- Joined
- Mar 18, 2015
- Messages
- 32
- Reaction score
- 60
Hey guys!
I just wrote my DAT this morning and because so many DAT breakdowns helped me, I thought I would give a breakdown of my experience in case it helps someone along the line. Please be prepared as I am not known for brevity 🙂
First Attempt:
BIO: 18
GC: 16
OC: 18
PAT: 19
RC: 22
QR:16
TS: 17
AA: 18
Second Attempt:
BIO: 19
GC: 20
OC: 19
PAT: 19
RC: 23
QR: 18
TS: 19
AA:20
Did I reach my goal? Not exactly. Am I okay with the outcome? Mostly.
My background: 30 year old career-changer, changing from school counselor to dentistry. Started this SLOOOW process in 2015, taking pre-reqs at night while working full time. I work roughly 50-60 hours a week at a high-needs, low-income middle school and studied for the DAT between work and finishing pre-reqs. I had an abysmal science GPA to repair from undergrad (Cs, Ds, an F) and it's been no small feat to bring that up when I have SO MANY CREDITS.
My interest in dentistry stems from personal experience -- I have ectodermal dysplasia (if you're going to be a dentist, look it up! We are cool dental cases!). I've had extensive dentistry that began when I was 5 and I received my first full set of teeth at 21, thanks to some incredible prosthodontists, orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons who built my face nearly from scratch during my freshman and sophomore year in college. This coincided with when I performed so incredibly poorly academically. These two things are very related, as my GPA went to a 4.0 for junior and senior year once treatment ended (and I gave up on chemistry...). HOWEVER, I still thought my GPA situation would prevent me from anything in the medical field. The financial crisis of 2008-2009 caused it to be nearly impossible to get a job when I graduated undergrad, and I found myself working two jobs -- at a psychiatric hospital and at an elementary school. I decided to combine my experiences, and ended up as a school counselor. I'm naturally liberal arts inclined, was the valedictorian of my counseling master's program, but doing the hard sciences is a stretch for me. But my itch for dentistry would not go away, and I had my dentists encouraging me constantly to go for it. Thus began this journey....
FOR THE BREAKDOWN
BIO: Thought I destroyed this section while I was taking it -- thought I would get a 23-24. Honestly very disappointed in the 19 because I was consistently practicing higher than that. It definitely felt easier than Bootcamp, but my Bootcamp scores were trending higher so I'm not sure. Like literally everyone has said, breadth not depth. There were no topics I had never seen before and I used Feralis and Bootcamp mostly, supplementing with YouTube. Constant consistent exposure is key. Because Iw as strong in Bio, I didn't focus on it as much my last 2 weeks and I think that informed this 19.
GC: 20s in GC may not seem exciting to some, but this 20 is my greatest life achievement for real. I truly suck at Gen Chem, and I spent a lot of time getting to this point (as evidenced by my initial 16). I watched Chads twice and Mike's videos once. Mike's are FAR superior in my opinion and were not around when I studied last time. @Ari Rezaei I really really really love Mike's videos. You guys did a fantastic job. I wish I only used only those and skipped Chad's altogether. I did destroyer once, and was destroyed. I'm not sure it's made for people like me (weak background, still working to grasp basics), but if I kept going and kept working at it, I know it would've brought that score up more. I found my DAT to be calculation light (and mostly setting up equations when calculations would be called for), which probably helped me as I am not the greatest of calculators 😉 My first DAT was much more calculation heavy, so be prepared either way.
OC: This one was also a surprise. I hit OC moderately hard this time, expecting at least a 20 as it's a more natural strength for me. Oh well. Bootcamp was great, again. Destroyer was so in depth that it was not helpful for me for this section, though I understand it's purpose and value it for that completely. It took far too long for me to get through 25 problems with review and working usually 11 hour days, I only had about 3 hours after work to get studying in on a good night. I had to prioritize, so I did not finish Destroyer for OC. I'm certain if I did, it would have been higher but again -- my time was structured much differently than most of yours.
SNS OVERALL: Time was not an issue like it was for most of my practice tests on Bootcamp and I went into break thinking I was the DAT Queen.
PAT: ALSO A LETDOWN, but I also did not focus too much on it because I needed to bring my AA and TS up. Actual test was mostly easier than Bootcamp (especially pattern folding), but TFE and Keyhole were mostly on par. Keyhole on the real test was different than Bootcamp. I feel like the DAT is starting to incorporate more shapes that are similar to crown shapes, like what you see made by CEREC machines in dental offices. I think that's clever, and it helped me picture the image better.
RC: My natural strength, so I didn't study much. Passages were cake, though some of the tone questions were just BIZARRE. I had a lot of tone questions. My strategy was read through questions (3 minutes), read passage (7 minutes), answer questions (8 minutes). This gave me 6 minutes wiggle room. I finished with extra time. Probably should've gone back to check, but I really felt confident.
QR: I did literally nothing to study for this, except review a single practice Bootcamp the night before. Don't do that. Study for it. All things considered, that 18 is fine with me.
I will be applying to masters programs this year as my GPA is likely still too low for acceptance, and that's okay. I will take the advice of whatever program I am in as to whether I need to retake the DAT again, but I feel confident with my top choice school that I will be okay with this score + master's program.
OVERALL: Don't assume a 2 point bump on your Bootcamp scores. I made this mistake both times, impressively. Take your own notes and review them constantly. I had 1 three ring binder full of notes, and a smaller 1/2 inch that I called my "Condensed Notes". The condensed notes were tips and tricks, as well as practice problems I struggled with worked out and notes from Bootcamp practice tests. I reviewed that binder every 3-4 days. It helped me to make a mental map of content and I could ultimately picture the page with the content on test day and pull from that. If you are like me and have a weak science background, DO NOT listen to what people say about taking too long to study and forgetting things. People like us need slow, consistent exposure over time so our brains can make those connections organically. I went to a terrible high school and did not have quality exposure to material over time. I have been out of undergrad for 8 years. When I retook my classes and continued pre-reqs, it was while working full-time at a high stress job, which meant I was surviving test to test rather than deeply understanding material. If you have a weaker science background (be honest with yourself), TAKE YOUR TIME. Expose yourself to this stuff slowly and consistently. Watch video series two, three times. Don't open Destroyer at first as it will make you shut down. Resist shutting down. I shut down A LOT and it was just so counterproductive. Review content over and over until you feel it in your bones (you know it when you feel it), and then open the harder review like Destroyer. This may mean 6 months of studying for you. I took 5, with probably 4 useless weeks total. I probably needed 6 months. That 200-250 hour recommended time? Double it. Triple it. It might sound insane to 21 year old Chem majors who have attended elite schools (I bow to you guys because you are AMAZING and my heroes), but if you are from the other side of the tracks with some gaps to fill in -- we gotta be scrappy. We have to work 3 times as hard and often still come up short, but our scrappiness will ultimately prevail -- I believe it!
To my non-trads, raising families and working full time and preparing houses you own for hurricanes and cleaning up houses you own from hurricanes and managing aging parents while also preparing for a test that tries to encapsulate your entire academic history in 30-question subsections -- you can do this. Adjust your schedules. Be kind to yourself. Take your time. Your brain is fried when you get home from work? Do your best. Some nights requires you to push through and others require you to take a break. We don't have the freedom to take full days of break like others who are studying full time, so just take the time when you can. Mostly, just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
To @Ari Rezaei @FeralisExtremum and @orgoman22, thank you guys so much for what you do. I owe so much of my success to your efforts and I really admire and value the work that you do for us. And @orgoman22, just so you know, while I struggled mightily with your material, I value the purpose and the content immensely. I think it is a phenomenal resource. I will be making my child do Destroyer start to finish every summer starting when he is 15, just as a hobby 😉 We are lucky to have you guys as resources and sincerely want to extend my deepest gratitude for the time you dedicate to us.
Everyone reading this with the DAT still ahead of you, you guys are going to do great and I think you are awesome.
I just wrote my DAT this morning and because so many DAT breakdowns helped me, I thought I would give a breakdown of my experience in case it helps someone along the line. Please be prepared as I am not known for brevity 🙂
First Attempt:
BIO: 18
GC: 16
OC: 18
PAT: 19
RC: 22
QR:16
TS: 17
AA: 18
Second Attempt:
BIO: 19
GC: 20
OC: 19
PAT: 19
RC: 23
QR: 18
TS: 19
AA:20
Did I reach my goal? Not exactly. Am I okay with the outcome? Mostly.
My background: 30 year old career-changer, changing from school counselor to dentistry. Started this SLOOOW process in 2015, taking pre-reqs at night while working full time. I work roughly 50-60 hours a week at a high-needs, low-income middle school and studied for the DAT between work and finishing pre-reqs. I had an abysmal science GPA to repair from undergrad (Cs, Ds, an F) and it's been no small feat to bring that up when I have SO MANY CREDITS.
My interest in dentistry stems from personal experience -- I have ectodermal dysplasia (if you're going to be a dentist, look it up! We are cool dental cases!). I've had extensive dentistry that began when I was 5 and I received my first full set of teeth at 21, thanks to some incredible prosthodontists, orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons who built my face nearly from scratch during my freshman and sophomore year in college. This coincided with when I performed so incredibly poorly academically. These two things are very related, as my GPA went to a 4.0 for junior and senior year once treatment ended (and I gave up on chemistry...). HOWEVER, I still thought my GPA situation would prevent me from anything in the medical field. The financial crisis of 2008-2009 caused it to be nearly impossible to get a job when I graduated undergrad, and I found myself working two jobs -- at a psychiatric hospital and at an elementary school. I decided to combine my experiences, and ended up as a school counselor. I'm naturally liberal arts inclined, was the valedictorian of my counseling master's program, but doing the hard sciences is a stretch for me. But my itch for dentistry would not go away, and I had my dentists encouraging me constantly to go for it. Thus began this journey....
FOR THE BREAKDOWN
BIO: Thought I destroyed this section while I was taking it -- thought I would get a 23-24. Honestly very disappointed in the 19 because I was consistently practicing higher than that. It definitely felt easier than Bootcamp, but my Bootcamp scores were trending higher so I'm not sure. Like literally everyone has said, breadth not depth. There were no topics I had never seen before and I used Feralis and Bootcamp mostly, supplementing with YouTube. Constant consistent exposure is key. Because Iw as strong in Bio, I didn't focus on it as much my last 2 weeks and I think that informed this 19.
GC: 20s in GC may not seem exciting to some, but this 20 is my greatest life achievement for real. I truly suck at Gen Chem, and I spent a lot of time getting to this point (as evidenced by my initial 16). I watched Chads twice and Mike's videos once. Mike's are FAR superior in my opinion and were not around when I studied last time. @Ari Rezaei I really really really love Mike's videos. You guys did a fantastic job. I wish I only used only those and skipped Chad's altogether. I did destroyer once, and was destroyed. I'm not sure it's made for people like me (weak background, still working to grasp basics), but if I kept going and kept working at it, I know it would've brought that score up more. I found my DAT to be calculation light (and mostly setting up equations when calculations would be called for), which probably helped me as I am not the greatest of calculators 😉 My first DAT was much more calculation heavy, so be prepared either way.
OC: This one was also a surprise. I hit OC moderately hard this time, expecting at least a 20 as it's a more natural strength for me. Oh well. Bootcamp was great, again. Destroyer was so in depth that it was not helpful for me for this section, though I understand it's purpose and value it for that completely. It took far too long for me to get through 25 problems with review and working usually 11 hour days, I only had about 3 hours after work to get studying in on a good night. I had to prioritize, so I did not finish Destroyer for OC. I'm certain if I did, it would have been higher but again -- my time was structured much differently than most of yours.
SNS OVERALL: Time was not an issue like it was for most of my practice tests on Bootcamp and I went into break thinking I was the DAT Queen.
PAT: ALSO A LETDOWN, but I also did not focus too much on it because I needed to bring my AA and TS up. Actual test was mostly easier than Bootcamp (especially pattern folding), but TFE and Keyhole were mostly on par. Keyhole on the real test was different than Bootcamp. I feel like the DAT is starting to incorporate more shapes that are similar to crown shapes, like what you see made by CEREC machines in dental offices. I think that's clever, and it helped me picture the image better.
RC: My natural strength, so I didn't study much. Passages were cake, though some of the tone questions were just BIZARRE. I had a lot of tone questions. My strategy was read through questions (3 minutes), read passage (7 minutes), answer questions (8 minutes). This gave me 6 minutes wiggle room. I finished with extra time. Probably should've gone back to check, but I really felt confident.
QR: I did literally nothing to study for this, except review a single practice Bootcamp the night before. Don't do that. Study for it. All things considered, that 18 is fine with me.
I will be applying to masters programs this year as my GPA is likely still too low for acceptance, and that's okay. I will take the advice of whatever program I am in as to whether I need to retake the DAT again, but I feel confident with my top choice school that I will be okay with this score + master's program.
OVERALL: Don't assume a 2 point bump on your Bootcamp scores. I made this mistake both times, impressively. Take your own notes and review them constantly. I had 1 three ring binder full of notes, and a smaller 1/2 inch that I called my "Condensed Notes". The condensed notes were tips and tricks, as well as practice problems I struggled with worked out and notes from Bootcamp practice tests. I reviewed that binder every 3-4 days. It helped me to make a mental map of content and I could ultimately picture the page with the content on test day and pull from that. If you are like me and have a weak science background, DO NOT listen to what people say about taking too long to study and forgetting things. People like us need slow, consistent exposure over time so our brains can make those connections organically. I went to a terrible high school and did not have quality exposure to material over time. I have been out of undergrad for 8 years. When I retook my classes and continued pre-reqs, it was while working full-time at a high stress job, which meant I was surviving test to test rather than deeply understanding material. If you have a weaker science background (be honest with yourself), TAKE YOUR TIME. Expose yourself to this stuff slowly and consistently. Watch video series two, three times. Don't open Destroyer at first as it will make you shut down. Resist shutting down. I shut down A LOT and it was just so counterproductive. Review content over and over until you feel it in your bones (you know it when you feel it), and then open the harder review like Destroyer. This may mean 6 months of studying for you. I took 5, with probably 4 useless weeks total. I probably needed 6 months. That 200-250 hour recommended time? Double it. Triple it. It might sound insane to 21 year old Chem majors who have attended elite schools (I bow to you guys because you are AMAZING and my heroes), but if you are from the other side of the tracks with some gaps to fill in -- we gotta be scrappy. We have to work 3 times as hard and often still come up short, but our scrappiness will ultimately prevail -- I believe it!
To my non-trads, raising families and working full time and preparing houses you own for hurricanes and cleaning up houses you own from hurricanes and managing aging parents while also preparing for a test that tries to encapsulate your entire academic history in 30-question subsections -- you can do this. Adjust your schedules. Be kind to yourself. Take your time. Your brain is fried when you get home from work? Do your best. Some nights requires you to push through and others require you to take a break. We don't have the freedom to take full days of break like others who are studying full time, so just take the time when you can. Mostly, just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
To @Ari Rezaei @FeralisExtremum and @orgoman22, thank you guys so much for what you do. I owe so much of my success to your efforts and I really admire and value the work that you do for us. And @orgoman22, just so you know, while I struggled mightily with your material, I value the purpose and the content immensely. I think it is a phenomenal resource. I will be making my child do Destroyer start to finish every summer starting when he is 15, just as a hobby 😉 We are lucky to have you guys as resources and sincerely want to extend my deepest gratitude for the time you dedicate to us.
Everyone reading this with the DAT still ahead of you, you guys are going to do great and I think you are awesome.
