Reapplying 2011; What schools said about my DAT

[thenational]

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Hey guys, just wanted to pass on some info as you see all these 25+ DAT scores starting to show up...

Took the test June 2010:

OC:20
GC:18
BIO:19
QR:17
RC:22
PAT:24
AA: 19 TS: 19

I didn't get accepted in 2010, but I recently got feedback from almost all of the roughly 15 schools I applied to via phone and email.

Most schools said my scores were competitive and that my gpa (overall 3.35, sci 3.15) was what was holding me back. Hardly any suggested a retake.

Louisville, for instance, said a higher score would help compensate for my lower gpa (for those who don't know, Louisville uses a formula to give each student a score... so improve DAT, improve what the rest of the #'s get multiplied by).

But just saying don't freak out when you see a lot of crazy scores on SDN or when people tell you to retake if you have similar scores to mine. Having spoken with tons of schools directly, I would've been in great shape had I been closer to a 3.4-3.5 sci gpa.

Hope this cheers some of you up! Good luck this cycle folks 🙂

 

[thenational]

And to just to give a little more school-specific feedback, here's excerpts from a few schools:

Minnesota: "...your GPA seems to be a bit below our averages. The DAT is at the very least consistent with our averages, if not a bit above average..."

Midwestern (AZ): "...Your DAT score is competitive, however you science and cumulative are below our average..." (just fyi, Midwestern (IL) was pretty similar)

Marquette: "...I feel that in order for you to be a competitive applicant you will need to increase your GPA's to a 3.4 or higher... Your DAT scores look good so I do not feel that you need to retake the DAT..."

 

[Troyvdg]

lovin this thread 👍 thanks for the info!

 

[NguyenDDS]

Thanks for the great information 🙂
Are those your GPAs with or without the +/- ???

 

[FairytaleDMD]

Thanks so much for sharing; that is really noble and awesome of you!! 🙂 Good luck the next time you apply; perseverance is an amazing indicator of success in anything.

 

[thenational]

Thanks for the great information 🙂
Are those your GPAs with or without the +/- ???

I think w/o, but they were basically the same in my case

 

[masterlocke18]

Great post man. Good luck to you.

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

Quick question....what does it mean when you say GPA with the +/-?

 

[NguyenDDS]

Quick question....what does it mean when you say GPA with the +/-?

AADSAS and TMDSAS both calculate your grades without +/- grades.
For instance, if you received a B+ in a class... the application calculates it as a B. If you received an A- for a class, then they calculate it as an A... etc...

 

[dentalWorks]

AADSAS and TMDSAS both calculate your grades without +/- grades.
For instance, if you received a B+ in a class... the application calculates it as a B. If you received an A- for a class, then they calculate it as an A... etc...

actually they do both. One column for the +/- and the other column without +/-

 

[NguyenDDS]

actually they do both. One column for the +/- and the other column without +/-

Even with TMDSAS?

 

[dentalWorks]

Even with TMDSAS?

oh... I was talking about AADSAS.... I have no idea what TMDSAS does

 

[hamptongirl]

@thenational, where did you specifically apply? when was your application completed?

nvm, i forgot to click on ur predents profile. =)

 

[Teeth12345]

Man this thread bummed me out. I have a low science GPA and studied my butt off to do well on the DAT.
Everyone around me is telling me how happy I should be about my DAT but I can't help feeling scared that my low GPA is going to hold me back 🙁

 

[predent2301]

I see that you didnt mention Detroit Mercy in your post, they had a different opinion when it came to taking the DAT. I too got 17 in my QR, they highlighted this fact in an update they sent me earlier this year and suggested a retake.

 

[NguyenDDS]

I see that you didnt mention Detroit Mercy in your post, they had a different opinion when it came to taking the DAT. I too got 17 in my QR, they highlighted this fact in an update they sent me earlier this year and suggested a retake.

What were you other scores?

 

[ll REVOFEV ll]

AADSAS and TMDSAS both calculate your grades without +/- grades.
For instance, if you received a B+ in a class... the application calculates it as a B. If you received an A- for a class, then they calculate it as an A... etc...

Sweet....so my cumulative is going to go up a little bit higher if you get rid of the - on the two A-'s I got. The one B won't be changed but those A-'s are gone lol. Thanks for the information! I appreciate the help!

 

[yappy]

Yes,

This thread isn't a cheerful one for those with lower gpa's holding out for a higher DAT. Not to suggest that was ever a great hope or strategy but all we can do is focus on what we can change. GPA is a b*tch to raise. Yeah... a 3.5+ would be great - but a 21+ seems more doable if you're already in the GPA hole.

OP @ what date was your application complete?


EDIT: I didn't mean to say your info isn't welcomed/appriciated. I would rather be informed than ignorant. Thanks for sharing and updating us.

 

[thenational]

OP @ what date was your application complete?

I was in the third mailing "batch" on AADSAS, so my stuff was officially sent to schools July 16 I want to say. Took the DAT mid-June and had my app in mid-June. So pretty early.

I didn't mean to bum anyone out on the thread, I was actually trying to send positive vibes. It is true that other schools may weight the DAT higher than others, such as UOP, so a stellar DAT can for sure give you a shot if you have a lower GPA. I was def shooting for 20+ and may have had a better shot had I scored really high.

Just trying to pass along how schools were letting me know that my scores were competitive. I don't know about you guys, but the DAT sucked, I hated it, and was thrilled to hear that I scored well enough. Taking it again was my last resort, and I'd rather work on the sci gpa, since I didn't major in bio or chem and can still make a dent with A's.

 

[wizi]

I was in the third mailing "batch" on AADSAS, so my stuff was officially sent to schools July 16 I want to say. Took the DAT mid-June and had my app in mid-June. So pretty early.

I didn't mean to bum anyone out on the thread, I was actually trying to send positive vibes. It is true that other schools may weight the DAT higher than others, such as UOP, so a stellar DAT can for sure give you a shot if you have a lower GPA. I was def shooting for 20+ and may have had a better shot had I scored really high.

Just trying to pass along how schools were letting me know that my scores were competitive. I don't know about you guys, but the DAT sucked, I hated it, and was thrilled to hear that I scored well enough. Taking it again was my last resort, and I'd rather work on the sci gpa, since I didn't major in bio or chem and can still make a dent with A's.

Did you call or email them?

 

[thenational]

both