Devin S Harrison, pre-DDS

In regards to a standardized exam, I execute my best performance when I know what to expect. The first time I took the SAT, I did little studying and went in for the kill to find out what taking the exam really felt like; to see what was really on the exam. Afterwards, I could rehearse my weaker points so as to perform at my highest level.

In preparing for the DAT, I prepared much the same way. Prior to taking it for the first time, I glanced at all the sections that I’d be presented with. Everything I’d had encountered before, save Perceptual Ability. So I became accustomed with the various ways the exam tested my perceptual skills, and went and took the exam. I came away scoring an overall 63rd percentile. At face value, this score impressed me; I’d scored better than 63% of the people taking the exam! But I knew I’d take it again. I needed to improve for my own sake. Not to mention, 63rd percentile on the DAT is not exactly what admissions committees might consider ‘competitive’. My science and perceptual ability scores suffered the greatest. I know knew my weaknesses.

I’d like to say that I sat down and spent a lot of time preparing for my second attempt at the DAT. In a way I did, but not as you would expect. Mainly, I prepared myself mentally. Stress and feelings of inadequacy greatly hinder my performance. I did my best to bring my relationship with the DAT into a healthy mindset. I spent only a few hours studying actual exam material, namely perceptual ability and science topics that had slipped by the wayside since I’d taken Organic Chemistry (it was suprising how easily those topics returned).

Towards the end of the five hours, I was becoming very nervous. I didn’t think I’d score very well, let alone improve over my first attempt. To my surprise, I’d gained 2 points overall, and climbed to the 87th percentile! I rested easy, calling friends and family to share in my achievement. Still, it wasn’t the best of scores as far as the DAT scores, but an improvement was what I was looking for. And I was thrilled with my percentile standing.

Later on, while I was waiting to receive interview invitations from schools, I spoke with a dentist who sat on the admissions committee at a mid-western dental school. He quoted my DAT score and assured me that I’d be accepted. Certainly, mid-western schools differ from the schools I’d applied to in the northest. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to have a vote of confidence from an admissions committee member.

* I detest being judged by numbers, grades, etc. Not everything we have learned can be reflected in an exam score. As such, I’ve refrained from releasing my specific DAT scores.