Worth it to apply for this cycle?

[lilqu]

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hey guys, here are my stats:
3.67 overall, 3.5 SGpa
Various EC's

My question is, i left DAT till a bit late this year, i have studied however i don't know if it's worth taking it this month (this is dependent on whether its worth still applying for Dental school for this cycle)

im about to start shadowing at a Jaw and facial surgery practice, i shadowed a dentist for a few hours a few months back.
i life in FL, i was wondering do you think i could pull off taking DAT this month, and stacking 40+ hours at the dental practice and still have a chance of getting in??

 

[rav4182]

if you feel like you'll be properly prepared then def take the dat and apply. its not super late. the ppl on this website are mostly overachievers so they all apply early.

 

[adizzle87]

I don't think you should rush into studying for an exam until you are sure of the profession you want to be in. Based on what you have said in your other posts, you should take some time to think about the kind of career you want.

It's OK to take some time to figure things out. If you decide you are adamant about dentistry after a couple more shadowing visits then i think then would be the right time to study for the DAT and prepare to apply for the next cycle. This way you'll give yourself a fair chance to decide the profession you want to be in. On top of that applying early next cycle also gives you the best shot at getting into your dream school and not having to "settle for less" as a result of getting in a late app. Best of luck to you.

 

[lululime]

Initially, I didn't consider applying for this cycle either. But one of my friends has convinced me to, so I think I might. In my case, I have only completed 2 years of my BSc and will have all of my prereqs done by the end of this year. I've only been studying for the DAT for 2 weeks so far while working on my supplementaries. I'm still lacking shadowing experience and reference letters (any suggestions?), but I'm hoping to try my best early this fall to accomplish this. I expect to write the Canadian DAT this November and to get my application submitted near the end of this cycle. I might be at a disadvantage applying with only the cDAT and applying so late, but it's only a few hundred dollars for these efforts. There's still the next cycle if I don't make the cut this year.

So best advice for you is to submit an application if the costs are no objection to you. Best of luck!

 

[beatsdre]

Initially, I didn't consider applying for this cycle either. But one of my friends has convinced me to, so I think I might. In my case, I have only completed 2 years of my BSc and will have all of my prereqs done by the end of this year. I've only been studying for the DAT for 2 weeks so far while working on my supplementaries. I'm still lacking shadowing experience and reference letters (any suggestions?), but I'm hoping to try my best early this fall to accomplish this. I expect to write the Canadian DAT this November and to get my application submitted near the end of this cycle. I might be at a disadvantage applying with only the cDAT and applying so late, but it's only a few hundred dollars for these efforts. There's still the next cycle if I don't make the cut this year.

So best advice for you is to submit an application if the costs are no objection to you. Best of luck!

The only problem I see with this and the OP plan is this: considering you guys aren't super competitive and are applying mid-late in the cycle- the odds are against you.

However, if you get in- thats great!👍
However, if you don't get in...

Then you are going to have to deal with the question: "What's makes you a better reapplicant"- which can be easily answered...;however, you really need to "STEP" it up as a reapplicant. Many times ppl do masters, post-bac, score a 25 on the dat, etc etc which looks extremely committed/competitive.

So in other words, it could work against you in the long run.
However, I'm not trying to discourage anyone at all. I could of applied with a 3.3 late august with my dat scores, but I decided it would be more solid to apply with a 3.5 June of this year, and not have to deal with the "reapplicant question."

Just throwing my 2cents out there, good luck with ure decision and go for it if you feel comfortable to ace the dat! =)

 

[DunStopBelievin]

The only problem I see with this and the OP plan is this: considering you guys aren't super competitive and are applying mid-late in the cycle- the odds are against you.

However, if you get in- thats great!👍
However, if you don't get in...

Then you are going to have to deal with the question: "What's makes you a better reapplicant"- which can be easily answered...;however, you really need to "STEP" it up as a reapplicant. Many times ppl do masters, post-bac, score a 25 on the dat, etc etc which looks extremely committed/competitive.

So in other words, it could work against you in the long run.
However, I'm not trying to discourage anyone at all. I could of applied with a 3.3 late august with my dat scores, but I decided it would be more solid to apply with a 3.5 June of this year, and not have to deal with the "reapplicant question."

Just throwing my 2cents out there, good luck with ure decision and go for it if you feel comfortable to ace the dat! =)

I agree with beatsdre. You should take the DAT as planned, but apply next year to develop your ECs, and most importantly of all, just in case your DAT score is lower than anticipated.

Honestly, the DAT asks very generic questions that aren't super difficult, but its importance and the pressure of applying really messes with your brain (i'm not a test taker, clearly). With your stats, ECs, and DAT of 19-20, I think you'll land an interview. GL!