Submitting early but DAT in late July

[DoctreDrey]

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So I can submit my app probably around end of July/early July but I'm not taking the DAT until end of July. I'll probably be missing 1 or 2 LORs at the time of submission too.

Is this still considered "applying early"? Just want to make sure that I will be considered for pre-December interviews.

THanks.

 

[sfrice80]

Why can't you get your LOR's lined up in the next month? If you don't have everything, your file is still considered incomplete and therefore will be put on hold until everything is received. Late July is getting to the end of "early applicant" but it would be fine if you are a decent applicant. You will definitely have a chance at pre-Dec interviews but keep in mind a lot of people will be getting interviews at your schools because they will have submitted back in early June. You will find yourself getting very anxious but if thats what you need to do then you can't change that. Good Luck

 

[2PacClone23]

Why can't you get your LOR's lined up in the next month? If you don't have everything, your file is still considered incomplete and therefore will be put on hold until everything is received. Late July is getting to the end of "early applicant" but it would be fine if you are a decent applicant. You will definitely have a chance at pre-Dec interviews but keep in mind a lot of people will be getting interviews at your schools because they will have submitted back in early June. You will find yourself getting very anxious but if thats what you need to do then you can't change that. Good Luck

What if you've applied on June 3rd (super-duper early) but have marked that you'd be retaking the DAT? Should I not mention that I'm retaking it so they'll consider my first scores (and when the retake comes in, mail those in) or do I tell them I'm retaking it?

 

[DoctreDrey]

Why can't you get your LOR's lined up in the next month? If you don't have everything, your file is still considered incomplete and therefore will be put on hold until everything is received. Late July is getting to the end of "early applicant" but it would be fine if you are a decent applicant. You will definitely have a chance at pre-Dec interviews but keep in mind a lot of people will be getting interviews at your schools because they will have submitted back in early June. You will find yourself getting very anxious but if thats what you need to do then you can't change that. Good Luck

I can get all but a LOR from a dentist by June. Is a LOR from a dentist worth the wait? (keeping in mind I wont have DAT scores by late July anyways)

 

[takedailyfiber]

Submit by early July to be early and avoid the mass rush. Try, try to have your LORs in at that time. That's still early. You can take the DAT up until early/mid-August and be fine as well, but you should look at your desired schools' websites or contact them to make sure you're ahead of their schedule. Some schools start interviewing in September and as early as late August, while some don't start until Nov. and finish as late as March.

Once you submit your AADSAS, it can still take up to 2-4 (more?) weeks for processing before schools receive it - I'm not sure if they start processing it until after LORs arrive, or before LORs arrive. I'm not sure if schools will look at apps without LORs either. Might want other feedback, but that's just what I think.

 

[skylark]

i have the same question as 2pacClone23

What if you've applied on June 3rd (super-duper early) but have marked that you'd be retaking the DAT? Should I not mention that I'm retaking it so they'll consider my first scores (and when the retake comes in, mail those in) or do I tell them I'm retaking it?

my feeling is that getting your app in early means youre first in line for the application reviews, although the reviews dont really start til august. so if you take your DAT before they start review, and your app is already 1st in line to hold your place, you can just update them with your new DAT. is that correct?

but yeah..should we mark retake? or not?

 

[2PacClone23]

I'm probably gonna put that I'm NOT retaking so it begins reviewing immediately. I don't know what to do THOUGH HELP! US!

 

[snaggletoof]

nice thread. but what do we do? im going to have everything complete by early june except im going to retake the dat early july.

 

[Kneecoal]

you'll be fine. i submitted early june but didn't take my DAT until the end of july and started going to interviews in october (granted if my gpa had been better it might have been earlier).

and regardless of whether you want them to see your 'retaken' scores sooner or later, you must put in that you're retaking on your app. saves for some confusion and extra time taken up later.

good luck!!

edit: it'll take about 3-4 weeks for your submitting to aadsas for them to mail it out to the schools you're applying to, and then another week or two for the schools to start reviewing them - and that's with applying early! with the DAT, it took them about 2.5 weeks to send my scores out to schools. you should note that some schools will start inviting for interviews sooner without an official mailed copy of your scores but with a faxed copy of your score report that you get when you finish the test. BUT, you should definitely call each school individually and ask if that is acceptable because it annoys some schools when you do that.

 

[2PacClone23]

you'll be fine. i submitted early june but didn't take my DAT until the end of july and started going to interviews in october (granted if my gpa had been better it might have been earlier).

and regardless of whether you want them to see your 'retaken' scores sooner or later, you must put in that you're retaking on your app. saves for some confusion and extra time taken up later.

good luck!!

edit: it'll take about 3-4 weeks for your submitting to aadsas for them to mail it out to the schools you're applying to, and then another week or two for the schools to start reviewing them - and that's with applying early! with the DAT, it took them about 2.5 weeks to send my scores out to schools. you should note that some schools will start inviting for interviews sooner without an official mailed copy of your scores but with a faxed copy of your score report that you get when you finish the test. BUT, you should definitely call each school individually and ask if that is acceptable because it annoys some schools when you do that.

So you're saying I should mark that I plan on retaking? But if I'm taking it in August, then that's not early!

 

[Kneecoal]

So you're saying I should mark that I plan on retaking? But if I'm taking it in August, then that's not early!

i'm saying that if you did already take it and plan on retaking it, you have to mark that you're retaking it, and double check on this one, but they need to see your first set of scores. you can't hide them from them :/

 

[2PacClone23]

Okay but they won't REVIEW the application (even if you have the first set of scores down PRECISELY because you've told them of the retake!)

 

[Kneecoal]

Okay but they won't REVIEW the application (even if you have the first set of scores down PRECISELY because you've told them of the retake!)

mm, as long as everything else within the app is complete (including LORs) they'll usually review it and if you pass that point, waiting for the DAT will be the deciding factor on whether to invite you to interview

 

[michi]

so let's say your file is "complete" with the LORs and everything else by the time august rolls, except for the DAT, which i'm planning to take for the first time in either late july or early august.

as kneecoal said, some schools may not mind a faxed DAT score. so in theory, to help expedite the process... let's say that for instance, regardless of taking the exam on july 31 or august 7, that even if they get the DAT score sometime in later august anyway, but if you fax it over to those who welcome it, then it should be all right? and even if they receive EVERYTHING then by august, overall we still have pretty good chances for consideration as long as all competitive qualifications with LORs/DAT/application/etc.

ANOTHER QUESTION: on the supplemental table provided by AADSAS i think, some schools have info such as: Send these materials directly to the dental schools At the Same Time you send AADSAS materials:
Application fee $75
Official DAT scores

CAN YOU STILL SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION EARLY (SAY MID JUNE) EVEN THOUGH THEY WONT RECEIVE YOUR SCORES UNTIL LATE AUGUST??

thanks for all those providing feedback, it's a great help!

 

[DoctreDrey]

after we have submitted our app, can we add another LOR later?

I ask because I can have 3 LORs rdy, 2 science and 1 PI, by June but won't have a dentist LOR until july. Should i submit early without the dentist LOR and add it later, or should I submit all at once, or should I just forget the dentist LOR altogether since its not required by most schools?

Thx.

 

[Blue Panther]

should I just forget the dentist LOR altogether since its not required by most schools?

NO don't do that. Submit a letter from a dentist.

after we have submitted our app, can we add another LOR later?

Designate the dentist recommender in your application and hit submit even if the letter is not there. AADSAS will mail your application without the letter. Later when AADSAS receives the letter, they will mail the dentist letter in their next batch of applications. Simple as that.