Should I apply more broadly with good grades, low ECs, unknown DAT?

[arkenstone]

I'll hit that e-submit button with good grades, questionable EC hours, and an unknown DAT...

The good news...

• oGPA 3.71
• sGPA 4.00

The questionable news...

• I will take the DAT on July 28, so I'm hoping to e-submit before that time.
  
• 85 shadowing hours, 63 of which at GP (shadowing since last September)
• various teaching hours across two semesters:
• 63 as volunteer tutor/assistant, 39 as unpaid intern for credit, 80 as paid intern for credit

Given the questionable aspects, should I apply more broadly than my current plan?

• UAB
• UCSF
• Colorado
• UConn
• Harvard
• UNC
• OSU
• UT Memphis
• Roseman
• VCU
• Maryland

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[PlasmaMembrane]

No DAT score = not much feedback that will help. Raise your shadowing and volunteering hours. Your GPA is good.

 

[arkenstone]

No DAT score = not much feedback that will help. Raise your shadowing and volunteering hours. Your GPA is good.

Yeah I guess that's my main point of anxiety... and it's like asking "I'm in the market for a house. My budget is somewhere between $300k and bankrupt. Which neighborhood should I look in?"

 

[ajj70]

Have you taken any of the DAT practice tests to at least give you some feedback? I agree, you need at least 100 shadow hours. I'd take Harvard off until you know your DAT unless you have the money to toss around for nothing, especially with no research. Your EC's are also pretty weak but not much you can do about that now. I don't know that I would submit your app without a DAT based on this information.

 

[arkenstone]

Have you taken any of the DAT practice tests to at least give you some feedback? I agree, you need at least 100 shadow hours. I'd take Harvard off until you know your DAT unless you have the money to toss around for nothing, especially with no research. Your EC's are also pretty weak but not much you can do about that now. I don't know that I would submit your app without a DAT based on this information.

Maybe that's the question I should be asking. Given how much my application will rely on DAT scores, it might be best to wait until I know my scores before e-submitting?

 

[andreadds]

I'll hit that e-submit button with good grades, questionable EC hours, and an unknown DAT...

The good news...

• oGPA 3.71
• sGPA 4.00
• BA in Music with Honors (2012), BS in General Science (2015)
• 2nd degree and all pre-reqs finished in just over a year

The questionable news...

• I will take the DAT on July 28, so I'm hoping to e-submit before that time.
  
• 85 shadowing hours, 63 of which at GP (shadowing since last September)
• volunteer musician at VA Hospital: 18 hours across two semesters
• various teaching hours across two semesters:
• 63 as volunteer tutor/assistant, 39 as unpaid intern for credit, 80 as paid intern for credit
• nominated by student gov't to Judicial Council for senior year, 25 hours across two semesters

Given the questionable aspects, should I apply more broadly than my current plan?
(Listed in no particular order. I'm a TN resident.)

• UAB (lots of immediate family here)
• UCSF (reach school)
• Colorado (new facilities, miss Denver)
• UConn (great biomedical curriculum)
• Harvard (why not)
• UNC (lived in NC on/off, love the school)
• OSU (OOS friendly, right?)
• UT Memphis (home state, but parents used to live in Memphis and have little good to say about it; will visit soon)
• Roseman (need a private school on the list, love the block curriculum, love the Rockies)
• VCU (strong Richmond connections on my application)
• Maryland (probably going to have to remove due to missing the shadowing requirement)

I would change Roseman. Too young of a school, have heard too many complaints from people about curriculum changes

 

[arkenstone]

I would change Roseman. Too young of a school, have heard too many complaints from people about curriculum changes

Interesting. I need to delve more into that.

Ok, is the following possible... e-submit to one school early with no DAT (e.g. My state school). Then add schools later after I know my DAT score. That way everything gets processed early but I don't waste money on schools before I know my DAT.

 

[ajj70]

Interesting. I need to delve more into that.

Ok, is the following possible... e-submit to one school early with no DAT (e.g. My state school). Then add schools later after I know my DAT score. That way everything gets processed early but I don't waste money on schools before I know my DAT.

What if you get a 16 AA on your DAT?? Either step up the study schedule and take the DAT earlier or wait until the end of July to submit. If your application was stronger, it might be a different story. Your GPA is good, but that alone isn't enough to know how you will do on the DAT. Maybe give it a couple weeks of studying, take a practice test, see where you are sitting and if your scores are reasonable, then go ahead and submit.

 

[dds2b219]

It seems like you are applying to some really competitive programs, which would be fine if you had a killer DAT score. I would wait until you get your dat scores to apply, as July is not considered late. Otherwise I think you need to apply more broadly and add some more expensive private schools to be safe. You're taking a big risk

 

[Ferneezy]

Ok, is the following possible... e-submit to one school early with no DAT (e.g. My state school). Then add schools later after I know my DAT score. That way everything gets processed early but I don't waste money on schools before I know my DAT.

i'm logging in to help you out. i remember your posts from before and you seem bright. if there is at least one school you know you'll apply to regardless of the outcome of your dat, pull the trigger today. you'll get the benefit of the application service processing your letters and transcripts while you get ready for the exam. once you have your scores in hand it's simple a matter of deciding which schools get to see your file, and they'll get it the next time applications are distributed. only downside is you'll, of course, be sending the initial school an incomplete app...but there are worse things.

the quote that follows, is not good advice and does not help you in the slightest.

What if you get a 16 AA on your DAT?? Either step up the study schedule and take the DAT earlier or wait until the end of July to submit. If your application was stronger, it might be a different story. Your GPA is good, but that alone isn't enough to know how you will do on the DAT. Maybe give it a couple weeks of studying, take a practice test, see where you are sitting and if your scores are reasonable, then go ahead and submit.

 

[arkenstone]

i'm logging in to help you out. i remember your posts from before and you seem bright. if there is at least one school you know you'll apply to regardless of the outcome of your dat, pull the trigger today. you'll get the benefit of the application service processing your letters and transcripts while you get ready for the exam. once you have your scores in hand it's simple a matter of deciding which schools get to see your file, and they'll get it the next time applications are distributed. only downside is you'll, of course, be sending the initial school an incomplete app...but there are worse things.

Ok---that will probably be my new plan now that I know it's a viable option.

@ajj70 You're right that I'm probably being presumptuous. I haven't done a practice test yet. In fact, I originally had my DAT scheduled earlier because I felt confident, but once I got DAT Destroyer in the mail a couple weeks ago, I started paging through it and was like, "oh this looks... hard" and promptly pushed my test date back.

All told it seems that applying with a big list now is potentially wasteful, but delaying all AADSAS processing until my DAT would be unnecessary.

Thanks, all.

 

[jaa2031]

your stat is very similar to mine if you can score 21 on your dat. I accepted to UAB and nova. Good luck!!