Bombed the DAT 6/23/2011

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Kobebucsfan

Kobebucsfan

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10+ Year Member
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16
PAT - 18
QR - 19
RC --- 16 :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
BIO - --- 17 :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
Gen chem -- 18
Orgo -- 19


TS - 18
AA - 18


Before i start off, i want to say I am a poor science student. what i mean is i got C's in both gen chems, C in orgo. so i started to study for DAT this may and i knew absolutely nothing about orgo or gen chem. i didn't even know what the atomic # was, so i started fresh. I studied my butt off for 2 months and now I finally understand gen chem and orgo. Thank god. So for those ppl with 4.0 GPAs and got As in pre-reqs, u should have no problem getting higher than me on the DAT. if u get lower shame on u.

Its ironic how Bio and PAT were my strong suits but ended up scoring low on them. :(


BIO: WOW i read the entire campbell TWICE and also the cliffs AP BIO, obviously wasn't enough :mad: it sure is random, it requires background knowledge of bio rather than memorizing details

gen chem: CHADS is enough

Orgo - chad and Destroyer is enough

PAT: idk on CDP i got 21+ on all 10 tests, but got 18 on real DAT (what gives). the angles killed me.


Reading: Search and Destroy is useless guys. On Topscore i got 21+ on all 3 tests b/c of search and destroy. on real exam, even if u S&D - its not word for word

QR: WOW this was tough. some really easy, some really hard. There was a stat question where the the whole question was a paragraph long WTF. Know trig.


i dont know what else to say, I beasted on Topscore, 2009 exam and 2007 exam and kBB book. dont know what happened.
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Wow man, sorry about your luck. I know you worked your ass off, Hang in there and keep your head up.
 
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also like to add


this exam was 2x harder than the 2009 one which in turn was maybe 2x than the 2007 one

imo
 
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I have a C+ in organic chemistry yet DAT material was easy + breeze it was a joke. I guess the grade really varies from school to school
 
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Sorry, but kudos to you for posting your scores.

I wish more people who didn't do so well post their scores too.
 
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Kobebucsfan said:
BIO: WOW i read the entire campbell TWICE and also the cliffs AP BIO, obviously wasn't enough :mad: it sure is random, it requires background knowledge of bio rather than memorizing details
Click to expand...

You might not believe me but 18 is not a bad score at all. If this is your first time I think you should be proud. I know people who got 13 and now dentistry ain't their choice. Your RC is tough and what you said about Bio is probably the realest thing anyone has said about the bio section here on SDN. You really do need a solid background on biology for the biology section. You don't read campbells and Cliffs AP Bio to memorize the details it is to familiarize yourself with those basic concepts because at the end of the day it is really random in what it is testing. I feel like you personally could be better if you decide to retake it. Whats your GPA like, if you have a stellar GPA like 3.5 or above you should apply you will get in. But if GPA is lower than 3.5 definite retake.
 
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Kobebucsfan said:
PAT - 18
QR - 19
RC --- 16 :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
BIO - --- 17 :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
Gen chem -- 18
Orgo -- 19


TS - 18
AA - 18


Before i start off, i want to say I am a poor science student. what i mean is i got C's in both gen chems, C in orgo. so i started to study for DAT this may and i knew absolutely nothing about orgo or gen chem. i didn't even know what the atomic # was, so i started fresh. I studied my butt off for 2 months and now I finally understand gen chem and orgo. Thank god. So for those ppl with 4.0 GPAs and got As in pre-reqs, u should have no problem getting higher than me on the DAT. if u get lower shame on u.

Its ironic how Bio and PAT were my strong suits but ended up scoring low on them. :(


BIO: WOW i read the entire campbell TWICE and also the cliffs AP BIO, obviously wasn't enough :mad: it sure is random, it requires background knowledge of bio rather than memorizing details

gen chem: CHADS is enough

Orgo - chad and Destroyer is enough

PAT: idk on CDP i got 21+ on all 10 tests, but got 18 on real DAT (what gives). the angles killed me.


Reading: Search and Destroy is useless guys. On Topscore i got 21+ on all 3 tests b/c of search and destroy. on real exam, even if u S&D - its not word for word

QR: WOW this was tough. some really easy, some really hard. There was a stat question where the the whole question was a paragraph long WTF. Know trig.


i dont know what else to say, I beasted on Topscore, 2009 exam and 2007 exam and kBB book. dont know what happened.
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Aww man. :(

Make this motivation to kick ass next time. You'll come back to this thread in exactly 3 months and laugh your ass off.

I can't believe campbell wasn't enough...did you read like every single word or the parts that you felt weak on?

Your AA is an 18, that's above the average applicant and 1 below the average matriculant so there's still a chance if you applied to a lot of schools.

How confident did you feel going in?
 
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Your scores are not bad at all. Too much SDN for every 21+ score posted on SDN there are probably 50 21- scores that are never even mentioned. Isnt 18AA average? Most of the kids at my University have told me that they got a 16-17-18's.
Dont give up! get an interview and kill it ( IMO interviews are the deal makers)
 
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Make this motivation to kick ass next time. You'll come back to this thread in exactly 3 months and laugh your ass off.

I can't believe campbell wasn't enough...did you read like every single word or the parts that you felt weak on?

Your AA is an 18, that's above the average applicant and 1 below the average matriculant so there's still a chance if you applied to a lot of schools.

How confident did you feel going in?
Click to expand...

i was pretty confident about the material, just not about the time management so i got screwed in reading, had to guess


yeah i read all of campbell, but some Q's on DAT were really advanced material and some were tricky. the 2009 and 2007 DAT is waaayy easier
 
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104 said:
Your scores are not bad at all. Too much SDN for every 21+ score posted on SDN there are probably 50 21- scores that are never even mentioned. Isnt 18AA average? Most of the kids at my University have told me that they got a 16-17-18's.
Dont give up! get an interview and kill it ( IMO interviews are the deal makers)
Click to expand...
thanx

but i was shooting for 21+ b/c my gpa sucks


overall- 3.39
sci gpa - 3.12
BCP - 2.86

yeah thats bad
 
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You didn't bomb it. Bomb it means you got 17AA or less with a bunch of 15s and 16 individual scores.

You just got rocked by the sciences and RC. Fortunately for you, if you applied to the new FL school (opening up this cycle) there is decent chance you'll get in.

The other schools, odds are significantly against you
 
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yeah! on the new school website it says that competitive applicants have a 16 or above in every section...and you do! Personally, I'd apply to it (if you haven't already) and schedule a retake. Your scores are NOT bad. the only tricky one is the RC if that was above a 17, i wouldn't even say schedule a retake yet. all hope is not lost for this year! and, the worst thing that happens is you don't get in this year. do really well on your classes this year, raise your GPA retake the DAT and get in next year. i really really really think it will be fine! i know it's so hard getting on here and seeing everyone post crazy scores. I'm SO happy you posted and gave a realistic view of the test! bio is going to kill me! I would be THRILLED with a 17 in bio. no joke. i've only taken 1 bio class ever so that part is really rough for me.
 
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I doubt the test takers in 09 had it easier than us. People always say this - one guy was retaking a biochem class and he always said "whoa it was so much harder last year" - he still ended up with a C+ in the class.

It seems like you're one of those people who can prepair and know material but not perform on tests. Is this true? If that is the case you should look for places to apply the material to noval situations. Exam crackers bio has some good biology application problems. It will allow you to exercise your skills in applying knowedge and not just memorizing. It will not cover all the material on the DAT though... phyla, plants, and eco.


Kobebucsfan said:
yeah 2007 and 2009 DAT is super easy
Click to expand...
 
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i was pretty confident about the material, just not about the time management so i got screwed in reading, had to guess
Click to expand...

Yeah, time management is huge. I didn't realize that just knowing the info wasn't enough until I took a practice test...being able to recall the answer or eliminate the wrong choices in a small amount of time can change your score big time.

Kobebucsfan said:
Gen chem -- 18
Orgo -- 19

.....

gen chem: CHADS is enough

Orgo - chad and Destroyer is enough
Click to expand...

What happened to your Gchem and Orgo score if chad and destroyer were sufficient?
 
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i have friend who got a 18AA and got accepted to unlv and howard (he's white too), so its not impossible. i'd also like to add it took him 5 cycles to get in, so be prepared for the worst.
 
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rav4182 said:
i have friend who got a 18AA and got accepted to unlv and howard (he's white too), so its not impossible. i'd also like to add it took him 5 cycles to get in, so be prepared for the worst.
Click to expand...

dang, 5 cycles means 5 years. Its a lot of money. Good luck with your friend.

Do you know his GPAs?
 
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wizi said:
dang, 5 cycles means 5 years. Its a lot of money. Good luck with your friend.

Do you know his GPAs?
Click to expand...

i dont remember what his gpa's were. he had a **** ton of dental experience though. his dad worked in the dental field so he basically grew up with it
 
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This isn't a terrible score. In a world where the average is a 17-18 and the average matriculant is like 19-20, you are not far off from a cream of the crop application. You made a smart choice applying to 15 schools including your 3 state schools. Good luck!
 
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dantemac said:
This isn't a terrible score. In a world where the average is a 17-18 and the average matriculant is like 19-20, you are not far off from a cream of the crop application. You made a smart choice applying to 15 schools including your 3 state schools. Good luck!
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im still gonna retake though, with more months to study - i have a feeling ill do better
 
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Double Bonded said:
Yeah, time management is huge. I didn't realize that just knowing the info wasn't enough until I took a practice test...being able to recall the answer or eliminate the wrong choices in a small amount of time can change your score big time.



What happened to your Gchem and Orgo score if chad and destroyer were sufficient?
Click to expand...

:laugh: yes u have a point. I should have said, if u do chads for gen chem, u will get atleast an 18. When i started studying for gen chem, i kNEW NOTHING !!! so i started from scratch. most ppl already know some material from their undergrad so they have to get 18 or higher. I took gen chem my first year and did bad, didn't understand anything. so for me all i studied for gen chem was chad and got 18


for orgo - i think i messed up on an IUPAC question - it was tricky . some lab question ( i never took orgo labs yet so i got that wrong ).
 
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Kobebucsfan said:
:laugh: yes u have a point. I should have said, if u do chads for gen chem, u will get atleast an 18. When i started studying for gen chem, i kNEW NOTHING !!! so i started from scratch. most ppl already know some material from their undergrad so they have to get 18 or higher. I took gen chem my first year and did bad, didn't understand anything. so for me all i studied for gen chem was chad and got 18


for orgo - i think i messed up on an IUPAC question - it was tricky . some lab question ( i never took orgo labs yet so i got that wrong ).
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This is completely random, but I have a feeling me and you are going to end up at the same Dental School in Florida... It's just a gut feeling I don't know how to explain it though lol
 
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Were the Biology questions on your exam more specific than what you studied? Of the 40 questions, how many did you completely guess on? Also, I'm from Florida as well (I go to FSU) and I personally think you should be able to get an interview at LECOM
 
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rah08e said:
Were the Biology questions on your exam more specific than what you studied? Of the 40 questions, how many did you completely guess on? Also, I'm from Florida as well (I go to FSU) and I personally think you should be able to get an interview at LECOM
Click to expand...

yeah LECOM is my first choice i want to go to, its closest to my house also but my BCP gpa is 2.86 :(

the bio Q's i got were weird b/c it was unlike 2007 or 2009 DAT, most of my questions presented me with like some real world example - um i dont know how to explain. one question was about some color dye injected through a cell - thats all ill say, dont wanna get in trouble. so expect some things like that
 
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Kobebucsfan said:
yeah LECOM is my first choice i want to go to, its closest to my house also but my BCP gpa is 2.86 :(

the bio Q's i got were weird b/c it was unlike 2007 or 2009 DAT, most of my questions presented me with like some real world example - um i dont know how to explain. one question was about some color dye injected through a cell - thats all ill say, dont wanna get in trouble. so expect some things like that
Click to expand...

I feel like everyone asks this but I cannot find those 2007/2009 exams... can someone please post a link to both?
 
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Kobebucsfan said:
PAT - 18
QR - 19
RC --- 16 :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
BIO - --- 17 :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
Gen chem -- 18
Orgo -- 19


TS - 18
AA - 18


Before i start off, i want to say I am a poor science student. what i mean is i got C's in both gen chems, C in orgo. so i started to study for DAT this may and i knew absolutely nothing about orgo or gen chem. i didn't even know what the atomic # was, so i started fresh. I studied my butt off for 2 months and now I finally understand gen chem and orgo. Thank god. So for those ppl with 4.0 GPAs and got As in pre-reqs, u should have no problem getting higher than me on the DAT. if u get lower shame on u.

Its ironic how Bio and PAT were my strong suits but ended up scoring low on them. :(


BIO: WOW i read the entire campbell TWICE and also the cliffs AP BIO, obviously wasn't enough :mad: it sure is random, it requires background knowledge of bio rather than memorizing details

gen chem: CHADS is enough

Orgo - chad and Destroyer is enough

PAT: idk on CDP i got 21+ on all 10 tests, but got 18 on real DAT (what gives). the angles killed me.


Reading: Search and Destroy is useless guys. On Topscore i got 21+ on all 3 tests b/c of search and destroy. on real exam, even if u S&D - its not word for word

QR: WOW this was tough. some really easy, some really hard. There was a stat question where the the whole question was a paragraph long WTF. Know trig.


i dont know what else to say, I beasted on Topscore, 2009 exam and 2007 exam and kBB book. dont know what happened.
Click to expand...

Honestly you arent THAT bad for your academic background. Study for a good 6 months whenever you get a chance and have at it again. Use any tutoring at your school thats free ect. watch videos. I came back to school w/ a 2.8 gpa but have gotten a 4.0 for the last 3 yrs so anything is possible.
 
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