So many 23,24, and 25 AA's, why?

[510586]

I don't disagree with this. 23AA doesn't have the wow factor that it once used to have back in the old days.

I would say on SDN the wow factor has definitely declined seeing a 23 but not in the general public

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[EasTexan]

It really doesn't matter what you think.

Please note the Applicants AA and Enrollees AA for 2012.
Please note the Applicants and enrollee GPAs.

 

[SableFire]

Whether or not it annoys you doesn't change how valid it is.

26+ is the new 23+.

The times have changed.

No statistically it doesn't more people just post now. The Internet is being used more than ever and tests have nearly doubled along with applicant amounts going up as well. 26 is not the new 23 it may be on here but it certainly is not in the applicant pool. Don't comment on just what you see get your facts straight before making outrageous claims

 

[pulltheleverkronk]

Don't know when you applied, but it might also have something to do with the fact that more people know about SDN now. The people who actively search for resources and tips to improve their scores likely have the determination to study harder and do better.

I agree. Selection bias...

 

[PlasmaMembrane]

It really doesn't matter what you think.

Please note the Applicants AA and Enrollees AA for 2012.
Please note the Applicants and enrollee GPAs.

Please note the jump from 2008 to 2012 as the average of both enrollees and accepted students has shifted upward nearly 2 points, to a 19 and 20 (roughly) respectively.

Now consider we are in 2015, nearly the same amount of time has elapsed. I would expect a similar 2 point shift upward in the averages (and based on the highly increased frequency of higher end scores reported on here, this does appear to be the case). This brings a score of 23 from 5 points above the accepted average (as it was in 2008) to 1 point above the accepted average of a 22 (as we can speculate it will be in 2016). It's clear that as these averages have shifted so drastically, so has the perception of what is considered a "great" score.

How do you not find it strange that people still regurgitate the same old "anything 23+ is amazing" line, the same thing people were saying back in 2008, despite your own data showing the average has now moved much closer to that score? Student perception has not yet caught up to the reality of current scoring.

I'll say it again: 26+ is the new 23+.

 

[510586]

Please note the jump from 2008 to 2012 as the average of both enrollees and accepted students has shifted upward nearly 2 points, to a 19 and 20 (roughly) respectively.

Now consider we are in 2015, nearly the same amount of time has elapsed. I would expect a similar 2 point shift upward in the averages (and based on the highly increased frequency of higher end scores reported on here, this does appear to be the case). This brings a score of 23 from 5 points above the accepted average (as it was in 2008) to 1 point above the accepted average of a 22 (as we can speculate it will be in 2016). It's clear that as these averages have shifted so drastically, so has the perception of what is considered a "great" score.

I'll say it again: 26+ is the new 23+.

You could also interpret it as similar scores but since there are more people adcoms are picking from the higher percent. Like the bell curve is the same but picking from between the 1st and second deviation on right of the mean instead of picking from the mean. This doesn't change overall distribution by much (but I see your point about 23 holding less value in the eyes of admissions than in the past)

 

[deleted659902]

Keep in mind though that as long as you get in, it really doesn't matter if you get 19AA or 28AA.

Except with a super high score, you might get some scholarship and can brag about it "humbly" in one of rare occasions when you are asked about your score.

End of discussion.

 

[doc toothache]

I'll say it again: 26+ is the new 23+.

Some people still believe the earth is flat.
http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

 

[darknightzzz]

Some people still believe the earth is flat.
http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

?????? the earth is flat, though.

 

[ph159]

 

[BYU4you]

12 years ago they were saying the same thing....

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/whats-the-deal-with-such-high-dat-scores.77379/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/abnormally-high-dat-scores.128287/


However to play devil's advocate, because you know Internet..

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/increase-in-dat-scores-over-the-years.29059/

Back in 2002 these Sdners were saying that "17 doesn't look so hot anymore"
and
"a 20 on the DAT is a 100% guaranteed admission but you don't need it to get in"

But I still think the scores are the same but SDN standards have changed because back in 2002 I didn't even own a computer...

 

[deleted632307]

Keep in mind though that as long as you get in, it really doesn't matter if you get 19AA or 28AA.

Except with a super high score, you might get some scholarship and can brag about it "humbly" in one of rare occasions when you are asked about your score.

End of discussion.

Then why did you even start this thread? Especially since you're already in dental school (I assume)...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[pulltheleverkronk]

how high is super high? they don't really have info on scholarships- it's like they're keeping secrets hehehe

 

[A Pre-dent]

.

 

[SableFire]

Statistics straight from the ADA. As you can see something happened in 2008-09 that dropped the average .6 points and it has been steadily increasing after recovering from the initial fall (most likely the test was changed somehow or something new was implemented within the test). As for GPA, it has remained the same since 2007-08. So, no 23 is not the new 19 by any means. It's more like 19.9 is the new 19.4-ish if you want to be a jerk about it. And also a sub 3.5 GPA is by no means mediocre.

Note: These are the averages of dental school enrollees

 

[EasTexan]

Well obviously if you put a linear best-fit line on that data we'll be seeing AA's of 32-35 in 2024. Better get to hammering those DAT destroyer books!

 

[OrphanageCaretaker]

Maybe cause more and more people are applying and the ones who tend to get the highest scores love to post and show off their scores??????

 

[Hammer Time]

Just head over to DAT discussion forum, and you will notice 23+ AA's popping up really frequently. Back when I was applying to dental school, I'd only see these scores once or twice a week, not like every other day. I'm convinced that the prep materials are becoming too good that even academically mediocre students (i.e. those with sub 3.5 GPA's) can score in 23+ range with using the popular prep sources. Either that or the test is getting easier, or the students are becoming smarter, which doesn't seem likely...

I wonder if the score distributions for the recent years have been following the standard bell curve or a whale curve rather.

It's simple: students that score well want to brag about their score, so everyone will know. It's a ploy to boost their own ego.

 

[510586]

It's simple: students that score well want to brag about their score, so everyone will know. It's a ploy to boost their own ego.

This sentiment, if followed, would stop people from posting breakdowns. People taking the DAT in the future wouldn't have the sources that you and I did. People should relax and stop judging or accusing others of stroking ego.

 

[Hammer Time]

This sentiment, if followed, would stop people from posting breakdowns. People taking the DAT in the future wouldn't have the sources that you and I did. People should relax and stop judging or accusing others of stroking ego.

The sources will be their regardless if people brag about their scores or not.

 

[510586]

The sources will be their regardless if people brag about their scores or not.

It's odd that you're so quick to accuse others of bragging or doing things out of ego. I don't think you liked it very much when everyone accused your wanting to go to Harvard because of your egos or insecurities. They also explained how they used their sources and their general studying experience. I guess since you took the DAT already and did well you can speak from the other side, but as someone who is about to take it, I am very thankful for the people who post the breakdowns- whether out of good intentions or ego.

 

[Hammer Time]

It's odd that you're so quick to accuse others of bragging or doing things out of ego. I don't think you liked it very much when everyone accused your wanting to go to Harvard because of your egos or insecurities. They also explained how they used their sources and their general studying experience. I guess since you took the DAT already and did well you can speak from the other side, but as someone who is about to take it, I am very thankful for the people who post the breakdowns- whether out of good intentions or ego.

If you're about to take the DAT good luck. Use the ferialis notes for bio haha.

 

[510586]

If you're about to take the DAT good luck. Use the ferialis notes for bio haha.

Thanks. Yea it's probably my main bio source

 

[Hammer Time]

Thanks. Yea it's probably my main bio source

If you take the 2009 version of the DAT as a pretest, the math was much harder on that test than what I got on the real thing.

 

[510586]

If you take the 2009 version of the DAT as a pretest, the math was much harder on that test than what I got on the real thing.

Yea there's apparently physics on there too for some reason (focal lengths or something). Thanks

 

[darknightzzz]

If you take the 2009 version of the DAT as a pretest, the math was much harder on that test than what I got on the real thing.

should i use the destroyer for math? or regular math review through bootcamp works?

 

[Hammer Time]

should i use the destroyer for math? or regular math review through bootcamp works?

DAT destroyer is decent for math. I don't know I felt like math was a hard section to study for. DAT bootcamp isn't really representative at all (it's way too hard). The 2009 version of the DAT was a lot harder than what I just got. The 2007 version was too easy (I got like a 28 on that version, and a 21 on the real thing). I've heard crack DAT math is pretty good, but I didn't use it myself so I can't attest. I did go through the Math Destroyer, and felt like it was harder than the real thing.

To break it down: Just make sure you understand probability well. Know basically everything on the Chad's video sheets. Make sure you know how many feet in a mile (I had a question requiring that on the real thing). Make sure you can do the age problems super well. Convert between units easily. On the real DAT i had a question about the arithmetic average.. Something like that. Know the unit circle well and the sin cos and tan of 30,45,60.. etc.

If you know those things, its just basically performing well on the real test. So if you practice it a lot, using a lot of sources (even if they aren't super representative of the real thing), you will probably do good. Just don't worry if you are running out of time on DAT bootcamp because it's way too hard.

 

[Hammer Time]

Yea there's apparently physics on there too for some reason (focal lengths or something). Thanks

Yeah, and a lot of elipse questions on there. I didn't get any of those on my test. (Although i did spend a long time figuring that stuff out lol)

 

[510586]

DAT destroyer is decent for math. I don't know I felt like math was a hard section to study for. DAT bootcamp isn't really representative at all (it's way too hard). The 2009 version of the DAT was a lot harder than what I just got. The 2007 version was too easy (I got like a 28 on that version, and a 21 on the real thing). I've heard crack DAT math is pretty good, but I didn't use it myself so I can't attest. I did go through the Math Destroyer, and felt like it was harder than the real thing.

To break it down: Just make sure you understand probability well. Know basically everything on the Chad's video sheets. Make sure you know how many feet in a mile (I had a question requiring that on the real thing). Make sure you can do the age problems super well. Convert between units easily. On the real DAT i had a question about the arithmetic average.. Something like that. Know the unit circle well and the sin cos and tan of 30,45,60.. etc.

If you know those things, its just basically performing well on the real test. So if you practice it a lot, using a lot of sources (even if they aren't super representative of the real thing), you will probably do good. Just don't worry if you are running out of time on DAT bootcamp because it's way too hard.

I think crack math is too easy. Feralis said his was only a tiny bit harder than crack, but I feel that some math sections may be even harder. Today a person posted that their math section was relatively easy, and it was likely the same version as feralis (they had the same reading passage or question or something). Hoping that's not the case since I'm doing decent though on crack math.

 

[Carbohydrates]

The sources will be their regardless if people brag about their scores or not.

*there

 

[Hammer Time]

*there

 

[510586]

I'm in bed with the lights out. This picture genuinely scared the crap out of me

 

[DENTALSCHNEEZ811]

I don't disagree with this. 23AA doesn't have the wow factor that it once used to have back in the old days.

maybe to people on sdn it doesn't, but to dental schools a 23 is a great score. Its not about the dat score, they want an all around applicant, not just someone who has a good dat and good gpa, I have a very low gpa with a 21 and I got an interview already, its because I am an all around applicant. Admissions directors are looking for stand out students, and I know for a fact that they would still believe a 21+ is an excellent score on the DAT. Just because on sdn we see it so much makes us believe its not, but we cant try and see how they would think of the score themself Many people don't apply to the same schools either so they don't get all the high DAT scores on their desk only some

 

[SXCoronado]

.

 

[EasTexan]

Cuz I'm baller AF

I'm pretty sure this is the correct answer.

 

[3rdgenDDS]

I'm glad this thread is about 23,24,25 and not 24,25,26s... makes me feel a little special

 

[laster67]

Bullhocky......and you have yet to substantiate your claim that a 24 is the new 19....none of the data/scores support what you say anywhere.

There is more grade inflation at "academically challenging" schools....
Grade expectations
Ivy League grade inflation unfair to students
Confession of an Ivy League teaching assistant: Here’s why I inflated grades
Combating grade inflation at Princeton

These are literally select stories from THE top universities in the world (Harvard, Yale, Princeton) and off reports from older professors who are lamenting changes to the grade distributions. Generally the top 20/25 schools in the US do deflation as they grade their students against each other i.e. maybe no more than maybe 15% of a pre-health class is allowed to get an A. Add the fact that the students now competing against each other are already pre-selected by being the ones to get into And be confident enough to actually attend that school. Maybe Harvard makes it hard to get below a B+, but thats Harvard (they'll also make it really hard to get an A.)
Amazing when students don't realize that a B at one school is easily an A at a different school, and that it seems the majority of pre-dent students attend schools that do not do deflation. Even more amazing that graduate schools don't take these practices into account

 

[artist2022]

Locking the necrobump.