WAMC: EY 2025, DAT Retake?

[predent2003]

Date of submission: Applying Next Cycle, EY 2025
Overall GPA: 3.606 (started freshman year with 2.7, upward trend from then on)
Science/BCP GPA: haven't calculated, but can if you all need me to! haven't taken physics yet
DAT score (include AA and all sections): planning on retaking in Spring or Summer (will apply early in May/June and submit score once taken)
PAT 18
QR 17
RC 22
BIO 17
GC 17
OC 18
Total Science 17
Academic Average 18
--was scoring 20-22 on practice tests so was super upset with this score!

State of Residence: Texas
Major: B.S Biology
Minor: none
Minority? Yes, Hispanic/Latino
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 150+: ~120 hrs general, 18 hrs peds, 6 hrs OMFS (have dental internship planned spring 2024 so assuming I'd get up to ~200 by then)
Volunteering Experience: 160 hrs: Give Kids a Smile, helping triage patients at underserved clinic, The Big Event, other sports related-volunteering through my team.
Employment: Biology Tutor, 125hrs over 3 consecutive semesters
Research: 300 hrs, Genetics research, no publications, school presentation/poster only
Other Extracurriculars: Collegiate Athlete (20 hrs per wk in season/8 per wk off season), PreDent Society Founder & President of another club on campus, Member of Pre-Health, Chosen to be onNCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? Texas A&M SPEP program (able to shadow @ their extra/intramural clinics, going to Impressions Day this March, intend on going to other Tx schools 'impressions' days as well
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's List, received high honors at SPEP program, Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll, Named 1 of 3 US Collegiate Athlete Association All-Americans on team
LOR type and strength: Bio Dept committee letter (1 is my research PI--strong, 1 academic advisor/prof--very strong, 1 Physio prof/Predent Club sponsor--very strong, 1 Head of Bio Dept/prof--mid/strong, 1 Nutrition Prof--mid/strong), OChem Professor--very strong, Peds dentist I shadowed--very strong
--is the committee letter too much? should i not ask that many profs?
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: 2 C's on transcript from freshman yr, applying straight out of undergrad

School list:
Texas A&M (Dallas)
Woody L Hunt (El Paso)
UTHSCSA (San Antonio)
UTSD (Houston)
--really only want to stay in state, but open to applying to AADSAS if I can find another school besides Oklahoma I'd be interested in or if you guys have any suggestions! honestly, i have not done enough research on schools yet, but once I get back to school I will
--open to any suggestion on how to improve my future app & if I should retake my DAT or not. I plan on taking 13 credits this next semester so I have time to study, but a couple of mentors have said studying during the semester is not the best option and that I should take it in the summer instead. I won't be working as a Bio tutor anymore & no labs. what do you all think? I'm really aiming to apply early to increase my odds

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[Mr.Smile12]

Sorry about that DAT, so I hope you can do better on the retake. Are you connected with SNDA chapters and the HDA? It sounds like you did the outreach so in wasn't too be sure about continued mentoring. Your in states are still your best bets, but you could consider Arizona or UNLV though the tuition cost will be much higher as OOS.

 

[predent2003]

Sorry about that DAT, so I hope you can do better on the retake. Are you connected with SNDA chapters and the HDA? It sounds like you did the outreach so in wasn't too be sure about continued mentoring. Your in states are still your best bets, but you could consider Arizona or UNLV though the tuition cost will be much higher as OOS.

Thank you, hoping I do better too! I have mentorship through an ASDA District, but not the ones you mentioned. The A&M program was just for the summer, but did offer a lot of networking opportunities

 

[Mr.Smile12]

open to any suggestion on how to improve my future app & if I should retake my DAT or not

Take advantage of the DAT forum here. Do a lot of practice questions. You know your summer schedule better and how it impacts your finances.

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: Applying Next Cycle, EY 2025
Overall GPA: 3.606 (started freshman year with 2.7, upward trend from then on)
Science/BCP GPA: haven't calculated, but can if you all need me to! haven't taken physics yet
DAT score (include AA and all sections): planning on retaking in Spring or Summer (will apply early in May/June and submit score once taken)
PAT 18
QR 17
RC 22
BIO 17
GC 17
OC 18
Total Science 17
Academic Average 18
--was scoring 20-22 on practice tests so was super upset with this score!

State of Residence: Texas
Major: B.S Biology
Minor: none
Minority? Yes, Hispanic/Latino
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 150+: ~120 hrs general, 18 hrs peds, 6 hrs OMFS (have dental internship planned spring 2024 so assuming I'd get up to ~200 by then)
Volunteering Experience: 160 hrs: Give Kids a Smile, helping triage patients at underserved clinic, The Big Event, other sports related-volunteering through my team.
Employment: Biology Tutor, 125hrs over 3 consecutive semesters
Research: 300 hrs, Genetics research, no publications, school presentation/poster only
Other Extracurriculars: Collegiate Athlete (20 hrs per wk in season/8 per wk off season), PreDent Society Founder & President of another club on campus, Member of Pre-Health, Chosen to be onNCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? Texas A&M SPEP program (able to shadow @ their extra/intramural clinics, going to Impressions Day this March, intend on going to other Tx schools 'impressions' days as well
Relevant Honors or Awards: Dean's List, received high honors at SPEP program, Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll, Named 1 of 3 US Collegiate Athlete Association All-Americans on team
LOR type and strength: Bio Dept committee letter (1 is my research PI--strong, 1 academic advisor/prof--very strong, 1 Physio prof/Predent Club sponsor--very strong, 1 Head of Bio Dept/prof--mid/strong, 1 Nutrition Prof--mid/strong), OChem Professor--very strong, Peds dentist I shadowed--very strong
--is the committee letter too much? should i not ask that many profs?
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: 2 C's on transcript from freshman yr, applying straight out of undergrad

School list:
Texas A&M (Dallas)
Woody L Hunt (El Paso)
UTHSCSA (San Antonio)
UTSD (Houston)
--really only want to stay in state, but open to applying to AADSAS if I can find another school besides Oklahoma I'd be interested in or if you guys have any suggestions! honestly, i have not done enough research on schools yet, but once I get back to school I will
--open to any suggestion on how to improve my future app & if I should retake my DAT or not. I plan on taking 13 credits this next semester so I have time to study, but a couple of mentors have said studying during the semester is not the best option and that I should take it in the summer instead. I won't be working as a Bio tutor anymore & no labs. what do you all think? I'm really aiming to apply early to increase my odds

texas schools are SO competitive, so you likely need to consider a retake to improve your chances
i'd bet you get lots of OOS interest, though...