Do I stand a chance anywhere?:( DAT was today

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KristenD77

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Just took my DAT and I'm extremely disappointed. I knew every mechanism they could have asked for orgo but I had such random non mechanism questions. I memorized so much science but my tests was just so random. My BC sciences were all 22+ scores. My PATs were 16-19 on BC. My 2009 DAT sciences were 25 TS and a 16QR.

I suppose I can retake it next month but I'm worried if the scores will be the same because of how random it all was.
DAT=
TS=19
bio=19
gchem=19
Ochem=18 (so many random principle questions rather than the fun mechanisms and stuff)
RC=17
QR=15
PAT=16

I know QR and PAT is disgusting I don't even know what happened. Most of my QR questions were long algebraic problems which takes me a long time so I didn't even come close to finishing

Cgpa=3.48
BPC=3.57
BPCM=3.43

LORs=
1)oral surgeon that I shadowed -100 hours
2)evolution professor/ research mentor (very good relationship)
3)ecology professor from a study abroad class in the U.S. Virgin Islands (very good relationship)
4) advanced methods in cellular biology professor who I also done research with

Dental Experience=
Volunteered in Nicaragua for about a week
As mentioned Shadowed an oral maxillofacial surgeon for 100 hours
General Dental Assistant-2 years part time


Plus other healthcare and volunteer work
Total amount of volunteer work is a little over 100

NY resident
Caucasian

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What did your AA end up at?

I imagine everyone is going to suggest a retake. You did reasonable well on the sciences, but I'm betting 2 scores below 17 is going to hurt your chances.

Did you feel underprepared going into the DAT?
 
What did your AA end up at?

I imagine everyone is going to suggest a retake. You did reasonable well on the sciences, but I'm betting 2 scores below 17 is going to hurt your chances.

Did you feel underprepared going into the DAT?
An 18
No I felt so prepared!:(
My practice test were all so good for the sciences. I kinda knew I wasn't going to do well on the QR but I figured if my sciences were really high it wouldn't matter much. I thought I would get at least a 17 on PAT
 
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An 18
No I felt so prepared!:(
My practice test were all so good for the sciences. I kinda knew I wasn't going to do well on the QR but I figured if my sciences were really high it wouldn't matter much. I thought I would get at least a 17 on PAT

Isn't there a 90-day period from your last test date during which you can't retake it..?
 
Well you're seem intelligent, so if you are looking at a retake I would take a long look at how you studied and where you went wrong. It won't help to beat yourself up about your scores, use it as motivation to study harder. I would look at Bootcamp, DAT Destroyer, and CDP for extra PAT practice if you need it. I have no clue how to study for RC because I didn't really. Maybe someone else can help there.

I can't imagine how you felt prepared. I studied my butt off for months and felt like I was going to crash and burn.
 
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I can tell you this: DAT is more about breadth than depth - it'll have very few extremely difficult questions that test the depth of your understanding as you would find in DAT destroyer; however, it'll surprise you with seemingly trivial questions that simply test whether you know particular information or not. For Bio, you have to know literally everything to score high - Feralis' Notes are your best friend. For Orgo, you have to know every reaction and also its name as well as what instrument is used for what purpose.
 
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Did you use DAT Destroyer and do it at least twice? Same goes with DAT Bootcamp? If not, there lies your problem. These materials don't just teach you to memorize mechanisms, but also to understand conceptual questions asked on the DAT.
 
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I think the way your scores are distributed is what hurts you the most - if you had 18's across the board I would say you have a chance - the 15 QR might be overlooked by a school or two, but when combined with a 16 PAT and a 17 RC, that might take you out of the running :/

That said, I am just an sdner - I would contact schools that you think you have a chance in and see what they say...
 
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Did you use DAT Destroyer and do it at least twice? Same goes with DAT Bootcamp? If not, there lies your problem. These materials don't just teach you to memorize mechanisms, but also to understand conceptual questions asked on the DAT.
More like 5 times lol and I swear I'm not even lying when I say that I know every question and explanation in the destroyer. The questions I got wrong in the sciences were things I haven't seen before except for 2 of the orgo questions that I goofed on
 
More like 5 times lol and I swear I'm not even lying when I say that I know every question and explanation in the destroyer. The questions I got wrong in the sciences were things I haven't seen before except for 2 of the orgo questions that I goofed on
Did you use Chad's videos and read Feralis notes?
 
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Schedule another exam in 90 days, and study "smarter" from now till then. I suggest watching and taking notes of all Chad's videos and do the associated quizzes. The knowledge you're "missing" is what he teaches in his online lectures which are paramount for the actual DAT. The DAT is not just memorization of mechanisms, but more importantly understanding the conceptual knowledge. The DAT Destroyer should have prepared you well, but you can't just rely on it solely. Chad's Videos are crucial for really doing well on the GC and Orgo parts. Feralis Notes and his Taxonomy Cheat sheet is perfect for doing well on Bio. After doing all this, do the DAT Bootcamp tests.

So in summary:

Chad's Videos
Feralis Bio Notes + Taxonomy Cheat Sheet (found on DAT Bootcamp site free, all free)
DAT Bootcamp
Math Destroyer
 
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Schedule another exam in 90 days, and study "smarter" from now till then. I suggest watching and taking notes of all Chad's videos and do the associated quizzes. The knowledge you're "missing" is what he teaches in his online lectures which are paramount for the actual DAT. The DAT is not just memorization of mechanisms, but more importantly understanding the conceptual knowledge. The DAT Destroyer should have prepared you well, but you can't just rely on it solely. Chad's Videos are crucial for really doing well on the GC and Orgo parts. Feralis Notes and his Taxonomy Cheat sheet is perfect for doing well on Bio. After doing all this, do the DAT Bootcamp tests.

So in summary:

Chad's Videos
Feralis Bio Notes + Taxonomy Cheat Sheet (found on DAT Bootcamp site free, all free)
DAT Bootcamp
Math Destroyer
thank you
 
I think chads/youtube and tyjacobs notes would help you a lot if you retake

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