Dat done 1/08/10

Started by SCTROJANS
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SCTROJANS

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First of I'd like to thank all of the SDNers who helped out in providing tips and advice on how to tackle the DAT. SDN is by far the best resource in gaining direction on where to go and what to study!

Before I list my scores/breakdown, I ONLY used Kaplan BB and the sample ADA test and used absolutely no other resource. I studied for exactly 3 weeks and was getting 17's, 18's, and 19's at best on the two practice tests I took :laugh:.

PAT: 19 :luck:
Gchem: 23😀
Ochem: 21 😀
Biology: 17 :scared:
QR: 19 😎
RC: 20 :luck:

AA: 20
TS: 19

Break down : )

PAT: Basically the only resources I had were the ADA practice test and Kaplan BB practice set/test. I took both tests and got 19's and then went over why each answer was right. HOWEVER, when I took the actual DAT the hole punches were in the middle of the paper unlike what I saw on practice tests and that threw me for a spin. TFE was easier than Kaplan though so it balanced me out, but I honestly thought I tanked the PAT after taking it.

Gchem: I've only had one semester of Gchem and that was at a community college. It is my weakest section, but I knew Kaplan BB cold and honestly there are no surprises and everything is really straightforward. Stick to Kaplan BB and I would think anybody could get at least an 18 which was what I was shooting for.

Ochem: Same as Gchem memorize Kaplan BB and the study sheet in the back of the book. It was straighforward but not nearly as simple as Gchem as there were a few complex predict the products, but nothing you wouldnt see in the Kaplan BB.

Biology: Biology was my BEST section and the section I studied the most for over three weeks. I memorized Kaplan BB cold and did well on practice test, but the DAT had the most randomest questions imaginable, some which I had never crossed or even heard of in my time studying biology. The ones I knew were not hard but there were at least 10 I had to guess on which shows in my score 👎

Reading Comp: HAHA I did one practice test out of the blue book and was freaking out on how to handle it during my 15 minute break, I started the passage reading one paragraph and answering questions but it didnt work then I switched to S&D DURING the first passage after wasting 20 minutes. S & D did not work and I can confidently say does not work for the DAT unless I just suck at it lol. However, I switched to reading the passages and straight up answering the questions and it totally worked for the last two. If you have a good memory it shouldn't be too hard of a section. I would advise against S & D because although it worked on the one practice test I took, it does not work on DAT type questions.

QR: I have seen so many horror stories about QR it kind of freaked me out, but during practice tests I was hitting 19/20 so I decided to wing it. I don't know any of the trig identities or the unit circle (guessed on those) but just did the rest as fast as I could. After the SAT I became good at these kinds of problems and it stuck so that may have helped, I'd say practice as many practice tests as you can and dont give up during the test.


I was actually surprised and extremely happy with a 20 AA and 19 TS even though they are nowhere near what most SDNers get as I was scoring way lower on the kaplan tests :laugh:


I will be applying for the 2011 entering class, my cGPA is a 3.42 and my sGPA is a 3.3. I have 8 credits done at a community college and I will be completing undergrad in 3 years instead of 4. I'm looking at school like USC, Western, UOP, NYU, Tufts, BU, Temple, Louisville, ASODH, Midwestern, Columbia, UCLA, VCU, UNLV, and Case. What do you think? 😳
 
Well done and congrats on those scores.. with almost no preparation compared to other SDNers (2-3 monthers) you did pretty good.
How was RC and what kind of passages (how long) they were? why didnt S n D work?
 
Thanks 🙂 I am very content especially with the amount of time I had, hopefully it will be enough 😳

The passages were all science, I dont exactly remember what they were about but I know they werent too detailed. Kaplan had science passages with intricate detail questions (for which S&D works). These passages were more general idea types and although there were few actual inference questions, many of the fact questions could not be found word for word in the text like in the one Kaplan BB test I took. They were worded differently so that you had to know what the passage was saying about something in order to actually know the answer. This is why S&D didnt work well for any of the passages, the questions arent worded the same so I was wasting time searching for a keyword for the first 15-20 minutes haha.
 
Congratz!! Same amount of prep time as me basically lol. Except I opted to get the DAT Destroyer but it was still a very hectic 3 weeks. You're definitely competitive with that score, that is an awful lot of schools you're looking at though haha.
 
Scared...you say bio has the most random Qs even you study so hard.....:scared:.......like how random?



......plan BB cold and did well on practice test, but the DAT had the most randomest questions imaginable, some which I had never crossed or even heard of in my time studying biology. The ones I knew were not hard but there were at least 10 I had to guess on which shows in my score
 
Thanks UCLA and Texas : ) I'm actually contemplating how many school to apply to, I have 22 schools on a list I made right after my test haha. I just dont know how competitive I am as I dont know how schools will look at my application with only two years of classes on my application and thats why I'm thinking about applying to so many schools, I just need one 🙁. What do you guys think? I am a California resident haha.


When I say random I meant that those 8-10 questions concerned subjects and concepts I had or though I had never heard about. At least 2-3 of them were under fertilization/reproduction.....but I only used Kaplan BB and what I knew from general bio. I guess what I'm trying to say is that on kaplan tests and opted you see a general pattern of questions that fall under the "test specifications" put up by ADA. While the questions did fall under these concepts they were detailed and had to do with concepts under these general categories that I had never seen 🙂. I've heard many people easy get 20+ after reading AP cliffs a few times, maybe I should have done that 😳
 
Unless you have done some serious and unique volunteer work, don't waste your money on ASDOH. And for Louisville, I am not sure what their track record is with California students. Over the past 4 years, predents.com shows that 74 students applied and only 11 received interviews (~27%). Out of those 11, only 2 were accepted (~5%). These numbers are obviously based on a sample population and may be insignificant, but they do stand out.
Otherwise, good job on your DAT and you should hear from some of the other schools. Good luck
 
Hey guys,

So I visited my advisor today and talked about applying. He said I would not be a competetive applicant because I would only have 2 years of classes under my belt before applying and because my GPA is a bit low. Turns out my science is around a 3.2. What do you guys think?
 
Hey guys,

So I visited my advisor today and talked about applying. He said I would not be a competetive applicant because I would only have 2 years of classes under my belt before applying and because my GPA is a bit low. Turns out my science is around a 3.2. What do you guys think?
I think he's right. You have not proved that much with a 3.2 after only two years. I am not saying a 3.2 is bad, but if it's a result of merely science prerequisites then it's not going to stand out. If you have a 3.2 after all your prerequisites, some upper level/ tougher science courses, then you will be better off.
 
Congrats on the good scores!👍 They look oddly familiar though...
Do not feel bad about the 17 in BIO, I think I had the same version as you, and the devil wrote the biology section of that DAT version. I also got a 17, and I am in my 4th year into a degree in Biology. I ended up flat out guessing on about ten of the questions on the DAT, and It appears that I got them all wrong.
Make sure to just take more science classes and get A's in them. My sGPA went from under a 3.2 to a 3.3 in one science filled semester, so it is doable. Also, I think they prefer applicants who have, or will have their degree prior to matriculation. Once again, congrats on finishing the DAT!!!!!!!
 
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Thanks futuredent, I agree that it will be a disadvantage to my application to have only two years worth of classes, although my second year will have 6 upper division courses. I definitely knew it was going to hurt me a little, but I thought I still stood a good chance....I thought I did until I was told I'd be better of applying next year. I know I'd be better off, but I thought as some of the previous posters that I was still competitive for some of the schools I listed.

Erk: hahaha our scores are oddly familiar and it could have very well been that we ended up with the same version of the DAT haha. Just to clarify I will receive my degree prior to matriculation : ) I am not trying to get in without a BA or BS...definitely know my numbers aren't up to part to pull that one off.
 
Thanks futuredent, I agree that it will be a disadvantage to my application to have only two years worth of classes, although my second year will have 6 upper division courses. I definitely knew it was going to hurt me a little, but I thought I still stood a good chance....I thought I did until I was told I'd be better of applying next year. I know I'd be better off, but I thought as some of the previous posters that I was still competitive for some of the schools I listed.
If you squeeze in some good upper level bio and do well in them, then I think you should feel fine to apply. Your DAT is good and your overall GPA is solid, just makes sure the GPA is substantial i.e. includes several upper level science courses. You say you will have 6, that is more than enough. Go ahead and apply.
 
Those are solid scores! I have to say your post has made me feel a lot better. I have my exam in about 10 days, and I haven't had a lot of time to study, and I've been feeling overwhelmed with all the material from various sources I have to go through. It's good to know you did well with just Kaplan!
 
Just to clarify I will receive my degree prior to matriculation : ) I am not trying to get in without a BA or BS...definitely know my numbers aren't up to part to pull that one off.

Wait a second, is this even possible? 😕 I thought you had to have a college degree to enter dental school?
 
Wait a second, is this even possible? 😕 I thought you had to have a college degree to enter dental school?

Some schools are willing to accept strong applicants without a bachelor's degree. I considered attempting to get in without a degree, but I ultimately decided not to because it was already late in the 2010 cycle.
 
^Haha weird I've never even heard of that. I knew that you could go into pharmacy without a degree but I never thought that'd be possible with dentistry or medicine.
 
Im glad it made you feel better Turk, most important part is being confident!

Oh and just to clarify I will have a bachelors before matriculating haha, but Dental schools do accept people without bachelors, just very very few like 2 or 3 percent max.
 
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