Total Science (TS)

[SoCalDent]

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So do dental schools really care what your "total science" score is. Don't they just look at each individual score from the science section?
The reason I ask is because Bio is one of my better subjects and is weighted heavier in the TS portion. So I hope they do care about the TS score, but does anyone have any input?

 

[Streetwolf]

Actually they look at both. The TS score is based on all 100 questions without regard to specific science subject. The individual subject scores are obvious enough.

The thing is, sometimes an individual subject score is higher and sometimes lower depending on that particular test... So if the bio section that day was 'easier' than normal, you might get a 26 for a perfect 40/40, whereas maybe the next day it would be 'harder' than normal and you'd get a 29 for a perfect 40/40. The TS score is generally the same, regardless of the test. If you get all 100 right you get a 30. If you get 99 right it's a 29, and so forth according to their scale. When they figure out the AA, it's based on the 3 individual subject scores and NOT the TS.

That being said, the schools will certainly look at everything.

 

[lilchinoboy03]

i would assume it matters and it doesnt. obviously if you have strong sciences, it will show on your TS...but if you have a strong bio, a mediocre gchem, and a really bad ochem..but your TS is still 20+..you're not necessarily in good shape. its like saying the AA doesn't matter...since ADCOMs can look easily look at each section separately. I think AA and TS is just there for them to judge your "average" ability as a whole, and your science ability without discriminating into sections. so to the answer to your question...its a big i dont know...they see it all anyway. you cant cover anything up.

 

[SoCalDent]

thanks for your input. I didn't realize that about the variability in difficulty from day to day. Good insight. Thanks.

 

[dentstd]

The thing is, sometimes an individual subject score is higher and sometimes lower depending on that particular test... So if the bio section that day was 'easier' than normal, you might get a 26 for a perfect 40/40, whereas maybe the next day it would be 'harder' than normal and you'd get a 29 for a perfect 40/40.

This is too exaggerated. 40 Questions right may fluctuate between a 29 and a 30. Not 26-29.

 

[dentstd]

They don't really have a reason to discriminate between the AA and the TS. Research say that both are strong predictors of dental school success, by virtually the same amount. By using both the AA and the TS, they now have two predictors instead of one.

When both the AA and TS are high, then schools have little reason to question a students' qualifications.

When one is high and the other is low, then the indication is that one predictor may be accurate while the other may not. There's reason to be in somewhat of a limbo, because they can't tell which to follow.

When both AA and TS are low, both predictors indicate that the student will struggle more in dental school. Now, there's not much to question. The school may want to reject this applicant.

That's the general idea. The schools really have no reason to discriminate between the two predictors. The only scenario that I can think of where one may discriminate, by personal bias, is when one of the scores is so abnormally low in a section that's not highly regarded. For example, if the QR score is 15 while the sciences are 20+, then a person may prefer to use the TS over the AA. He may be thinking, "well, I don't believe math ability should be considered when dental school is mostly bio. So I won't consider that." Again, this would be a personal preference on their part.

 

[EnviroDentist]

Actually they look at both. The TS score is based on all 100 questions without regard to specific science subject. The individual subject scores are obvious enough.

The thing is, sometimes an individual subject score is higher and sometimes lower depending on that particular test... So if the bio section that day was 'easier' than normal, you might get a 26 for a perfect 40/40, whereas maybe the next day it would be 'harder' than normal and you'd get a 29 for a perfect 40/40. The TS score is generally the same, regardless of the test. If you get all 100 right you get a 30. If you get 99 right it's a 29, and so forth according to their scale. When they figure out the AA, it's based on the 3 individual subject scores and NOT the TS.

That being said, the schools will certainly look at everything.

When you are referring to the day that you took the test do you mean the particular exam out of the 5 or do you mean I took it on a Sunday and not many other people took it that day so the mean scores just happened to be lower?
Thanks