Should I retake the DAT? 19 AA, 18 TS

[deleted892858]

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Hi everyone! I am new here to SDN and would like some advice. I took the DAT in January and I am still not sure how I feel about my scores. (For reference, I have a 3.75 GPA and around 3.61 s GPA) Any advice/feedback is appreciated! Here's the breakdown of my scores:
PAT: 18
GC:18
OC:18
BIO:19
QR:20
RC:22

 

[Lynndent]

I think your scores are good enough to apply and you have a great GPA, with extracurriculars and applying early I'd say your good to go.

 

[IdleKoala]

Your in that middle ground, but like Lynndent said, your GPA is great and if the rest of your application is good you should have a decent chance.

 

[ssdent18]

nah dont retake

 

[doktorinprogres]

I'll go the other end. You should retake it. How did you prepare for it in January? When are you applying? What state are you in?

I think if you buckle down with Chad's videos and DAT Destroyer as well as some full length practice tests you can significantly increase that score.
If you have some fairly average extracurriculars with that gpa and a solid DAT you become cream of the crop applicant. If your state has a school that
offers in-state tuition the DAT could be a significant factor in your admission when they stack you up against some of their applicants with the almost the same GPA and higher DAT scores. I wouldn't want to risk the significant cost difference. I think as it stands now you'll likely be able to get in to a school. But with a good to great DAT you have a much better chance at a school with lower tuition.

 

[deleted892858]

I'll go the other end. You should retake it. How did you prepare for it in January? When are you applying? What state are you in?

I think if you buckle down with Chad's videos and DAT Destroyer as well as some full length practice tests you can significantly increase that score.
If you have some fairly average extracurriculars with that gpa and a solid DAT you become cream of the crop applicant. If your state has a school that
offers in-state tuition the DAT could be a significant factor in your admission when they stack you up against some of their applicants with the almost the same GPA and higher DAT scores. I wouldn't want to risk the significant cost difference. I think as it stands now you'll likely be able to get in to a school. But with a good to great DAT you have a much better chance at a school with lower tuition.

Thank you for the reply, your feedback means a lot. To answer your question, I studied just two weeks in January over winter break (smart, right? ) and I followed a guy's 2 week plan from SDN. I was shocked that I scored what I did given only 2 weeks but hey. I am planning on applying next cycle, and I am in California. I have been flip flopping for a long time whether or not I should retake. On one hand, I feel like my scores are solid, but on the other hand I hate the whole "what if" thing if I just retook and did amazingly. Some people tell me that my scores are good enough because what if I retook and actually did WORSE? If I had a score 17 and below it would be a done deal to retake but I am so uncertain now. I can't retake the DAT this summer because I'm doing a bunch of EC's and and getting my stuff sorted out this summer. I wouldn't even know when to retake it, as I am going to be a 4th year next year, and retaking DAT in summer is risky and would make my application late. I am compiling a mental pro con list of retaking it, so I appreciate your advice a lot. My case is unique, as my scores are average but my GPA is relatively solid. I have great EC's, things I have been committed to long-term, so I don't lack in that department haha.

 

[deleted892858]

I think your scores are good enough to apply and you have a great GPA, with extracurriculars and applying early I'd say your good to go.

Thank you for the feedback~!

 

[doktorinprogres]

I wouldn't even know when to retake it, as I am going to be a 4th year next year, and retaking DAT in summer is risky and would make my application late.

Say's who? Fill out the application and indicate that you'll be sending scores later. Take 1 wk off after you graduate and spend 6 wks studying for the DAT. Your scores will join your application by the end of july. California state schools are crazy competitive. That DAT is slightly below average. If you have the money for private schools or are URM that's a different story but if not and you see yourself at UCLA or UCSF I think retaking is a no-brainer. Given what you did in 2wks I think 6 would do you great. My two cents.

Congrats on being strong in the rest of your application btw, that's highly impressive.

 

[deleted892858]

Say's who? Fill out the application and indicate that you'll be sending scores later. Take 1 wk off after you graduate and spend 6 wks studying for the DAT. Your scores will join your application by the end of july. California state schools are crazy competitive. That DAT is slightly below average. If you have the money for private schools or are URM that's a different story but if not and you see yourself at UCLA or UCSF I think retaking is a no-brainer. Given what you did in 2wks I think 6 would do you great. My two cents.

Congrats on being strong in the rest of your application btw, that's highly impressive.

Thank you! About how dental school applications work, at what point is your application considered "Early" versus "late"? I understand that there is no such thing as early vs late batch anymore, but it seems like there is a fine line between an optimal time to apply versus a risky time to apply. On one hand, I want to up my chances of doing better on the DAT, but at what cost? I don't want my application in too late, so do you have any insight on when an application is still considered early? Thanks!

 

[doktorinprogres]

Keep in mind, I'm just some guy. I'd say if your application is in with all your letters of rec by the end of the 3rd week in July you're still "Early".

 

[dent_wannabe]

I'd wait until you have applied for one cycle before making the ultimate decision. If you apply and get no interviews or acceptances, then you might want to retake. After an application cycle is over, I heard you can call schools that rejected you to ask how you can become a more competitive applicant. Sure, your scores aren't impressive, but people do get accepted with your DAT scores.

Keep in mind that if you retake the DAT, anything that is not a significant improvement will not look good. They may have higher expectations for those who retake versus those who had it once and done.