my DAT breakdown - 5/13/2012

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TXpredent

Always confused
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FINALLY it's my turn! I want to thank Worried, njohns, and everybody else who helped me out on here. I honestly couldn't have done it without you guys!

PAT: 19 (67.8%)
QR: 21 (96.4%)
RC: 26 (98.5%)
BIO: 24 (98.9%)
GC: 22 (91.8%)
OC: 22 (90.4%)
TS: 23 (97.8%)
AA: 23 (98.7%)


Here's the material I used [with a rating]:

Crack DAT PAT (10 test edition) [9/10]
Chad's Videos [10/10]
Alan's Biology Notes [7.5/10]
KBB and all the software that come with Kaplan [9/10]
Cliff's AP Bio [2/10] - I didn't use this much, not that it's bad.
DAT Destroyer + Math Destroyer [10/10]
Top Score [8/10]

Kaplan Final (2 weeks prior to the DAT)
BIO: 21 (89%)
GC: 18 (66%)
OC: 21 (88%)
RC: 25 (97%)
QR: 21 (92%)
PAT: 19 (79%)

Top Score #3 (2 days before the DAT)
BIO: 19
GC: 18
OC: 18
PAT (used CDP): 21
RC: 22
QR: 23

I'm not going to compare and discuss each of the sections against my practice material, there seem to be quite a plethora of good threads that break that down really well. What I'd like to do is share with you what I did in my final couple of weeks leading up to the DAT. By then, I had already finished the Destroyer twice, made notes on Chad's OC and GC videos (only watched a few of the QR ones), and read through KBB's Bio section and a few Cliff's chapters here and there when I didn't fully understand something. I would like to add that Alan's Bio notes follow KBB's Bio section pretty well and may help yall as yall review the KBB. However, I like to organize my notes differently so after I kinda added my own notes on top of his, I re-did some of the major stuff, like excretion, digestion, the nervous system, etc.

I think what helped me the most was that approx. two weeks prior to my test, I started doing a full length practice test every other day. I think I did exactly 5, it just happened to work out that I had two Kaplan's left and 3 Top Scores (I used CDP for the PAT sections). Kaplan's practice tests (not the midterm, diagnostic, or final) were definitely HARDER than the real thing. I scored consistently terrible on them, no where near my actual score. I think using practice tests to try and gauge where you are is useless. I was more interested in using the practice tests to keep myself fresh and to point out any weaknesses. Believe me folks, I had tons. TONSSS! I was awful at GC (still am) and barely grasped OC (Chad's videos helped immensely here). Bio has always been my strength and personally enjoyed reviewing all of it (except plants).

Anyways, the practice tests really helped me bone up on my weaknesses like GC and OC and I'd highly recommend a tough 2 week regimen of practice tests every other day leading up to the exam. On the days between, I would go over what I had gotten wrong from the day before and then would do 30 or so Destroyer problems in each section. I was extremely paranoid about forgetting something I thought I had already learned and then discover on the DAT that it had left my brain for good. Also, you may feel like taking a practice DAT and then doing NOTHING for the rest of the day is a waste. I felt like that too at the time, but now that I look back I wouldn't do it any differently.

I would also like to add that my undergraduate cGPA is only a 3.3 and I graduated with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology last December. I think that just goes to show that if you put in the work, you can truly ace the DAT. I think it's misleading when someone posts insanely high scores on the DAT but had like a 3.8+ GPA at a upper tier University. I went to a small, lower tier University and really didn't focus until I set my sights on dental school my last year and a half of college. By then the damage was already done on my GPA. I was determined to prove myself with the DAT though. I'm definitely not the brainy type and I really want to try and give hope to the people who think they can't do well on the DAT because their undergraduate GPA was low. When I saw the scores on the screen, I couldn't believe they were actually my scores. I thought it had to have been a sample or something. I refused to believe it until the lady printed it out and it had my name on it.

I'm not sure if this "breakdown" is what yall were looking for, please feel free to ask questions though and I will answer them when I see them. It's truly been a blessing that my girlfriend pointed this forum out to me back in August. These last couple of months studying have been rough and I couldn't have gotten through it and succeeded without you guys. Thanks!

I have a question: my PAT score is pretty bad, how bad will that hurt me?

edit: I noticed that Salmoides wanted me to talk about the PAT section so I'll discuss it a little. CDP was great for PAT practice. I thought 10 tests were perfect, I started out at 16, got up to 21 and fell back down to 18 and then back up to 20-21. I was pretty bad at PAT at the beginning, it just took me too long to do everything. Don't fret about the real DAT's PAT, CDP prepares you well, although I felt like the pattern folding on the DAT was a bit harder. I just got really distracted by the hole punching section, it was easy but the paper showing the different "answers" were a little different. There was more space around the edges than what I was used to. I can't properly explain it on here but for example, when I looked a hole punch they did, I would be like "ok, that's the 2nd to last row from the top" but in reality it was the last row, I just hadn't accounted for the extra spacing they give. Idn if that makes sense? Again, I was really bad at PAT so any sort of minute differences really threw me off. I would say if you can consistently score 21+ on CDP you'll do much better than me. I only got to 21 like once or twice. I mainly hovered between 18-20 and hit 20 a little more frequently.

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congrats man!! it was all worth it in the end huh?! lol ive seen u posting around here and i know we were originally gunna be taking it around the same time (but i pushed back to 6/8 lol) and am really happy to see u did so damn well! with those great scores, i really dont see your PAT hurting you...its not "bad" its just not as great as your other numbers....and def dont blame you for getting trashed last night and being hungover right now..ill def be in the same position after im done lol

also, i noticed your topscore #2 scores from 5/10 -
Bio: 21
OC: 19
GC: 18
QR: 19
RC: 20
PAT (used CDP): 21

so what did you do from 5/10-5/13 that could have improved your score so nicely or was it purely just the discrepancy in scoring between TopScore and DAT?

looking forward to your breakdown and gluck with apps! :thumbup:
 
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Great Job man! A celebratory beverage o was definitely called for after a score like that! I'm looking forward to hearing about the PAT. I take it on Friday and I'm starting to freak out Ha ha.
 
great score overall !!!
23ts would make your pat score invisible..
I took topscore#1 and got
bs-20
chem-20
ochem-20
reading-20
cdp-average of 20

I haven't done qr and pat section bc I need more review on qr and doing pat from cdp..
I am taking mine on june first and just hoping that I could be ready by then...
 
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I told you you were solid on all the subjects!

Very well done. Don't worry about PAT a 19 isn't low by any stretch of one's imagination. Maybe some real PAT emphasizing schools like UOP, but most others will be happy with your scores!

P.S. All hail the king of RC!!!!!!!! 26? That's ridiculous!
 
HOLY CRAP!!! TXPREDENT YOU DID AMAZING!!!!!! A 23 AA?!?!?!?! CONGRATS!!!! I've been counting down the days until you posted your breakdown!!!!

That 19 on PAT is going to be just fine! As you can see from the printout, they only send your "Standard Score", not your percentile, so a 19 is just fine! Plus you BLEW that test OUT OF THE WATER!!! I expected nothing less from you!

I did the same exact thing hahaha I tried posting that same night but I was ****-faced drunk hahaha it didn't work out very well I think...

But congrats!!! 98.7% Percentile AA? I think it's safe to say you're set! So happy for you!!
 
Great scores TXpredent! I agree with Worried12345 and others. Your AA is so solid that you'll be fine with your PAT score, which isn't bad at all.
 
Congratulations. Now you get a chance to join the wall of high scorers ;)

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Firstly, thanks guys for the kind words, I truly was SHOCKED by my scores. I don't think I've ever done that well on any kind of standardized test before. Again, I couldn't have done it without the support from the community.

also, i noticed your topscore #2 scores from 5/10 -
Bio: 21
OC: 19
GC: 18
QR: 19
RC: 20
PAT (used CDP): 21

so what did you do from 5/10-5/13 that could have improved your score so nicely or was it purely just the discrepancy in scoring between TopScore and DAT?

looking forward to your breakdown and gluck with apps! :thumbup:

@Member 8586, idn if that's your actual name or if for whatever reason I can't see your real name. Anyways, I actually didn't do anything really to get that jump. I took Top Score #2 on the 9th I believe and I didn't do anything but go over the wrong answers, do Top Score #3 and do a few Destroyer problems. I wouldn't say that Top Score is "harder" than the real DAT exactly. Sure the calculations were more difficult but I think what made the difference was that I was putting together all the concepts that I was missing from all the practice exams and seeing on the Destroyer for the 3rd time.
 
Firstly, thanks guys for the kind words, I truly was SHOCKED by my scores. I don't think I've ever done that well on any kind of standardized test before. Again, I couldn't have done it without the support from the community.



@Member 8586, idn if that's your actual name or if for whatever reason I can't see your real name. Anyways, I actually didn't do anything really to get that jump. I took Top Score #2 on the 9th I believe and I didn't do anything but go over the wrong answers, do Top Score #3 and do a few Destroyer problems. I wouldn't say that Top Score is "harder" than the real DAT exactly. Sure the calculations were more difficult but I think what made the difference was that I was putting together all the concepts that I was missing from all the practice exams and seeing on the Destroyer for the 3rd time.


thanks man youre giving me hope...im not one of the super high GPA guys on here and a 22 area DAT was always a sick fantasy to me lol i was always thinking id be ecstatic with a 20 but you all make me feel like i CAN reach the 21,22,etc area - i hope!

3 quick questions -
-for QR - did you go deep into Math Destroyer or did you use more of the QR section of the DAT destroyer? math destroyer frustrates me to no end and i havent even touched it for like 2 weeks and have just been on working the QR section of Destroyer...curious to know how many times you went through it and what your recommendation would be
-GC - were chads GC videos helpful at all at like decoding questions - basically trying to figure out exactly what theyre asking...i have trouble sometimes actually figuring out what formula is necessary sometimes, etc.....or is it more of just like how to carry out the problems?
-RC - which source did you feel was most accurate?
 
Well done sir, well done!! All that hard work pays off :)
All down hill from here right?

If it's ok with you I'd like to add your breakdown to the list I've been compiling on my blog.
 
@JonLee, sure thing, I didn't see a lot of low GPA, high AA/TS type breakdowns on there last time I went.

@Member8586, yeah I honestly was shooting for a 20 or 21, no idea I'd pull off a 23. Regarding QR, I did the QR section on the DAT Destroyer and then only like 3 or 4 practice tests on the Math Destroyer, I had plenty of other practice with the Kaplan full lengths and Top Score though. I really put math on the back burner, I was relearning all the chemistries and focused a majority of my time on that. About a recommendation... I don't know where your math level is at, I would just try and get through a couple Math Destroyer practice tests if you have it but definitely at least do the QR section on the Destroyer, that section is pretty basic and you should get familiar with at least that.

Chad's GC videos basically taught me everything you need to know to do the Destroyer and other practice tests. I had trouble too figuring out what to do with GC problems, often times I would get stuck and be like "idk how to do this problem" and then look at the solution and want to slap myself bc I KNEW how to do it but just couldn't "interpret" it. I would say that just comes with practice. Just keep practicing and reviewing notes.

For RC... I also put this on the back burner, I scored high 20s regularly on the Kaplan full lengths for the RC section (and only the RC section did I ever score that high) and I would say they are pretty accurate. Top Score was also pretty accurate as well. I didn't like the way Top Score's RC section was though, it wasn't like the DAT at all but I knew that going in and kept that in mind. Kaplan's RC section software-wise was more like it. But difficulty-wise, it was pretty close but slightly easier bc it was missing some tone questions.
 
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Congratulation. I don't know why you were shocked. Since you studied hard, you definitely deserve to do well. Do not worry too much about your GPA. You major is hard as it is and your GPA is above 3. You did awesome on the DAT, so you have a good chance.
 
how were you doing on math destroyer? :)

The Math Destroyer was pretty hard, I never did it timed. I don't think I couldve finished one of those in 45 minutes. I would say the QR section on the DAT Destroyer is more like the real thing. I only did 3-4 Math Destroyer practice tests and did horrible on all of them.
 
The Math Destroyer was pretty hard, I never did it timed. I don't think I couldve finished one of those in 45 minutes. I would say the QR section on the DAT Destroyer is more like the real thing. I only did 3-4 Math Destroyer practice tests and did horrible on all of them.

thank you for your reply!
i've been doing some of the math destroyer and i've been getting killed :(

was the destroyer for sciences also harder than the real thing?
 
thank you for your reply!
i've been doing some of the math destroyer and i've been getting killed :(

was the destroyer for sciences also harder than the real thing?

yes definitely, although the Destroyer really hammers in important concepts. I didn't quite get it either when I was studying. It seemed like torture to just brutalize yourself with insanely hard questions that will never show up again on the real DAT, but honestly the hard work pays off. I thoroughly understood everything I needed to when test day came. Well at least good enough.
 
I see your point. Since you do not know what you will see on the DAT, would harder problems give you more confidence? I thoughts knowing cliffs Bio book would prepare you for bio. However, this would take quite some time.
 
I honestly didn't use Cliff's much, I mainly used KBB's bio section. I did read Cliff's for a couple chapters like ecology and taxonomy but that was it.

I also added a rating to the study materials I used based on how they prepped me for the real thing. It doesn't mean how similar they were to the real thing. The 10/10 rating means they were hands down essentials for me.
 
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I saw your breakdown. What are Allen's bio notes? Is that a new booklet? I just have not heard of it before. Thanks.

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how did you study for RC? any RC material recommendations plz?
btw, great scores! congrats!
 
I saw your breakdown. What are Allen's bio notes? Is that a new booklet? I just have not heard of it before. Thanks.

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Nope, google it. Alan is the guy who works with Chad, when he was studying for the DAT he made some Bio notes and shared them with ppl. They're okay, I personally didn't like they way they were formatted but it helped getting through KBB's bio section and I added my own notes to it.

how did you study for RC? any RC material recommendations plz?
btw, great scores! congrats!

Thanks, I just used my practice tests really. I was really much more focused on Gen Chem and O Chem since I had to re-learn everything and didn't really do that much for RC and QR except for practice tests. I guess I'm lucky and am just naturally good at RC. I literally only used everything listed in my breakdown, no secret RC materials, unfortunately. I think practice is the only way to get better at RC, but I honestly didn't even bother to go over the wrong answers bc the reason I missed something was bc I obviously misread it or got tricked.
 
Congrats on you scores! I knew you would do well.. :D

Best of luck to us both this cycle. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Hi guys,

I just took my DAT today and well I need some advice on whether you think I would stand a chance at columbia. Here is my breakdown:

PAT 18
QR 17 (I KNOW BAD)
RC 19
BIO 22
GC 28
OC 25
TOTAL SCIENCE 24
ACADEMIC AVERAGE 22

My GPA is 3.91. I am coming from France and I have been studying in the US for 4 years now. I am also married so I have to balance it all. It is just to give you a bit of background info.

Thanks
 
Hi guys,

I just took my DAT today and well I need some advice on whether you think I would stand a chance at columbia. Here is my breakdown:

PAT 18
QR 17 (I KNOW BAD)
RC 19
BIO 22
GC 28
OC 25
TOTAL SCIENCE 24
ACADEMIC AVERAGE 22

My GPA is 3.91. I am coming from France and I have been studying in the US for 4 years now. I am also married so I have to balance it all. It is just to give you a bit of background info.

Thanks


solid scores, from what i can see
 
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