Should I keep going? NEED HONEST ADVICE

[plakmama]

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Just took DAT Yesterday:

PAT 21 (94)
QR 15 (40) I AM HORRIBLE AT MATH
RC 16 (17) I RAN OUT OF TIME AND GUESSED ON AT LEAST HALF
BIO 19 (78)
CHM 17 (49) BECAUSE OF CAL.
O.CH 20 (81)
TS 19 (77)
AA 17 (47.6)

What should I do?

1. apply and hope for the best?
2. apply and retake in Aug (my 3rd time)
3. give it up?

I took the DAT 4 years ago and got 18/18/18. At the time I applied to DS, I was 2 semesters short of the 90 credits min. with a 3.9 GPA.
I applied to 1 in-state and 1 out-of-state school. I got rejected in state and accepted out-of-state. I finished up my remaining two semesters and GPA went down to a 3.6 (I foolishly slacked because I figured that I was already in dental school and just needed to pass the classes).

Due to family/personal obligation, at the last minute, I was unable to attend the out-of-state DS which would required me to leave the state. I didn't bother to complete my degree either because I figured that if I wasn't going to get a post grad education, my cell bio degree would be useless.

I took position at a dental office as a front office person because I still wanted to be in the field of dentistry. After four years I knew I wanted continue dentistry from a clinical standpoint (dealing with dental insurance companies and patients when it came time to collect money is not fun).

I knew that I would need a kick ass dat score to counter my negative attributes such as: no degree, been out of school, GPA, was accepted and did not go.
BTW - I know I was fortunate into DS get in back then with my dat score, applying to 2 DS only, and my academics. Everyday I regret not going

I studied for the DAT for 7 hrs/day after work for about a month. It was difficult because I could not remember much of the material.

I am at a cross road now. I know that applying now while I have out of school is difficult. My volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, etc... are 4 years old. Most importantly, I don't have my 4 years bach. (which, I was told, was the reason that I was not accepted in-state).

Please give me some advice. I am no spring chicken either (29).

 

[t man]

Just took DAT Yesterday:

PAT 21 (94)
QR 15 (40) I AM HORRIBLE AT MATH
RC 16 (17) I RAN OUT OF TIME AND GUESSED ON AT LEAST HALF
BIO 19 (78)
CHM 17 (49) BECAUSE OF CAL.
O.CH 20 (81)
TS 19 (77)
AA 17 (47.6)

What should I do?

1. apply and hope for the best?
2. apply and retake in Aug (my 3rd time)
3. give it up?

I took the DAT 4 years ago and got 18/18/18. At the time I applied to DS, I was 2 semesters short of the 90 credits min. with a 3.9 GPA.
I applied to 1 in-state and 1 out-of-state school. I got rejected in state and accepted out-of-state. I finished up my remaining two semesters and GPA went down to a 3.6 (I foolishly slacked because I figured that I was already in dental school and just needed to pass the classes).

Due to family/personal obligation, at the last minute, I was unable to attend the out-of-state DS which would required me to leave the state. I didn't bother to complete my degree either because I figured that if I wasn't going to get a post grad education, my cell bio degree would be useless.

I took position at a dental office as a front office person because I still wanted to be in the field of dentistry. After four years I knew I wanted continue dentistry from a clinical standpoint (dealing with dental insurance companies and patients when it came time to collect money is not fun).

I knew that I would need a kick ass dat score to counter my negative attributes such as: no degree, been out of school, GPA, was accepted and did not go.
BTW - I know I was fortunate into DS get in back then with my dat score, applying to 2 DS only, and my academics. Everyday I regret not going

I studied for the DAT for 7 hrs/day after work for about a month. It was difficult because I could not remember much of the material.

I am at a cross road now. I know that applying now while I have out of school is difficult. My volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, etc... are 4 years old. Most importantly, I don't have my 4 years bach. (which, I was told, was the reason that I was not accepted in-state).

Please give me some advice. I am no spring chicken either (29).

Choice number 2, but you also have a lot of other work to do. Take a few classes and get new LOEs. Also, seriously consider getting your bachelor's.

 

[plakmama]

Choice number 2, but you also have a lot of other work to do. Take a few classes and get new LOEs. Also, seriously consider getting your bachelor's.

Thanks t man.

If I submit my applications now, I won't have any LOR from recent academic professors. Should I use the old ones until I have taken some classes and can ask for new one?

I need 30 credits and I cannot afford to give up work and go to school full time. So if I take about 2 classes per semester while working, it wil take forever.

 

[jackbauer!]

get your degree, dude. you are at a HUGE disadvantage without it..

to be completely honest, i WOULD NOT apply to school this year. you have no degree and a low RC score. take this year to finish your degree and retake your DATs. nail your DATs this time around....you have no excuses to do bad. schools will appreciate the fact that you went back to school and finished your degree.

just my honest opinion, jB!🙂

 

[plakmama]

get your degree, dude. you are at a HUGE disadvantage without it..

to be completely honest, i WOULD NOT apply to school this year. you have no degree and a low RC score. take this year to finish your degree and retake your DATs. nail your DATs this time around....you have no excuses to do bad. schools will appreciate the fact that you went back to school and finished your degree.

just my honest opinion, jB!🙂

Yeah I don't know what happened with the RC. In Aug 2003 I got 19. I was just stuck on the first essay forever and after I saw that half the time was gone, I just panicked and blanked out.

I had entertained the thought of applying anyway, trying to get a better dat score in aug, and in the meantime, take a couple of evening summer classes, and work towards my bach in the fall, and reapply next year.

Do you think that applying this year will hurt my application next year somehow?

 

[jackbauer!]

Yeah I don't know what happened with the RC. In Aug 2003 I got 19. I was just stuck on the first essay forever and after I saw that half the time was gone, I just panicked and blanked out.

I had entertained the thought of applying anyway, trying to get a better dat score in aug, and in the meantime, take a couple of evening summer classes, and work towards my bach in the fall, and reapply next year.

Do you think that applying this year will hurt my application next year somehow?

no, i don't think it will hurt you... but it's expensive. my advice: work really hard this year to make a killer application and just apply next year when you've given yourself a solid chance to get into d-school.

plus, don't "try" to get yourself a better DAT score... DO IT!! there is a plethora of resources on this website regarding the DAT. study not only the material, but STUDY THE DAT. get the best material possible (kaplan, ap cliffs bio, detroyer, top score, achiever) and go through it all till your blue in the face.

jb!🙂

 

[plakmama]

no, i don't think it will hurt you... but it's expensive. my advice: work really hard this year to make a killer application and just apply next year when you've given yourself a solid chance to get into d-school.

plus, don't "try" to get yourself a better DAT score... DO IT!! there is a plethora of resources on this website regarding the DAT. study not only the material, but STUDY THE DAT. get the best material possible (kaplan, ap cliffs bio, detroyer, top score, achiever) and go through it all till your blue in the face.

jb!🙂

Thanks JB

Yeah, it sure is expensive. And I need every penny to live on if I am seriously thinking of going back to school.

As far as the DAT goes, I used Kaplan, topscore, achiever, destroyer, and old textbooks and notes. I obviously did not emphasis enough on RC and QR. Do you have any other advice to study these topics in particular? I don't have any old math textbooks left because I sold them back to the bookstore. I tried the MCAT reading examcracker book, but it did not talk about technique at all. Just a bunch of essays to read, I can do that with science journals.

 

[OceanBlue]

Thanks JB

Yeah, it sure is expensive. And I need every penny to live on if I am seriously thinking of going back to school.

As far as the DAT goes, I used Kaplan, topscore, achiever, destroyer, and old textbooks and notes. I obviously did not emphasis enough on RC and QR. Do you have any other advice to study these topics in particular? I don't have any old math textbooks left because I sold them back to the bookstore. I tried the MCAT reading examcracker book, but it did not talk about technique at all. Just a bunch of essays to read, I can do that with science journals.

yeah...science journals help. In addition to that, I would read the newspaper every morning...get your news and improve your reading skills.

 

[t man]

You should get new letters, if only in addition to your old ones. Also reconsider whether or not you can go back to school full time. Dental school is going to be expensive, much more expensive than a year of undergrad. And having the degree will give you a much better shot at an acceptance. I caution you not to be tentative in this process.

Make a list of pros and cons, and if after that you think you can get in, then apply. I see you as a borderline applicant with a chance at getting in. Are you an URM? Your name makes me think so, and that could help you as well. You have a strong GPA. Plenty of ECs. You're older, more mature. You have some good sections on your DAT.

But it's your decision, if you can't afford it, then you can't afford it. I definitely don't think you should give up though, you've gotten in once before, you can get in again.

 

[plakmama]

You should get new letters, if only in addition to your old ones. Also reconsider whether or not you can go back to school full time. Dental school is going to be expensive, much more expensive than a year of undergrad. And having the degree will give you a much better shot at an acceptance. I caution you not to be tentative in this process.

Make a list of pros and cons, and if after that you think you can get in, then apply. I see you as a borderline applicant with a chance at getting in. Are you an URM? Your name makes me think so, and that could help you as well. You have a strong GPA. Plenty of ECs. You're older, more mature. You have some good sections on your DAT.

But it's your decision, if you can't afford it, then you can't afford it. I definitely don't think you should give up though, you've gotten in once before, you can get in again.

Hey t man

Thanks for all the great advice man. Quick question, maybe I have been living under a rock but what does URM mean? Under risk management? something to do with sex or minority? Nope I'm done guessing
Help me out here dude.

Do you HONESTLY think that I should apply this year?

 

[plakmama]

yeah...science journals help. In addition to that, I would read the newspaper every morning...get your news and improve your reading skills.

Hey

What technique did you employ for the RC when you took your DAT. Did you read the hole thing and then try to answer questions, did you go straight to questions and scan for answers, or did you skim, write notes, and then tried to answer.

This is what I did, I read the 1st and final paragraph to get an idea of what the author getting at and his/her overall stand on the subject. Then I went through and read the first sentence of every paragraph and wrote down the topic of the paragraph, and also skimmed for unique words or subjects. Finally, I went to questions to tried to answer. You can see I wasted alot of time.

In general though, I just have a hard time concentrating when I read, my mind wonders and before I know I have read a whole page without comprehending a single word.

 

[plakmama]

AcronymDefinitionURMUnderrepresented MinorityURMUniversal Recovery MethodologyURMUniversal Retention MechanismURMUniversal Router Module (Cisco)URMUnreinforced MasonaryURMUrgently Required MaterialsURMUrzad Rady Ministrow (Polish: The Office of the Council of Ministers)URMUþsienio Reikalø Ministerija (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania)Sources=Sources | 1024

Yes to answer your question, I am "Urgently Required Material"
I am so slow, all this posting is new to me.

Seriously though, as you can tell I am female (is there a minority advantage to being female?)

As for my ethnicity, I am asian (vietnamese) but born and raised in the UK up until 1999. I wish I could say that English was my second language and explain my crappy RC score but no such luck.

 

[t man]

URM = Under-Represented Minority

And you being a woman, and an Asian is a definite advantage. Good for you!

I would apply if I was you. Other people might not. Decision is yours.

 

[laee3]

URM = Under-Represented Minority

And you being a woman, and an Asian is a definite advantage. Good for you!

I would apply if I was you. Other people might not. Decision is yours.

What the... You have no idea what you're saying..... Asian and White are the two ethnicities that are considered to be majority in medical field, and dentistry isn't an exception.

 

[OceanBlue]

AcronymDefinitionURMUnderrepresented MinorityURMUniversal Recovery MethodologyURMUniversal Retention MechanismURMUniversal Router Module (Cisco)URMUnreinforced MasonaryURMUrgently Required MaterialsURMUrzad Rady Ministrow (Polish: The Office of the Council of Ministers)URMUþsienio Reikalø Ministerija (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania)Sources=Sources | 1024

Yes to answer your question, I am "Urgently Required Material"
I am so slow, all this posting is new to me.

Seriously though, as you can tell I am female (is there a minority advantage to being female?)

As for my ethnicity, I am asian (vietnamese) but born and raised in the UK up until 1999. I wish I could say that English was my second language and explain my crappy RC score but no such luck.

holla viet people! 😀
Even though you were born here, it is still understandable that you have a low RC score because your parents speak vietnamese and "not" English....that was what you grew up with....

What is up with Vietnamese and dentistry? It is like Mormons and dentistry

 

[OceanBlue]

Hey

What technique did you employ for the RC when you took your DAT. Did you read the hole thing and then try to answer questions, did you go straight to questions and scan for answers, or did you skim, write notes, and then tried to answer.

This is what I did, I read the 1st and final paragraph to get an idea of what the author getting at and his/her overall stand on the subject. Then I went through and read the first sentence of every paragraph and wrote down the topic of the paragraph, and also skimmed for unique words or subjects. Finally, I went to questions to tried to answer. You can see I wasted alot of time.

In general though, I just have a hard time concentrating when I read, my mind wonders and before I know I have read a whole page without comprehending a single word.

I got here when I was 10, but I am a non-science major so i guess that helped a bit with the reading. The technique I highlighted was the one I used. I also wrote down keywords etc... If you keep on practicing it....you will do it faster everytime. It worked okay for me. It might not work for everyone. Good luck!

 

[uvaGirL07]

the first thing i would do would be to go get that degree. 🙂

 

[plakmama]

holla viet people! 😀
Even though you were born here, it is still understandable that you have a low RC score because your parents speak vietnamese and "not" English....that was what you grew up with....

What is up with Vietnamese and dentistry? It is like Mormons and dentistry

Actually my Mum never spoke a lick of Vietnamese to me. I taught myself some bad words and how to ask for certain food at restaurants but that is it.

Yeah, I think if I tried to get into a program as an asian-american going into medical/dentist, the admissions board would die of laughter. But technically I am asian-english, so maybe I could get in as a really "underserved minority". After all, how many Viet-British nationals do you know applying for US dental schools? hehe

 

[Nasem]

dude you got this thread running in 2 different places (pre-dental and DAT discu forum)... I just posted my suggestion to you over the DAT-dis forum

 

[plakmama]

dude you got this thread running in 2 different places (pre-dental and DAT discu forum)... I just posted my suggestion to you over the DAT-dis forum

Yeah and I replied you over there too man