What to do? Retake DAT sooner or apply earlier?

[OhioGuy42]

Hi everyone, I am reapplying this year as I only received one interview last year. I got an 18AA my first time taking the DAT and I am thinking about submitting my app by late June at max. Therefore, I would need to take my DAT by June 17th(ish), and that only gives me about a month of studying. Do you recommend me submitting with my 18AA earlier, and submitting my DAT when i feel comfortable or just wait till I take my test to submit?

Thank you!

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[PreDenting]

Hey!

A lot of questions come to mind before being able to provide a comprehensive response to your questions because remember...dental schools look at your application holistically. A low GPA or low DAT typically won't cause the outcome you mentioned. Think about these questions... Did you apply to enough safety and target schools? Are your dental experiences and volunteer hours competitive? Is your GPA competitive?

It's a little late to increase your shadowing hours, start in a research lab, or participate significantly in dental experiences considering you'll be submitting in the next month but if your 18AA DAT is the largest concern to you, just make sure you apply to schools that accept students around that range.

Hope it helps and feel free to schedule a free call if you'd like a more in-depth response so I understand your entire situation better.

Good luck!

 

[TheDentalSchoolCoach]

Hi everyone, I am reapplying this year as I only received one interview last year. I got an 18AA my first time taking the DAT and I am thinking about submitting my app by late June at max. Therefore, I would need to take my DAT by June 17th(ish), and that only gives me about a month of studying. Do you recommend me submitting with my 18AA earlier, and submitting my DAT when i feel comfortable or just wait till I take my test to submit?

Thank you!

From personal experience, you should apply first, preferably within the first week of June. Then study for the DAT. You should take your time to take the DAT. I took the DAT in July once and wasn't satisfied with my score and took it again in October (which is kind of late). But, what I'd say is that taking the time in studying for the DAT will immensely help you. The question I'd ask you is why do you need to take the DAT by June 17th? Why are you rushing?

 

[1TrickUnicorn]

From personal experience, you should apply first, preferably within the first week of June. Then study for the DAT. You should take your time to take the DAT. I took the DAT in July once and wasn't satisfied with my score and took it again in October (which is kind of late). But, what I'd say is that taking the time in studying for the DAT will immensely help you. The question I'd ask you is why do you need to take the DAT by June 17th? Why are you rushing?

To add to this, don't rush things especially if you got a 18AA the first time. Last thing you want is getting the same score the 2nd time.