DAT Breadown (21AA/20TS) plus crucial tip!

[CommandoDan]

First, the crucial tip: take advantage of Prometric's test drive!!! I can’t recommend doing this enough. This is basically a dry run of the DAT - you go to the testing facility and go through all the motions you would on test day. I found that I was way more calm on D-day because I knew where the location was, I knew what to expect with the security procedures, I knew what resources I would have (2 laminated sheets and a couple fine tip Sharpies), and I was able to verify I would be able to input numbers into the calculator (during the QR section) using the keyboard number pad. Do it! There’s no reason not to. It’s cheap and it’s only going to help you.

My scores were as follows:
PAT 24
QR 20
RC 21
BIO 20
GC 19
OC 25
TS 20
AA 21

My test was taken on 9/17/2015. I know I'm pretty late with this breakdown but I actually wasn't planning on writing one up until one of my friends asked me to. I can verify my scores if someone wants me to but as for now, I'm feeling too lazy to go find the picture of my unofficial report and upload it. My overall GPA is 3.48 and my sGPA is 3.45. My mail out date was sometime early/mid October and as of today, I had two interview invites. I interviewed at NYU post Dec. 1, got an acceptance, and will be attending. I also had an interview lined up at Roseman but cancelled it after receiving my NYU acceptance.

Now for the good stuff. I'll list the resources I used in the order I used them. I know most people on SDN know about these but note I wrote my breakdown for a friend who doesn't go on SDN often (I just introduced him very recently) and is thus unfamiliar with all of these resources. That's why I included information that everyone here already knows.

coursesaver.com (10/10) - “Chad’s videos” Chad is the lecturer and he does an amazing job. He breaks down what you need to know really well and leaves out the extra information that’s not relevant to the DAT. His Organic Chemistry and General Chemistry series are must watches. I also used his math series and found them to be extremely helpful. He went over a lot of concepts and rules that I forgot about so I would highly recommend his math videos as well. coursesaver.com offers his biology series for free but I didn’t use them so I don’t know how good it is. I basically went through all of his lectures twice. I was lazy and didn’t do the quizzes the first time around… don’t make my mistake! The quizzes really help cement what you learned in his videos. Now I saw on SDN that Chad has his own website where you can see his videos for free. From what I read, they are not the same videos but cover the same materials. I haven’t seen his free videos as they came out after I took the DAT so I can’t recommend his free website.

datQvault.com (9/10) - On this website there are 10 practice tests for each section. On SDN, this site is well revered for the biology section and I whole heartedly agree! The questions are super random (just like on the DAT) and quite challenging. After you do the practice tests, they save your scores so you can go back and see which questions you got wrong. It was nice to be able to go see those incorrect answers to study up on the specific subject. datQvault.com isn’t known for the organic chemistry, chemistry, and math sections but I did them anyway and I thought they were great study material. The website also has a PAT section and if I remember correctly, a reading (RC) section as well but I didn’t use those.

DATbootcamp.com (10/10) - LOVE this site. This site is like datQvault and has practice tests for each section but I think the questions here mimic the real DAT the best. I went through all the sections except the reading section where I only did a few tests and the PAT where I only did 5 out of 10 tests.. I actually didn’t really practice the reading section that much and I did okay. As long as you can do a little speed reading I wouldn’t worry about this section on the DAT too much. PAT practice tests were awesome. They were much harder than the real PAT. I remember I got a score of 17 first, and then managed to get a couple 20 and 21 scores.

Cliff’s AP Biology 3RD EDITION (not 4th) (9/10) Must get for biology. The 4th edition reflects the new AP biology test and has extra information you don’t need for the DAT so it’s recommended you get the 3rd edition. Apparently the 4th edition is missing entire portions on plants and biological diversity, both of which are included in the DAT.

Feralis Biology notes - (9/10) Biology notes compiled by a member of SDN. The notes are dense so definitely use Cliff’s first before diving into this.

Barron’s AP Biology (9/10) I actually didn’t use this book too much as I didn’t have enough time, but the information in here looked up to par with Cliff’s AP biology. At the beginning of my studies when I wasn’t managing my time well, I would read the Cliff’s version of a chapter and then the Barron’s version of the same subject. They would present the material slightly differently so if you’re having trouble with a section, having the Barron’s book might help you see it in a different light.

DAT Destroyer (10/10) More practice questions but these question will beat the **** out of you. At first, It will make you want to cry and make you feel defeated, especially if you don’t do any review and go straight into it. The questions are pretty gnarly. Even at the end of my studies and I felt confident going into the test, I would maybe get 1/3 of the questions right. They are all questions on hard mode. I would do the questions and if I got them wrong, study up on the specific question and subject and go from there. I learned a lot studying this way and really felt like it helped me prepare the DAT. I got the DAT Destroyer and Math destroyer combo pack. You could probably get away without the math destroyer as I think it’s overkill for the DAT but it can’t hurt to study with it.

crackdat.com - the PAT option (5/10) I think there was 10 practice tests for the PAT section. I only did one and found out that it was exactly like DATbootcamp but you’re paying more because you only get the PAT section. I didn’t need to waste money on this. However, if you find that you need more practice with the PAT, definitely get it! I gave it a low score because I didn’t need it and it’s a little pricey just for the PAT practice. The material itself is good stuff.

I hope this can help someone. Let me know if you have any questions.

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[442627]

Awesome scores! What kind of EC's and shadowing hours do you have?

 

[CommandoDan]

Thanks! I had zero hours of volunteering at the time I sent out my application but afterwards I participated in a weekend clinic and had about 20 hours under my belt by the time of my interview. I had a year of research at a molecular bio lab, 60 hours of shadowing between 2 dentists, and I worked as a microbiologist in a commercial food safety lab for 1.5 years before applying.

 

[442627]

Thanks! I had zero hours of volunteering at the time I sent out my application but afterwards I participated in a weekend clinic and had about 20 hours under my belt by the time of my interview. I had a year of research at a molecular bio lab, 60 hours of shadowing between 2 dentists, and I worked as a microbiologist in a commercial food safety lab for 1.5 years before applying.

Wow, that work experience should make you stand out.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[DAT Destroyer]

First, the crucial tip: take advantage of Prometric's test drive!!! I can’t recommend doing this enough. This is basically a dry run of the DAT - you go to the testing facility and go through all the motions you would on test day. I found that I was way more calm on D-day because I knew where the location was, I knew what to expect with the security procedures, I knew what resources I would have (2 laminated sheets and a couple fine tip Sharpies), and I was able to verify I would be able to input numbers into the calculator (during the QR section) using the keyboard number pad. Do it! There’s no reason not to. It’s cheap and it’s only going to help you.

My scores were as follows:
PAT 24
QR 20
RC 21
BIO 20
GC 19
OC 25
TS 20
AA 21

My test was taken on 9/17/2015. I know I'm pretty late with this breakdown but I actually wasn't planning on writing one up until one of my friends asked me to. I can verify my scores if someone wants me to but as for now, I'm feeling too lazy to go find the picture of my unofficial report and upload it. My overall GPA is 3.48 and my sGPA is 3.45. My mail out date was sometime early/mid October and as of today, I had two interview invites. I interviewed at NYU post Dec. 1, got an acceptance, and will be attending. I also had an interview lined up at Roseman but cancelled it after receiving my NYU acceptance.

Now for the good stuff. I'll list the resources I used in the order I used them. I know most people on SDN know about these but note I wrote my breakdown for a friend who doesn't go on SDN often (I just introduced him very recently) and is thus unfamiliar with all of these resources. That's why I included information that everyone here already knows.

coursesaver.com (10/10) - “Chad’s videos” Chad is the lecturer and he does an amazing job. He breaks down what you need to know really well and leaves out the extra information that’s not relevant to the DAT. His Organic Chemistry and General Chemistry series are must watches. I also used his math series and found them to be extremely helpful. He went over a lot of concepts and rules that I forgot about so I would highly recommend his math videos as well. coursesaver.com offers his biology series for free but I didn’t use them so I don’t know how good it is. I basically went through all of his lectures twice. I was lazy and didn’t do the quizzes the first time around… don’t make my mistake! The quizzes really help cement what you learned in his videos. Now I saw on SDN that Chad has his own website where you can see his videos for free. From what I read, they are not the same videos but cover the same materials. I haven’t seen his free videos as they came out after I took the DAT so I can’t recommend his free website.

datQvault.com (9/10) - On this website there are 10 practice tests for each section. On SDN, this site is well revered for the biology section and I whole heartedly agree! The questions are super random (just like on the DAT) and quite challenging. After you do the practice tests, they save your scores so you can go back and see which questions you got wrong. It was nice to be able to go see those incorrect answers to study up on the specific subject. datQvault.com isn’t known for the organic chemistry, chemistry, and math sections but I did them anyway and I thought they were great study material. The website also has a PAT section and if I remember correctly, a reading (RC) section as well but I didn’t use those.

DATbootcamp.com (10/10) - LOVE this site. This site is like datQvault and has practice tests for each section but I think the questions here mimic the real DAT the best. I went through all the sections except the reading section where I only did a few tests and the PAT where I only did 5 out of 10 tests.. I actually didn’t really practice the reading section that much and I did okay. As long as you can do a little speed reading I wouldn’t worry about this section on the DAT too much. PAT practice tests were awesome. They were much harder than the real PAT. I remember I got a score of 17 first, and then managed to get a couple 20 and 21 scores.

Cliff’s AP Biology 3RD EDITION (not 4th) (9/10) Must get for biology. The 4th edition reflects the new AP biology test and has extra information you don’t need for the DAT so it’s recommended you get the 3rd edition. Apparently the 4th edition is missing entire portions on plants and biological diversity, both of which are included in the DAT.

Feralis Biology notes - (9/10) Biology notes compiled by a member of SDN. The notes are dense so definitely use Cliff’s first before diving into this.

Barron’s AP Biology (9/10) I actually didn’t use this book too much as I didn’t have enough time, but the information in here looked up to par with Cliff’s AP biology. At the beginning of my studies when I wasn’t managing my time well, I would read the Cliff’s version of a chapter and then the Barron’s version of the same subject. They would present the material slightly differently so if you’re having trouble with a section, having the Barron’s book might help you see it in a different light.

DAT Destroyer (10/10) More practice questions but these question will beat the **** out of you. At first, It will make you want to cry and make you feel defeated, especially if you don’t do any review and go straight into it. The questions are pretty gnarly. Even at the end of my studies and I felt confident going into the test, I would maybe get 1/3 of the questions right. They are all questions on hard mode. I would do the questions and if I got them wrong, study up on the specific question and subject and go from there. I learned a lot studying this way and really felt like it helped me prepare the DAT. I got the DAT Destroyer and Math destroyer combo pack. You could probably get away without the math destroyer as I think it’s overkill for the DAT but it can’t hurt to study with it.

crackdat.com - the PAT option (5/10) I think there was 10 practice tests for the PAT section. I only did one and found out that it was exactly like DATbootcamp but you’re paying more because you only get the PAT section. I didn’t need to waste money on this. However, if you find that you need more practice with the PAT, definitely get it! I gave it a low score because I didn’t need it and it’s a little pricey just for the PAT practice. The material itself is good stuff.

I hope this can help someone. Let me know if you have any questions.

Very nice scores CommandoDan, Dental schools will love your consistent scores, no low scores! Thank you for the detailed breakdown and I agree with you about the the prometric test drive. I recommend it to all my students, for a small fee you can visit your testing center, take a tutorial on the actual computer before test day. If definitely will help with the test taking jitters.

wishing you the best!

Nancy

 

[738177]

Thanks! I had zero hours of volunteering at the time I sent out my application but afterwards I participated in a weekend clinic and had about 20 hours under my belt by the time of my interview. I had a year of research at a molecular bio lab, 60 hours of shadowing between 2 dentists, and I worked as a microbiologist in a commercial food safety lab for 1.5 years before applying.

I'm curious, did this come up in your interviews by any chance? I have eerily similar work experience as you (~2 years as a microbiologist at both food and pharmaceutical industry) but i wasn't sure if i should even mention this stuff since it's not really "clinical".

And congrats on your DAT score

 

[CommandoDan]

Thanks! My interviewer didn't ask but I brought it up myself and talked about my experiences at my job and how it helped me grow post college and develop as a dental school candidate. I remember talking about how I became more detail oriented, my manual dexterity improved, my analytical skills were enhanced, I learned the importance of teamwork in achieving goals, etc. I think interviewers don't only care about dental-related experiences as long as you can relate your experiences to helping you prepare to become a dental student/dentist. I would definitely bring it up. Good luck!

 

[flossit]

Thanks! My interviewer didn't ask but I brought it up myself and talked about my experiences at my job and how it helped me grow post college and develop as a dental school candidate. I remember talking about how I became more detail oriented, my manual dexterity improved, my analytical skills were enhanced, I learned the importance of teamwork in achieving goals, etc. I think interviewers don't only care about dental-related experiences as long as you can relate your experiences to helping you prepare to become a dental student/dentist. I would definitely bring it up. Good luck!

Great job! Can you tell more how was your interview at NYU? What they ask? And was there any question that you were not prepared to answer? Do you have any tips how to get through the NYU interview with a positive outcome. Thank you in advance!

 

[CommandoDan]

Thanks Flossit! I'll give you a rundown of my interview day. I got there in the morning and received a short secondary application. They ask you what other schools you've applied to and what your status is with them (they only give you room to list 5 so I wrote [+ x schools] on the bottom) and you'll have to write a paragraph essay on why you want to go to NYU specifically. You'll have access to breakfast items so you can load up on coffee while you wait for your interview . The interview itself was very laid back, you'll interview with faculty first. Some people had professors, I had an admissions staff officer. He went through a list of things to ask me but like I said, it was very casual and seemed like a conversation. They'll ask you to tell them about yourself and get into questions like why dentistry, what kind of extra curricular activities you were involved in, etc. I can't exactly remember what other questions my interviewer asked me but you can go to this website: http://schools.studentdoctor.net/school/nyucd?reload=1&r=1454652849608 and go to the "interview feedback" section to see what kinds of questions were asked to other people. I used that to get a feel of what questions were going to be asked and I felt the information was reliable and accurate. I talked a lot about my year of research and my job. I didn't feel like I was underprepared so as long as you do your homework and prep before your interview, you'll be fine! Just be confident and relaxed and have a good time with it. After the interview you'll get into small groups and do a tour of the school and end with a free lunch at the cafeteria. Let me know if you have more questions. Good luck!

 

[CommandoDan]

I forgot to mention you'll meet with another admissions staff officer after your initial interview. I think this portion is for people still in school to give them an academic update but because I was already finished with my BS, the girl asked me why NYU specifically again. Hope this helps!

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

Nice PAT and orgo :O.

 

[flossit]

I forgot to mention you'll meet with another admissions staff officer after your initial interview. I think this portion is for people still in school to give them an academic update but because I was already finished with my BS, the girl asked me why NYU specifically again. Hope this helps!

Thanks a lot for your feedback!