June 2017 DAT Breakdown

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Anna Marie

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Hello, from my little corner of the internet!
I cannot believe that I am FINALLY writing this breakdown-- it's gonna be long, hang on. I took my DAT today and I still think I'm in shock, so bear with me. Let me say, I'm not one of those geniuses who goes and make a 24 or 25 and is all like, "Think I have a chance?", but I am beyond proud of my score and even happier that I don't have to wake up and study all day tomorrow. I ended up with an 21 AA, TS 20, BIO 18, OCHEM 20, GCHEM 26, PAT 20, RC 22, and QR 17.

Background:
I am a rising senior with a 3.96 GPA and 3.9 science GPA. I have shadowed my past three summers with different local practices, and I've worked my hardest to make my resume what it is now.

Studying:
I bought study materials (Kaplan BB, DAT Destroyer, DAT Bootcamp, and Chad's videos) and started studying when I got home for Christmas break (lame, I know). My school has a JanTerm of three weeks, and I wasn't taking any classes so I was home for almost 6 weeks. I studied for about six hours a day 5 days a week. I read through KBB first, then worked half of the Destroyer book. I started Bootcamp and completed all of their mini section tests. Then the spring semester started. During school, I watched two to three Chad's videos a day and took detailed notes on these, along with the occasional BC minitest (probably 3 to 4 a week, different subjects) and played with the PAT generators for at least 15 minutes every day. I took my first practice test midway through the semester. When I got home for summer, I had exactly three weeks until my test, and I went into serious study mode. Every day I studied for eight hours on average. Sundays were a little shorter because of church in the morning, but I picked up the books nonetheless. I went through all of the BC section tests again for each subject, and made sure I really understood each solution. I studied all of my notes from Chad's videos, and I took the 2007 (19AA) and 2009 (20AA) DATs, a Kaplan one that came with my book (18AA, but this was three weeks prior to the test), and the free Princeton Review one (19AA). I also went through Destroyer again those three weeks and made sure I was comfortable with at least most of the material (choose your battles). Yesterday, the day before my test, my mom literally forced me into the car and made me get a massage; she was worried about my sanity I think. That was actually really good, and I would recommend light studying and something that will get your mind and body out of the overdrive that it has been powering through for the past however many months. Day of, EAT. Even if you don't feel like it, try to get something down.

Scores:
BIO (18): Not too happy about this. On my Bootcamp minitests, I was scoring averages of around 20-22. I felt comfortable with the material-- well, as much as possible-- and I was getting a good 90% of the Destroyer questions. A good bit of this I think came from my nerves. When I walked into the testing center and sat down to check in, a girl ran out from the test room and yelled, "MY COMPUTER SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TEST HELP" and I thought, whelp great. That was strike one. Then...my drivers license, unbeknownst to me, was EXPIRED. Sweet baby Jesus help me. By the grace of God I had put my passport in my bag just in case, so I whipped it out. Strike two. So by the time dear old biology popped up I was seriously frazzled. And the fact that probably half of the questions sounded like they had been written by a non-English speaker didn't help. Deep breath, move on.

GCHEM (26): I felt like Bootcamp @Ari Rezaei was definitely the best practice tool, along with Chad for the stuff that was a bit foggy. I was consistently scoring around 20 on the minitests here.

OCHEM (20): Same story for this one as before; Destroyer helped solidify both chems for me.

PAT (20): Funny story- it's a running joke in my family that I am positively ATROCIOUS at puzzles. And it's true. So a 20 might seem low for a lot of you, but for me it might as well have been a 30. All I can say is BOOTCAMP. I started off making 'below a 14' but with lots of daily practice I pulled it up 6 points. If I can do it, YOU can do it. And hey, now I've joined the rank of normal human puzzle talent (if not a tad higher- it's PAT that's not normal human let's be real).

RC (22): I didn't study for this section besides the full length practice tests I took. I've always had a solid reading background (back in the glory days I got a 36 on the reading of my ACT), so this section wasn't at the top of my priority list.

QR (17): Biggest regrets here...Long story short, I should have studied more. But I prioritized the sciences and PAT and studied math every once in a while during the semester and that bit me in the butt the last three weeks. The math isn't hard, the time is. [side note- what do y'all think this low score will do, am I safe?]

In the end, all the glory goes to God. He is the one who gives everyone their different talents and abilities, and the DAT wasn't just a journey of studying for me, it was one of faith-growing too. I truly believe that God has called me to be a dentist, and I would tell myself day after day that something as meager and small as the DAT wasn't going to keep GOD from getting me where I belong. He has your entire life mapped out; all you have to do is put forth your effort, and if it is supposed to happen, it will. Please, if anyone ever needs a prayer, LET ME KNOW! I had so many people thinking and praying for me today, and honestly it makes all the difference in the world. In conclusion, YOU can do it. You've spent the time, now go in there with your bad self and show 'em who is boss.

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Nice work!

I'm starting to get overwhelmed. Test at end of month. Having major difficulties with PAT especially (scored a 17 on one of the bootcamp pat tests). Starting to lose hope, but still trying. Glad you are over with it!
 
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Nice scores! With your outstanding GPA and DAT I imagine you'll do just fine!

Congratulations and good luck!
 
Hello, from my little corner of the internet!
I cannot believe that I am FINALLY writing this breakdown-- it's gonna be long, hang on. I took my DAT today and I still think I'm in shock, so bear with me. Let me say, I'm not one of those geniuses who goes and make a 24 or 25 and is all like, "Think I have a chance?", but I am beyond proud of my score and even happier that I don't have to wake up and study all day tomorrow. I ended up with an 21 AA, TS 20, BIO 18, OCHEM 20, GCHEM 26, PAT 20, RC 22, and QR 17.

Background:
I am a rising senior with a 3.96 GPA and 3.9 science GPA. I have shadowed my past three summers with different local practices, and I've worked my hardest to make my resume what it is now.

Studying:
I bought study materials (Kaplan BB, DAT Destroyer, DAT Bootcamp, and Chad's videos) and started studying when I got home for Christmas break (lame, I know). My school has a JanTerm of three weeks, and I wasn't taking any classes so I was home for almost 6 weeks. I studied for about six hours a day 5 days a week. I read through KBB first, then worked half of the Destroyer book. I started Bootcamp and completed all of their mini section tests. Then the spring semester started. During school, I watched two to three Chad's videos a day and took detailed notes on these, along with the occasional BC minitest (probably 3 to 4 a week, different subjects) and played with the PAT generators for at least 15 minutes every day. I took my first practice test midway through the semester. When I got home for summer, I had exactly three weeks until my test, and I went into serious study mode. Every day I studied for eight hours on average. Sundays were a little shorter because of church in the morning, but I picked up the books nonetheless. I went through all of the BC section tests again for each subject, and made sure I really understood each solution. I studied all of my notes from Chad's videos, and I took the 2007 (19AA) and 2009 (20AA) DATs, a Kaplan one that came with my book (18AA, but this was three weeks prior to the test), and the free Princeton Review one (19AA). I also went through Destroyer again those three weeks and made sure I was comfortable with at least most of the material (choose your battles). Yesterday, the day before my test, my mom literally forced me into the car and made me get a massage; she was worried about my sanity I think. That was actually really good, and I would recommend light studying and something that will get your mind and body out of the overdrive that it has been powering through for the past however many months. Day of, EAT. Even if you don't feel like it, try to get something down.

Scores:
BIO (18): Not too happy about this. On my Bootcamp minitests, I was scoring averages of around 20-22. I felt comfortable with the material-- well, as much as possible-- and I was getting a good 90% of the Destroyer questions. A good bit of this I think came from my nerves. When I walked into the testing center and sat down to check in, a girl ran out from the test room and yelled, "MY COMPUTER SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TEST HELP" and I thought, whelp great. That was strike one. Then...my drivers license, unbeknownst to me, was EXPIRED. Sweet baby Jesus help me. By the grace of God I had put my passport in my bag just in case, so I whipped it out. Strike two. So by the time dear old biology popped up I was seriously frazzled. And the fact that probably half of the questions sounded like they had been written by a non-English speaker didn't help. Deep breath, move on.

GCHEM (26): I felt like Bootcamp @Ari Rezaei was definitely the best practice tool, along with Chad for the stuff that was a bit foggy. I was consistently scoring around 20 on the minitests here.

OCHEM (20): Same story for this one as before; Destroyer helped solidify both chems for me.

PAT (20): Funny story- it's a running joke in my family that I am positively ATROCIOUS at puzzles. And it's true. So a 20 might seem low for a lot of you, but for me it might as well have been a 30. All I can say is BOOTCAMP. I started off making 'below a 14' but with lots of daily practice I pulled it up 6 points. If I can do it, YOU can do it. And hey, now I've joined the rank of normal human puzzle talent (if not a tad higher- it's PAT that's not normal human let's be real).

RC (22): I didn't study for this section besides the full length practice tests I took. I've always had a solid reading background (back in the glory days I got a 36 on the reading of my ACT), so this section wasn't at the top of my priority list.

QR (17): Biggest regrets here...Long story short, I should have studied more. But I prioritized the sciences and PAT and studied math every once in a while during the semester and that bit me in the butt the last three weeks. The math isn't hard, the time is. [side note- what do y'all think this low score will do, am I safe?]

In the end, all the glory goes to God. He is the one who gives everyone their different talents and abilities, and the DAT wasn't just a journey of studying for me, it was one of faith-growing too. I truly believe that God has called me to be a dentist, and I would tell myself day after day that something as meager and small as the DAT wasn't going to keep GOD from getting me where I belong. He has your entire life mapped out; all you have to do is put forth your effort, and if it is supposed to happen, it will. Please, if anyone ever needs a prayer, LET ME KNOW! I had so many people thinking and praying for me today, and honestly it makes all the difference in the world. In conclusion, YOU can do it. You've spent the time, now go in there with your bad self and show 'em who is boss.

Great scores! With your GPA and EC you should be fine! And I love your glory to God rant at the end. God is good!
 
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Nice work!

I'm starting to get overwhelmed. Test at end of month. Having major difficulties with PAT especially (scored a 17 on one of the bootcamp pat tests). Starting to lose hope, but still trying. Glad you are over with it!
Don't get discouraged!! Confidence is key; I was scoring in the 17 to 18 range in PAT, so try not to take those scores too seriously, just use it as a learning tool! When's your test date? I pray for you some peace!
 
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Don't get discouraged!! Confidence is key; I was scoring in the 17 to 18 range in PAT, so try not to take those scores too seriously, just use it as a learning tool! When's your test date? I pray for you some peace!

My test date is June 27th. Thank you so much for the encouragement! You have great stats and wish you the very best!
 
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Congrats on the awesome scores!!

How was QR for you btw? Plenty of the new style questions? Trig/Geometry?


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haha you got a 26 in GChem what are you talking about? congrats on the scores!!
 
My test date is June 27th. Thank you so much for the encouragement! You have great stats and wish you the very best!
If you are not ready you can always postpone, don't stress yourself when the solution is any easy fix.
 
Awesome scores, thank you for the encouraging tips about the Pat :)
 
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If you are not ready you can always postpone, don't stress yourself when the solution is any easy fix.

At first, I was determined to take the test on the 27th. Now, I am starting to realize that if I need to postpone, I most certainly will. It's just stressful because that means my scores get to schools even more later than originally anticipated. Not to mention I'm expected to come back in for work on July 1st.
 
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Congrats, nice scores
 
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Wonderful job! I made a 17 on my QR and it never came up, you are fine! Congrats and relax!!!
 
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Congrats on the awesome scores!!

How was QR for you btw? Plenty of the new style questions? Trig/Geometry?


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I had A LOT of comparisons and no geometry at all (which could obviously just be the test I took), which I was very peeved about. I felt prepared and had done decently on practice tests, but I didn't think I had enough practice with the comparison questions, so I would suggest YouTube-ing the heck out of those for lots of practice. They weren't hard, they just sucked up a lot of time.
 
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HEY! :)

Question: how long is it taking everyone to complete the TMDSAS application? Rough estimate? (not including writing essays and submitting letters.) I have everything big done but need to fill it in the application. My (personal) deadline is June 15th. about a week from now, is that do-able?
 
Nice work!

I'm starting to get overwhelmed. Test at end of month. Having major difficulties with PAT especially (scored a 17 on one of the bootcamp pat tests). Starting to lose hope, but still trying. Glad you are over with it!
I was getting 15-17 on the boot camp tests CONSISTENTLY. Absolutely scared me ****less.

Real DAT? Got a 21.

Do not worry, trust me. Just practice a lot and don't put too much into the boot camp scores unless you are getting less than 15 every time. No one goes into the DAT 100% ready.

OP congrats those are great scores. I also got a 17 in QR and practicing dentists actually congratulated me on that score, because many people suck at QR and from what I've read, heard and experienced, a 17 QR score will not keep you out of D school.

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I am consistently making 15- 17 on DAT bootcamp and I'm scheduled to take the test this Tuesday. I can't move the date due to work and family obligations. Say a prayer for me!
 
I am consistently making 15- 17 on DAT bootcamp and I'm scheduled to take the test this Tuesday. I can't move the date due to work and family obligations. Say a prayer for me!
Best of luck. You can do this! Have faith in yourself!
 
Awesome job :) I'm taking my DAT on July 31 and reading this was somewhat reassuring because I am using many of the same resources that you did.

Quick question about QR: I know you mentioned you saw a lot of the new Comparison questions. What about Data Sufficiency? Also, were the rest of the questions mainly algebra, prob/stat, and chart/graph interpretation (or were there any other topics that you saw a lot of)?
 
I am consistently making 15- 17 on DAT bootcamp and I'm scheduled to take the test this Tuesday. I can't move the date due to work and family obligations. Say a prayer for me!
I put your date on my phone! I will most definitely pray for peace of mind, confidence in yourself, and that God will honor the time and commitment you have put towards this test. Best of luck; let me know how it goes if you want to!
 
Awesome job :) I'm taking my DAT on July 31 and reading this was somewhat reassuring because I am using many of the same resources that you did.

Quick question about QR: I know you mentioned you saw a lot of the new Comparison questions. What about Data Sufficiency? Also, were the rest of the questions mainly algebra, prob/stat, and chart/graph interpretation (or were there any other topics that you saw a lot of)?
Thank you!!! Aside from the comparisons, the majority was algebra and probabilities and stats. I had NO trig or data suff, and the only charts and graphs I had were insanely easy. I'd say between bootcamp's qr and destroyer, plus some extra youtube comparison workings, you'll be solid!
 
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My test date is June 27th. Thank you so much for the encouragement! You have great stats and wish you the very best!
what did you end up getting on the dat exam?
 
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what did you end up getting on the dat exam?
Haha. Never really thought anyone would actually message to check in.

I postponed to July 19th. My PAT scores haven't improved, and my QR and RC scores are horrendous (sciences are good). I'm using my extra three weeks to grind QR problems, grind PAT, review the sciences, and figure something out about RC (which is my worst score, less than 15).

Thanks for asking though!
 
^might seem intuitive but you just gotta build reading/comprehension speed! like read a few long articles every morning or something
 
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