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Reading Comprehension (18)- I did not prepare for this on the last one I took, and I did not prepare for it this time. The first time I used search and destroy, got a 19. This time I changed it up and took notes on each paragraph, ran out of time... ended up using search and destroy. I guessed the last 5 questions I think. I didn't think the paragraphs were that hard, I should have done better. I got 2 hours of sleep last night and I was dying at this point.
Quantitative Reasoning (16)- Yeah... I kind of glanced over KBB for the last test (also got a 16), and I did the same thing this time. Memorized different formulas and things. I ran out of time... again... and guessed on 5+ questions. I actually thought I was doing okay because I was GETTING answers to questions, but apparently they were the wrong ones. This section is full of stuff I learned in 8th grade and don't feel like relearning.
I didn't FEEL like relearning it because I didn't have time to relearn it.
I was told (in January) by my state school to retake due to biology and PAT score (16 and 17), so I had a month to reprepare for this test. I set my priorities to biology and PAT because that is what I did not do well on and they wanted me to correct. I retook to increase my chances of still getting into my state school for this cycle, so I really would not have had 4 months to study... I actually took it the very last day possible (blackout all February).
I understand your opinion, and am glad that you are being blunt with your thoughts... but I had limited time and had to set my priorities.
And before you bring up "well you didn't prepare for RC or QR the last exam either" I will explain that. I took AP English in high school and got 5's on both of the AP tests (out of 5, similar to RC section), so I felt like I would do okay on the RC (got a 19 on first test). I also took AP Math in high school, and took accelerated calculus my freshman year of college... so I felt I would be okay on it. I feel a 19 is okay for this section so I didn't prepare for the next test. I also felt Bio, Gen Chem, and Orgo Chem were more important to dedicate my time to over math, so that is what I did.
I planned on sleeping for 5 hours (that is all I usually need), but my nerves got to me so I couldn't sleep and only got 2.
My state school is Indiana. The Dean told me that they have a formula that they use to rank applicants based on cum GPA, sci GPA, interview score, DAT AA and PAT... so I'm hoping PAT puts me over the top... 23 looks quite a bit better than 17. He did not tell me the formula, or the exact %age though... I just know that I'm competing in a group of applicants for the remaining 10-15 spots, instead of the first pool where there were 68 spots.
I applied to Louisville, Marquette, Boston, and Temple this year, and I plan to apply to them next year also... and add a few to the list (maybe NYU, Creighton... idk what else). I actually intentionally applied to these schools late and Indiana on time because I thought I would get into Indiana and not have to waste my money and time (esp. money) going and interviewing at these schools. I know people are going to look down on me for this... but I really did not have the money to dish out... but still a poor decision regardless... especially after further researching some of these schools and deciding I may like the curriculum better. Hindsight is 20/20.
Thanks for the advice.
i didn't feel like relearning it because i didn't have time to relearn it.
I was told (in january) by my state school to retake due to biology and pat score (16 and 17), so i had a month to reprepare for this test. I set my priorities to biology and pat because that is what i did not do well on and they wanted me to correct. I retook to increase my chances of still getting into my state school for this cycle, so i really would not have had 4 months to study... I actually took it the very last day possible (blackout all february).
I understand your opinion, and am glad that you are being blunt with your thoughts... But i had limited time and had to set my priorities.
And before you bring up "well you didn't prepare for rc or qr the last exam either" i will explain that. I took ap english in high school and got 5's on both of the ap tests (out of 5, similar to rc section), so i felt like i would do okay on the rc (got a 19 on first test). I also took ap math in high school, and took accelerated calculus my freshman year of college... So i felt i would be okay on it. I feel a 19 is okay for this section so i didn't prepare for the next test. I also felt bio, gen chem, and orgo chem were more important to dedicate my time to over math, so that is what i did.
I planned on sleeping for 5 hours (that is all i usually need), but my nerves got to me so i couldn't sleep and only got 2.
Not trying to be harsh, but I would retake. I don't know what your GPA is exactly, but you need to get a score of 20 or more to be considered competitive these days. One of my future classmates got a 19 AA on his DATs, but his gpa was at a 3.7 and he had a huge list of EC's and he only got into three schools, while other applicants who had the same gpa but with 22-23's in every section received more interviews and acceptances. I know studying for the DAT sucks because I remember putting six solid months into studying for it while taking classes, but its definitely obtainable. Each year the DAT scores go up nationally, so I wouldn't be surprised if 20-21 would be considered a noncompetitive score within the near future. Since it seems like your last attempt, I would consider studying for it now until June-July, apply in early May, get everything else up on your resume and ready to go, and wait from there.