10/3: Feels good to be done...

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uclaDDS101

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I've always wondered what it would be like to post my breakdown. So here it is. This is what I got:

PAT:--25 (99.8%)
QR:---25 (97.4%)
RC:---23 (92.6%)
Bio:---30 (100%)
GC:---30 (100%)
OC:---29 (100%)
TS:---30 (100%)
AA:---27 (100%)

I took the Kaplan course in July. I thoroughly went through their material, and I thought it was pretty good. People say it wasn't enough, but I thought it was sufficient. During the course, I was studying about 4 hr/day, 4-5 day/wk. And I was mostly just doing the Kaplan coursework. I took a break from studying during August to take summer school. I resumed studying in September for about 3-4 hr/day, 4 day/wk. In September, I basically finished my Kaplan online stuff, did Achiever, and looked at info online. I also compiled notes from every science question I missed on practice tests. And in the week before the exam, I did 10 CDP tests and 11 CDM tests. These were my practice test results in the order I took them:

(Test:-----PAT-QR-RC--Bio-GC--OC--TS--AA)
KapDiag:--25--18--22--19--18--20--19--19
KapMid:---26--21--20--21--19--20--20--20
KapFin:----26--23--21--24--19--28--24--23
Kap2:------29--26--22--24--24--25--24--24
Kap3:------21--19--23--21--19--19--20--20
Achv1:-----21--22--15--19--21--25--21--20
Kap1:------25--26--25--29--23--28--27--26 (most similar to the real thing)
Achv2:-----21--20--19--19--19--19--19--19
Achv3:-----22--20--18--21--20--23--21--20

CDP's: 26, 23, 23, 22, 26, 28, 25, 25, 25, 28
CDM's: 21, 18, 20, 23, 21, 18, 23, 23, 24, 20, 25

Breakdown:
PAT: Kaplan, Achiever, CDP. Kaplan actually wasn't that bad for the PAT. Sure, the angles were giveaways. But key holes, cube counting, and pattern folding were pretty similar to the real thing. Achiever was just harder overall. CDP had harder cube counting and angles, and the rest was comparable to the real one. I ended this section with about 12 min left. I think I missed one key hole question and a couple of angle Q's. Overall, I'd say CDP was the best resource.

QR: Kaplan, Achiever, CDM. Throughout my preparations, I definitely struggled for time in this section. I didn't finish any Achiever QR's on time. Kaplan was similar to the real thing in difficulty. And I only finished about 5 out of 11 CDM's on time. I would say CDM helped me the most for time management. On the real thing, I ended with 10 min left. I guess I rushed a bit. After I went over my marked Q's, I still had 7 min. left. I decided to end it early cuz I had a really bad headache (my test endurance isn't the best). I guess i'll always wonder what AA I could have got if I decided to go over all of my QR answers (it would've only taken an extra point to push my 27.4 to a 28)... Oh well.

RC: Kaplan, Achiever. This has always been my worst section (even on the SAT). I hate reading. I even avoid it during my classes. My preparation for RC was minimal. I found that Achiever was most effective in preparing for RC. The real thing was a little easier, but I'm glad I was expecting something harder. Kaplan RC passages were too short and too straightforward. For the real RC, I just used S&D, and made my best guess on inference questions. I (surprisingly) finished this section with 5 min left (I didn't finish any of the Achiever RC's). However, I forgot to mark any of the hard questions, so I just moved on to QR.

Bio: Kap, Achiever, class. I got a couple of oddballs in this section. Otherwise, it was very straightforward, and it was more conceptual rather than tediously detailed. To prepare, I basically took all Kap and Achiever tests and compiled notes consisting of questions that I got wrong. I studied these notes in my last week of studying. However, I think the reason I got this score is that I actually learned a lot in my bio classes. So thanks UCLA.

GC: Kap, Achiever, my roommate. Kaplan was very good for this section. Almost exactly the same. Achiever was unnecessarily harder than the real DAT. Anyone should be fine just using Kap for GC. I don't remember anything from class freshman year, so refreshing myself was a hefty task. Luckily, my roommate is a chem genius, so he helped with the process.

OC: Kap, Achiever. I've always had a good sense for ochem. So I didn't really study for OC outside of doing Kap and Achiever tests. Both resources were pretty good practice. Unfortunately, I don't know any other good study tools for OC. I ended up finishing the science section with 40 min left. This gave me a chance to go back over all of the science questions again. After going through the science section twice, I was 99% sure that I didn't miss anything.

That's about it. I just started my third year, so I have one school year to get ready for apps. I have a little over a 3.9, and a few decent ECs. For now, I'm just really glad that this part of the battle is over...


EDIT: I've added a photo of the score report for those who wanted to see it.
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kaplan QR/GChem ~ to real DAT? interesting....

and did you use top score.
 
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retake. these scores aren't going to cut it chief. stop slacking and get to it.
 
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It's not that I don't believe you or anything but can you post a picture just so I can see what that even looks like on paper ... you owned it
 
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ucladds101 said:
i've always wondered what it would be like to post my breakdown. So here it is. This is what i got:

pat:--25 (99.8)
qr:---25 (97.4)
rc:---23 (92.6)
bio:---30 (100)
gc:---30 (100)
oc:---29 (100)
ts:---30 (100)
aa:---27 (100)

i took the kaplan course in july. I thoroughly went through their material, and i thought it was pretty good. People say it wasn't enough, but i thought it was pretty good. During the course, i was studying about 4 hr/day, 4-5 day/wk. And i was mostly just doing the kaplan coursework. I took a break from studying during august to take summer school. I resumed studying in september for about 3-4 hr/day, 4 day/wk. In september, i basically finished my kaplan online stuff, did achiever, and looked at materials from classes. I also compiled notes from every science question i missed on practice tests. And in the week before the exam, i did 10 cdp tests and 11 cdm tests. These were my practice test results in the order i took them:

(test:-----pat-qr-rc--bio-gc--oc--ts--aa)
kapdiag:--25--18--22--19--18--20--19--19
kapmid:---26--21--20--21--19--20--20--20
kapfin:----26--23--21--24--19--28--24--23
kap2:------29--26--22--24--24--25--24--24
kap3:------21--19--23--21--19--19--20--20
achv1:-----21--22--15--19--21--25--21--20
kap1:------25--26--25--29--23--28--27--26
achv2:-----21--20--19--19--19--19--19--19
achv3:-----22--20--18--21--20--23--21--20

cdp's: 26, 23, 23, 22, 26, 28, 25, 25, 25, 28
cdm's: 21, 18, 20, 23, 21, 18, 23, 23, 24, 20, 25

breakdown:
pat: kaplan, achiever, cdp. kaplan actually wasn't that bad for the pat. Sure, the angles were giveaways. But key holes, cube counting, and pattern folding were pretty similar to the real thing. Achiever was just harder overall. Cdp had harder cube counting and angles, and the rest was comparable to the real one. I ended this section with about 12 min left. I think i missed one key hole question and a couple of angle q's. Overall, i'd say cdp was the best resource.

qr: kaplan, achiever, cdm. throughout my preparations, i definitely struggled for time in this section. I didn't finish any achiever qr's on time. Kaplan was similar to the real thing in difficulty. And i only finished about 5 out of 11 cdm's on time. I would say cdm helped me the most for time management. On the real thing, i ended with 10 min left. I guess i rushed a bit. After i went over my marked q's, i still had 7 min. Left. I decided to end it early cuz i had a really bad headache (my test endurance isn't the best). I guess i'll always wonder what aa i could have got if i decided to go over all of my qr answers... Oh well.

rc: kaplan, achiever. this has always been my worst section (even on the sat). I hate reading. I even avoid it during my classes. My preparation for rc was minimal. I found that achiever was most effective in preparing for rc. The real thing was a little easier, but i'm glad i was expecting something harder. Kaplan rc passages were too short and too straightforward. For the real rc, i just used s&d, and made my best guess on inference questions. I (surprisingly) finished this section with 5 min left (i didn't finish any of the achiever rc's). However, i forgot to mark any of the hard questions, so i just moved on to qr.

bio: kap, achiever, class. i got a couple of oddballs in this section. Otherwise, it was very straightforward, and it was more conceptual than tediously detailed. To prepare, i basically took all kap and achiever tests and compiled notes consisting of questions that i got wrong. I studied these notes in my last week of studying. However, i think the reason i got this score is that i actually learned a lot in my bio classes. So thanks ucla.

gc: kap, achiever, my roommate. kaplan was very good for this section. Almost exactly the same. Achiever was unnecessarily harder than the real dat. Anyone should be fine just using kap for gc. I don't remember anything from class freshman year, so refreshing myself was a hefty task. Luckily, my roommate is a chem genius, so he helped with the process.

oc: kap, achiever. i've always had a good sense for ochem. So i didn't really study for oc outside of doing kap and achiever tests. Both resources were pretty good practice. Unfortunately, i don't know any other good study tools for oc. I ended up finishing the science section with 20 min left. This gave me a chance to go back over all of the science questions again.

That's about it. I just started my third year, so i have one school year to get ready for apps. I'm just really glad that this part of the battle is over...
Click to expand...

+1
 
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aside from test prep. what did you do on test day? like what did you eat :D

congratz ! I guess I can only dream about your score...
 
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Yachi said:
congrats, uclaDDS101.

GOLF: watching the dunhill links championship?
Click to expand...

nah man - i was watching turning stone for a little bit, but im not a big fan of the fall series events - theyre just not packed with the same drama or names. waiting til the president's cup
 
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Ucladds - when you said kaplan was enough for ochem and genchem, are u talking about the kaplan subject tests? Are those what u used? If so, were the subject test questions similar to those you saw on the DAT? How do the kaplan online full length tests compare too?

thanks.
 
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c3p said:
kaplan QR/GChem ~ to real DAT? interesting....

and did you use top score.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you could really see how I struggled early on with GC. And I really improved in QR during that last week when I did the 11 CDM tests. I didn't get topscore. Someone told me that some sections were easier than the real thing, so I didn't get it. Plus, I didn't feel like I had that much time to take too many practice tests.

WOAHHI said:
It's not that I don't believe you or anything but can you post a picture just so I can see what that even looks like on paper ... you owned it
Click to expand...

I'll try to post a pic soon.

hausee said:
aside from test prep. what did you do on test day? like what did you eat :D
Click to expand...

I woke up at 6 cuz I couldn't sleep. I worked out in the morning. And I ate oatmeal for bfast. My test was at 1130, but I got to the test center at like 1030, so I just studied in my car for half an hour. And I only drank gatorade that day (so I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom as much).

Jps17kl said:
Congrats. where are you applying to?
Click to expand...

I don't know yet. I still have to figure out where I have the best shot at. Numbers aren't everything, so i'll see how things go. I just don't want to apply to too many (so I can save some money).
 
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Chrono said:
Ucladds - when you said kaplan was enough for ochem and genchem, are u talking about the kaplan subject tests? Are those what u used? If so, were the subject test questions similar to those you saw on the DAT? How do the kaplan online full length tests compare too?

thanks.

Btw, this may be the highest score ever on the DAT





That is until I take it :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, I just did all of the online material. The problems were very similar, if not a little more straightforward. And on the real thing, I don't remember doing any complicated calculations. The full lengths were similar, with the Kap RC being a little easier. And Kap test 3 was harder than the real thing. Just make sure you go over the explanations for all of your answers. Good luck!
 
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Best scores I've ever seen. Congrats!

uclaDDS101 said:
I don't know yet. I still have to figure out where I have the best shot at. Numbers aren't everything, so i'll see how things go. I just don't want to apply to too many (so I can save some money).
Click to expand...

Unless you have a 1.4 gpa and homicide charges pending... those numbers will equate to you getting into any school you apply to... what you should be asking, is which schools are going include a stipend with that full ride you'll be getting:p
 
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OMG! *jaw dropping* Amazing! How did you go from low 20s average for the sciences BCO to 30?
 
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well, you scared me for a bit. I thought you were applying this cycle.
Good job, that's the second 27 I have seen here.
 
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It's not that I don't believe you or anything but can you post a picture just so I can see what that even looks like on paper ... you owned it
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Here's a pic. Sorry, it might be kinda small.
 

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lakers2009 said:
OMG! *jaw dropping* Amazing! How did you go from low 20s average for the sciences BCO to 30?
Click to expand...

I literally made sure that I "learned from my mistakes" by memorizing all of the questions that I got wrong on the 8 practice tests I took as well as on the Kaplan online stuff. Also, WIKIPEDIA is a life-saver. Who needs Campbells or Cliffs AP bio when the answers to all your questions are just a click away?
 
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OMG! I am speechless..! i can't believe ppl like you do exist! congrats on such a high score!

btw, why do you want to be a dentist?
 
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amazing! you are walking into any school you want! congratulations! absolutely amazing!
 
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damn! I can't look at those scores and I can't look away.. donno what to do.. I guess I'm getting a minor heart attack!!
 
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.. I don't know why, but seeing those scores on paper makes 'em seem less real somehow. Like I'm staring at some mythical thing that's not supposed to exist. Like I'm staring at a unicorn or something.

Congrats though; that's some feat.
 
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uclaDDS101 said:
I literally made sure that I "learned from my mistakes" by memorizing all of the questions that I got wrong on the 8 practice tests I took as well as on the Kaplan online stuff. Also, WIKIPEDIA is a life-saver. Who needs Campbells or Cliffs AP bio when the answers to all your questions are just a click away?
Click to expand...

Yea, I've been using wiki and youtube. What's your study, mock test, and review schedule like?
 
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do us all a favor and apply next year to give us lowly souls a chance this year :D
(Are you applying this year?)

holy s***. you are in the top 0.0 percentile. f

i just keep reading your scores and saying to myself "you've gotta be kidding me"

congrats!
 
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GOLF said:
nah man - i was watching turning stone for a little bit, but im not a big fan of the fall series events - theyre just not packed with the same drama or names. waiting til the president's cup
Click to expand...

don't call me a man, man. i don't even get golf, and i'm watching the dunhill links from my dorm window. :cool:
 
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Thanks, everyone, for the nice words. Yeah, I was pretty excited (and surprised) by these scores, too.

lakers2009 said:
Yea, I've been using wiki and youtube. What's your study, mock test, and review schedule like?
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At the end of August, I created a very strict study schedule for the month of September. I planned to take 1-2 practice tests per week, and go over them on my off days. I also intended to go over other materials, like cliffs, chad's videos, or the Kaplan BB. However, I was not able to follow this schedule, mostly due to laziness (i hate studying for long periods of time). I still ended up doing all of my practice tests, but I didn't get to go over any of that supplementary stuff. I ended up just playing each day by ear. I studied each day until I felt bored enough to stop (which meant 4-5 hours on some days and 1-2 hours on others). I took my last Achiever exactly 1 week before the real one. This gave me time to go over all of my materials in the last week. In that last week, I also crammed in 10 CDPs and 11 CDMs. I don't suggest doing this. Give yourself some more time. I think it's just important to follow a study schedule that doesn't burn you out. Leave time in your days for many breaks. Sometimes I see people in the library studying DAT stuff for the whole day. I didn't do this. I think i've proved that you don't absolutely need to study 10 hours a day to do well on this test. Stay focused and study smarter, not longer.
 
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I heard new method of learning called spaced learning actually study for 15 min then break then study then break...4 hours in a row is not a good idea.
 
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hausee said:
I heard new method of learning called spaced learning actually study for 15 min then break then study then break...4 hours in a row is not a good idea.
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Well, the DAT is 4.5 hours long, by that reasoning, ADEA should give us 15 min break in between every new test since it is not good for us student. :)
 
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thanks for applyin next year...
same time as me.


haha

but good stuff and goodluck with everything else
 
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congrats on the amazing scores!!

I just got done with the Kaplan course, I was wondering if you didn't look at any of your notes the day before the test like they recommend?
 
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wwdaffodils said:
.. I don't know why, but seeing those scores on paper makes 'em seem less real somehow. Like I'm staring at some mythical thing that's not supposed to exist. Like I'm staring at a unicorn or something.

Congrats though; that's some feat.
Click to expand...

Not only that OP's study method works, but I can tell that he's a very humble person. That helps a lot when you're learning from your mistakes.
 
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wwdaffodils said:
.. I don't know why, but seeing those scores on paper makes 'em seem less real somehow. Like I'm staring at some mythical thing that's not supposed to exist. Like I'm staring at a unicorn or something.

Congrats though; that's some feat.
Click to expand...

LOL yea legendary
doc3232 said:
well, you scared me for a bit. I thought you were applying this cycle.
Good job, that's the second 27 I have seen here.
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who was the other person? I'd wonder how he'd feel when he saw the "30" I'd be feeling like I won a super mega mega lottery if I got his score.
 
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skiphotsauce said:
Is this some sort of joke?
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No, I wasn't joking. Admittedly, one of my more unfavorable traits is my perfectionism. Whenever I complete something, I can't help think about what i could have done better (and sometimes these thoughts prevent me from truly realizing a job well done). Don't get me wrong; I would have never imagined getting this type of score. And I'm still really happy and excited. But there's nothing I can really do to stop the "what if's" from creeping in. Unfortunately, it's just my nature.

minotaur9 said:
congrats on the amazing scores!!

I just got done with the Kaplan course, I was wondering if you didn't look at any of your notes the day before the test like they recommend?
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I tried as best as I could to not study the day before. But that's not how I work. I'm a procrastinator and a crammer at heart. I couldn't just pretend that I didn't have this huge test the next day. I needed the blood to start pumping. I needed that adrenaline surge. That's what gets me through those last minute study sessions. But I didn't spend the whole day studying. Basically, I just did 1 CDP, 2 CDM's, and I looked over some science notes. Then I took the day off to rest. However, for those who sometimes fall to test anxiety, maybe taking the whole day off before the big test isn't such a bad idea. You can gauge your own limits.

MsDoC19 said:
WOW amazing :)

great j0b!!

ur an inspirati0nnn!!

:)
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm glad you think that. My biggest hope is that these scores can inspire other people to just stick with it and study hard. Because the effort you put in really can pay off. Good luck to anyone still studying!
 
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Everyone, relax, whether he applies this cycle or the next it doesn't make a big difference, he is ONE person, he can only go to 1 dental school! (UNLESS... HE'S THE MYTHICAL DENTAL STUDENT, WHO SCORES 30 ON DAT AND ATTENDS ALL 50+ DENTAL SCHOOLS SIMULATANEOUSLY!) EVERYONE RUNNNNN!!!
AHHHHHH
 
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I have been going back and forth whether to take the Kaplan course, do you feel that it really helped prep you for the DAT or do you feel you would have got the same results if you didn't take it? Thanks and congrats
 
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flyguy25 said:
I have been going back and forth whether to take the Kaplan course, do you feel that it really helped prep you for the DAT or do you feel you would have got the same results if you didn't take it? Thanks and congrats
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Kaplan's material was good, but I don't think taking the class was absolutely necessary. Even if you go to every class and master all of the info they present to you, you still wouldn't get a "really high" score. My strategy was to go through all of their online material, and every time I came across a concept or fact that I didn't already 100% know, I would look it up on wikipedia. Then I compiled notes of all of these facts that I didn't know. That was my simple gameplan. So I wouldn't really say that the Kaplan classes were too integral in my study process. If I had one positive thing to say about them, I would say that I had a really smart teacher whom I could confidently ask questions. But do you really want to pay 1000+ dollars so you can ask a smart person questions?
 
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