What should I do?

[2th fairy]

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I am a Texas resident and turned in my TMDSAS and AADSAS last month. All the schools have my application and were just waiting for my DAT scores which I took a few days ago. My AA and AS are 18 and 19 and my PAT is only a 14🙁. It was always my weakness but Ive never scored less than an 18 on any of my CDP tests. Anyway, I cant take the DAT again till December and the schools have sent me emails to fill out secondaries online probably because they dont have my scores yet.

What should I do? Wait till December and retake the test and then fill out the secondaries, or just fill out the secondaries now and tell the schools about my retake. Wont it be too late by then....??

 

[hellopeople]

I guess I would fill out the secondaries and tell the schools you are retaking. I can't see anything else you could do. I wouldn't delay finishing your app until December.

 

[mamelons]

I am a Texas resident and turned in my TMDSAS and AADSAS last month. All the schools have my application and were just waiting for my DAT scores which I took a few days ago. My AA and AS are 18 and 19 and my PAT is only a 14🙁. It was always my weakness but Ive never scored less than an 18 on any of my CDP tests. Anyway, I cant take the DAT again till December and the schools have sent me emails to fill out secondaries online probably because they dont have my scores yet.

What should I do? Wait till December and retake the test and then fill out the secondaries, or just fill out the secondaries now and tell the schools about my retake. Wont it be too late by then....??

I am not sure how much the scores have changed since I applied 5 years ago, but my DAT was 18/18/15 (AA/TS/PAT) and I was accepted to all three Texas schools plus one OOS school. If you have pretty good grades and a decent science background, I can't imagine you not getting interviews with those schools, even with the PAT. Heck I made a 14 on QR. Unless it has changed quite a bit, the Texas schools didn't weight the PAT as much as other schools do.

And yes-- fill out your secondaries. If you wait, you are really risking not even getting interviews. And who knows, you might get invited for an interview without retaking the DAT, so I might be weary of telling them you are retaking it, because they may just put your application on hold until December, in which case, you are making very hard on yourself to get an interview and an acceptance. Also-- since your DAT scores are similar to mine, I would also be weary of retaking it-- what if your PAT goes to a 20+ but your AA/TS drop?

 

[jackalo34]

I am not sure how much the scores have changed since I applied 5 years ago, but my DAT was 18/18/15 (AA/TS/PAT) and I was accepted to all three Texas schools plus one OOS school. If you have pretty good grades and a decent science background, I can't imagine you not getting interviews with those schools, even with the PAT. Heck I made a 14 on QR. Unless it has changed quite a bit, the Texas schools didn't weight the PAT as much as other schools do.

And yes-- fill out your secondaries. If you wait, you are really risking not even getting interviews. And who knows, you might get invited for an interview without retaking the DAT, so I might be weary of telling them you are retaking it, because they may just put your application on hold until December, in which case, you are making very hard on yourself to get an interview and an acceptance. Also-- since your DAT scores are similar to mine, I would also be weary of retaking it-- what if your PAT goes to a 20+ but your AA/TS drop?

Things have indeed changed.

 

[tfchentx]

Things have indeed changed.

Agree. I didn't get any interview with TX dental schools last year with the same stats I have now. I learn from mistakes and applied not only to TX schools this year and got many interviews now. STILL WITHOUT ANYTHING from TX DENTAL SCHOOLS. I am TX resident 🙁

Well, for the OP, I would say fill out secondaries and tell the schools that you are retaking. There's always hope!

 

[wizi]

Agree. I didn't get any interview with TX dental schools last year with the same stats I have now. I learn from mistakes and applied not only to TX schools this year and got many interviews now. STILL WITHOUT ANYTHING from TX DENTAL SCHOOLS. I am TX resident 🙁

Well, for the OP, I would say fill out secondaries and tell the schools that you are retaking. There's always hope!

Did you call them last cycle? Maybe there is something in your app that they dont like?

 

[mamelons]

Something else I meant to add-- your decision to retake might also be dependent on what your GPA is like (cumulative and science) as well as your extracurriculars. I know my DAT was not great, but I had stellar grades and I was a Division 1 athlete. I know my opinion isn't what matters, but if you have good grades and lots of extracurriculars, I honestly think you should be fine. I have known a handful of people to get accepted to a Texas school with 17 AA and 14-17 PAT, and this has been after I started dental school. Good luck in making your decision.