Need Advice on Applying

[HeadgearBraces]

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Hello everyone, I hope you are all getting interviews/acceptances! 🙂 I was wondering if I could get some advice, especially from people who have gone through the application process. I'm a 3rd year biology major, already taken gen bios and gen chems, currently taking ochems. My first year didn't go that well due to a lot of reasons, and I ended up transferring to a college I can commute to from home (much cheaper, went from quarters to semesters). I did decent the first semester at the new college, I made some changes and got all A's spring of 2nd year. This semester I plan on getting all A's and 1 B, and I believe I can stay consistent for the rest of my undergraduate. With the credit difference from quarters to semesters and having to work during college, I have already firmly decided on taking 5 years total for undergraduate. I have 2 situations that I need your advice on, or if you can think of anything better.

Situation 1:
3rd year
Spring 2013
Summer 2013

4th year
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Summer 2014 - Study 2 months, Take DAT

5th year
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Summer 2015 - Apply to dental schools as soon as possible

Gap year
Fall & Spring 2015 - Hopefully get acceptances, advice on what to do during gap year?

Fall 2016 - Start dental school

This would give me a whole year of grades to boost my GPA and a year of shadowing+volunteering hours before I apply, and allow me to take upper biology classes before the DAT. However, I will forget more of the gen chem,gen bio, and ochem information, and I will have a WHOLE year of nothing gap which I think is kind of a waste

OR

Situation 2
3rd year
Spring 2013
Summer 2013 - Study 2 months, Take DAT

4th year
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Summer 2014 - Apply to dental school as soon as possible

5th year
Fall 2014 - Hopefully get acceptances
Spring 2015
Summer 2015

Next year
Fall 2015 - Start dental school

This will solve the gap year problem, but then I am risking applying with a below average GPA (I'd say 3.2), less shadowing/volunteer hours, and not getting in. Also, I will have no upper bio experience for the DAT, but the gen class information will be relatively fresh.

I would like to study 2 months for the DAT, apply as early as possible to increase my chances, and I know I need to raise my GPA. Sorry for how much I wrote but I wanted to make my intentions clear, I would appreciate any advice or any better situations 🙂

EDIT: Would it be a good idea to follow situation 1 but to apply right after I take the DAT? Or would that be too late to apply with a good chance of getting accepted?

 

[toastybread]

It might be too late to apply the same summer (unless you take the DAT in May and don't postpone). Though to be fair, I applied early June and took the DAT in mid June and it all worked out.

BUT there'll be so much pressure to do well on the DAT. At least if you know your score before you apply you'll be able to hone in on the right schools.

 

[HeadgearBraces]

Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't even consider applying without a DAT score and then submitting it later. I think if I take a solid 2 months of studying, I will hopefully be able to kill the DAT to make up for my lower GPA. I'm not sure if anyone on SDN is capable of knowing, but I wonder if my chances of being accepted will be much lower if I apply early June and then submit my scores end of july, as compared to applying early june with everything ready to go

 

[Member902507]

Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't even consider applying without a DAT score and then submitting it later. I think if I take a solid 2 months of studying, I will hopefully be able to kill the DAT to make up for my lower GPA. I'm not sure if anyone on SDN is capable of knowing, but I wonder if my chances of being accepted will be much lower if I apply early June and then submit my scores end of july, as compared to applying early june with everything ready to go

It's hard to know what will work and what doesn't, but I actually emailed adcoms after taking my DAT asking if they thought it was acceptable enough for their schools (I was thinking of retaking my DAT during the summer, after I've submitted my application in case they thought it wasn't decent enough). Most of them said it was fine, but recommended I apply early.

So what I've read throughout this site is, if you think you can destroy the DAT by taking it in the summer, then go ahead and apply before, but if you're not so sure, make sure it's done and you submit as soon as the cycle opens. I did the latter, myself. This is all in my opinion and my experience, but I wish you the best of luck. 🙂

 

[HeadgearBraces]

Thanks buddy, i appreciate the input. I wish you the best of luck in acceptances/dental school! 🙂

 

[imabeadentist]

I took the DAT in the summer while I was applying. I took it mid-July and by that point already had my entire application finished but not submitted. The whole test is on the computer so you find out your score as soon as you're done, which is great but also a little nerve-wracking. Anyway, after I took the test and was happy with my scores, I submitted my application the same day. Had I not done well, I just wouldn't have sent in my application. It worked fine for me, submitting everything together in July. I got multiple interviews and acceptances. I also had a lower GPA.