Why are there so many 22AA+ DAT score on sdn?

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predentalguy20

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WTF I am so worried about my DAT score now. I saw the "official interview/rejection" thread and they ALL have at least 21AA. WTF dental schools for me are gonna be almost impossible to get into if this is the case. WOW I am so scared now

I hope these guys dont represent the majority of dental school applicants.:eek:

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A 22AA+ is only the top 500-ish of test takers each year. That's probably the top 3% of test takers (and the top quintile of folks who get a DS seat) but only a small fraction of this cohort will post this information on SDN.

Also, the DAT is an achievement test so in all sections except the RC (the only intelligence-intensive section of the test), you don't have to be all that smart to get a great score. You just need to know what to study and SDN has a plethora of information on that.

If your scores don't get you into dental school... retake it. The beauty of an achievement test is that if you keep grinding away at it, you improve your scores.
 
A 22AA+ is only the top 500-ish of test takers each year. That's probably the top 3% of test takers (and the top quintile of folks who get a DS seat) but only a small fraction of this cohort will post this information on SDN.

Also, the DAT is an achievement test so in all sections except the RC (the only intelligence-intensive section of the test), you don't have to be all that smart to get a great score. You just need to know what to study and SDN has a plethora of information on that.

If your scores don't get you into dental school... retake it. The beauty of an achievement test is that if you keep grinding away at it, you improve your scores.

LOL search and destroy???
 
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If you look at doc toothaches 2011 statics its something like ~4800 students get accepted and out of them ~800 had 21+. So I think this fact is always looked passed when someone takes their DAT and they are told to retake because they got an 18,19 or w.e. but 4000 people got in below a 21. Just something to think about. And another thing all the 22+ people are totally into getting in to dental school so they most likely are sdn users as well.
 
If you look at doc toothaches 2011 statics its something like ~4800 students get accepted and out of them ~800 had 21+. So I think this fact is always looked passed when someone takes their DAT and they are told to retake because they got an 18,19 or w.e. but 4000 people got in below a 21. Just something to think about. And another thing all the 22+ people are totally into getting in to dental school so they most likely are sdn users as well.

17% is a pretty big number dude!!!

that means the remaining have 19-20? damn dental schools are so competitive!! now. Probably should look into pod or pharm now lol...
 
Will search and destroy get you a 22+ RC? Especially on the latest versions of the exam?

I don't know but I believe like 80% of people who got 20+ RC used search and destroy. Not trying to argue but the RC section on the DAT doesn't really test your comprehension rather how fast you can read and remember info. Most of the questions are not tone based questions and the answers can be found directly on the passage. If you really want to test someone's comprehension than all questions should be tone based, maybe like the verbal section of the MCAT.:laugh:
 
I don't know but I believe like 80% of people who got 20+ RC used search and destroy. Not trying to argue but the RC section on the DAT doesn't really test your comprehension rather how fast you can read and remember info. Most of the questions are not tone based questions and the answers can be found directly on the passage. If you really want to test someone's comprehension than all questions should be tone based, maybe like the verbal section of the MCAT.:laugh:

The DAT is becoming more and more like MCAT-verbal. They're adding increasing amounts of tone and inference questions.

On the DAT section of this forum, you can find ppl getting completely ambushed by large amounts of tone and inference when they relied on S&D.

I wish dental schools created an exact replica of the MCAT with PAT instead of physics and call it the DCAT.
 
The DAT is becoming more and more like MCAT-verbal. They're adding increasing amounts of tone and inference questions.

On the DAT section of this forum, you can find ppl getting completely ambushed by large amounts of tone and inference when they relied on S&D.

YESSS!! and that would be me :laugh:

17 RC here but hey I got a 450 on SAT reading so 17 is a big accomplishment for me.
 
Sometimes there's a pretty heavy pounce if you roll in here with what truly are average stats. And you throw a 17 in there, it's retake, retake, retake and this section is more important and that's the most important and red-flag this and cut-off that and your only hope is apply to 40 schools and pray and are you URM and blah, blah, blah.

21s,22s and onward get into the range of gold-star artwork your mom used to hang on the fridge. When the rest of the world doesn't know what a 23AA means, it's fun to share here where we understand and you see good SDN dental citizens congratulating and patting backs and helping and supporting each other. And those are the scores pre-DAT people want a breakdown from. High stat people who contribute here are awesome. It's that select few who pull off a high score and suddenly become elitist and start pissing on the rest and start belittling everyone. That's no fun and not exactly an inviting atmosphere for those who pull an 18 or 19 to come share.
 
Because people like to brag.. and let's face it, if you have a low score why try to show that off... lol
 
22+ are still not the norm. Although, I do think the DAT scores are going up slightly. More than half of the schools I applied to had 20 or higher as their mean AA.
 
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22+ are still not the norm. Although, I do think the DAT scores are going up slightly. More than half of the schools I applied to had 20 or higher as their mean AA.

I the mean is that high because of these 22AA+ scores :mad:
 
RC is the biggest joke. Search destroy and guess on the rest. ended up with a 19 lmao. Pretty easy section when you can half-ass it and still do well.

A Hahahahah that's exactly how my DAT went down

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I don't think DAT scores have nearly as much to do with it as your whole application. I have a 22 AA and zero interviews. Submitted in
August.

Low gpa possibly?;)
 
I think the prep materials are getting too good for the current test. Between DAT destroyer, Chad's videos, TopScore etc people are able to extensively prepare for this test. I think an adjustment will be made in the coming years to test in a way that isn't possible to just memorize a ton of info and get 99% on the test. For example, I didn't conceptually understand O-Chem (I took the test before the class) and got a 28 on O-chem through memorization. That should not happen.
 
I think the prep materials are getting too good for the current test. Between DAT destroyer, Chad's videos, TopScore etc people are able to extensively prepare for this test. I think an adjustment will be made in the coming years to test in a way that isn't possible to just memorize a ton of info and get 99% on the test. For example, I didn't conceptually understand O-Chem (I took the test before the class) and got a 28 on O-chem through memorization. That should not happen.

I memorized AP cliff book and only got an 18:laugh:

Also I didn't learn much in gen chem and ochem conceptually and got a 20 and 21 with chad's :laugh:
 
I memorized AP cliff book and only got an 18:laugh:

Also I didn't learn much in gen chem and ochem conceptually and got a 20 and 21 with chad's :laugh:

The bio section does a good job of testing conceptual understanding. Out of all the sections, this one seems like the most well written section on the DAT (at least on my given test). Lots of people walk out thinking bio is very random because they lack conceptual understanding of topics covered on the DAT. This is how I think the test should be for all sections in my opinion.
 
Blah. Reading comprehension. So annoying. I did search and destroy, and the only thing that got destroyed was me.

Had I just read the damn passages I probably would have been fine. It's annoying because so many people say it has the highest correlation to board scores and overall success.
 
The bio section does a good job of testing conceptual understanding. Out of all the sections, this one seems like the most well written section on the DAT (at least on my given test). Lots of people walk out thinking bio is very random because they lack conceptual understanding of topics covered on the DAT. This is how I think the test should be for all sections in my opinion.

I think you are right. A lot of my bio questions were inference type questions. But dude I had bio1&2, intro biochem, and cellbio&neuro and i got ZERO questions on those upper level science classes. They were mostly on microbio(i think), anatomy&physio question which ap cliff did an OK job on.
 
RC is the biggest joke. Search destroy and guess on the rest. ended up with a 19 lmao. Pretty easy section when you can half-ass it and still do well.

Or you could have just read the passages like you're supposed to and scored a 24... I've never understood why people just don't read the passages and answer the questions. You have plenty of time.

Also, 22 AA is still very good. What's different is consistency across sections. Someone who get's 20+ in every section as opposed to someone who scores outrageously high in one or two sections and relatively low in others would probably get the nod in a head to head.
 
Or you could have just read the passages like you're supposed to and scored a 24... I've never understood why people just don't read the passages and answer the questions. You have plenty of time.

Also, 22 AA is still very good. What's different is consistency across sections. Someone who get's 20+ in every section as opposed to someone who scores outrageously high in one or two sections and relatively low in others would probably get the nod in a head to head.

You must be a machine. I would guess that the vast majority of DAT takers would not agree that there is plenty of time to read for comprehension and answer the questions.
 
Or you could have just read the passages like you're supposed to and scored a 24... I've never understood why people just don't read the passages and answer the questions. You have plenty of time.

Also, 22 AA is still very good. What's different is consistency across sections. Someone who get's 20+ in every section as opposed to someone who scores outrageously high in one or two sections and relatively low in others would probably get the nod in a head to head.

Because NOT everyone reads at the same pace DUDE!! lol. Do you know what its like to learn english at the age of 14???? on my RC section I didn't even finish reading the whole passage!!
 
:thumbup:agreed.
RC section feels like time just flies on by. Science sections have plenty of time.

You must be a machine. I would guess that the vast majority of DAT takers would not agree that there is plenty of time to read for comprehension and answer the questions.
 
17% is a pretty big number dude!!!

that means the remaining have 19-20? damn dental schools are so competitive!! now. Probably should look into pod or pharm now lol...

Idk I would have to disagree. On the other hand ~ 83 % don't have a 21+. Also if you look at the numbers 44% of people that apply get in. So you have to assume some are just unlucky, awkward, have one red flag( bad gpa, one section on DAT bad, didn't do requirements, bad LOR or little to zero ECs) so I don't blame you for being like wtf is with all these 22+ but to stay clam and to stay sane just look at the numbers and hopefully you can see your self in that 44%. I sure am lol! I am a prime example of an avg applicant.... :xf:
 
I read every word in the RC section and had time to spare, I got a 28 on that section and still no interviews. I'm not sure what the adcoms are looking for.
 
This thread was so interesting that I pulled out my DAT score sheet to compare. I got a 21 AA and that was the 97.2 percentile (as of 7/19/12). So that means like 3% of people are getting 21+ AA. That really can't be THAT many people. I'm sure thousands of students get in with <21 AA so you will be fine! For RC, I got a 24 and that was 98.0 percentile so you know not many people are totally acing that part either. I bet a majority of people are probably around 18-20 in most sections, and they do just fine :) You also should consider those people who get like 22+ in the sciences but then 16-17 in QR and RC and they still get a 21 or 22 AA, but aren't quite well rounded. I don't think that looks as good compared to just 20s across the board or something similar. That's just my opinion and I don't mean to offend or belittle anyone who is in a situation like that.
Regardless, if you can make the rest of your application look great by filling it with extracurriculars/shadowing/good letters of rec, etc. then you can do it! Don't sweat it!:)
 
This thread was so interesting that I pulled out my DAT score sheet to compare. I got a 21 AA and that was the 97.2 percentile (as of 7/19/12). So that means like 3% of people are getting 21+ AA. That really can't be THAT many people. I'm sure thousands of students get in with <21 AA so you will be fine! For RC, I got a 24 and that was 98.0 percentile so you know not many people are totally acing that part either. I bet a majority of people are probably around 18-20 in most sections, and they do just fine :) You also should consider those people who get like 22+ in the sciences but then 16-17 in QR and RC and they still get a 21 or 22 AA, but aren't quite well rounded. I don't think that looks as good compared to just 20s across the board or something similar. That's just my opinion and I don't mean to offend or belittle anyone who is in a situation like that.
Regardless, if you can make the rest of your application look great by filling it with extracurriculars/shadowing/good letters of rec, etc. then you can do it! Don't sweat it!:)
The percentiles on the DAT don't correspond well to actual applicants. For example, 21 AA is 97th percentile for the DAT, but it's more common than that in the pool of actual applicants. The reason is because many people retake the DAT twice and others will do write the test and not apply that year.
 
That's interesting, scv. I received a 21 AA and was only 91st percentile and took the exam on July 19th too... so weird! I wonder if it has to do with the people taking the exam in that region and day- I don't think they post percentiles for the entire year, so we don't actually know. (I am saying this because I also ordered an official copy and there were no percentiles listed at all.)
 
Took mine in June and received a 20 AA with 93%

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Since Sept I think the new percentiles are up. When I took it in May my 22aa is 95 percentile. My friend just took his and he received a 22aa as well and it's ranked as 99 percentile. So the recent DAT is harder than before. So for those taking it from now until next summer I believe you should aim for a 20 and be fine at the 90-95 percentile.


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RC is the biggest joke. Search destroy and guess on the rest. ended up with a 19 lmao. Pretty easy section when you can half-ass it and still do well.

I dun even speek Engrish and still got 19.
 
AHAHAHAAH stop mocking the asians even if u are asian yourself

GOT POH-BLEM? I SQUIRT YO EYE WIT SRIRACHA SAUCE, WAITE GAI.


Jk.. But in all honesty, I spent most of my adolescent years in ESL and still did fine on the verbal section of the SAT and the RC section of the DAT. I don't think it's really that indicative of anyone's intelligence at all.
 
The problem with DAT percentiles is that essentially they mean nothing. From what I have read, DAT percentiles are calculated based upon people who took the EXACT same test as you...therefore there is no way to factor in the difficulty of a particular test. For instance, I received a 22AA and was 96%, I have seen both 20AA that are 93% and 21AA that are both 91% and 97%, but does that necessarily mean that my test was easier? Or maybe that the people who took my test were better prepared than that of a higher percentile for a lower score? There is no way to know.

Regardless, unfortunately schools only get our scores, not our percentiles. In addition, even if a percentage was indicative of where your ranking among test takers for this year, there are 2nd and 3rd time applicants that can be using a test from two or three years ago respectively. Even if I am in the 96% with a 22AA, that does not mean I am in the top 4% of DAT scores for current applicants, but could be rather the top 15%
 
The problem with DAT percentiles is that essentially they mean nothing. From what I have read, DAT percentiles are calculated based upon people who took the EXACT same test as you...therefore there is no way to factor in the difficulty of a particular test. For instance, I received a 22AA and was 96%, I have seen both 20AA that are 93% and 21AA that are both 91% and 97%, but does that necessarily mean that my test was easier? Or maybe that the people who took my test were better prepared than that of a higher percentile for a lower score? There is no way to know.

Regardless, unfortunately schools only get our scores, not our percentiles. In addition, even if a percentage was indicative of where your ranking among test takers for this year, there are 2nd and 3rd time applicants that can be using a test from two or three years ago respectively. Even if I am in the 96% with a 22AA, that does not mean I am in the top 4% of DAT scores for current applicants, but could be rather the top 15%

Agreed

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The reading section depends all on how much you read in your spare time. I can't do the hunt method. I read every section before looking at the questions and ended with more than 10 minutes left. I got a 23 in reading. That score is actually pretty important to the committees so "half assing" is like someone mentioned above is not a good idea.
 
The reading section depends all on how much you read in your spare time. I can't do the hunt method. I read every section before looking at the questions and ended with more than 10 minutes left. I got a 23 in reading. That score is actually pretty important to the committees so "half assing" is like someone mentioned above is not a good idea.

This might be true. I'm a big reader and I found it very easy to finish the RC test on time. (I actually submitted about 10 minutes early, as well, because I'd checked all my answers several times and was ready to move on.) I didn't prepare for the section or use any tricks, I just read the passages, took some notes while I did it (mostly to help me focus) and answered the questions. I got a 24. I think all the reading I do in my spare time definitely makes me a faster reader and probably prepared me better for the RC section than learning search and destroy.
 
The problem with DAT percentiles is that essentially they mean nothing. From what I have read, DAT percentiles are calculated based upon people who took the EXACT same test as you...therefore there is no way to factor in the difficulty of a particular test. For instance, I received a 22AA and was 96%, I have seen both 20AA that are 93% and 21AA that are both 91% and 97%, but does that necessarily mean that my test was easier? Or maybe that the people who took my test were better prepared than that of a higher percentile for a lower score? There is no way to know.

Regardless, unfortunately schools only get our scores, not our percentiles. In addition, even if a percentage was indicative of where your ranking among test takers for this year, there are 2nd and 3rd time applicants that can be using a test from two or three years ago respectively. Even if I am in the 96% with a 22AA, that does not mean I am in the top 4% of DAT scores for current applicants, but could be rather the top 15%


Isn't this how percentile scores work for all standardized tests?? I dunno....If I scored in the 98.7th percentile, I don't say, "I scored in the 98.7th percentile, but that was just for my version of the test and maybe my version might have been easier than others...blah.. blah....blah." If percentile ever comes up, I just say I scored in the 98.7th percentile on my DAT.
 
Will search and destroy get you a 22+ RC? Especially on the latest versions of the exam?

I took the DAT in July, used Search and Destroy, and got a 22 RC. So yes it is very possible.
 
WTF I am so worried about my DAT score now. I saw the "official interview/rejection" thread and they ALL have at least 21AA. WTF dental schools for me are gonna be almost impossible to get into if this is the case. WOW I am so scared now

I hope these guys dont represent the majority of dental school applicants.:eek:

they do. in fact, the new standard for dental admission is a minimum of 21AA (with nothing less than 20 ~ yes including math)
 
they do. in fact, the new standard for dental admission is a minimum of 21AA (with nothing less than 20 ~ yes including math)

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