Hi. I've turned in my app but i havent taken the DAT. My GPA is 3.77 BCP with A+'s and 3.71 without. My overall is like a 3.65. I am planning to take the DAt in like mid Sep. is that bad??? I just dont know if I'll be ready. Okay thanks for the help.
When is it too late to take the DAT???
- Thread starter GRAD
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The Wop
GRAD said:
Take it as soon as possible IF you're ready. Don't take it if you're not ready, but certainly don't put it off if you're just loafing in the meantime. Also, I'd suggest setting a appointment soon. It can be rescheduled up to 48 hours before the appt. I'd aim for August if I were you.
The Wop said:
The thing is that I'm taking a course until Aug 26, and so I cant take it before that. So i thought maybe a week or two after?? I dunno- i dont know how it works. since my app is missing the DAt scores, will they just hold my app if they like it??
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GRAD said:
They won't even look at your application until you send your DAT scores to them.
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I think you should start studying for it now and definitely try to take before August is over with.
If you put the time and effort into it, I think you can get prepared for it in a matter of weeks. I didn't start taking it seriously until last week and my scores are moving up fast. Two more weeks of studying for me.
If you put the time and effort into it, I think you can get prepared for it in a matter of weeks. I didn't start taking it seriously until last week and my scores are moving up fast. Two more weeks of studying for me.
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Initial interviews start in August/September. Your application will not even be looked at without DAT scores. Unless you need the class you are taking to graduate, it seems like you should really be putting your energy into the DAT. It takes three weeks to put DAT scores into snail mail and/or UPS to get the scores to schools, then the schools open the envelope, put them in your file, then the adcom comes back sometime later and reviews your application. You might get an interview after the inital acceptance letters go out in December.
If you stay with your current timeline this means your application will be complete sometime in late September or early October, making you techincally "late" even though you're working like a beast all summer to get it in early.
I suggest you drop the class and immediately go into overdrive to get the DAT finished soon. However, I agree that you should only take it if you are ready.
If you stay with your current timeline this means your application will be complete sometime in late September or early October, making you techincally "late" even though you're working like a beast all summer to get it in early.
I suggest you drop the class and immediately go into overdrive to get the DAT finished soon. However, I agree that you should only take it if you are ready.
reapply2007 said:
THe class i am taking is for the DAT, it's a prep course from Kaplan. So i cant really take the test before I finish that course....Do you think i have a bad chance of getting in? I applied to UCSF,UCLA, UOP, NOva, Michigan, USC, Maryland, Temple, Loma Linda, UNLV, and Arizona. I have a research paper published, my gpa is above, and I am an active volunteer. The DAT is the one thing that is really stressing me out. How much do i need to study?
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GRAD said:
If all you are doing right now is taking a class to prepare for the DAT then you should definitely take it before August is over. What you need to do is pretend that the DAT is two weeks away so that you get a sense of urgency about it and start studying 35+ hours per week. I was taking it slow studying an hour every other day and not getting any better. When I finally just broke out my Bio text book and started reading every chapter and taking notes my scores started going up in a few days.
You don't need to wait for the end of that course to take the DAT. I'm sure that the majority of people do fine without ever taking a Kaplan course.
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GRAD said:
I applied to four of the schools you are applying to...please read my post under "Application submitted/Dat mid august...." to get a feel of the timetable I experienced last year while applying.
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I suggest you look on-line and see when there is a test date open and then start building your schedule around that. Personally, two weeks out would be the absolute minimum I could handle. Then, I would work as many problems and practice tests as possible, reviewing what is weak and honing what can be stronger.
When I took the DAT, I figured out what scores I wanted, took as many practice tests as possible, and then planned on doing a couple points worse than my average practice tests. One thing Kaplan does well is to bury you with practice problems. 35+ hours a week sounds like a good starting point but if you need more hours, I suggest you build in more time to study and then actually study to the exclusion of all else, without interuptions. For me, I spent the last two days before the DAT doing nothing but brushing over all of the material one last time and working problems.
Hope this helps.
When I took the DAT, I figured out what scores I wanted, took as many practice tests as possible, and then planned on doing a couple points worse than my average practice tests. One thing Kaplan does well is to bury you with practice problems. 35+ hours a week sounds like a good starting point but if you need more hours, I suggest you build in more time to study and then actually study to the exclusion of all else, without interuptions. For me, I spent the last two days before the DAT doing nothing but brushing over all of the material one last time and working problems.
Hope this helps.
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Seeing as how most people say the Kaplan course isn't worth your time except for all the study material they give you, take it as early as possible. Just study your butt off and take it at the end of august while everything is fresh. by the end of august, each week you wait is like adding another few hundred applicants to the pool to compete against for interviews
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Hi,
How are you preparing for the DAT? I am taking old DAT's and reveiwing info indepth on questions that I miss. I think that there is a lot of information to study, so I figured if I did it this way I can hit all information for the DAT. What do you think?
Rhonda
How are you preparing for the DAT? I am taking old DAT's and reveiwing info indepth on questions that I miss. I think that there is a lot of information to study, so I figured if I did it this way I can hit all information for the DAT. What do you think?
Rhonda
aggie-master said:
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I think each person has to find what is best for them when it comes to studying.RHONDAROBINSON said:
I took Bio I two years ago and it was an internet (no lecture) course. I did a lot of cramming for exams which didn't help me retain the stuff for the DAT. Because of this, I made a 16 and a 14 on my first BIO tests and the 16 was with lots of lucky guesses. I broke out my old Bio textbook and just started reading through the text and taking notes on the stuff that I wasn't comfortable with. I also bought some Bio flash cards and went through them. I spent two days and still have more than half a book to read, but when I took my next Bio test I scored a 19 that could have easily been much higher but I missed all of the ones that I guessed on.
For the Chemistry and O-chem, I'm trying to just do the tests and then figure out how to do the problems that I got wrong. My biggest O-chem issue is memorizing all of the reactions.
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aggie-master said:
to all of you guys.. i have a question... if you are retaking the DAT... when you sign up for the test from the website... do u put down the names of all the schools you are applying to ? or ull select a few..wait..take the test and then add the rest of the schools?
what im worried about.. if God forbid i do worse this time.. i dont want them to see my scores.. can i not send them the scores? wait to see what i get?
pls help..
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When retaking the DAT, I did not list the schools I wanted to send scores to-just in case something went bad. This put me in a difficult spot.
1-While it is true you can send scores to five schools for the fee included in the registration fee, you can only do that at the time you register for the DAT. At any other time you can send scores for $15 per school.
2-I wasn't sure how long after the DAT I needed to wait before I could request scores be sent. For example, I was vvveerrryy happy with my scores. I went home to request scores be sent to schools. The form said something to the effect of "request scores from a previous test" but did not allow you to put in the test date. I called the ADEA DAT number and they did not have the results in their system yet, so they recommended I wait until they did. I had to wait a week.
Then, three weeks after that they sent the scores. If you're on a tight timeline you might want to just take the chance and request scores before you take it. On the other hand, faxing or mailing the unofficial scores (the testing center will give you a printout) works at some schools-at others they put it in your incomplete file and wait until your official scores arrive before they list your app as complete.
This is a tough call. I wish I would have just ordered the scores before the test.
1-While it is true you can send scores to five schools for the fee included in the registration fee, you can only do that at the time you register for the DAT. At any other time you can send scores for $15 per school.
2-I wasn't sure how long after the DAT I needed to wait before I could request scores be sent. For example, I was vvveerrryy happy with my scores. I went home to request scores be sent to schools. The form said something to the effect of "request scores from a previous test" but did not allow you to put in the test date. I called the ADEA DAT number and they did not have the results in their system yet, so they recommended I wait until they did. I had to wait a week.
Then, three weeks after that they sent the scores. If you're on a tight timeline you might want to just take the chance and request scores before you take it. On the other hand, faxing or mailing the unofficial scores (the testing center will give you a printout) works at some schools-at others they put it in your incomplete file and wait until your official scores arrive before they list your app as complete.
This is a tough call. I wish I would have just ordered the scores before the test.
