DAT score, GPA, tips, and complaints

[brownsoul]

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hey guys, wonderful forum you have here. I just took the DAT earlier today and was a bit disappointed. but looking at general stats as opposed to the high flying student docers, it looks like I did fine [with the exception of pat]

pat: 13

bio: 16
organic: 19
chem: 29
total sci: 19
reading: 19
math: 19
a. avg: 20.4 [20]


I'm really preparing for the mcat although I want to pursue music... but my dad signed me up for the dat for kicks and I studied for a few days hardcore for it. I was extremely upset with math and reading, but after some cool down time, it's not that bad. look at average scores, it seems like my score is not too bad. although, I should take it again to improve all my scores [save gen chem] and actually STUDY for the PAT -- I need it! my spatial IQ is obviously low! I think I can get 24 -- do you guys think it's worth it to take the exam again?

I see advantages to dentistry in the nice lifestyle, low stress, ability to play gigs at night and still pursue my music and philosophy. with my comfortable baseline score, I'm strongly considering it. but I need to buckle down and cram for mcat which is on jan 26th.

here are my poor grades:

overall gpa: 3.4
science gpa [including math]: 3.05
science gpa [without math]: 2.90
philosophy gpa [major]: 3.7

I do go to Amherst College, which is an excellent liberal arts college in MA [hopefully this helps?]. I live in NC with UNC dental school nearby. all things considered what are my chances of getting into a dental school? can I get into a unc or upenn? should I take more sciences / retake old classes after I graduate in the spring and/or retake the DAT?


now for the COMPLAINTS:

*QUANTITATIVE REASONING: is this a joke? asking us about ellipses and how to calculate standard deviation? also, one problem was a mistake on the DAT that had no correct answer choices! please let me know what I did wrong on the QR or if you feel the same way as me. also, I don't think I missed TWELVE questions -- maybe 5 or 6 at most! what's going on?


TIPS:

KAPLAN BIO SUCKS. I studied that for 3 days and it was useless for plants/animals, non-mcat bio. I was unprepared and my score shows that.

GEN CHEM AND ORGANIC are VERY doable and aceable. practice and understand the concepts at a deep level. I was winging it for organic [guessing rxns and thinking about them] and still winded up with a decent score.

READING is such a bogus section with sketchy questions and pointless details that I'm angry I didn't practice more. I think I'm a sharp reader and thinker and get 11's on MCAT verbal -- so what is this? what are your thoughts and advice on this section?




sorry for the long e-mail. I'm grateful for your companionship and replies!

 

[joeliu0112]

I thought we weren't allowed to post actual DAT test questions and such?

Regardless, I don't know how favorably dental schools will see that you are taking both the MCAT and the DAT. That may hurt you in the future unless you can really explain it to an admissions committee. Also your GPA may be problematic, so I suggest you to retake if you think you can really do better. A 13 for PAT may be too low for many dental school cutoffs.

Those are my 2 cents.

 

[jigabodo]

Be careful about mentioning specific questions on the DAT, just a word of advice. 🙂

Otherwise, your GC score is awesome! I'd still retake it for the low PAT though, but that's just me.

 

[brownsoul]

yeah, I edited my post now so that I'm not breaking any rules

 

[brownsoul]

any more thoughts/comments? criticisms? pieces of advice?

 

[jigabodo]

You might try to utilize more materials if possible. Try getting Achiever, Destroyer, Topscore and start from there. 🙂