I’m a third year pre-dental student in college. I’m gonna take the DAT in january, but right now I’m not really focusing on it due to school. I’m considering dropping a class which is microbiology. If I did so, I will end up having a W grade on my transcript. I’m lost and can’t make a decision, would this W grade have a negative impact on my application or I should keep the microbiology and just try to focus on the DAT. lmk if anyone had A w grade and got into dental school!
Thanks
Here are some answers from Instagram users:
"I dropped two courses and received a W. From what I've seen a W is better than a F."
Push the DAT date to between March & May so you have it done before the application opens, but you can study more."
I'd keep the microbiology and take the first month or two of summer to finish studying."
"They might question your priorities. Focus on school now and take the DAT in summer."
"The W looks better than a failing grade and/or a C."
"Drop it!!! I had a few W's and didn't have a problem. It's hard to recover your GPA if you don't."
I have two W's on my transcript. If you think you will still dedicate enough time to the DAT then drop the class. If not, postpone the test. The test is hard and requires a lot of your time. I wouldn't recommend taking more than one class while studying for the DAT."
"I would say don't drop it because it will be something you have to explain later. Just focus on class. Can't you take a light spring semester and study for it since the application opens in June? But make sure to take it before the application opens."
"I wouldn’t drop the class - in fact, taking microbio IS studying for the DAT. Those topics are covered. The W might actually be displeasing to admissions in this case, because they want to see that you can handle taking that exam on top of a course load, not that you had to sacrifice your load to handle the test. I also took my DAT mid-semester & broke up my day into two parts. I studied for the DAT in the morning and my regular classes in the afternoon and did well in both areas. The key is to balance and be intentional. plan out your study days and get to it. dental school will be a MUCH heavier load than this, contrary to how it might feel. Show them you’ve got what it takes. show yourself you’ve got what it takes"
As you can see, there are many different opinions on this question. It really comes down to your specific situation. How is your current GPA? When are you planning on taking the DAT? Will you have more time to study during the spring? If you do drop the class, will you truly be dedicated to DAT studying or will you use your "extra" time to study for other classes or relax? Take all the above comments into consideration and ask yourself the questions we pose above. There isn't truly a "right" answer.
We hope this helps!