6/8/11 test complete

Started by rizzler
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rizzler

Full Member
10+ Year Member
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First off I'd like to thank dentalworks for the 8 week day by day plan and corndog for his PAT videos.

My scores aren't as high as I would have liked them to be but I'll take them given the fact I had/have bronchitis and could not stop coughing and was constantly thirsty throughout the whole test.

Score breakdown
PA: 22
QR :19😳
RC : 20
Bio :20
GC: 21
OC :24
TS :21
AA :21

I have a 3.3 Science and a 3.3 overall gpa coming from a top 20 university in the U.S. My science GPA was pretty low during my junior year, but during my senior year I took nothing but sciences and did quite well, so I guess I can say my GPA is more of a U shape where it shot up near the end.


Resources : DAT destroyer (Math, odyssey, normal destroyer), ADA free test and ADA paid test, Kaplan BB, Kaplan course (fail), Kaplan online material, Chads videos, random stuff I downloaded onto my ipod touch (iStudy (MCAT biology, genetics)) CLIFFS AP bio and TOPscore and a study buddy.

PA: I never really had a problem with perception and didn't really study for it. I only did the kaplan tests and the topscore exams. I scored a 23,24, and 24 on the topscore tests.

QR: I did one test on the math destroyer and didn't open the book after that. I did do the section in the big destroyer and I got 21's through 23's on topscore.

RC: only tests I did were the topscore and kaplan exams. Luckily "no piano."
I used my own method for this, it's a little mixture of what kaplan teaches and the search and destroy. I would read the first half in depth and write out a road map, then go straight to the questions. If the questions had to do with the first half, I'd know exactly where they were and If I didn't know a thing about the question I'd know it was in the last half of the reading. I used search and destroy for the end of that.
I'll take the 20.

Bio: I read the kaplan book about twice and did the destroyer. I used my ipod touch notecard applications to just go over whatever, whenever I had the chance. Every practice test I took I got a 19, over and over and over and over again, so I'm happy to break that 19.

Chemistry and O-chem were the two subjects I spent the most time on. I did the whole odyssey and my friend and I went through his version of the destroyer (2010) and my version the (2011) at least two times each. CHADS was awesome and I did all the quizzes over and over again until I learned how work the problems correctly. I scored 100% on the second GC top score and 100% on the OC on the third top score, but something didn't fully click today, maybe it was all the coughing.

My test was at 8AM, so I got to the testing center around 4:30am and sat in my car listening to very loud dubstep and reviewing my notes from chads in depth. I also went over the kaplan laminated sheets for the bio.

During my break I ate a granola bar and drank half a liter of pocari sweat (its like asian gatorade.) I was very unsure about how I did in the science section after it was done and I just wanted over a 20.

Overall the most important tools would have to be CHADS and then the destroyer. For stamina training I would have to say topscore.

lets hope I can get in with these scores this cycle, good luck to all other SDN'ers on their tests/apps
 
Congrats..

Why did you reach the testing center at 4:45 am??

If I left my place around 6 am It would've taken me about an hour to get there due to traffic. So I left real early and got there extremely early. (I guess-timated I wound need about 2.5 hours to review everything so everything worked out about right)
 
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Assuming you apply wisely to 15+ schools... I say you have a great shot at landing a good amount of interviews.

this might be a dumb question but does what university you come from matter? or is a 3.3 from a community college the same as a 3.3 from a top 20 school?

thanks for the feedback guys 🙂
 
this might be a dumb question but does what university you come from matter? or is a 3.3 from a community college the same as a 3.3 from a top 20 school?

thanks for the feedback guys 🙂

Of course a top 20 3.3 triumphs a 3.3 from a CC. However, a 3.5+ from a regular university triumphs a low GPA from a top school.
 
this might be a dumb question but does what university you come from matter? or is a 3.3 from a community college the same as a 3.3 from a top 20 school?

thanks for the feedback guys 🙂

I don't like to compare top-20 vs bunker-hill colleges.

I like to look at hard data and draw my conclusions.

Fact: Average matriculation GPA (science and overall) is between 3.4-3.6 between MOST dental schools. Whether you have a 3.3 from MIT or some unknown college / CC, you are below the national average. Since you have a very respectable DAT, it evens the ground. Besides, 3.3 GPA isn't that bad (I have 3.3 too)
 
I had these exact same scores and exact same GPA in cali but I didn't apply wisely. This is my advice to you. Apply to the expensive schools too even though you think you have a solid chance you gotta make sure you have backups. I give this advice because I am currently retaking my DAT to apply again. Good luck and awesome scores. I remember even the 21 was no joke.
 
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