Resources Used:
CDP, CDR, Topscore, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Chads Videos, KBB (white version), Cliff, Q Vault
AA/TS/Bio/GC/Orgo/RC/QR/PAT
Score: 22 /23/22/24/27/19/19/21
Percentile: 97/ 97.8/ 98.7/ 97.7/ 95.9/ 52.2/ 91.2/ 87.9
CDP (1->10): 16, 17, 18, 18, 23, 21, 22, 22, 22, 21
CDR (1->10): 18, 17, 17, 18, 18, 21, 19, 17, 19, 20, 16
Topscore AA: 18, 18, 19
Q Vault:
Bio: 20, 19, 20, 19, 22, 18, 20
Organic: 29, 26, 26, 24, 21
Basic Outline of what I did:
I began my studying a week after the semester ended and studied up until July 16th (~ 2 months). The week prior I spent mapping out a study schedule based off of that of dentalWorks. I tried to keep up at the pace he had set, but I was unable to keep up and so everything was extended to about a behind dentalWorks schedule. I shot for 6-8 hours of studying a day (of actual cognitive work). I began at 8:30 every morning and would studying (w/ breaks) until 11pm. Im the kind of person that has to take break up my studying. I accumulated just under 400 hours.
Sciences:
- Biology: I read over Cliffs once with light notes. I then moved on to KBB and extensively highlighted key points. I then reread Cliffs and would add notes of Cliff to those I had compiled for KBB. I did go over Destroyers Bio once, but that was it.
- General Chemistry: As everyone else on SDN says, Chads the man! I had never really learned GC, but Chad drew the connections that I needed and his quizzes are great. I went over the GC section of the destroyer twice and a third time only hitting questions I was still struggling with.
- Organic: same as for GC
- Reading Comprehension: I am a terrible reader, but Ill put in my 2 cents for anyone interested. I had tried the search-and-destroy method, but I would become totally lost and would spend minutes for a single questions. On a free practice Kaplan mini-DAT I received a 10 on the QR. My score didnt improve tremendously from my practice CDP scores, but again as everyone says it serves as great practice. On my DAT the first 2 passages were easy/ light reads. The third passage HELL! I ran short on time and had to just choose B for the last 7 questions.
- Quantitative Reasoning: I used the Math Destroyer. I believe the Math destroyer is right on par with the real DAT. I went over the Math Destroyer 3 times. On the second time through Id time myself. I also utilized several free websites that I have not seen mentioned on SDN but are certainly worth looking over; http://www.purplemath.com/, and http://www.cliffsnotes.com/math-study-guides.html. For myself, I havent seen these problems in years. Math destroyer is great, but I feel the explanations are week. These websites provided a great source for me to freshen up
- PAT: I utilized only CDP. I thought it was on par with the real thing.
o Projections: real had more subtle differences, such as the size of a whole
o TFE: Was on par
o Hole Punches: received 1/3 of a fold, but the questions varied from being incredibly easy to equivalent to the hardest ones on CDP
o Angles: varied widely, from incredibly obviously to my choice being a guess
o Cube Counting: easier, without the BS allusions
o Pattern Folding: on par, but for 2/3 I had to mentally figure out how they would actually fold. Sounds awkward, but Im unsure how else to say this.
Additional:
- During the QR section my computer was freezing up after each question and I probably lost 5-10 minutes simply to that. I thought I absolutely bombed the QR, very thankful for Gods help
- I thought I had done reasonably well on the sciences, but upon going through the 3rd passage of the RC: I was coming to terms that I would need to retake the DAT
- .
Word of Advice
- The DAT is no mystical test and does not require a genius to break a 20 (I am proof). I had simply lived and breathed the DAT material for 2 months.
I feel this is getting to long so Ill stop, but if anyone has an questions Id be more than happy to indulge.
PS: sorry for any grammar/ spelling mistakes. And thanks to all the SDNers
CDP, CDR, Topscore, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Chads Videos, KBB (white version), Cliff, Q Vault
AA/TS/Bio/GC/Orgo/RC/QR/PAT
Score: 22 /23/22/24/27/19/19/21
Percentile: 97/ 97.8/ 98.7/ 97.7/ 95.9/ 52.2/ 91.2/ 87.9
CDP (1->10): 16, 17, 18, 18, 23, 21, 22, 22, 22, 21
CDR (1->10): 18, 17, 17, 18, 18, 21, 19, 17, 19, 20, 16
Topscore AA: 18, 18, 19
Q Vault:
Bio: 20, 19, 20, 19, 22, 18, 20
Organic: 29, 26, 26, 24, 21
Basic Outline of what I did:
I began my studying a week after the semester ended and studied up until July 16th (~ 2 months). The week prior I spent mapping out a study schedule based off of that of dentalWorks. I tried to keep up at the pace he had set, but I was unable to keep up and so everything was extended to about a behind dentalWorks schedule. I shot for 6-8 hours of studying a day (of actual cognitive work). I began at 8:30 every morning and would studying (w/ breaks) until 11pm. Im the kind of person that has to take break up my studying. I accumulated just under 400 hours.
Sciences:
- Biology: I read over Cliffs once with light notes. I then moved on to KBB and extensively highlighted key points. I then reread Cliffs and would add notes of Cliff to those I had compiled for KBB. I did go over Destroyers Bio once, but that was it.
- General Chemistry: As everyone else on SDN says, Chads the man! I had never really learned GC, but Chad drew the connections that I needed and his quizzes are great. I went over the GC section of the destroyer twice and a third time only hitting questions I was still struggling with.
- Organic: same as for GC
- Reading Comprehension: I am a terrible reader, but Ill put in my 2 cents for anyone interested. I had tried the search-and-destroy method, but I would become totally lost and would spend minutes for a single questions. On a free practice Kaplan mini-DAT I received a 10 on the QR. My score didnt improve tremendously from my practice CDP scores, but again as everyone says it serves as great practice. On my DAT the first 2 passages were easy/ light reads. The third passage HELL! I ran short on time and had to just choose B for the last 7 questions.
- Quantitative Reasoning: I used the Math Destroyer. I believe the Math destroyer is right on par with the real DAT. I went over the Math Destroyer 3 times. On the second time through Id time myself. I also utilized several free websites that I have not seen mentioned on SDN but are certainly worth looking over; http://www.purplemath.com/, and http://www.cliffsnotes.com/math-study-guides.html. For myself, I havent seen these problems in years. Math destroyer is great, but I feel the explanations are week. These websites provided a great source for me to freshen up
- PAT: I utilized only CDP. I thought it was on par with the real thing.
o Projections: real had more subtle differences, such as the size of a whole
o TFE: Was on par
o Hole Punches: received 1/3 of a fold, but the questions varied from being incredibly easy to equivalent to the hardest ones on CDP
o Angles: varied widely, from incredibly obviously to my choice being a guess
o Cube Counting: easier, without the BS allusions
o Pattern Folding: on par, but for 2/3 I had to mentally figure out how they would actually fold. Sounds awkward, but Im unsure how else to say this.
Additional:
- During the QR section my computer was freezing up after each question and I probably lost 5-10 minutes simply to that. I thought I absolutely bombed the QR, very thankful for Gods help
- I thought I had done reasonably well on the sciences, but upon going through the 3rd passage of the RC: I was coming to terms that I would need to retake the DAT
- .
Word of Advice
- The DAT is no mystical test and does not require a genius to break a 20 (I am proof). I had simply lived and breathed the DAT material for 2 months.
I feel this is getting to long so Ill stop, but if anyone has an questions Id be more than happy to indulge.
PS: sorry for any grammar/ spelling mistakes. And thanks to all the SDNers
