DAT Done 1/25

[Cal55]

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Just finished the DAT. I was actually trying to get a very high score to compensate for my low gpa. The test turned out to be much harder in the biology section, and the reading section, and this prevented me from achieving a much higher score. For anyone studying, I would recommend not wasting too much time studying and memorizing biology questions because the real dat is completely different from top score and achiever. It asks random questions pertaining to experiments and things that I didnt see or cover. The reading comp was very difficult as well. The rest were pretty on track with top score/achiever. I might have simply have gotten unlucky with bio and reading, but I'm not sure, as the 20 AA was in the 93.4 percentile, and I have seen others with a 20 and it being in the 87th percentile. I really dont care about my test being harder, because dental schools only see your score, so I'm a little confused with that. Overall, I dont want to be ungrateful so I am satisfied, just dissapointed about studying so much and hard for bio and not being able to show for it in my score. Other than that here are my scores:

QR 24
RC 16
PAT 21
BIO 17
GC 20
OC 21
TS 19
AA 20

 

[prsndwg]

Just finished the DAT. I was actually trying to get a very high score to compensate for my low gpa. The test turned out to be much harder in the biology section, and the reading section, and this prevented me from achieving a much higher score. For anyone studying, I would recommend not wasting too much time studying and memorizing biology questions because the real dat is completely different from top score and achiever. It asks random questions pertaining to experiments and things that I didnt see or cover. The reading comp was very difficult as well. The rest were pretty on track with top score/achiever. I might have simply have gotten unlucky with bio and reading, but I'm not sure, as the 20 AA was in the 93.4 percentile, and I have seen others with a 20 and it being in the 87th percentile. I really dont care about my test being harder, because dental schools only see your score, so I'm a little confused with that. Overall, I dont want to be ungrateful so I am satisfied, just dissapointed about studying so much and hard for bio and not being able to show for it in my score. Other than that here are my scores:

QR 24
RC 16
PAT 21
BIO 17
GC 20
OC 21
TS 19
AA 20

First of all congrats on being done. these are fine scores. You seemed shocked. what was so hard about bio? anything specific you recommend for the future testers to consider?
what kind of passages did you have for RC? what method did you use? SnD?
great QR score btw.

 

[Cal55]

It wasnt as straight forward as the questions from other practice tests. It was much more conceptual. There was a question on two chromosomes and then the genes were re arranged , and the question asked what the effect of that would be. The point is they were very different type of questions, more like questions you would get in a biology lab. The RC might have just been difficult for me as I suck at reading. However, I received a 19, on my previous DAT, so I would say I just got much harder passages. The passages were about something like glycine and receptors, mainly scientific stuff.

 

[azar87]

Congrats on the solid scores who knew math could save a person! Have u always been good at math or did some resource really help you thats a phenomenal score and def. lucked out......sorry to hear abt the bio score it is quite random and you could see .....what reading passage did you have? was it piano that cud be the reason why u scored low that passage is really hard........but either way you got a 20 dude be happy! let us know what resources you used in detail besides achiever and topscore....if there were any that is!

 

[erk005]

looks like another victim of the evil bio version of the DAT. Just as a heads up I think admissions committees will give you a harder time about the 16 in RC. Schools care a LOT about that section for some reason. (there was one study that showed a correlation of RC score to dental board scores) anyway congrats on the good scores!

 

[wantVCUdental]

QR 24
RC 16
PAT 21
BIO 17
GC 20
OC 21
TS 19
AA 20

I will be the honest guy here and say your score sucks, 16RC + 17Bio=recipe for disaster (*if you are not a URM)

I am terribly sorry about what happened, because you are probably a smart fellow, that's how you scored well in QR and chemistry, but unfortunately for us (i also got similar situation as your, 16RC), those are not what dental schools are looking for.

I scored slightly better than you, but because my 16RC, and low gpa (3.3), i have had 0 interview. I am going to go ahead and say retake

 

[UCLAbruinz]

what is your gpa?

you might need a retake. sorry but you'll take the DAT again before the application process begins anyways so no worries! as for RC, you should look at my breakdown. i'm a slow reader too but it turned out well for me because of my strategy. try it out and practice it to see if it works for you as well!

 

[rippinitez]

I wouldn't say your scores are bad. It will depend on how low your GPA really is, which schools you are applying to and the rest of your package.

But if you really feel like you can do better and bump up that RC, you have plenty of time between now and June 1st. You just have to be hungry.

 

[Cal55]

Does it matter that I got a 19 on my previous RC on the DAT? Im guessing they just look at the most recent.

 

[Cal55]

Math I would just say was easy on the DAT, no special preparation. Just top score, and achiever, and memorize conversions and sine/cos stuff.