Need advice! Chances? Retake?

[joiedevivre8]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I recently took the DAT and would like some opinions on my chances and whether I should retake the DAT.

My DAT scores

PA: 26
QR: 27
RC: 22
Bio: 18
GC: 24
OC: 27
TS: 21
AA: 24

Neuroscience/Psychology Double Major
Overall GPA: 3.71
Science GPA: ~3.48
BCP: ~3.42

I don't have any dental shadowing experiences yet but will be shadowing the next few months. Hopefully will have around 60~80 hours by the time I apply. I also don't have that much extra curricular activities or volunteer work. Just one or two community service clubs and one cultural club during college, and experiences in shadowing/interning in the medical field.

My grades were decent in my neuroscience and psychology courses but my transcript is pretty weak in the major science classes: Bio I= Pass (1st semester was Pass/Fail), Bio II= A-, Biochem= B, Ochem I = Pass (also Pass/Fail), OChem II= B (retook after getting D), Physics I= B+, Physics II= C+, Chem= Skipped with AP. Which is why I feel like that 18 in Bio has a bigger impact 🙁

Would I have a chance to top tier dental schools?
I would really appreciate everyone's opinion and advice!
Oh, and do schools have cut off scores for the individual science sections?

Thanks!!!

 

[Glimmer1991]

DO NOT RETAKE THE DAT

 

[Glimmer1991]

However, the application opens next week. You are at a distinct disadvantage if you don't have any shadowing hours thus far. You say you are going to get more over the next "few months..." Are you familiar with how DS admissions works? (I see you switched from med, so things might be different.) You want to apply as early as you can. I always suggest trying to have everything submitted by August. You need to get started with this PRONTO.

For your GPA, make sure you are including the initial grades from the courses you retook. Both grades are counted. Also, with the grades you've posted, I don't see how your sGPA is so high. 🤔 Psych classes don't count into your sGPA or BCP GPA, though the neuroscience classes do. The uploaded document shows course classification for AADSAS.

Did you volunteer in the medical community, or just shadow? If you volunteered, you can count those hours.

 

[Doctorman45342]

Why would you retake??? You got a 24. A F%&ing 24 man!

Work on GPA if anything

 

[joiedevivre8]

Yeah, I know it's rolling admissions 🙁 I was planning to shadow the next month and a half and apply late July.
I got mostly A's and A-'s in my neuroscience/psych courses and two stat courses. Some of my psychology courses are cross-listed with neuroscience or cognitive science (which I believe are counted as biology..? if not I am doomed...)
In the medical community it was mostly shadowing and office work, so I'm really low on volunteer work also..
Do schools have a cutoff for volunteer work hours also...?? ahhh...

 

[Doctorman45342]

Yeah, I know it's rolling admissions 🙁 I was planning to shadow the next month and a half and apply late July.
I got mostly A's and A-'s in my neuroscience/psych courses and two stat courses. Some of my psychology courses are cross-listed with neuroscience or cognitive science (which I believe are counted as biology..? if not I am doomed...)
In the medical community it was mostly shadowing and office work, so I'm really low on volunteer work also..
Do schools have a cutoff for volunteer work hours also...?? ahhh...

Try to get around 100+ volunteer and shadowing hours. When you submit your application both your science and overall GPA will appear on the admissions website

 

[matty675]

Retake with a 24 AA? 😕

 

[joiedevivre8]

100+ volunteer and shadowing hours as in 100+ for each..?

 

[ZPederson11]

I thought you aren't allowed to apply for dental school if you did pass/nopass in your science classes?

 

[joiedevivre8]

I took Biochem which is a upper level bio course, so I was assuming that covers for the bio req. and orgoII and lab I believe makes most ochem req. But I won't be able to apply to schools that don't take AP credit since I'm using AP for chem.

 

[Daneosaurus]

This has gotta be a joke. This is the most ridiculous of the "should I retake" threads I've ever seen lol...

So is your AA! Holy crap. I'm not sure I congratulated you, so congrats!

 

[packerland]

 

[Ari Rezaei]

Wow, a 24AA is awesome! Don't even think about retaking. You've aced the DAT and are done with it for life, congratulations!