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[RedheadedNerd]

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Hey everyone...I am new to the board...have been looking on the site for about a week or so and just reading things about the DAT and pre-dental worries, ect...

Anyway. I am a senior and graduate in december and take my DAT this summer. I would like to go to UT San Antonio or Houston with Baylor being my third choice (Dallas) ---anyone know anything about these three schools or have any opinions there?

I am taking the DAT at the end of July hopefully---is that too late? Will they not send my application without my score? Is the Kaplan class really worth 1100 bucks that I do not have or if I took off all of summer I and didnt do anything but study ---i have all the flashcards and books that kaplan offers...would that be sufficient? I am worried about practice tests becuase I know that is key to getting good at this test. I bought topscore but havent used it yet and it expires next month! 🙁

I hate to pay kaplan 1100 bucks just so I can take unlimited amounts of practice tests at their center whenever I have the time but I would really like some input on whethere its worth that much money. I am a pretty disciplined studier and I think I can do it but I really want the practice test??? Any ideas?
Anyway I am glad to be here and am excited to get to know you all. I will stop rambling!!

Thanks!!

Meg

 

[briansle]

Hi,

If you are not on good terms with the lady involved with the committee letter, then don't get one. Sounds like she has personal issues, you don't want somebody like that evaluating you. Your 3 letters from profs. and 1 dentist is plenty.

You can take your DAT in july, and it will not hold back your application from being processed. The DAT scores are mailed to schools through ADA not AADSAS.

As for the Kaplan class, I took it, and the lecture portion of the course is useless. The teacher was not qualified to teach, I knew more about the science subjects than he did. And this class was at their OC headquarters. Only thing that did help was the practice tests they offer and the PAT tricks. They have lots of subject tests and computerized tests. It's really important you practice taking entire tests in one sitting. Build mental stamina. I was so used to sitting down for 4 hours and taking practice tests that the real thing was a actually relaxing. I had like 30 minutes left on all sections and got bored. But if you're disciplined, then topscore should be enough. Try to get your hands on any practice tests out there.

Good luck

 

[RedheadedNerd]

Thanks for the advice...

i think that topscore only has 3 tests on it though...dont know how helpful that would be...I wish i could just pay kaplan to let me take their practice tests

Oh welll

i guess that is not an option...

Is taking the practice tests alone worth 1100?$!

 

[angeeeeee]

I did not take Kaplan and did fine as a self-motivated studier. My pre-dental advisor at the UW stated that it was simply a class that forces you to study so if you can study on your own, don't waste the money. You can buy materials with practice tests (I bought the Kaplan blue book)..and I am sure there are more Topscore, Ace the Dat, etc... but I didn't use them so I cannot speak for them. I advise you to send you app. as early as it is ready...do not wait for your DAT scores to apply. Good luck!

 

[bpenly]

Hey everyone...My name is megan and I am new to the board...have been looking on the site for about a week or so and just reading things about the DAT and pre-dental worries, ect...

Hi Meg. I am from Austin and could help fill you in a little. First off, to learn more about the schools, do a search for the term "TMDSAS", which is the application service that Texan's use (for some reason we don't use the AADSAS)

My experience (though I am non-traditional) is that I never had a semester with more than 16 credit hours (most were 12-13), though I did work part-time. I took about six years off after graduation, then completed pre-dental reqs one to two at a time over 2.5 years. I took my DAT in August, but submitted my TMDSAS application on May 20th (do this early). When you get your DAT scores, all the schools let me email a scanned copy to them and the interviews came quickly after that.

As far as Kaplan, some people swear by it, but I didn't use it. If you have nothing else to do this summer, get the prep book from Kaplan, use your Topscore Pro testing software, and your textbooks and you will be set. As a matter of standard, I got into all three schools without setting foot in a Kaplan classroom or using their online service. If you are really hard up for practice tests, you can take the Kaplan online class which gives you all the materials but doesn't make you sit there. There are other test preps that are helpful like the MCAT ExamKrackers series and ACEtheDAT.com (though I've heard this is somewhat sketchy).

As far as your advisor goes, just deal with it. You need to have a third party send your letters anyway. Just ignore her comments if you think she is being unreasonable. If you do well on the DAT, have a good gradepoint and interview well, all should be good.

With concern to schools. All three have their advantages and disadvantages. Don't be so quick to dismiss Baylor. They have an excellent program and great faculty. Other than that, wait until you go on interviews before you make your decision as to where you want to go. Everybody I know has a different opinion based on their impressions and taste. I was sure that Houston was going to be terrible, but found that it was a great school and a place I could have happily seen myself for four years because it had a great environment, friendly students, and professors with a lot of character. I ultimately choose San Antonio for several reasons, some of them having to do with my wife. If I had been single, it seriously might have come down to a coin toss.

Good luck with the process.

 

[RedheadedNerd]

😀 Okay thank you SO much for that response! I have gotten onto TMDSAS but its not open yet so I can't do anything. About the application --- can I still submit my application to the dental schools without my score? Will they accept it and just wait on my score? Will they look at my application without it?

My semesters are about 12-14 hours sometimes more without working...I have taught some labs some of the time and I am in several clubs though so its not like I have a ton of free time...

I dont know if my personal statement is any good and I dont want to show that lady becuase she is so rude. What do you mean I have to have someone submit my letters. That confuses me. I understand I have to fill out the application and have the schools send the app service my transcripts but I thought I could just send the letters in sealed signed envelopes? How do the recommendation letters work? I know I am not supposed to see them but do I need to give the people writing them a form for them or what?

I have all the prep stuff with Kaplan I am just battling with myself of whether i should pay 1100 dollars to have the practice tests....does anyone else except topscore have realistic practice exams that are on a computer? Are those preps mentioned computer or just paper tests?

I don't mind dealing with my advisor I suppose if I have to. Is she the one who has to send my letters or can it be any advisor/professor? I am scared to talk to her because I dont want her to yell at me for not doing the committee interview and for her to tell me how I am not going to get in.


Thanks for your help

Are you going to San Antonio now or starting this year?

I have a really really good friend of mine that is going there too and she is really nice --- i am sure you will meet her because she is super friendly and outgoing 🙂

 

[ItsGavinC]

To the OP: welcome to SDN! SDN is a great resource, and the guests are very knowledable, as you can see. 😀

 

[Sprgrover]

Yes, welcome to SDN! I agree with the other posters that recommend you gather the LOR's yourself versus trying to navigate the politics of your pre-professional department. As far as work and credit hours are concerned don't beat yourself up over not taking 20 credits or having a job.

In regards to the DAT I didn't have the luxury of enrolling in a Kaplan course due to geographical issues. As such I just had to motivate myself to show up to the library every morning and stay until I had to go into work in the evening. I understand your desire to get a hold of as many practice tests as possible. I relied on Topscore and acethedat.com (their product does have some issues associated with it) to determine my weak areas which I would then devote more study time towards and less on the others. Keep your eyes on the goal and your nose to the grindstone and you'll be just fine. 👍

 

[angeeeeee]

As for the third party LOR thing, I don't know about your school, but maybe this will help: At my school there is this office (Center for Career Services) that makes a file containing all LOR you happen to get/ask for for 7 years or so. When I ask for a confidential LOR, the professor sends it to CCS. When I wanted my letters sent to AADSAS, I went and paid CCS their fee and they mailed the letters I selected to AADSAS. Not sure if your school has something like this or not..if not maybe you are just supposed to have in the the sealed envelope and you mail it in with the LOR matching form?? Hope that helped