Everyone has said that it is best to take the DAT during the summer of your sophmore to junior year. If so then if I were to go to a cc when would I take it? should I take all my pre reqs then take the DAT before transfering to a 4 year university and take advance science classes there? or hold off until I transfer?
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When to take the DAT?
Started by maverick88
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maverick88 said:
I'll be cliche and tell you to take it when you're ready. But to go one step further...you take it so you have enough time to take it again if it doesn't go so hot. OR, you give yourself no option to retake it and you're so scared that you study and do well.
In all honesty, take it ASAP after the prereqs are done and study hard and get those high scores. BUT, if you have your score before you apply, then you won't waste your money on excess apps like I did.
best of luck!
The longer you wait, the more stress you'll have about remembering the old stuff and learnig the upper division classes. Take a practice test late in the spring before you transfer and figure out how much work it'll take to get the score you want. That way, you'll be good for a review course and a summer test cycle or to wait it out for another year of pre reqs.
How long do your test scores on the DAT last after you take it, before they are not counted anymore when applying to dental school?
So, I should take the DAT as soon as I take my pre-reqs, whether it be in CC or a university?
So, I should take the DAT as soon as I take my pre-reqs, whether it be in CC or a university?
I believe the scores are good for 3 years or at least 2.maverick88 said:
If you take it the summer after your sophomore year, they will only be 1 year old when you apply.
I think you should take it after your sophomore year. It would be nice to have the DAT out of the way. Also, if you don't do well on it you have a whole year to give it another shot.
aggie-master said:
so ideally the summer after my sophmore year would be the summer in which I am transfering from cc to univeristy to do my junior and senior year?
Yes. However, I recommend taking a practice test somewhere March-April to see how much work you'll need to put in studying. If you don't have the time that summer then focus on your post-transfer upper division courses and take it after your junior year. Whichever way guarantees the highest score will work. If you are applying after your junior year your energy will be divided between the application process and preparing for the DAT. This is why I personally would prefer the 1 year early DAT, if you can do well.
