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What are your thoughts on Kaplans prep class? is it worth the money? Thanks for the replies
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Kaplan
- Thread starter rdkeene
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The class was great. Just the materials alone are worth the money. They give you two books and a cd-rom which cover pretty much everything you need to know for the DAT. The classes are helpful and informative. They give hints for the PAT and others too. They also have tests that you can take at their center to see exactly where you stand. Overall I would say go for it, I'm glad that I did.
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Attention to all those preparing for the DAT
Study materials one must have for the DAT:
1) TOPSCORE software. One may purchase this at www.scholarware.com If you
are a ASDA member you get an additional 10 percent off the low price of 40
dollars. DO NOT BUY THE PRACTICE SOFTWARE FROM THE ADA IS OF NO SUBSTANTIAL USE. It is just a sample disc to get one familiar to the computer format.
2) Complete Preparation for the DAT, by Williams&Wilkins. This is NOT as
good as TOPSCORE but the more material one has the better. It cost 27.95 and
can be bought at www.wwilkins.com
3)For those of us who need to brush up on biology, general chem, and organic
chem I found these HIGH YIELD books to be the BEST STUDY MATERIAL, even
better than my text books. They are titled high yield biology, high yield
general chem, and high yield organic chem by Stephen Bresnick. There are
hundreds of sample questions in the back of each book. One may buy these at www.wwilkins.com they are ONLY 12.95 each!!!!!! By the way Bresnick is a
DDS, MD and many of the questions in his books are almost identical to those
in sample DATS I have seen. (I wonder if he writes questions for the DAT and
MCAT, it certainly looks like he may).
4) I would also buy Barrons How to Prepare for the DAT. WARNING this book has
many errors. But the additional Perceptual problems and the other sections helped in the end. It also has additional information that I found useful. i.e.
the application process, ect. It's only 17 dollars. It can be bought
at most books stores.
5)And Kaplan. Well, this one I cannot totally recommend because of the
price. I will say that the study book you get is not as good as the Bresnick
books, although it does touch on some important points i.e. the animal
kingdom that Bresnick doesn't go into. I can say that the test at Kaplan are
very good (par with topscore) but there are only 2 full length test and the 6 other practice test did not seem like true DAT's. I found the math questions at Kaplan to be totally different from the real DAT and they were totally different then every other source I used. All in all if you
have 900 dollars and really want a structured study schedule then this in
addition to the above mentioned would be best.
Best of Luck to all.
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
Study materials one must have for the DAT:
1) TOPSCORE software. One may purchase this at www.scholarware.com If you
are a ASDA member you get an additional 10 percent off the low price of 40
dollars. DO NOT BUY THE PRACTICE SOFTWARE FROM THE ADA IS OF NO SUBSTANTIAL USE. It is just a sample disc to get one familiar to the computer format.
2) Complete Preparation for the DAT, by Williams&Wilkins. This is NOT as
good as TOPSCORE but the more material one has the better. It cost 27.95 and
can be bought at www.wwilkins.com
3)For those of us who need to brush up on biology, general chem, and organic
chem I found these HIGH YIELD books to be the BEST STUDY MATERIAL, even
better than my text books. They are titled high yield biology, high yield
general chem, and high yield organic chem by Stephen Bresnick. There are
hundreds of sample questions in the back of each book. One may buy these at www.wwilkins.com they are ONLY 12.95 each!!!!!! By the way Bresnick is a
DDS, MD and many of the questions in his books are almost identical to those
in sample DATS I have seen. (I wonder if he writes questions for the DAT and
MCAT, it certainly looks like he may).
4) I would also buy Barrons How to Prepare for the DAT. WARNING this book has
many errors. But the additional Perceptual problems and the other sections helped in the end. It also has additional information that I found useful. i.e.
the application process, ect. It's only 17 dollars. It can be bought
at most books stores.
5)And Kaplan. Well, this one I cannot totally recommend because of the
price. I will say that the study book you get is not as good as the Bresnick
books, although it does touch on some important points i.e. the animal
kingdom that Bresnick doesn't go into. I can say that the test at Kaplan are
very good (par with topscore) but there are only 2 full length test and the 6 other practice test did not seem like true DAT's. I found the math questions at Kaplan to be totally different from the real DAT and they were totally different then every other source I used. All in all if you
have 900 dollars and really want a structured study schedule then this in
addition to the above mentioned would be best.
Best of Luck to all.
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by DrDMD05 (edited 02-19-2001).]
- Joined
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I took the Kaplan course because I was concerned about my 4 year layoff from college. Knowing what I now know about the DAT and Kaplan----- I'd still have to say it was worth the $900.
It is not so much the classes as it is the infinite number of practice tests. To be honest ---in hindsight---- I would pay the money get the materials and watch the video tapes of all the subjects over and over. (they have these available to you---kinda like a correspondence course over T.V.) The teachers on the tape are boring but thorough and easy to understand. I would then spend my time taking every one of the practice exams. I think there are ~16. You also get 3 full-length timed tested during your session-----although the scoring and the test I felt were a lot harder than the real DAT.
You simply can't take this course and not have a slight advantage over your counterparts! DrDMD is also correct in stating that there are many books out there that do just as good of a job---- but it might take more discipline on your part.
Either way good luck!
It is not so much the classes as it is the infinite number of practice tests. To be honest ---in hindsight---- I would pay the money get the materials and watch the video tapes of all the subjects over and over. (they have these available to you---kinda like a correspondence course over T.V.) The teachers on the tape are boring but thorough and easy to understand. I would then spend my time taking every one of the practice exams. I think there are ~16. You also get 3 full-length timed tested during your session-----although the scoring and the test I felt were a lot harder than the real DAT.
You simply can't take this course and not have a slight advantage over your counterparts! DrDMD is also correct in stating that there are many books out there that do just as good of a job---- but it might take more discipline on your part.
Either way good luck!
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2001
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Kaplan is worth it--if you prepare thoroughly with their materials, the DAT will seem easy in comparison--do it. Dental schools use the DAT to predict how well you will do during your first two years and on the first part of the boards--so good DAT scores are enticing to schools and highly supportive of your application--so yes Kaplan is worth the money, if getting into a good school is important to you.
