WAMC next cycle? Should I retake the DAT?

[syphie]

Overall GPA: 3.51
Science GPA: 3.51
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.47
DAT score (include AA and all sections): AA 19/ TS 20/ BIO 20/ GC 19/ OC 20/ QR 16/ RC 21/ PAT 20
State of Residence: Texas

Major: Biology
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: ~140 hours with general dentists
Volunteering Experience: ~200 hours community service, food banks
Employment: ~250 hours tutoring
Research: None
Other Extracurriculars: none
Relevant Honors or Awards:
LOR type and strength: 1 dentist, 2 science professors. Moderate strength
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: I had a D in Bio 1 but retook it and got an A. Also a few C's and W's in my first 2 years but I was able to get a 4.0 on all upper courses.
School list:
Lecom
Roseman
MWU-AZ
MWU-IL
NYU
Tufts
Touro
UNLV
Boston GSDM
ASDOH

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[Ryxndek]

Your focus should be on getting into texas schools. A lot of the schools on your list are insanely expensive. Texas schools are some of the cheapest in the country

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, your best bet is Texas dental schools. Read up or view videos they posted to TMDSAS and attend their recruitment events. You could think about a handful of other dental schools, but we need more info about why you would go out of state.

 

[syphie]

Yes, your best bet is Texas dental schools. Read up or view videos they posted to TMDSAS and attend their recruitment events. You could think about a handful of other dental schools, but we need more info about why you would go out of state.

Your focus should be on getting into texas schools. A lot of the schools on your list are insanely expensive. Texas schools are some of the cheapest in the country

Does it mean I have a good chance of getting into Texas schools?
I feel like my stats aren't competitive enough for what listed on the schools website. Should I consider retaking the DAT?

 

[CongeeMango]

Does it mean I have a good chance of getting into Texas schools?
I feel like my stats aren't competitive enough for what listed on the schools website. Should I consider retaking the DAT?

No, your stats are not competitive for Texas schools. with your GPA (for TX schools) you should be aiming for 21+, and 16 QR will most likely drop you from interviewing list. Most matriculants in TX have 3.7 GPA + 21+ DAT.

 

[Ryxndek]

No, your stats are not competitive for Texas schools. with your GPA (for TX schools) you should be aiming for 21+, and 16 QR will most likely drop you from interviewing list. Most matriculants in TX have 3.7 GPA + 21+ DAT.

Even if they’re lower than the averages, they still have the best chance there bc of residency. TX schools take 80-90% IS students. They’ll either get IS tuition or possibly pay 450-600k in tuition if they go OOS and get into private. I say try to get into those schools if they can and apply to privates around them as a safety-net if possible. Agreed a retake would surely help them, but a 16 on QR is not an auto screened out unless the school states that they have 17 subscore minimums. QR I’d say is less looked at compared to TS, AA, or PAT. If they did well in math classes to offset the QR score that could also help.

 

[CongeeMango]

Even if they’re lower than the averages, they still have the best chance there bc of residency. TX schools take 80-90% IS students. They’ll either get IS tuition or possibly pay 450-600k in tuition if they go OOS and get into private. I say try to get into those schools if they can and apply to privates around them as a safety-net if possible. Agreed a retake would surely help them, but a 16 on QR is not an auto screened out unless the school states that they have 17 subscore minimums. QR I’d say is less looked at compared to TS, AA, or PAT. If they did well in math classes to offset the QR score that could also help.

I apologize in advance if I may come off as rude, but

The reason why I stated the matriculant statistics is to show that, in order for OP to be competent, OP needs to have their stats as close as possible to the average. Given that we are basing this off on the distribution of matriculants in a perfectly symmetrical distribution, we can assume that half of the class matriculating will have below average. However, we also know that they are less desirable compared to the upper half since we are only looking at the statistics. We don't know what kind of background OP is from or if they took math courses and got As to offset their QR score. So I think this is the right approach whether OP is competent or not for TX schools from their stats. Although OP has a good chance of getting into TX schools thanks to TX residency, it doesn't mean OP will have an easy time getting into TX schools.

 

[ashleyselby10]

It is difficult to say whether you have a good chance of getting into Texas schools based solely on the information provided, Syphie. However, your overall GPA and various science GPAs are strong, which is a very positive sign. In addition, your DAT scores are impressive and should be beneficial when applying to Texas schools. Additionally, the amount of dental shadowing experience and other volunteering experiences you have had is also noteworthy. That being said, admissions decisions are based on several factors, including the overall competitiveness of the applicant pool. Therefore, discussing your chances with an admissions counselor at the schools in Texas you are interested in applying to may be prudent. They will be able to provide you with more detailed insights and feedback. Good luck!