- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
Hello fellow SDNers! I just finished taking my DAT yesterday. This is my second time taking it and my second time applying. Here are my scores, my breakdown, and my questions. I think this is going to end up being a loonnng post:
1st Attempt 2nd Attempt
PAT:16 PAT:17 (+1)
QR: 16 QR: 18 (+2)
RC: 23 RC: 23 (stayed same)
Bio: 15 Bio: 21 (+6)
GC: 17 GC: 18 (+1)
OC: 15 OC: 15 (I stink at O Chem...)
TS: 16 TS: 17 (+1)
AA: 17 AA: 19 (+2)
PAT: I used Barron's, Kaplan blue book, and CrackDATPat. I was doing about the same (17's) on the CDP tests as I did on the real thing. It's weird cause I felt the real thing was a bit easier than CDP. The real thing was def harder than Kaplan's. I just ran out of time. I had to guess on pretty much all of the pattern folding ones. They were rough! But the hole punching was a bazillion times easier than Crack-none of those half hole punches. Angles were about the same and cube counting was EASY. Keyholes and TFE were tough, but I thought they were tough in Kaplan's and impossible in CDP. I wish I would've had more time to practice. I wish I would've at least made a 19.
QR: I used Kaplan blue book to review all of the formulas and did 3 achiever practice tests going over the ones I missed. I'm pretty good at math, so once I had the formulas down I was ready to go. I remembered pretty much all of the basic algebra, it was the trig and geometry stuff I had to review. All I can say is practice, practice, practice timing. You have to go mega fast. I feel like I could've made a 30 if I'd had an hour and a half (I'm sure most people feel like that). I was making 19's on Achiever, so I'd say it's about the same level of difficulty, maybe the real thing is a little harder. I'm happy with my score though.
RC: Didn't prepare the first time or the second time for RC. I guess I'm just a fast reader. Last year my passages were something about floating bridges and I don't remember the other two. This time they were Cell Signaling, Aspirin, and the dreaded Piano passages. Piano was BY FAR the hardest of the 3. It was really technical about all the parts of a piano, strings, soundboard, felt, all that junk. And it was soooo boring. And the questions (most of the questions) had to be inferred from the passage. It was also the last one. So if your first 2 are cell signaling and aspirin, hurry through those and give yourself plenty of time on this last one. It wasnt impossible though, it just took awhile. I'm happy with my score, it brought my AA up that's for sure!
Biology: I only used Kaplan blue book and Cliff's AP Bio. I'm also a Bio major, so that probably helped too. I read-reread-took notes on-and reviewed my notes from Cliff's. That is the absolute best resource for Bio in my opinion. I didn't have destroyer and brought my score up 6 pts just by reading and really understanding Cliff's AP Bio. IMO the questions at the end of the chapters and the questions from the practice tests at the back of the book are right on target for the difficulty of the questions on the DAT. The first time I just reviewed Kaplan's and decided to rely on my degree...got me a 15. USE CLIFF'S! Like everyone else says, the real thing is totally random. I had lots of Ecology and Embryology questions so really look over those sections.
GC: All I used was Kaplan's blue book. It was right on target. I had about half calculations and half conceptual stuff. I had gen chem about 3 years ago, so I'm okay with my score. I just wish I'd had more time to really study Kaplan's.
And finally...duh duh dumm...
OC: Oh I hate Ochem! Always have! I struggled through it in college and struggled through it on this test. I used Kaplan's blue book, my college ochem book McMurry's, and Ochem for Dummies. Apparently it didn't help. I should've been studying this for like 6 months then maybe I'd have made at least a 17. I'm really afraid this is going to hold me back from getting interviews or in anywhere.
I'm happy with my AA, but my TS is low cause of that Ochem score. I wish it was at least an 18. I hate how they calculate TS...I wish my bio and gchem would've brought my TS up more.
I applied to the schools below and my printout was mailed June 23rd; the schools are just waiting for my DAT scores. I meant to take the test in August, but I got the opportunity to serve in Africa a weeks free of charge (someone dropped out of an already planned trip). And since that's really what I want to do with my life (overseas mission work in the field of dentistry) I couldn't pass it up. My overall GPA is a 3.5, my science GPA is a 3.4. I have two degrees, one in Bio and one in Communication Disorders, and a minor in Chemistry. I also have over 1000 volunteer hours and over 100 shadowing hours. I also have 2 years of undergrad research in the field drugs, tobacco, pregnancy, and neuroscience (basically, if you're pregnant, don't do drugs or smoke...it messes up your neurotransmitter concentrations in your brain and in your baby's brain). Also, I'm an Arkansas resident. Last year I only applied to UT, oh I was so dumb, hardly studied for the DAT. I was completely uneducated about the whole process. I hadn't found SDN yet. I applied in Oct, somehow had an interview at UT with those crappy scores, and got waitlisted (I must've rocked the interview...why else would they've wanted me with a 16 TS?).
Do you guys think I stand a shot at any of these schools with that 15? I'll go anywhere I get in!!!
ASDOH
BU
Loma Linda (already been rejected, prob cause of my first set of DAT scores)
NYU
NOVA
Temple
Tufts
Louisville
UMKC (already been rejected)
USC
UoP
Western
LSU
UT Memphis
See...I told you it'd be long.
Any input would be much appreciated!
1st Attempt 2nd Attempt
PAT:16 PAT:17 (+1)
QR: 16 QR: 18 (+2)
RC: 23 RC: 23 (stayed same)
Bio: 15 Bio: 21 (+6)
GC: 17 GC: 18 (+1)
OC: 15 OC: 15 (I stink at O Chem...)
TS: 16 TS: 17 (+1)
AA: 17 AA: 19 (+2)
PAT: I used Barron's, Kaplan blue book, and CrackDATPat. I was doing about the same (17's) on the CDP tests as I did on the real thing. It's weird cause I felt the real thing was a bit easier than CDP. The real thing was def harder than Kaplan's. I just ran out of time. I had to guess on pretty much all of the pattern folding ones. They were rough! But the hole punching was a bazillion times easier than Crack-none of those half hole punches. Angles were about the same and cube counting was EASY. Keyholes and TFE were tough, but I thought they were tough in Kaplan's and impossible in CDP. I wish I would've had more time to practice. I wish I would've at least made a 19.
QR: I used Kaplan blue book to review all of the formulas and did 3 achiever practice tests going over the ones I missed. I'm pretty good at math, so once I had the formulas down I was ready to go. I remembered pretty much all of the basic algebra, it was the trig and geometry stuff I had to review. All I can say is practice, practice, practice timing. You have to go mega fast. I feel like I could've made a 30 if I'd had an hour and a half (I'm sure most people feel like that). I was making 19's on Achiever, so I'd say it's about the same level of difficulty, maybe the real thing is a little harder. I'm happy with my score though.
RC: Didn't prepare the first time or the second time for RC. I guess I'm just a fast reader. Last year my passages were something about floating bridges and I don't remember the other two. This time they were Cell Signaling, Aspirin, and the dreaded Piano passages. Piano was BY FAR the hardest of the 3. It was really technical about all the parts of a piano, strings, soundboard, felt, all that junk. And it was soooo boring. And the questions (most of the questions) had to be inferred from the passage. It was also the last one. So if your first 2 are cell signaling and aspirin, hurry through those and give yourself plenty of time on this last one. It wasnt impossible though, it just took awhile. I'm happy with my score, it brought my AA up that's for sure!
Biology: I only used Kaplan blue book and Cliff's AP Bio. I'm also a Bio major, so that probably helped too. I read-reread-took notes on-and reviewed my notes from Cliff's. That is the absolute best resource for Bio in my opinion. I didn't have destroyer and brought my score up 6 pts just by reading and really understanding Cliff's AP Bio. IMO the questions at the end of the chapters and the questions from the practice tests at the back of the book are right on target for the difficulty of the questions on the DAT. The first time I just reviewed Kaplan's and decided to rely on my degree...got me a 15. USE CLIFF'S! Like everyone else says, the real thing is totally random. I had lots of Ecology and Embryology questions so really look over those sections.
GC: All I used was Kaplan's blue book. It was right on target. I had about half calculations and half conceptual stuff. I had gen chem about 3 years ago, so I'm okay with my score. I just wish I'd had more time to really study Kaplan's.
And finally...duh duh dumm...
OC: Oh I hate Ochem! Always have! I struggled through it in college and struggled through it on this test. I used Kaplan's blue book, my college ochem book McMurry's, and Ochem for Dummies. Apparently it didn't help. I should've been studying this for like 6 months then maybe I'd have made at least a 17. I'm really afraid this is going to hold me back from getting interviews or in anywhere.
I'm happy with my AA, but my TS is low cause of that Ochem score. I wish it was at least an 18. I hate how they calculate TS...I wish my bio and gchem would've brought my TS up more.
I applied to the schools below and my printout was mailed June 23rd; the schools are just waiting for my DAT scores. I meant to take the test in August, but I got the opportunity to serve in Africa a weeks free of charge (someone dropped out of an already planned trip). And since that's really what I want to do with my life (overseas mission work in the field of dentistry) I couldn't pass it up. My overall GPA is a 3.5, my science GPA is a 3.4. I have two degrees, one in Bio and one in Communication Disorders, and a minor in Chemistry. I also have over 1000 volunteer hours and over 100 shadowing hours. I also have 2 years of undergrad research in the field drugs, tobacco, pregnancy, and neuroscience (basically, if you're pregnant, don't do drugs or smoke...it messes up your neurotransmitter concentrations in your brain and in your baby's brain). Also, I'm an Arkansas resident. Last year I only applied to UT, oh I was so dumb, hardly studied for the DAT. I was completely uneducated about the whole process. I hadn't found SDN yet. I applied in Oct, somehow had an interview at UT with those crappy scores, and got waitlisted (I must've rocked the interview...why else would they've wanted me with a 16 TS?).
Do you guys think I stand a shot at any of these schools with that 15? I'll go anywhere I get in!!!
ASDOH
BU
Loma Linda (already been rejected, prob cause of my first set of DAT scores)
NYU
NOVA
Temple
Tufts
Louisville
UMKC (already been rejected)
USC
UoP
Western
LSU
UT Memphis
See...I told you it'd be long.
Any input would be much appreciated!
