What if I Screw Up!!!

[RU1992]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey Everyone. I'm taking my DAT on July 3rd for the first time (3.7 cumulative, 3.6 science) and applying right after I take the exam. My stuff is already being verified though because I already picked one school and am adding the additional ones after the test. I want to know what the LOWEST score I can get is and still be admitted to some dental school somewhere in the country. I understand there are a lot of factors, but just a rough idea would be good. Thanks again!

Work at a hospital over a year, shadow a general dentist 100+ hours, conduct research with a physician, volunteer in a non profit organization, a lot of leadership experience on campus, and am graduating in 3 years with a biology degree. Give me a harsh reality please of what I need. Thanks so much!

 

[theleatherwalle]

I would say an 18 would give you a chance. Anything lower would throw you out of the running. so 18+...use common sense. It seems to be lacking on these forums.

 

[RU1992]

I'm sure I have some common sense, but I saw people that were admitted with 17s and others who weren't admitted with 20's, so it makes it hard to make a good judgment and wanted other people's opinions.

 

[theleatherwalle]

admissions can be very random and downright unfair, but so is life. You just have to play the game.

 

[RU1992]

I don't understand, I wasn't here to get a motivational speech (no offense). I just wanted some dental school admissions opinions from other people.

 

[Parklife]

Get the highest everything possible. This isn't some sort of puzzle. Those that got in with bad scores lucked out. Those that didn't with good scores are out of luck.

 

[theleatherwalle]

Get the highest everything possible. This isn't some sort of puzzle. Those that got in with bad scores lucked out. Those that didn't with good scores are out of luck.

im stealing that. Also, I feel this thread will be littered with "motivational speeches" like do your best. honestly, there is not proven formula. Do your best and let what happens happen.

Go get em champ 😀

 

[Parle G]

Aim for 20+ with your GPA it shouldn't be a problem. I have a much lower GPA and still managed to pull a 21 so it's no problem 🙂

 

[yellowishbluish]

bare minimum the consensus is about 17 or 18 in one maybe two categories

ppl with 16s in one stat often retake

ppl with a 17 AA needs retaking too

you're still not a lock to get in having met the mins though which is why ppl are giving you "motivational speeches"

edit:

and the some goes both ways

you can get in with like a 16AA too if the rest of your app is special

 

[kgrill88]

Aim for 20+ with your GPA it shouldn't be a problem. I have a much lower GPA and still managed to pull a 21 so it's no problem 🙂

I agree with Parle G. You want to aim for a 20+. With your stats and other experiences like the research and shadowing, a 20 or higher should get you interviews no problem. You don't want to go into this test thinking whats my minimum, but aim high.

 

[RU1992]

I appreciate all the advice guys. Thing is though, I took 1 practice test and scored a 17 which I wasn't happy about at all. And it got me nervous because my exam is in 2 weeks! I don't think I'm going to be pulling a 21 to be honest with you, even though I'd hope so. I'm going to try to kill myself these 2 weeks to get as high as possible, but I just wanted to know what I should expect if I get X score on the test. So I'm looking at 17-18 as the bare minimum? And wow, thats amazing that you got a 21 with a lower gpa. I feel as if the people with lower GPA's tend to work a lot harder on the DAT to make up for it. Just what I've seen from people on the forum and in person...

 

[theleatherwalle]

you have a very non-caring attitude for someone with a higher than average GPA...

Why don't you push back your test a little to give yourself more time to study.

If you apply with a 3.7 and an 18. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy with a 3.3 and a 20 got in over you.

A 19 would make you much much safer.

 

[RU1992]

I have to take 2 summer courses that start 3 days after my exam :/ that's the reason. And I have been studying for this exam for quite some time now. I'm just not doing as well as I would like... A student with a 3.3 doesn't have 3 years worth of a great work ethic, while a 3.7 shows that almost all of my grades have been A's for 3 years now. I care about the test, it's just I can't manage another option at this point...

 

[dentalchick2016]

I have to take 2 summer courses that start 3 days after my exam :/ that's the reason. And I have been studying for this exam for quite some time now. I'm just not doing as well as I would like... A student with a 3.3 doesn't have 3 years worth of a great work ethic, while a 3.7 shows that almost all of my grades have been A's for 3 years now. I care about the test, it's just I can't manage another option at this point...

I dont think you have a "noncaring attitude" toward the DAT. I felt the same you do. Look at my posts and you will see we have very similar stats. You are gonna do great, if you have to retake be prepared but dont let that keep you from getting your 21 the first time around. I got a 17AA and am retaking but have a 3.7....so it happens to even the best of us and all you can do is get back up and fight. Good luck and dont sweat the small stuff. The best thing to do actually is get off of SDN for 2 weeks, relax, study with every fiber you have left and go take that test with your mean face on

 

[theleatherwalle]

a 3.7 doesn't really show me anything.

You could be an education major for all i know, and half your courses may have been at community college.

So your excuse is class starting 3 days after your exam. Well, I would still push it back. I think it looks better to just push it back maybe two weeks and give yourself time.

And trust me a student who goes to a good college without grade inflation. A 3.3 shows great work ethic.

Right now you seem to be mentally preparing yourself for doing badly instead of the other way around. If you were to make a 17 DAT and you are a bio or chem major with a 3.7. I would doubt all or any of your education. No offense to dental chick, but if you were to tell me you were a bio major with a 3.7 and scored in a 17 in a bio section I'd wonder what was up.

No-one wants someone who thinks they can coast their way to dent school on prior success. Lemme put it to you this way. It sounds like your looking down on someone with a 3.3 compared to your 3.7. I promise you at most private institutions if you were to walk in with your 3.7 and an 18 and a guy walked in with a 3.3 and a 20. More than likely, the guy with a 20 would be taken over you. So I suggest you do well in your state interview. Private schoosl tend to prefer DATs and state schoosl prefer GPAs. You are making it risky by getting an 18. I feel a 19 would lock you in at an acceptance. With 2 weeks of extra study I think a 19 is possible.

 

[TheDentist16]

I appreciate all the advice guys. Thing is though, I took 1 practice test and scored a 17 which I wasn't happy about at all. And it got me nervous because my exam is in 2 weeks! I don't think I'm going to be pulling a 21 to be honest with you, even though I'd hope so. I'm going to try to kill myself these 2 weeks to get as high as possible, but I just wanted to know what I should expect if I get X score on the test. So I'm looking at 17-18 as the bare minimum? And wow, thats amazing that you got a 21 with a lower gpa. I feel as if the people with lower GPA's tend to work a lot harder on the DAT to make up for it. Just what I've seen from people on the forum and in person...

Here's a touch of realism for you (since you hate motivational speeches 🙄): DAT scores aren't correlated to GPAs. I've seen people with low GPAs get low scores, high GPAs get high scores, low GPAs get high scores, and high GPAs get low scores. Since GPAs tend to vary across the board, depending on how prominent grade inflation is at any given university/college, it's hard to quantify how well anyone will do on the exam based upon their own college GPA. But that's why this test was made..to have a standard for measuring an applicant's academic potential. I wouldn't go into the test with a "what's the lowest I can get" mindset. If you set aside the GPA and extra-curricular activities, the DAT is the only way that dental schools can really see how candidates stack up against one another. Not to mention that many schools select candidates to interview based upon one's DAT score in addition to GPA. If you think about it, the DAT is the most current measurement of an applicant's academic abilities. A high GPA with a low DAT score can reflect negatively for an applicant, as adcoms may think that the applicant is losing motivation to enter dental school..or that the university/college the applicant comes from has large grade inflations.

So I guess my point is that complacency will definitely make you do worse than you want to. Aim for higher scores, and you won't disappoint yourself.

 

[RU1992]

@DentalChick... Hahaha thanks for the post. It actually made me think that there's other people like me out there 🙂 And yeah, I'm going in there and trying to kill it the first time around. At least a 19 AA is the plan. I think I'm going to apply regardless what score I get. Is that what you're going to do with your 17 AA? Gonna try to stop sweating the small stuff now 😉


@LeatherWale... Thanks for your input.
From: A Biology major graduating in 3 years with a Bachelors Degree from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Works at the 2nd ranked hospital in New Jersey (RWJ), Shadows a General Dentist who is a Professor at NYU, Researches at UMDNJ, Founded 2 Organizations on Campus and Held 3 Officer Positions, and volunteers to help those who need financial assistance. Yeah, I think I can "coast my way to dental school".

 

[TheDentist16]

a 3.7 doesn't really show me anything.

You could be an education major for all i know, and half your courses may have been at community college.

So your excuse is class starting 3 days after your exam. I could understand if you had work or school going on while your studying, but honestly your excuse is paper thin.

And trust me a student who goes to a good college without grade inflation. A 3.3 shows great work ethic.

Study hard stop making excuses. Right now you seem to be mentally preparing yourself for doing badly instead of the other way around. If you were to make a 17 DAT and you are a bio or chem major with a 3.7. I would doubt all or any of your education.

If you don't like my opinion...tough because I am sure a few adcoms share it. No-one wants someone who thinks they can coast their way to dent school on prior success.

My thoughts exactly. 👍

 

[RU1992]

@Sly: hahaha I appreciate the advice. It's definitely the right mindset without giving me a "motivational speech" 🙂 I'll be aiming for the highest score I can possibly get. "Pray for the best but preparing for the worst". That's all.

 

[dentalchick2016]

@DentalChick... Hahaha thanks for the post. It actually made me think that there's other people like me out there 🙂 And yeah, I'm going in there and trying to kill it the first time around. At least a 19 AA is the plan. I think I'm going to apply regardless what score I get. Is that what you're going to do with your 17 AA? Gonna try to stop sweating the small stuff now 😉


@LeatherWale... Thanks for your input.
From: A Biology major graduating in 3 years with a Bachelors Degree from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Works at the 2nd ranked hospital in New Jersey (RWJ), Shadows a General Dentist who is a Professor at NYU, Researches at UMDNJ, Founded 2 Organizations on Campus and Held 3 Officer Positions, and volunteers to help those who need financial assistance. Yeah, I think I can "coast my way to dental school".

Ya, I sure as heck am not giving up applying b/c of my score, because Im gonna retake it and study w/ chads videos and destroyer instead of kaplan. I took my gchem first year of college and pretty much forgot how to do all of it when I was so good. I'm in my 4th year graduating this december. Had to make space for ochem, physics, bios...etc etc lol...So my education has been grand and shouldnt be questioned. Its just my memory from 3 yrs back thats giving me grief. I didnt really know what score I would get on my actual DAT after practicing w/ kaplan tests...those were getting better and better. It was hard studying for one month right after my semester finals...so talk about headache. I have a great resume and for someone to think my education isnt for real, then they can just suck it. If they dont like my opinion, then thats just too dang bad.

On another note, I was in a huge car accident that pretty much racked my brain 2 summers ago and with all that stress, it was hard to even enter junior year. People have reasons for why they didnt do well and its all about overcoming obstacles and figuring out what you can do to make it better.

 

[TheDentist16]

@Sly: hahaha I appreciate the advice. It's definitely the right mindset without giving me a "motivational speech" 🙂 I'll be aiming for the highest score I can possibly get. "Pray for the best but preparing for the worst". That's all.

I apologize if I came across as abrasive or seemed to come down hard on you. Just trying to let you know that even a high GPA doesn't guarantee anything in today's competitive applicant pool. But I do still maintain that lower GPAs with higher DATs will definitely beat a higher GPA with a lower DAT. I have personally talked to admissions counselors about this topic last summer when I was studying for my DAT exam. It gave me extra motivation to do well because I saw that dental schools cared more for what kind of students applicants are now, rather than what kind of students they were (reflected in the GPA, perhaps a rough first year of college, or personal issues, etc). But definitely the pray for best but plan for worst motto does hold true for the DAT. Just don't let the "plan for worst" get in the way of your studying and I'm sure you'll do fine.

 

[RU1992]

@DentalChick... HAHAHAHAHA this literally had me laughing out loud. That's how I feel when people question my gpa or educational background. Everyone to their opinions though. Definitely apply with whatever score you have and make sure you apply to lower tier schools too. I'm actually taking a Kaplan course right now too and it ends in 2 weeks and I'm taking my exam right after. What would you say regarding the course and the real exam? I am not using destroyer or chad's videos though...

@SlyGuy... No no you came off as being realistic. Everything you're saying makes perfect sense. I'm going to work my hardest these next few weeks and take the test. There's not much more I can do from there.

 

[dentalchick2016]

@DentalChick... HAHAHAHAHA this literally had me laughing out loud. That's how I feel when people question my gpa or educational background. Everyone to their opinions though. Definitely apply with whatever score you have and make sure you apply to lower tier schools too. I'm actually taking a Kaplan course right now too and it ends in 2 weeks and I'm taking my exam right after. What would you say regarding the course and the real exam? I am not using destroyer or chad's videos though...

@SlyGuy... No no you came off as being realistic. Everything you're saying makes perfect sense. I'm going to work my hardest these next few weeks and take the test. There's not much more I can do from there.

I'm glad you understand my background and hopefully its helpful. Its disrespectful for someone to say that they would "doubt" your education. You know, I would do everything you could to get your hands on destroyer, and chads videos just from what I've been reading on SDN from ppl w/ high scores. They've said he breaks things down so that you can relearn what you forgot....and I'd say he's doing a great job right now w/ gchem. Destroyer, I have no experience with just yet...its being shipped as we speak. Kaplan wasnt helpful enough for me, and definitely doesnt help you relearn gchem like I needed. PM me if you need advice or anything, always willing to help.

 

[theleatherwalle]

Cough cough cough.

I wish I could tell you guys what I went through when I had to take my DAT. Lets see major surgery, had a job, and went to school 2 hours away, and did so on crutches for 6 weeks.

I did just fine. If someone is in doubt of your education, don't give them a reason to.

Tough love is good for you.

 

[dentalchick2016]

Cough cough cough.

I wish I could tell you guys what I went through when I had to take my DAT. Lets see major surgery, had a job, and went to school 2 hours away, and did so on crutches for 6 weeks.

I did just fine. If someone is in doubt of your education, don't give them a reason to.

Tough love is good for you.

Same to you buddy, adcoms will just love your cut-throat personality. good luck with your future patients if you have any. 😎

 

[theleatherwalle]

Sarcasm will get you far in life.


Don't shoot the messenger. Obviously I wasn't the only one who thought your 17 DAT and GPA didn't match up(You did as well). Some adcom will also think so. If that wasn't the case, then why would you be retaking the test.

We're here to help you. Sometimes people don't like hearing things that will help them. If someone is doubting you, the best way to tell them off is to prove them wrong.

Sarcastically posting something about them while you're not even in dental school...well it shows high class.

Trust me adcoms will love you talking down to older students. I am sure the people who give you a tour through a school will appreciate it as well.

 

[dymm]