Take DAT after application?

[freedyx3]

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Ok everyone I have a question that I hope you guys can help me with.

I've heard that dental schools allow their applicants to take their DAT's after they send in their applications. So i'm wondering if it'd be smart for me to do that since i'm not too confident with the DAT. So i'm thinkin if I just send in the applicatoin without DAT scores, then they will accept me based solely on my gpa and extracurriculars. OR do dental schools not make a decision until they recieve DAT scores?

thanks

 

[racemic01]

I don't think there are any dental schools that would accept a student without a DAT score. In fact, I doubt any would grant interviews without the DAT no matter how spectacular the GPA is, but who knows?

A lot of students probably send in there applications before taking the DAT. I did. It may help get things rolling, your file started and all that. But don't put off the DAT for too long.

 

[gradM.S.]

There are some dental schools that do grant interviews without the DAT score, for example Tufts University. My friend had this happen to her. But then again she was a stellar applicant. But I am not aware of any dental school that will accept one without the DAT! Apply now and take your DAT as soon as you are confident with it. Because most schools won't even ask you for an interview until your application is complete.

Good Luck

 

[DesiDentist]

Freddy boy,

Good one!! Better hit the books for the DAT. AADSAS and the DAT score sheet are two different things. You can send in your AADSAS application and mention when you are scheduled for the DAT then the DAT people will independently send the score reports to the schools you want. NO SCHOOL WILL ACCEPT YOU WITHOUT YOUR DAT SCORES. JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS POSTERS SAID.. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is probably the most important factor for schools to weight everyone equally on. Good luck.

DesiDentist

PS: Oh by the way, try taking the DAT soon. If you send in your AADSAS application it is considered incomplete unless they receive your DAT scores. So if you are thinking about taking the DAT next January and want send in the AADSAS application it would not help you significantly. Hope this helps, Liu.

 

[jayjay]

Yes, send in your application before you take the DAT. AADSAS will take months to process and send your application in which time you can study and take the dat...your scores will go to the schools within a week or two.

 

[racemic01]

eyecandy,

As I said before, most schools won't invite you to interviews until your DAT is in their hands. Also, most school (those that I applied to at least) start setting up interviews in mid/late august. So, if you take the DAT in mid Sep your scores won't be sent to the schools until early Oct and your interview will likely be at least month later. Granted, I don't know when schools start compiling their list of acceptances, but I would guess to avoid a massive headache in Dec. they accept students as the interviews progresses. Usually, committees meet 1 or 2 weeks after your interview to discuss your file. I would guess that's when they make their big decision. Many of the spots may be filled by the time you interview in Nov/Dec. If this is the case, you may be hurting yourself by waiting so long to take the DAT. Many ppl take it in Sept or later, and many get accepted, but I don't think it is in your best interest. However, having said all that I still think it's important that you do well on the DAT. If it takes you until Sep to be prepared for the DAT, so be it.

 

[wasabi007]

eyecandy:

i think your plan sounds perfectly fine to me. that is EXACTLY what i did last year when i was applying. i sent my aadsas on july 2, indicating a future DAT date of early sept. everything seemed to work out fine because, as many ppl have previously mentioned above, aadsas will take about a month to even process your application (aug for you) and then send it.

once the individual schools receive your app, they have to process it and then send you either an interview invitation (some schools do this w/o having a DAT score--boston & temple come to mind) or most schools will send you a secondary application. suppose you take a couple of weeks to do your secondaries and mail it back.

schools will again take at least a week or so to review/process the secondaries (it's now about late august/early sept). if they like your secondary, THEN they will send you interview invites. by now, you would have already taken your DAT's! so it all works out quite perfectly.

but one word of caution...don't hold on to those secondaries forever...get them done asap! i made the mistake of taking my sweet time with one of my top choice school's secondary because i wanted it to be perfect...and missed the first/second rounds of interviews because of my lack of speed...

good luck!

-wasabi007

 

[wasabi007]

hi eyecandy,

don't worry about the "why do you want to be a dentist?" question--by the time you do your secondaries you should already have formulated an answer from your personal statement...and then at your interviews, it should be the easiest and most predictable question for you.

hmm...advice for secondaries? answer honestly! keep in mind that there is no right answer--everyone has diff experiences...and that's why secondaries are important--to give you a chance to let your personality shine through on paper. know that you need to write only enough to get them interested in meeting you--and that's the whole point...to be able to answer in such a way that if the admissions officer was reading your application, his/her interest would be peaked that they will invite you to an interview so that they can find out more about you.

and in answer to your question, yes i did end up getting into my first choice school! 😀

-wasabi007