Just took the DAT

[Kristin1]

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I just took the DAT today and my scores are PAT 19, BIO 18, RC 18, GC 23, OC 19 QR 19. AA 19
I honestly expected to do much better because my practice exam scores were higher, especially for BIO I scored 22 on 2009 and above 20 on all BC practice. They were some very messed up questions and I feel that affected my focusing on that section. I started to freak out and I had to read some of the questions twice to understand what they were asking for. However it felt harder than any other practice I had done before. I don't know what to say about OC I thought I did better as I felt confident with my answers. The only score I expected was RC because I wasn't doing good on the practices but the other sections I definitely expected more. I felt the exam was hard overall, PAT was harder than BC, I was averaging 20 on it.
Do you think I have a chance with these scores? Or should I retake it? I want to apply now because the earlier the better, I already feel like I am late. I have a very good GPA 3.93, and everything else good rec letters, over 600 volunteering hours in a hospital, shadowing over 100 hours, research experience 1 year, a summer fellowship in research, etc.
Any opinion would be appreciated a lot.
Thank you!

 

[Wererew]

How long did you prepare for it and what resources did you use?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Due to your high GPA, you might still be fine without retaking. I do think retaking and scoring 20+ would give a lot higher chances at a much wider variety of schools, though.

 

[keep learning]

Have you used destroyer? which could help your bio score. Likewise, how hard in RC section you got today?

 

[Kristin1]

I prepared for almost 3 months and used the same resources that everyone recommends. Bootcamp and destroyer were my main ones.

 

[Kristin1]

Have you used destroyer? which could help your bio score. Likewise, how hard in RC section you got today?

RC section wasn't that bad to be honest, the first two passages I was very confident with my answers, the last one is were I struggled a lot and then ran out of time and guessed in the last 6-7 questions.

 

[Kristin1]

Due to your high GPA, you might still be fine without retaking. I do think retaking and scoring 20+ would give a lot higher chances at a much wider variety of schools, though.

Thank you, I am thinking of retaking it, I just wanted to apply as soon as possible. Not sure if applying after September would be very helpful because that would be considered very late for most schools. In the same time my DAT score doesn't feel that good, so that doesn't help either way.

 

[hsjordan24]

What types of bio questions were throwing you off? How many times did you go through Destroyer?

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Thank you, I am thinking of retaking it, I just wanted to apply as soon as possible. Not sure if applying after September would be very helpful because that would be considered very late for most schools. In the same time my DAT score doesn't feel that good, so that doesn't help either way.

Because you were using a 2013 Destroyer that most definitely could have been a problem,especially for the Bio we have added a lot of new material in the last 4 years. I would call the schools and give them you stats and make you decision at that time. With your high GPA you should get interviews

Nancy

 

[tyjacobs]

I just took the DAT today and my scores are PAT 19, BIO 18, RC 18, GC 23, OC 19 QR 19. AA 19
I honestly expected to do much better because my practice exam scores were higher, especially for BIO I scored 22 on 2009 and above 20 on all BC practice. They were some very messed up questions and I feel that affected my focusing on that section. I started to freak out and I had to read some of the questions twice to understand what they were asking for. However it felt harder than any other practice I had done before. I don't know what to say about OC I thought I did better as I felt confident with my answers. The only score I expected was RC because I wasn't doing good on the practices but the other sections I definitely expected more. I felt the exam was hard overall, PAT was harder than BC, I was averaging 20 on it.
Do you think I have a chance with these scores? Or should I retake it? I want to apply now because the earlier the better, I already feel like I am late. I have a very good GPA 3.93, and everything else good rec letters, over 600 volunteering hours in a hospital, shadowing over 100 hours, research experience 1 year, a summer fellowship in research, etc.
Any opinion would be appreciated a lot.
Thank you!

GPa 3.93 is your overall GPA or science GPA? If not,w hat is your science GPA?

 

[Kristin1]

GPa 3.93 is your overall GPA or science GPA? If not,w hat is your science GPA?

It's my science GPA

 

[baywatch123]

Because you were using a 2013 Destroyer that most definitely could have been a problem,especially for the Bio we have added a lot of new material in the last 4 years. I would call the schools and give them you stats and make you decision at that time. With your high GPA you should get interviews

Nancy

But I used a 2012 version and scored 23.. but it was the cDAT. I also took aDAT (few years ago) and didn't see a major difference? I used 2012 for both tests, scored better on cDAT cause i prepared well, scored min for aDAT cause I didn't prepare as much

 

[DAT Destroyer]

I am not as familiar with the Canadian DAT but I do believe the Bio on the American DAT is more intense. I talked to Kristin1 and she said a lot of things on her version of the DAT she did not know in the Bio section. That is why to score high you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Often our materials are said to be overkill, but they are designed to help you achieve the highest score possible avoiding a retake.

The DAT Destroyer is very challenging but so is the DAT, and with the test being almost $450 taking it one time is optimum.

Just my 2 cents

Nancy

 

[flying nimbus855]

The science section of the canadian DAT is certainly easier than the american. Your scores are pretty good though. Apply and see what happens

 

[tyjacobs]

It's my science GPA

You are definitely good enough to appy

 

[DAT Destroyer]

You are definitely good enough to appy

Agreed, but depends on what school..

 

[Kristin1]

I am not as familiar with the Canadian DAT but I do believe the Bio on the American DAT is more intense. I talked to Kristin1 and she said a lot of things in her version of the DAT she did not know in the Bio section. That is why to score high you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Often our materials are said to be overkill, but they are designed to help you achieve the highest score possible avoiding a retake.

The DAT Destroyer is very challenging but so is the DAT, and with the test being almost $450 taking it one time is optimum.

Just my 2 cents

Nancy

That's very true! I didn't get very lucky and I got the hard version, and I wish I used a 2017 edition of destroyer, especially for bio. A good amount of questions where so random that I didn't see anywhere on my preparation material. I honestly felt like I totally failed it once I was done with Bio section. I was sure only for half of the questions. Some people might do better with other versions because they get the easier version. But from my experience you have to prepare for the worst because you never know what you get in there. And also it wasn't only BIO, other sections were hard too. PAT felt harder than the bootcamp and that was very strange since everyone says it's either the same difficulty or easier. I had some weird cubes, rocks, angles, TFE was very hard too. I definitely expected more, but I know I did try my best that day. Hopefully everything works out well in the end.

 

[Kristin1]

You are definitely good enough to appy

Thank you! Will apply at least at 10 different schools or more. Also will contact some of them and if they say they would need a higher score then will retake it and try to do better. However with what I have been looking for from researching, most of the schools seems to accept students on average 19-20 DAT and 3.4-3.5 GPA.