Too late to take DAT?

[CO0829]

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I'm planning to take the DAT in the middle of September and I applied literally like the first couple days of the application cycle being open, Do you guys think September is too late? I'm getting worried because I keep seeing invitations for interviews and I have yet to take the test. I keep pushing it back because I feel as though I'm not entirely ready.

 

[caffeine jitters]

I'm planning to take the DAT in the middle of September and I applied literally like the first couple days of the application cycle being open, Do you guys think September is too late? I'm getting worried because I keep seeing invitations for interviews and I have yet to take the test. I keep pushing it back because I feel as though I'm not entirely ready.

I don't know about too late, but it will definitely be late. It will be mid October by the time your DAT is verified, then you have to account for the time it takes for schools to read through your application. Who knows how long that will take.

That being said, you've already applied. There is no use in fretting about this now. Just focus on doing well on your DAT, and whatever happens, happens.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

If you've already applied and paid there's not much else you can do at this point but see how it goes. I do think finishing the DAT mid-September is really late, but there's not much else you can do at this point (taking the DAT before you feel prepared is a worse idea). How strong is the rest of your application?

 

[CO0829]

Thank you! I thought the school recieves your DAT scores immediately? Like the ADEA sends the scores over to your schools as soon as you take the test? Do you have the option of reviewing your test scores before they are sent to the school you want?

 

[caffeine jitters]

Thank you! I thought the school recieves your DAT scores immediately? Like the ADEA sends the scores over to your schools as soon as you take the test? Do you have the option of reviewing your test scores before they are sent to the school you want?

No, it takes 2-4 weeks for your scores to be audited by the ADA. After they are made official, they can be linked to your AADSAS application. If you selected your scores to be sent to schools when you applied to take the DAT, every school has the capability of seeing your scores. If you did NOT select schools to receive your scores when you applied to take the exam, then you will need to pay ~35 per school.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Thank you! I thought the school recieves your DAT scores immediately? Like the ADEA sends the scores over to your schools as soon as you take the test? Do you have the option of reviewing your test scores before they are sent to the school you want?

You will receive your unofficial scores immediately, but it takes time (usually anywhere from 1-3 weeks) for the official scores to be verified and sent out to schools. The scores are sent to all the schools you indicated when you first signed up to take the DAT.

 

[CO0829]

If you've already applied and paid there's not much else you can do at this point but see how it goes. I do think finishing the DAT mid-September is really late, but there's not much else you can do at this point (taking the DAT before you feel prepared is a worse idea). How strong is the rest of your application?

I mean it's an ok application, hopefully, with applying nearly a couple days after the application cycle opened, they see how eager I am to get in.
I have a Bachelors of Science w/ Minor in Chem that held 3.3 GPA. then went right to Masters degree that held a 3.9 until the last semester which went to an overall 3.6. I have shown significant improvement in grades because I partied a little too much at OU than switched to Cleveland state and my grades improved incredibly like I'm talking all my C's (which is about 6 total through 5.5 years of college including Masters degree) came from OU, maybe 1 at CSU. I did retake science classes to improve grades. Science grades that came from OU.
I have two dentists LOR and 1 BioChem LOR and 1 OChem LOR (One of the dentists went to the school I applied for and was Valedictorian of his class and only one to ace his dental boards, so I hope that helps greatly).
I have 60 shadowing hours, Over 1,000 hands on experience working as both Ortho Assistant (for one of the top Orthodontists in the Nation) and Dental assistant. & I have two research projects that covered two topics in Dentistry (Sealant leakage and Mercury leakage).
I thought I had a strong app until I see people with more than what I have to offer being denied..... so that worries me. This site stresses me out but I can't stay off of it lol

 

[CO0829]

You will receive your unofficial scores immediately, but it takes time (usually anywhere from 1-3 weeks) for the official scores to be verified and sent out to schools. The scores are sent to all the schools you indicated when you first signed up to take the DAT.

So I have the chance to see the scores and then send them to schools? I mean since I'm running out of time to take this test, obviously I'm just going to send them and see where it gets me, but I don't know how it works. This is my first time applying.

 

[CO0829]

You will receive your unofficial scores immediately, but it takes time (usually anywhere from 1-3 weeks) for the official scores to be verified and sent out to schools. The scores are sent to all the schools you indicated when you first signed up to take the DAT.

Wow I didn't realize how long it took for them to recieve the scores. I was thinking they were sent immediately. I don't understand why they extend the deadline till nearly the end of the year but have you turn everything in by the august for the best chance.

 

[caffeine jitters]

Wow I didn't realize how long it took for them to recieve the scores. I was thinking they were sent immediately. I don't understand why they extend the deadline till nearly the end of the year but have you turn everything in by the august for the best chance.

Because it's a rolling admissions process. At the beginning of the cycle, you're competing for more seats; conversely, you're applying for fewer seats as time goes on.

 

[CO0829]

I

Actually, you only have to select one school and it will be available to all.

OP stay focused on your test, study hard and do well. Your stats are good, but you really need to just stay focused on your test (no more SDN!) and really take it when you're ready (no more postponing though). Have you checked to see that some of the schools you've applied to don't have deadlines to take the DAT? Ex. UCSF has a deadline of 9/15/17.

I honestly didn't know that that was even a thing. I thought the application just had a deadline itself. I applied to the University of Colorado but I don't see a deadline other than November 1st for the application itself. It does say its encourage to take the DAT by September 1st but I have a plan to take it the 14th. I know its late but I still have hope. Im not postponning it anymore, its just tough when you work 5 days a week, you know? You got really good scores! What did you use? I bought bootcamp and took both 2007 and 2009 tests. My stats on bootcamp are really good, I just don't know how they compare to the real DAT

 

[Faefly]

Well, to make you feel better I am taking the dat late as well
So yeah!
What's done is done. we are late and we can only hope for the best! If it didn't work this year, it might work next year!
Meanwhile, after you take the dat, keep on improving your chances!

Best of luck with your DAT and now it's not the time to stress about anything other than scoring as high as you can!

 

[Faefly]

USCF deadline is 10/15

2. TRANSCRIPTS: Official copies of transcripts for all college-level work you have completed at an accredited U.S. institution (or Canadian institution where English is the language of instruction) must be submitted to AADSAS by the Oct. 15 deadline. Please do not submit copies of these transcripts to UCSF until instructed. Applicants with foreign transcripts: please see foreign transcript section.
4. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Three letters of recommendation are required and only accepted via the AADSAS application. One letter should be written by a college science professor, one by a dentist with whom you have volunteered, or an advisor / researcher / mentor; and one from an individual of your choice. Or, you may have one composite letter sent from a pre-professional health advisory committee in lieu of the three required letters. All letters must be received at AADSAS by the Oct. 15 deadline.
That is what is written on AADSAS as well.

Application Procedures | UCSF School of Dentistry


But the university of Washington has their deadline set up for 10/1/ I think they are the earliest plus they are very hard to get into anyway since they don't like Out of state students.

 

[artist2022]

USCF deadline is 10/15

2. TRANSCRIPTS: Official copies of transcripts for all college-level work you have completed at an accredited U.S. institution (or Canadian institution where English is the language of instruction) must be submitted to AADSAS by the Oct. 15 deadline. Please do not submit copies of these transcripts to UCSF until instructed. Applicants with foreign transcripts: please see foreign transcript section.
4. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Three letters of recommendation are required and only accepted via the AADSAS application. One letter should be written by a college science professor, one by a dentist with whom you have volunteered, or an advisor / researcher / mentor; and one from an individual of your choice. Or, you may have one composite letter sent from a pre-professional health advisory committee in lieu of the three required letters. All letters must be received at AADSAS by the Oct. 15 deadline.
That is what is written on AADSAS as well.

Application Procedures | UCSF School of Dentistry


But the university of Washington has their deadline set up for 10/1/ I think they are the earliest plus they are very hard to get into anyway since they don't like Out of state students.

UCSF's recommended deadline for the DAT is 9/15/17 so that it can be received by 10/15/17. OP already submitted his apps, so I was talking about the DAT score deadline.

 

[CO0829]

Everything I used was in my breakdown, what have you been scoring on BC? And have you been using Destroyer?

Oh I didn't see your breakdown! I'll have to look. I haven't used Destroyer because I can't afford it after Chad's video/practice and bootcamp. I haven't found it free anywhere.
BC scores: Bio 22, GChem24, OChem 17, QR: 19, PAT: 19, TS: 19 Reading I haven't practiced yet bc I'm more focused on sciences. I'm currently studying OChem to improve the score more.

 

[CO0829]

Everything I used was in my breakdown, what have you been scoring on BC? And have you been using Destroyer?

Did you take the 2007 and 2009 practice test? Are they comparable to the real DAT?

 

[CO0829]

Well, to make you feel better I am taking the dat late as well
So yeah!
What's done is done. we are late and we can only hope for the best! If it didn't work this year, it might work next year!
Meanwhile, after you take the dat, keep on improving your chances!

Best of luck with your DAT and now it's not the time to stress about anything other than scoring as high as you can!

When are you taking the DAT? The problem is I can't really improve my chances because most people do that by going back to school getting a masters or post bac just to improve their GPA but I skipped the step of going back to school and just improved my GPA with my masters right after my Bachelors. What schools are you applying too?

 

[Faefly]

When are you taking the DAT? The problem is I can't really improve my chances because most people do that by going back to school getting a masters or post bac just to improve their GPA but I skipped the step of going back to school and just improved my GPA with my masters right after my Bachelors. What schools are you applying too?

No, I meant do more shadowing hours!
and more volunteering if you can!
SO you can update them like say in October, you send the schools update saying hey I have another 30 hours of shadowing.

By the way, you mentioned you can't afford Destroyer.
I Don't know if you have this yet but defeat the dat has 700 questions genchem and 600 orgo and 200 questions qr
with explanation and they are free. You just need to register there!
DEFEAT the DAT

Also, another good resource for bio worth 50 dollars but it's good. is datqvault treat it as questions with answers, not tests
Their explanations are very good
datQvault

I think if you solved all the defeat the dat questions +bio qvault + bootcamp, that would kinda compensate for you not having Destroyer( which is very good by the way)

 

[CO0829]

No, I meant do more shadowing hours!
and more volunteering if you can!
SO you can update them like say in October, you send the schools update saying hey I have another 30 hours of shadowing.

By the way, you mentioned you can't afford Destroyer.
I Don't know if you have this yet but defeat the dat has 700 questions genchem and 600 orgo and 200 questions qr
with explanation and they are free. You just need to register there!
DEFEAT the DAT

Also, another good resource for bio worth 50 dollars but it's good. is datqvault treat it as questions with answers, not tests
Their explanations are very good
datQvault

I think if you solved all the defeat the dat questions +bio qvault + bootcamp, that would kinda compensate for you not having Destroyer( which is very good by the way)

Wow thank you! I'll definitely try those. Are you trying to get into dental school this up coming cycle? When are you taking your test?

 

[artist2022]

Oh I didn't see your breakdown! I'll have to look. I haven't used Destroyer because I can't afford it after Chad's video/practice and bootcamp. I haven't found it free anywhere.
BC scores: Bio 22, GChem24, OChem 17, QR: 19, PAT: 19, TS: 19 Reading I haven't practiced yet bc I'm more focused on sciences. I'm currently studying OChem to improve the score more.

Destroyer is a really good source in order to score well. If you can't buy the newest version, try to buy an older one (I bought the 2011 two years ago, and the 2017 this year, but most of the questions in the 2011 were just repeated in the 2017 BUT there were plenty of new questions added, so...I put the 2017 one up for sale, may put the 2011 up too 🙂 look into Amazon or Ebay).
Your scores are really good so far, but as you said, your OC needs some work. QR, if you decide to buy the Destroyer try to buy the Math Destroyer as well- excellent for this. PAT just practice using the generators everyday, and reading you should practice, to find out if it's a weakness or a strength (if it's a weakness, you want to get started on it right away).

Did you take the 2007 and 2009 practice test? Are they comparable to the real DAT?

Sorry, I didn't take either. I also didn't take any full-lengths on BC lol. I took most of the practice tests for every section (except PAT & RC) and studied their solutions.

Hope this helps! 🙂

 

[Faefly]

Sorry, I didn't take either. I also didn't take any full-lengths on BC lol. I took most of the practice tests for every section (except PAT & RC) and studied their solutions.

Hope this helps! 🙂

Wow, I just feel I can't go into the test without doing any full-length practice test
was there any reason behind skipping the full length tests?

 

[artist2022]

Wow, I just feel I can't go into the test without doing any full-length practice test
was there any reason behind skipping the full length tests?

Nope! There was no reason lol, but I guess I felt they would just take too much time. I'd rather just go boom boom boom with the tests, take them and review, instead of spending the whole time (if I didn't need to). Idk. Lol