Reapply for 2008-2009 cycle

[dentalian]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello,
I have applied for this year cycle,
but I have withdrawed due to poor DAT score. 😡

I am thinking to reapply for next year 2008-2009 cycle,
and I have a few questions.



1. Is there any tip available to improve the general & biology score?

2. How much is the total cost to attend NYC & Columbia University (including living expense)?

3. Where do students mostly live in NY and San Francisco & how much are they in general? I am planning to attend the school either in NY or San Francisco.

4. What do I need to do in order to improve in personal statement?

5. Is it true the GPA is less important than the DAT score? I have heard many cases that school may weigh more on the DAT score toward selecting the candidate for interview.

6. What would be the safe DAT score to give better shot at admission next year?




Thanks a million, guys. I really need MAJOR HELP!!!

 

[bodiddely]

Why are you limiting yourself to schools in NYC and SF? That's going to make your goal of becoming a dentist significantly harder.

With regard to your DAT/GPA questions, different schools probably weigh things a little differently, all you can do is shoot for your best in both of them. There is a whole board dedicated to DAT prep questions right below this one.

 

[dr bojangles]

Hello,
I have applied for this year cycle,
but I have withdrawed due to poor DAT score. 😡

I am thinking to reapply for next year 2008-2009 cycle,
and I have a few questions.



1. Is there any tip available to improve the general & biology score?

2. How much is the total cost to attend NYC & Columbia University (including living expense)?

3. Where do students mostly live in NY and San Francisco & how much are they in general? I am planning to attend the school either in NY or San Francisco.

4. What do I need to do in order to improve in personal statement?

5. Is it true the GPA is less important than the DAT score? I have heard many cases that school may weigh more on the DAT score toward selecting the candidate for interview.

6. What would be the safe DAT score to give better shot at admission next year?




Thanks a million, guys. I really need MAJOR HELP!!!

1. yes. try old textbooks, kaplan, schaum's outlines, etc. books/reviews are out there, just look.
2. not sure exactly, but expensive. its going to be ~$200k+ for columbia, depending on how well you want to live in nyc. check their website.
3. again, check the websites for the schools. they have rough estimates for tuition + cost of living (usually overestimated).
4. um, write better? not sure how to answer this.....talk to some english professors, or get help from friends, etc.
5. both GPA and DAT are important. i'd say gpa is more important in general, but some schools put a bit more weight on DAT. check predents.com to get a feel of the numbers.
6. it looks like averages are ~19 now. shoot for at least a 19 or 20, if not better, obviously.

good luck

 

[Aiyah]

1. I took the kaplan DAT course which was very helpful. I did all the online workshops, quizzes, etc. And went to all lectures. Their full-length practice tests are also great. The course also comes with a CD that has practice PATs. Other things you can try are schaum's, achiever, destroyer, etc.
2. Not sure
3. In NY I think most first years live on campus? But when I went for interviews at NYU some of current dental students commute from Jersey. As for SF, you can find apartments scattered everywhere, but it will be expensive!! I know someone renting a studio for 1000+
4. To improve your personal statement you should definitely have it revised by as many people as you can. I had at least 5+ people read it over.
5. I'm not sure about this one. I think DAT might be more important just because it's standardized while GPA really depends on the school.
6. Most schools set their minimum DATs at 18 for each section. So at least an 18. But to be more competitive I'd say 20.

 

[SMCohen]

3. When I interviewed at Columbia, they estimated an average student budget to be $70,000 per year. I'm assuming the average student at Columbia lives in residence, their parents' home, or in NJ.