vivian_wuxy
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- Feb 22, 2025
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Hi guys. I recently retook my DAT and got a good score. I want to post a score breakdown here and hopefully that will help you guys study.
1st try Scores:
QR - 28
RC - 22
Bio - 20
GC - 24
OC - 20
TS - 22
AA – 23
I started studying for DAT for the first time on the summer of my sophomore year. I planned to spend 3 months just to study for DAT. Back then I hadn’t taken Ochem 2 and Biochem yet so I was definitely not prepared and I spent a long time on Ochem 2 which I (and everyone who’s studying for DAT) shouldn’t be (Bio should be the main focus). I used my own schedule back then but it was not great. The timeline is also too long so I got burned out after 1.5 months and stopped studying as much. I learned from this attempt that I need to find a good schedule and stick to it, and a shorter but more intensive timeline works better for me.
2nd try Scores (half a year later):
QR - 27
RC - 24
Bio - 25
GC - 30
OC - 20
TS - 25
AA – 26
Background:
Currently a junior with a 3.80~ GPA.
Materials Used (in order of helpfulness):
Bootcamp or Booster?
Overall, these two websites are all great. If you studied either one of them well you will for sure get a good score. However, I recommend using booster more for several reasons:
As I said, they are all great and prepped you really well for the exam. The interfaces are designed really similar and I saw same questions occasionally. Therefore, I recommend booster as I believe it’s around 200 dollars cheaper than bootcamp if you purchase the 3 months membership.
I loved booster’s practice test for science section. it’s super representative and I saw so many similar/same questions on the real test. Do the practice test and going over them periodically will guarantee you a good score.
Study Timeline for my 2nd try:
I started about 5 weeks before my test and I used Booster’s 3 month’s schedule and finish ~3 days’ task in 1 day basically. There are days I studied 7h and days I completed everything in 4h. I tried to create my own schedule, but I feel like it is not as efficient as this one. I didn’t take a single off day (technically). If I want to hang out with friends for one day I will make up for it the day after. There are 3 stages of my studying:
Stage 1: This is basically just for content learning/review. I have a strong foundation in science and maths already, so I basically just went over the notes super fast (a lot of time during class cuz I got bored). I didn’t watch any videos because I’m impatient LOL. I focused mainly on question banks, and I made sure I know why I got each question wrong or correct. I studied for around 3-4h every day. I only studied science section because I’m busy with school.
Stage 2: Now I’m done with all of the finals. I’m doing general review while taking practice tests occasionally. I spent most time studying at this stage. And in this phase of study, I spent most time on bio. I would go through the notes and try my best to memorize everything, and I would use ANKI after (optional as now I think back, I don’t really think it helped me much). I feel like coping down everything is kinda like a dumb way to study but acc helped me remember everything the best. Then I would do a bunch of questions from Bio Bites. For Gen chem and Ochem I just reviewed notes and that’s it. I didn’t really study maths during this phase. I would also make sure to practice PAT for an hour every day and do 1 or 2 reading question banks.
Stage 3: after going over everything once, I started to review for the second time while taking practice tests at a more frequent pace. I’m still practicing PAT for around an hour every day, and I complete 2 reading question banks. For science, I reviewed subjects that I feel not as confident, and I ignored the easy ones, such as animal behavior for bio, nomenclature for chem, etc. I also started to memorize bio cheatsheet in this phase. I only use practice test to study for maths, but I would look at the cheatsheet once in a while to make sure I memorize all of the annoying unit conversions.
Day of Exam
Bio(25): Bio is a subject where you put in more work, you get a higher score. It really doesn’t depend on if a person is smart or not, but how much time that person devotes for the subject. The amount of material you need to know for this subject is insane. So you have to force yourself to keep learning and memorizing every day. If you take a day off without studying for bio you will unfortunately start to forget stuff. On the real test, a lot of questions acc showed up on booster’s practice test, so this section went pretty smooth for me
GC(30): It’s really easy. If you feel confident about Booster’s practice test, then this shouldn’t be a subject that you are worried about.
OC(20): I’m so disappointed at this section! I did really well in my college’s Ochem class but there was a lot of weird questions on the test. You should definitely take DAT after you finished taking Ochem 1 and 2 in your college as you get to save more time to study for bio. I also recommend go through reaction sheet every day and know each reaction like the back of your hand. You need to think beyond each reaction as I vaguely remember there are a few questions on the real one that somehow manipulated the reaction condition to make it trickier.
PAT(20): I was disappointed at this score too. I scored so well in practice test but didn’t do well in the real test. I probably screwed up the angle ranking section. I’m really clueless on how you could study for this section. Maybe I need to practice more
QR (27): really easy with no surprise. I had 25min left so I went through my answers again. If you are confident with everything listed on cheatsheet then you are fine
RC(24): So F hard!!! I had a passage of 22 paragraphs, and they asked me the meaning of like 4 medical jargons. They also asked about literature devices that I learned 7 years ago in high school literature class. I would say when you take practice test try to time yourself (like finish 3 passages in 55min) cuz I wasn’t really rushing for practice tests but I was fighting my life to finish all of the questions.
Note:
DAT is not too hard (so much easier compared to MCAT imo). It’s really a test that is designed to gauge how much stamina do you have and how much social life are you willing to sacrifice for studying. Imo, the most important thing is to find a good schedule and stick to it.
At the end of the day, DAT is important but it’s also just a number. Don’t stress too much about it as there are so many other things you can use to show you are a strong applicant (GPA, research, etc). I’m really appreciative that I have the privilege to explore this journey.
Throughout my journey as a pre-dental student, I have taken proactive steps to address healthcare disparities among vulnerable populations. For the past two years, I have consistently volunteered to serve food to the homeless population, allowing me to engage with individuals facing severe health and socioeconomic challenges. This experience has reinforced my understanding of how food insecurity and unstable living conditions contribute to poor health outcomes.
To address the lack of accessible healthcare information, I created pamphlets detailing available health services in Los Angeles for the homeless community. These pamphlets provide essential information on free clinics and housing programs that individuals can seek care when needed. By distributing these materials at shelters and community centers, I hope to bridge the gap between underserved populations and vital healthcare services.
Additionally, I participated in an international medical mission trip to Ghana, where I worked alongside healthcare professionals to provide medical care to underserved communities. This experience deepened my understanding of global health disparities and the importance of culturally competent care. Seeing firsthand how limited access to healthcare impacts villagers in Africa strengthened my commitment to global public health advocacy.
Through these initiatives, I have actively contributed to improving health accessibility and education. I hope to continue expanding my efforts through the Social Impact Scholars Program by learning how to be a better leader that promote equitable healthcare for all.
My commitment to making a social impact stems from my family's journey and the stark inequalities I have witnessed in my hometown with regard to healthcare. Coming from China, where the gap between rich and poor is significant, I have seen firsthand how access to healthcare is often made impossible by socioeconomic status. My grandparents grew up in a poor rural area with limited medical resources, yet they managed to move to the city through their hard work, where they provided me with privilege, access to quality education, and comprehensive healthcare.
While I have been fortunate to receive excellent health care, I know that many people in rural areas, like where my grandparents grew up, still lack access to even basic healthcare services. Visiting these areas with my family every year exposed me to the harsh reality of medical disparities—families who cannot afford dental treatment, children suffering from preventable oral diseases, and elderly individuals living without essential care. Those experience gave me a deep sense of responsibility to use my opportunities to bridge this gap.
As a pre-dental student, I am passionate about improving oral healthcare accessibility for underserved communities and explore the relationship between oral health and systematic health. I believe that dental health is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of overall well-being, especially in communities with low socioeconomic status. My experiences volunteering with the homeless population and participating in international medical brigade have further reinforced my belief that healthcare should not be a privilege but a fundamental right of everyone.
I aspire to create change in a global aspect. Through the Social Impact Scholars Program, I wish to further grow as a leader. My dream is to develop solutions to make dental care more accessible, ensuring that people, regardless of their financial background, can receive the care they deserve.
1st try Scores:
QR - 28
RC - 22
Bio - 20
GC - 24
OC - 20
TS - 22
AA – 23
I started studying for DAT for the first time on the summer of my sophomore year. I planned to spend 3 months just to study for DAT. Back then I hadn’t taken Ochem 2 and Biochem yet so I was definitely not prepared and I spent a long time on Ochem 2 which I (and everyone who’s studying for DAT) shouldn’t be (Bio should be the main focus). I used my own schedule back then but it was not great. The timeline is also too long so I got burned out after 1.5 months and stopped studying as much. I learned from this attempt that I need to find a good schedule and stick to it, and a shorter but more intensive timeline works better for me.
2nd try Scores (half a year later):
QR - 27
RC - 24
Bio - 25
GC - 30
OC - 20
TS - 25
AA – 26
Background:
Currently a junior with a 3.80~ GPA.
Materials Used (in order of helpfulness):
- ANKI – I used it because everyone else is using it. I used it for like 3 weeks before my test and I went through around 100-200 words every day. However, I do not really work for me, maybe I’m not a flashcard person. I spent 90min on it every day, but my brain retained 10% of the info the next day. I would say if you were the type of person that enjoy studying with flashcard then you can try it out, and I also feel like making your own flashcard instead of using the premade one is more efficient.
Bootcamp or Booster?
Overall, these two websites are all great. If you studied either one of them well you will for sure get a good score. However, I recommend using booster more for several reasons:
As I said, they are all great and prepped you really well for the exam. The interfaces are designed really similar and I saw same questions occasionally. Therefore, I recommend booster as I believe it’s around 200 dollars cheaper than bootcamp if you purchase the 3 months membership.
I loved booster’s practice test for science section. it’s super representative and I saw so many similar/same questions on the real test. Do the practice test and going over them periodically will guarantee you a good score.
Study Timeline for my 2nd try:
I started about 5 weeks before my test and I used Booster’s 3 month’s schedule and finish ~3 days’ task in 1 day basically. There are days I studied 7h and days I completed everything in 4h. I tried to create my own schedule, but I feel like it is not as efficient as this one. I didn’t take a single off day (technically). If I want to hang out with friends for one day I will make up for it the day after. There are 3 stages of my studying:
Stage 1: This is basically just for content learning/review. I have a strong foundation in science and maths already, so I basically just went over the notes super fast (a lot of time during class cuz I got bored). I didn’t watch any videos because I’m impatient LOL. I focused mainly on question banks, and I made sure I know why I got each question wrong or correct. I studied for around 3-4h every day. I only studied science section because I’m busy with school.
Stage 2: Now I’m done with all of the finals. I’m doing general review while taking practice tests occasionally. I spent most time studying at this stage. And in this phase of study, I spent most time on bio. I would go through the notes and try my best to memorize everything, and I would use ANKI after (optional as now I think back, I don’t really think it helped me much). I feel like coping down everything is kinda like a dumb way to study but acc helped me remember everything the best. Then I would do a bunch of questions from Bio Bites. For Gen chem and Ochem I just reviewed notes and that’s it. I didn’t really study maths during this phase. I would also make sure to practice PAT for an hour every day and do 1 or 2 reading question banks.
Stage 3: after going over everything once, I started to review for the second time while taking practice tests at a more frequent pace. I’m still practicing PAT for around an hour every day, and I complete 2 reading question banks. For science, I reviewed subjects that I feel not as confident, and I ignored the easy ones, such as animal behavior for bio, nomenclature for chem, etc. I also started to memorize bio cheatsheet in this phase. I only use practice test to study for maths, but I would look at the cheatsheet once in a while to make sure I memorize all of the annoying unit conversions.
Day of Exam
Bio(25): Bio is a subject where you put in more work, you get a higher score. It really doesn’t depend on if a person is smart or not, but how much time that person devotes for the subject. The amount of material you need to know for this subject is insane. So you have to force yourself to keep learning and memorizing every day. If you take a day off without studying for bio you will unfortunately start to forget stuff. On the real test, a lot of questions acc showed up on booster’s practice test, so this section went pretty smooth for me
GC(30): It’s really easy. If you feel confident about Booster’s practice test, then this shouldn’t be a subject that you are worried about.
OC(20): I’m so disappointed at this section! I did really well in my college’s Ochem class but there was a lot of weird questions on the test. You should definitely take DAT after you finished taking Ochem 1 and 2 in your college as you get to save more time to study for bio. I also recommend go through reaction sheet every day and know each reaction like the back of your hand. You need to think beyond each reaction as I vaguely remember there are a few questions on the real one that somehow manipulated the reaction condition to make it trickier.
PAT(20): I was disappointed at this score too. I scored so well in practice test but didn’t do well in the real test. I probably screwed up the angle ranking section. I’m really clueless on how you could study for this section. Maybe I need to practice more
QR (27): really easy with no surprise. I had 25min left so I went through my answers again. If you are confident with everything listed on cheatsheet then you are fine
RC(24): So F hard!!! I had a passage of 22 paragraphs, and they asked me the meaning of like 4 medical jargons. They also asked about literature devices that I learned 7 years ago in high school literature class. I would say when you take practice test try to time yourself (like finish 3 passages in 55min) cuz I wasn’t really rushing for practice tests but I was fighting my life to finish all of the questions.
Note:
DAT is not too hard (so much easier compared to MCAT imo). It’s really a test that is designed to gauge how much stamina do you have and how much social life are you willing to sacrifice for studying. Imo, the most important thing is to find a good schedule and stick to it.
At the end of the day, DAT is important but it’s also just a number. Don’t stress too much about it as there are so many other things you can use to show you are a strong applicant (GPA, research, etc). I’m really appreciative that I have the privilege to explore this journey.
Throughout my journey as a pre-dental student, I have taken proactive steps to address healthcare disparities among vulnerable populations. For the past two years, I have consistently volunteered to serve food to the homeless population, allowing me to engage with individuals facing severe health and socioeconomic challenges. This experience has reinforced my understanding of how food insecurity and unstable living conditions contribute to poor health outcomes.
To address the lack of accessible healthcare information, I created pamphlets detailing available health services in Los Angeles for the homeless community. These pamphlets provide essential information on free clinics and housing programs that individuals can seek care when needed. By distributing these materials at shelters and community centers, I hope to bridge the gap between underserved populations and vital healthcare services.
Additionally, I participated in an international medical mission trip to Ghana, where I worked alongside healthcare professionals to provide medical care to underserved communities. This experience deepened my understanding of global health disparities and the importance of culturally competent care. Seeing firsthand how limited access to healthcare impacts villagers in Africa strengthened my commitment to global public health advocacy.
Through these initiatives, I have actively contributed to improving health accessibility and education. I hope to continue expanding my efforts through the Social Impact Scholars Program by learning how to be a better leader that promote equitable healthcare for all.
My commitment to making a social impact stems from my family's journey and the stark inequalities I have witnessed in my hometown with regard to healthcare. Coming from China, where the gap between rich and poor is significant, I have seen firsthand how access to healthcare is often made impossible by socioeconomic status. My grandparents grew up in a poor rural area with limited medical resources, yet they managed to move to the city through their hard work, where they provided me with privilege, access to quality education, and comprehensive healthcare.
While I have been fortunate to receive excellent health care, I know that many people in rural areas, like where my grandparents grew up, still lack access to even basic healthcare services. Visiting these areas with my family every year exposed me to the harsh reality of medical disparities—families who cannot afford dental treatment, children suffering from preventable oral diseases, and elderly individuals living without essential care. Those experience gave me a deep sense of responsibility to use my opportunities to bridge this gap.
As a pre-dental student, I am passionate about improving oral healthcare accessibility for underserved communities and explore the relationship between oral health and systematic health. I believe that dental health is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of overall well-being, especially in communities with low socioeconomic status. My experiences volunteering with the homeless population and participating in international medical brigade have further reinforced my belief that healthcare should not be a privilege but a fundamental right of everyone.
I aspire to create change in a global aspect. Through the Social Impact Scholars Program, I wish to further grow as a leader. My dream is to develop solutions to make dental care more accessible, ensuring that people, regardless of their financial background, can receive the care they deserve.
