Is my score good enough?

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I got a very average score, and I almost wish I would've completely bombed it instead because at least then I'd know where I stand.

PA- 17
QR- 18
RC- 26
BIO- 17
GC- 18
OC- 18
TS- 18
AA- 19

I know 19 AA is decent, but would schools take notice that I only got this because my RC score was so high? Also, 17 on PAT yikes... I'm applying to my in-state school and a bunch of private schools. Thoughts?

Sidenote- I was really surprised by how hard my bio test was. I read through Kaplan twice, got 20+ on all the Bootcamp practice tests, and worked through about half of the bio Destroyer questions. Nothing I saw in that prep could've prepared me for what was actually on the test.

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GPA?


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oGPA: 3.74
sGPA: 3.70

I'll add my EC's/background as well so you have a better idea of my overall app:

-was VP and then President of a service-oriented club at my school (250+ service hours in various areas)
-was a mentor for College Mentors for Kids for 2.5 years
-represented my school in a Model European Union conference as the environmental minister for Germany
-TA'ed an intro bio class
-work in an office while at school and a daycare while at home for summer and breaks
 
I think you should be already. Those 17's are kind of iffy though, but given your GPA, I think you have a decent shot. Of course a retake would be best.
 
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Sorry I cant offer any recommendations since I've yet to take mine, but I was curious... how were your reading/quantitative reasoning sections? You said bio was harder than expected, what about the other sections?
 
Sorry I cant offer any recommendations since I've yet to take mine, but I was curious... how were your reading/quantitative reasoning sections? You said bio was harder than expected, what about the other sections?

I breezed through RC. The DAT was honestly so much easier than the Bootcamp practice tests, not that those were particularly difficult for me in the first place. The answers were like word for word from the passage. I had ~15 extra minutes after answering all the questions.

QR was pretty on par with Bootcamp.
 
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Whoa stellar RC! I also have yet to take my DAT and bio is one of the sections that I'm worried about. I'm using similar prep materials, if you don't mind could you elaborate a bit more on your experience with preparing for bio and then your actual test experience with bio on the DAT?
 
Whoa stellar RC! I also have yet to take my DAT and bio is one of the sections that I'm worried about. I'm using similar prep materials, if you don't mind could you elaborate a bit more on your experience with preparing for bio and then your actual test experience with bio on the DAT?

I've consistently seen people on here say DAT Bootcamp tests are very similar to the real DAT in terms of difficulty. The first thing I did before I even started studying was take the first bio practice test on Bootcamp just to evaluate where I was and what I was working with. I got a 20. I did a couple bio questions in Destroyer everyday and read the biology section of the Kaplan DAT book twice. I'm also a biology major, so I've taken several upper level biology classes. I assumed I knew my stuff, especially after studying. And, like I said above, I got 20+ on all the Bootcamp practice tests.

I guess I assumed the biology section would be more general than it was? Especially since the OC and GC sections are much more general than anything you'd see in an actual OC or GC course. I thought it would be the same type of thing. You know how on some practice tests there are always a few questions that seem out of left field where, if you just happened to have not studied this one very specific detail thoroughly enough, you have a high likelihood of getting it wrong? That's how the majority of the bio section felt for me. Just a bunch of very nit picky, specific questions that nothing in the Bootcamp or Kaplan book even touched on in the slightest.

It really sunk my spirits. Obviously my score doesn't support this claim, but I know biology. I can't help but feel that if I had had a different set of questions, I would have done well. I don't know. I realize this has become a self-pity party, but I spent hundreds of dollars on this, let me be sad for a few mins lol.
 
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I'm happy to answer any questions about my experience, but I don't want the question I asked to be ignored. Do I appear to be a competitive enough applicant with these scores (combined with all my other stats)?

Also, most people on here seem to think 19AA is decent enough to have a chance, but no one ever asks about TS. Like I stated above, the only reason I pulled a 19AA was because of a high RC score. Like are all 19AA's created equally?
 
I'm applying this cycle and I'm fairly sure that if I got your scores I wouldn't retake. But then again, my GPA is high so to each their own. RC is impressive and QR isn't important. If QR would've been your savior for the 19AA, then I'd reconsider. But provided you have an above average application, an average DAT score should suffice...

Edit, just looked at your stats... hard to say as you're right on the cusp. It depends where you're trying to get in and how confident you are in your interview capabilities.
 
I'm applying this cycle and I'm fairly sure that if I got your scores I wouldn't retake. But then again, my GPA is high so to each their own. RC is impressive and QR isn't important. If QR would've been your savior for the 19AA, then I'd reconsider. But provided you have an above average application, an average DAT score should suffice...

Edit, just looked at your stats... hard to say as you're right on the cusp. It depends where you're trying to get in and how confident you are in your interview capabilities.
3.74 is on the cusp? Damn... =[

I'm applying to my state school and then almost exclusively private schools that have relatively lower standards than other schools. I'm very confident in my interview capabilities, so maybe it'll be enough. Thanks for your feedback! Much appreciated.
 
You're RC score is amazing it's just that Bio score that's holding you back man, unfortunately. What you just described about how the Bio section was for you is exactly what I fear may happen to me. You could apply but it's a crab shoot. If you have the money to spend, I would go for it. If you're tight on funds, I might reconsider. It's a tough situation but who knows.

The fact that you're willing to apply to private schools does help you


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You have a good gpa so a retake won't be nessecary if you apply to lower tier schools.
 
how did you study for rc?

All I did was go through all the Bootcamp RC tests using different strategies to see what worked best for me. Some people prefer to read the whole passage and answer questions, some like search and destroy, etc. The strategy I felt most comfortable with with was that I would read the first 3 or 4 paragraphs (depending on how interesting the passage was lol) and then click through all the answers, answering the ones that were relevant to the few paragraphs I had just read. I would then read the next few paragraphs and click through the answers again, repeating this until all the questions were answered.

I liked this strategy a lot because I found that the questions were always very straightforward and easy to find in the paragraphs, it's just a matter of knowing where to look right away. By using this strategy, if I saw a question I knew I had just read about, I knew exactly what paragraphs to look at. If, however, I read the whole passage first and then tried answering the questions, I would find myself thinking, "Oh snap, I know I saw that somewhere, I just don't remember where"...*scroll scroll scroll; finds myself rereading the whole passage again* Also, by clicking through all the questions, you know what you're looking for as you move forward in the passage.
 
Right on the cusp, lol, yeah right. Your GPA is way above average for all schools except Harvard and probably UCLA. Don't let anyone tell you you're not above average for your GPA! Your ECs look great as well. I agree with you that the Bio section on the actual DAT was completely different from any practice test. Considering your GPA and EC's I would still apply this cycle. RC is an important section and you nailed it. For me, I know I would hate to retake the DAT not just because it would be a pain to study for again, but getting the money together for another rodeo would be difficult.
 
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