Kaplan DAT class

[mr2guysingh]

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I was thinking about taking the DAT class this summer, then again next summer before I apply for dental school. Or do you apply for dental school after your junior year? Anyway, I just want to do well on the test.

 

[iwannabadentist]

why would you want to take the class 2 times? if you are a sophomore rite now...take the class in the summer...study hardcore and take the test sometime early in your junior year. if you want to go 2 dental school right after you graduate...you should apply during or around your junior year summer...so you can be considered for that cycle. first day for apps is usually sometime in early may...and last day is usually dec. 1

 

[icedspice]

Hey, I really don't know how some people take the Kaplan course during the semester. It is really hard to focus while you are doing other classes, etc. So, if you are a sophomore, try to follow this:

Summer this year: take Kaplan course and FOCUS on it. DONT take any summer classes/work, etc. This will be your peak studying time. I am guessing since you are a soph, you will have already been done with Bio, Ochem and Gchem... so you KNOW everything. you just need to learn how DAT asks Qs about them.
End of summer: TAKE the DAT. It sounds early. It sounds scary. but do it. If you have focused on it the whole summer, it is best to put it down on paper, eh?
If you get a good score, voila, super! 🙂 If you don't you are still ahead of the game. You have already taken the DAT once... so you are not antsy and driving yourself crazy. You knooow what you have to focus on more, you find out more resources to study from, etc. Soooo....

Winter: Study for a month or so. (BTW, since you have taken the course in the summer, you can retake the course for free "higher guarantee score". in that way, you still have kaplan's online resources 🙂 )
January: Take it again.

My story: I wanted to follow ^^^^ plan but i couldnt take it in August cuz i took Physics and i got sidetracked (I had to pull up my science gpa, so i couldnt risk it). so i studied my butt off in winter, took it now and here are my scores.

(by the way, if anyone else is reading, please do comment in my scores. honestly please!)

Perceptual Ability 21
Quantative Reasoning: 19
Reading Comprehension: 18
Biology: 24
General Chemistry: 23
Organic Chemistry: 18
Total Science: 21
Academic Average: 20

EMPHASIS: Take it early. Take it early. So that 1. you are stress free. 2. you can focus on extra curriculars and school 3. you can apply EARLY (end of junior year - may)
hope that helps =D

 

[iwannabadentist]

great scores iced!! however...i wouldnt recommend taking the DAT too early because most of the schools accept scores that are no more than 2 years old. So just in case you do not get in somewhere for the cycle right after your senior year in college (for reasons other than DAT like not getting into your first choice etc.), and if you want to apply again for the next cycle...if your DAT scores are more than 2 yrs old (which they will be if you take them during your sophomore year), then you are gonna have to retake them...which BLOWS!

 

[icedspice]

holy crap. haha. thanks for the heads up. i had noc lue about the 2 year rule. i would think it would be more than that. yikes!

but hey, if its a consolation, there wouldnt need to reapply if you kicked ass on the DAT the first time 😉 😉

 

[iwannabadentist]

haha i kno thats y i said for reasons other than DAT...lol

 

[jay47]

why would you want to take the class 2 times? if you are a sophomore rite now...take the class in the summer...study hardcore and take the test sometime early in your junior year. if you want to go 2 dental school right after you graduate...you should apply during or around your junior year summer...so you can be considered for that cycle. first day for apps is usually sometime in early may...and last day is usually dec. 1

Amen. I teach the Kaplan class and I would highly highly highly recommend taking it during the summer. There is a tremendous amount of material to utilize (then again, it is expensive and this test IS difficult) and it takes a lot of time to use it all. However, you WILL improve your score if you use all of the stuff and truly try to learn the material.

I think a lot of people come on SDN and see these scores from Doc232 and Yankee27 and expect to get a 24 by putting some work in. Bull. The only way you are going to get a score like that is with a tremendous amount of studying and a tremendous amount of work. I'm sure that everyone who gets these scores worked to get them, they didn't just study a little.

I would say take the class in the summer and don't work or take anything else. This is the only way you can focus your studying and definitely do well.

 

[yankees27th]

I agree with Jay, take the class when you have time to study your @$$ off. I definitely did. The one thing I'd recommend is if you had the money to take the class twice, maybe pay for a kaplan tutor instead of the class. It's the same thing as the course I think and you get to go at your own pace and focus on your individual weaknesses, rather than the class's.

 

[eldirty]

I agree with many above that if youre going to take it ... take it in the summer when you can focus 100% on the work and getting your moneys worth. The kaplan course is very work intensive. I agree with yankees ... if youre having trouble, get an individual tutor for the problem areas vs taking the overall general course. I would recommend studying some the other materials out there first (cliffs, class notes, the Kaplan BB, etc.) on your own and then look to get additional help with areas of difficulty.