- Joined
- Feb 23, 2016
- Messages
- 29
- Reaction score
- 39
Let me tell you how much of a relief it is to finally get this thing over with! I was pretty nervous the day before the test, something I usually don't get nervous for. But I was excited for the day to finally come. Thats a good indication to know your truly ready. Heres a little bit of background info...I tutor organic chemistry, and I am a TA for Human anatomy and Neuroanatomy, with a 3.9 science Gpa. So before going into this I had some high expectations for the sciences. Math background is up to calc 2, didn't really help at all. As far as reading goes, Im ashamed to admit that my reading game is not very strong. I don't read for fun. I did read like 4 books for a Lit class I took a year and a half ago, but since then nada. The reason I probably even scored a decent score in RC is because I was familiar with the topics that I read. Before we get into this breakdown, let me just say that I am very grateful for these scores. It was a humbling experience to be honest. With that being said, I was a tad bit disappointed because I saw so many people scoring 24+ on SDN, and I typically set high standards for myself. Either way anybody who has the guts to take the DAT deserves a round of applause. Hopefully after reading this I can clear up some questions and make taking/studying the DAT an overall better experience for YOU! One more thing, I used Ari's 10 week study guide for about a month then modified it a bit. Its really great to get you going I wold recommend it. I studied anywhere from 3-8 hours a day, usually taking one day off. I had 2 summer classes, play hockey twice a week, but was lucky enough to take time off from work. I hung out with my friends and girlfriend pretty regularly. So you can totally have a life and do this! I will say not having to work for 10 weeks was awesome because I could essentially study on my own time, something not everyone has the luxury to do. So for all you taking classes, working, and studying for the DAT, have families to take care of, YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL MVP, thats tough stuff!
PAT: DAT - 22, BOOTCAMP AVG ~20
I would definitely have to say bootcamp was amazing for this section (as you've heard I'm sure). I started scoring in the 17-19's when I first started. Then when I took tests 1-5 I was scoring in the 20's, 21 being my highest score, (for some reason I think tests 1-5 have easier angles rankings than tests 6-10). Overall I would say MY ACTUAL DAT was just a gram harder (yes, a gram). In all seriousness though I think it could just have been because I was nervous. Keyholes were just about the same, maybe a tad easier than bootcamp. I did have two rocks which I probably got wrong. Heres where I thought it differed the most, TFE. Again this was just my test, so take it with a grain of salt. The TFE on my DAT was defiantly harder than what I saw on bootcamp. TFE was one of my stronger suits, and I would usually score between (13-15 / 15). I would imagine that I got like maybe only 8 right on the real DAT. Ange Ranking just flat out sucks. I felt my DAT was on par with angle ranking in bootcamp tests (1-5). There are tons of tips out there for this. I used a combination of the needle, tetherball, and laptop trick. Whichever I felt made the most sense is the one I used (weird, I know). Don't spend too much time here, and go with your gut. Hole punching and cube counting were the same if not easier than bootcamp. I only had one hole punch where I was like "not possible, this test is wrong". I also did have one where it folded into the page, not to worry though because bootcamp had a few of those. Last but not least was pattern folding. Man was I relived to find that this section was not that difficult on the DAT. I felt that maybe I just got lucky (most of my pattern folds were the shading type, which I'm pretty good at). I would have to say that is was easier than bootcamps pattern folding overall. Don't get discouraged during the PAT. I really thought that I was gonna bomb it after going through TFE. Just realize that you will make up ground in hole punch and cube count. Also I had like 3 minutes at the end. With bootcamp I would usually finish right on time. To sum it all up, you will definitely do better than what you think! If your scoring 19-20's on bootcamp you are more than ready in my opinion.
QR: DAT - 21, BOOTCAMP AVG ~ 21
In hindsight, I really wish I took this section more seriously. QR is such an easy way to pad your AA. I figured that having taken stats, calc1, calc2, and all the other math classes that precede those I would be fine, especially because they were all easy A's for me. Don't make the mistake I made. With a little more practice I felt I could have easily scored a 25+ here. For this section I used bootcamp QR tests, and Math Destroyer 2016. I saw that people were saying bootcamps QR was too hard, but I definitely though It was spot on. Math Destroyer was great for learning how to do the different types of problems, and great for exposure. Anything you see on the DAT, I'd be willing to bet it's in Math Destroyer. I was lucky enough to have a lot of algebra in my test, and not so many word problems. So I did finish with like 5 minutes left. I made the DUMBEST mistake by using my last 5 minutes to go over just one problem rather than go over my other marked (I marked like 4 or 5). Timing is probably the most important thing for this test. If you get your timing down then your definitely in a position to do great. I emphasize do not underestimate this section! It is not hard math, just PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
RC: DAT - 19, BOOTCAMP AVG ~ 19
Don't have too much to say here. Im just happy I didn't bomb this section. Bootcamps RC test were a little harder, so I was expecting at least a 20, but I still managed to get a 19. Most questions here were of the S&D type. None of the this statement is false but the reason is correct yada yada. Not saying they're not on the test, I just didn't see any. I opted not to use the highlighter for the first two sections, which I regret. I used the highlighter for the 3rd section and I probably got 90% of those right. I used a mapping strategy. Looking back on it now, I wish I would have practiced more RC. Just like QR, practice makes perfect for this section. By practice I mean practice a strategy and stick with it. I changed it a few times during my studies, so I was not entirely comfortable with the mapping strategy. Overall, its not that bad, don't stress out too much about RC. Just think of it this way (if your fluent, or english is your fist language), this is the one sections that you already know how to do! JUST READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS!
BIO - 21, BOOTCAMP AVG ~ 23, Qvault AVG ~21
This was the score I was most disappointed with. Being a biomedical science major I thought I would kill this section. Im sure you've heard this before BUT SERIOUSLY BREADTH BEFORE DEPTH. I used Cliffs AP 3rd edition, which alone will get you 90% of the way there. DAT destroyer was okay for this, I mainly used it to see where I was, and which topics to focus on. The same goes for bootcamp and qvault. I used these to gauge my knowledge of biology. I know you guys don't want to hear this, but the rest of the 10% is just random stuff you either picked up from your undergrad classes, or stuff you've seen in practice tests. Its incredibly difficult to know everything in bio (obviously), but with some luck, and a good knowledge of basic concepts, this section can be very easy. I had about 3 questions where it required you to do some critical thinking, and the rest of the 37 I swear I saw them through my studies or in class. Seriously a couple that I got wrong I distinctly remember going over those topics a couple days ago! Not gonna lie, I was totally rattled after going through the bio section, especially because the questions I probably got wrong are ones that I totally studied. P.S I had a microscope question, which I most likely got wrong. Don't neglect your biomes either! I had a gimme question about a tundra lol. All in all, definitely nail down your genetics, molecular bio, and human physiology. I'd say that at least 50-60% of my test was just those three topics alone (maybe I'm exaggerating a little but it sure seemed like it!). Most importantly study this section in an organized manner. I followed Ari's 10 week study guide for the first month to a tee, then got lazy and did things my way. After I read cliffs AP I became very sloppy in the ways which I would study bio. Whatever your scoring in Bootcamp, or Qvault, is probably a good prediction for your bio DAT score. Also I would randomly watch bio videos on youtube, and read chunks of Feralis notes. The videos were amazing by the way, wish I found them sooner. Look up Bozeman Science (think thats how its spelled), AK lectures, Craig Savage, and Khan Academy.
O-Chem - 30, BOOTCAMP AVG ~27
I tutor this, so I was really not worried about this section at all. The scope of this test for orgo is incredibly easy compared to your undergrad classes. Most of my test was basic reactions, a couple lab techniques, acid/base stuff, and some stereochem. My advice is go through DAT destroyer. If you can do that, then you will 100% be able to do orgo on the DAT. If you want a 3o on a section, this is where it is most possible. Also, Bootcamp orgo tests were a VERY GOOD representation of the orgo on the DAT. I found it not necessary to memorize the road maps in DAT Destroyer, its all about your background. If you feel weak in orgo, I would go ahead and do it. HOW COULD I ALMOST FORGET TO MENTION CHAD! Before you do anything, watch chad's videos. AMAZING! Easily one of the best resources out there for the chemistries. He's incredibly funny, and tells you exactly what you should know for the DAT. The best thing about his videos is that they are SO addicting. Couple that with DAT Destroyer and your good to go.
G-Chem - 24, BOOTCAMP AVG ~23
Slightly easier than bootcamp gen chem. Not as much math as I expected, most of it was conceptual, which I was fine with. I finished with like 20 minutes left. SEE above section for rescuers. Chad's vids and destroyer again will be more than enough for gen chem. Don't blow off the lab techniques. I had a weird one that I never encountered in any practice test, and some weird thermodynamic question. Those were probably the two I got wrong. Other than that, very straightforward. Understand gases, acid base reactions, rates & 1/2 lives, and equilibrium inside and out, including the meaning of Keq and the rate k.
Resources: DAT Bootcamp, DAT Qvault (biology), DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Chad's Videos, Cliffs AP, Feralis Notes, Youtube.
Again, theses resources are amazing, and more than prepared me for the DAT. Thanks Chad, thanks Ari, thanks orgoman22 (Dr. Jim Romano & Nancy Steen), thanks Feralis Notes creator, and thanks SDN community for giving me the confidence and study tips for taking the DAT with the numerous breakdowns! Lets not forget those awesome youtubers who made learning about plants actually kind of fun, thanks! Im out fellow SDN'ers, gotta go pack for my vacation to the domenican, good luck with the DAT and hopefully somebody will find this useful!
OVERALL:
PA 22
QR21
RC19
BIO 21
GC 24
OC 30
TS 23
AA 23
PAT: DAT - 22, BOOTCAMP AVG ~20
I would definitely have to say bootcamp was amazing for this section (as you've heard I'm sure). I started scoring in the 17-19's when I first started. Then when I took tests 1-5 I was scoring in the 20's, 21 being my highest score, (for some reason I think tests 1-5 have easier angles rankings than tests 6-10). Overall I would say MY ACTUAL DAT was just a gram harder (yes, a gram). In all seriousness though I think it could just have been because I was nervous. Keyholes were just about the same, maybe a tad easier than bootcamp. I did have two rocks which I probably got wrong. Heres where I thought it differed the most, TFE. Again this was just my test, so take it with a grain of salt. The TFE on my DAT was defiantly harder than what I saw on bootcamp. TFE was one of my stronger suits, and I would usually score between (13-15 / 15). I would imagine that I got like maybe only 8 right on the real DAT. Ange Ranking just flat out sucks. I felt my DAT was on par with angle ranking in bootcamp tests (1-5). There are tons of tips out there for this. I used a combination of the needle, tetherball, and laptop trick. Whichever I felt made the most sense is the one I used (weird, I know). Don't spend too much time here, and go with your gut. Hole punching and cube counting were the same if not easier than bootcamp. I only had one hole punch where I was like "not possible, this test is wrong". I also did have one where it folded into the page, not to worry though because bootcamp had a few of those. Last but not least was pattern folding. Man was I relived to find that this section was not that difficult on the DAT. I felt that maybe I just got lucky (most of my pattern folds were the shading type, which I'm pretty good at). I would have to say that is was easier than bootcamps pattern folding overall. Don't get discouraged during the PAT. I really thought that I was gonna bomb it after going through TFE. Just realize that you will make up ground in hole punch and cube count. Also I had like 3 minutes at the end. With bootcamp I would usually finish right on time. To sum it all up, you will definitely do better than what you think! If your scoring 19-20's on bootcamp you are more than ready in my opinion.
QR: DAT - 21, BOOTCAMP AVG ~ 21
In hindsight, I really wish I took this section more seriously. QR is such an easy way to pad your AA. I figured that having taken stats, calc1, calc2, and all the other math classes that precede those I would be fine, especially because they were all easy A's for me. Don't make the mistake I made. With a little more practice I felt I could have easily scored a 25+ here. For this section I used bootcamp QR tests, and Math Destroyer 2016. I saw that people were saying bootcamps QR was too hard, but I definitely though It was spot on. Math Destroyer was great for learning how to do the different types of problems, and great for exposure. Anything you see on the DAT, I'd be willing to bet it's in Math Destroyer. I was lucky enough to have a lot of algebra in my test, and not so many word problems. So I did finish with like 5 minutes left. I made the DUMBEST mistake by using my last 5 minutes to go over just one problem rather than go over my other marked (I marked like 4 or 5). Timing is probably the most important thing for this test. If you get your timing down then your definitely in a position to do great. I emphasize do not underestimate this section! It is not hard math, just PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
RC: DAT - 19, BOOTCAMP AVG ~ 19
Don't have too much to say here. Im just happy I didn't bomb this section. Bootcamps RC test were a little harder, so I was expecting at least a 20, but I still managed to get a 19. Most questions here were of the S&D type. None of the this statement is false but the reason is correct yada yada. Not saying they're not on the test, I just didn't see any. I opted not to use the highlighter for the first two sections, which I regret. I used the highlighter for the 3rd section and I probably got 90% of those right. I used a mapping strategy. Looking back on it now, I wish I would have practiced more RC. Just like QR, practice makes perfect for this section. By practice I mean practice a strategy and stick with it. I changed it a few times during my studies, so I was not entirely comfortable with the mapping strategy. Overall, its not that bad, don't stress out too much about RC. Just think of it this way (if your fluent, or english is your fist language), this is the one sections that you already know how to do! JUST READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS!
BIO - 21, BOOTCAMP AVG ~ 23, Qvault AVG ~21
This was the score I was most disappointed with. Being a biomedical science major I thought I would kill this section. Im sure you've heard this before BUT SERIOUSLY BREADTH BEFORE DEPTH. I used Cliffs AP 3rd edition, which alone will get you 90% of the way there. DAT destroyer was okay for this, I mainly used it to see where I was, and which topics to focus on. The same goes for bootcamp and qvault. I used these to gauge my knowledge of biology. I know you guys don't want to hear this, but the rest of the 10% is just random stuff you either picked up from your undergrad classes, or stuff you've seen in practice tests. Its incredibly difficult to know everything in bio (obviously), but with some luck, and a good knowledge of basic concepts, this section can be very easy. I had about 3 questions where it required you to do some critical thinking, and the rest of the 37 I swear I saw them through my studies or in class. Seriously a couple that I got wrong I distinctly remember going over those topics a couple days ago! Not gonna lie, I was totally rattled after going through the bio section, especially because the questions I probably got wrong are ones that I totally studied. P.S I had a microscope question, which I most likely got wrong. Don't neglect your biomes either! I had a gimme question about a tundra lol. All in all, definitely nail down your genetics, molecular bio, and human physiology. I'd say that at least 50-60% of my test was just those three topics alone (maybe I'm exaggerating a little but it sure seemed like it!). Most importantly study this section in an organized manner. I followed Ari's 10 week study guide for the first month to a tee, then got lazy and did things my way. After I read cliffs AP I became very sloppy in the ways which I would study bio. Whatever your scoring in Bootcamp, or Qvault, is probably a good prediction for your bio DAT score. Also I would randomly watch bio videos on youtube, and read chunks of Feralis notes. The videos were amazing by the way, wish I found them sooner. Look up Bozeman Science (think thats how its spelled), AK lectures, Craig Savage, and Khan Academy.
O-Chem - 30, BOOTCAMP AVG ~27
I tutor this, so I was really not worried about this section at all. The scope of this test for orgo is incredibly easy compared to your undergrad classes. Most of my test was basic reactions, a couple lab techniques, acid/base stuff, and some stereochem. My advice is go through DAT destroyer. If you can do that, then you will 100% be able to do orgo on the DAT. If you want a 3o on a section, this is where it is most possible. Also, Bootcamp orgo tests were a VERY GOOD representation of the orgo on the DAT. I found it not necessary to memorize the road maps in DAT Destroyer, its all about your background. If you feel weak in orgo, I would go ahead and do it. HOW COULD I ALMOST FORGET TO MENTION CHAD! Before you do anything, watch chad's videos. AMAZING! Easily one of the best resources out there for the chemistries. He's incredibly funny, and tells you exactly what you should know for the DAT. The best thing about his videos is that they are SO addicting. Couple that with DAT Destroyer and your good to go.
G-Chem - 24, BOOTCAMP AVG ~23
Slightly easier than bootcamp gen chem. Not as much math as I expected, most of it was conceptual, which I was fine with. I finished with like 20 minutes left. SEE above section for rescuers. Chad's vids and destroyer again will be more than enough for gen chem. Don't blow off the lab techniques. I had a weird one that I never encountered in any practice test, and some weird thermodynamic question. Those were probably the two I got wrong. Other than that, very straightforward. Understand gases, acid base reactions, rates & 1/2 lives, and equilibrium inside and out, including the meaning of Keq and the rate k.
Resources: DAT Bootcamp, DAT Qvault (biology), DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Chad's Videos, Cliffs AP, Feralis Notes, Youtube.
Again, theses resources are amazing, and more than prepared me for the DAT. Thanks Chad, thanks Ari, thanks orgoman22 (Dr. Jim Romano & Nancy Steen), thanks Feralis Notes creator, and thanks SDN community for giving me the confidence and study tips for taking the DAT with the numerous breakdowns! Lets not forget those awesome youtubers who made learning about plants actually kind of fun, thanks! Im out fellow SDN'ers, gotta go pack for my vacation to the domenican, good luck with the DAT and hopefully somebody will find this useful!
OVERALL:
PA 22
QR21
RC19
BIO 21
GC 24
OC 30
TS 23
AA 23
