic about where I stand, and I know that there are flaws in my application which I am working on correcting. Sure I worry a little bit but isn't this justified seeing as how I've put so much into this process?

I don't think you would have lost anything applying this year

Take your own advice and reread the thread.

 

[megabot]

You give yourself no chance with a 3.4 GPA and a 19 DAT?

That is just stupid

 

[woohoo]

Originally posted by megabot
You give yourself no chance with a 3.4 GPA and a 19 DAT?

That is just stupid

look dude, I'm not about to argue with you. I never said I give myself "no chance" I simply stated that there are flaws on my app. That is it. If you wish to bicker please go do it with someone else.

 

[ecdoesit]

Congradulation, woohoo.
It is good to know your flaws.
I mean who wouldnt have some kinda flaws in life.
Important thing is how we deal with it.
Now you should have a plan to improve that particular area.
Good luck

 

[scandalouslj]

I have always been a strong supporter for applying after 3 years, as I did and some of my friends did too, and we all got in. But we all had pretty decent numbers when it came to applying. So like most other people on the board I would have to go with them in waiting till next year, a 14 is just not acceptable, and some schools like Indiana will not even except that ( I think you have to have a minimum 15 on all parts of the DAT). So raise your grades and dont listen to kids that dont know what they are talking about and just look at numbers and try to give advice (ie kids that are applying right now, listen to a lot of the smarter kids that have been through the process such as me, Yah-E, aphistis,
Desidentist, ECO and many others. (Sorry its just starting to piss me off, when all these undergrads are arguing with people and dont even know whats going on). True people do get in with lower numbers, but most of the time they have other circumstances, such as hardship in some respect, underrepresented minority, and things like that.

 

[Rezdawg]

scandalous, you are correct, it is rare for someone to get in with those numbers, but its not impossible. Like I stated earlier in this thread, a friend of mine, who has had zero hardship and is white, was accepted to NYU with a 14 on the PAT. Her science GPA was also under 3, although her overall was a 3.2 or so. If the guy has a few hundred bucks to spare on applications, dont tell him to wait until next year. Its worth a shot. Worst case scenario, he has to apply next year. Sure, he loses out on a couple hundred dollars, but at least he gave himself the chance to be in dental school next year.

 

[scandalouslj]

Rezdawg,
I would totally agree with you if you do have a few hundred dollars you dont mind potentially losing, I would def reccommend applying. But NYU is the school that is condsidered to be the school to apply if you cant get in anywhere. But I dont want to go into the whole NYU debate, there is already a few treads about that.

 

[megabot]

woohoo is making a mistake...applying twice does not hurt anyone!