- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
- Messages
- 4,034
- Reaction score
- 5
AA: 20 (92.6%)
TS: 20 (93.1%)
PAT: 18 (82.7%)
Bio: 19 (91.2%)
GC: 19 (82.6%)
OC: 27 (100%)
RC: 20 (77.4%)
Math: 15 (48.7%)
And because people will ask:
Overall GPA: 3.82, BCP: 3.71, Science: 3.60
Graduated 2002, Boise State University, BA History of Art and Visual Art
Schools applying to: U of S.Cal, Iowa, Nebraska, Maryland, U of Detroit Mercy, Creighton, Nova, Case Western, Ohio, Penn, UPitt, Marquette, and Arizona (Yes, it?s a lot. Yes, it?s expensive. Yes, I really want to go to dental school.)
I have been browsing this forum for the past year, and though I always meant to register and contribute it always slipped my mind, I found it to be a great personal resource and have appreciated everyone?s insights and advice. As such I feel I should be brave and post my results and offer my opinion on the exam and the various popular study materials as I found similar posts to be invaluable to my own preparation for the big exam.
Overall I thought the DAT was easier than what I had expected. Perhaps I would have done better on some sections if my mind was in full gear ? the day before I had to leave town to attend a hasty funeral for my grandfather, grieve, and then dash back. There were no questions that totally caught me off guard, though there were some strange ones (I did get that random question about the arm). Chances are, I fell back on a nasty habit of talking myself out of the correct answer when faced with a multiple choice question.
The questions on the biology section were challenging in the sense that they dealt with a large spectrum of topics. None of them required a painful, in depth knowledge of the subject material (e.g. how many different rRNA strands comprise the 60s eukaryotic ribosomal subunit?.). I encountered a lot of ecology, evolution, and taxonomy questions and hardly any ones dealing with micro/cellular issues. Focus a bit more on those areas as it seems those are the topics frequently targeted by the exam writers.
General chemistry was rather straight forward. I did have to do some simple calculations, such as ?how many moles of ?x? can be obtained if 7 grams of ?y? are supplied.? I had several questions in which you had to rearrange an equation to isolate a variable, such as those of ideal gases, and simply plug in the values supplied in the problem. I was not required solve the problem ? just recognize which one was in the correct form.
I was blown away how simple the organic chemistry section was ? considering the horrendous reactions that could have been present. You have to know Sn2, Sn1, E2, E1 for the exam. What I mean by that is that the lion?s share of questions went along the lines of ?Which one of the following compounds will undergo an Sn2 the fastest?? and then show a tertiary alkylhalide, a secondary one, a long primary, and then methyl iodide. There were some benzene ring action, but it the questions presented either dealt with substitution (they would give the reagents for the bromination of a ring containing an electron donating group, or no group, and ask for the product) or reactions of their substituents. I did have an aldol condensation question, which was rather straight forward, and questions relating to alkene stability. Kaplan covers it all in their book. For those of you nervous about spectroscopy, I only had one question dealing with H-NMR and it simply asked how many peaks would a certain hydrogen have in a spectrum. There was also a lab question dealing with extractions (they gave the structures of two compounds and asked which ones would separate the best in sodium hydroxide ? just look for the pair of compounds containing one that is really hydrophobic and a very hydrophilic one).
The reading comprehension was not bad. Yes, the passages were long. One was 19 paragraphs long ? but the catch is a lot of those ?paragraphs? are only one sentence long. I was anticipating having all science passages, though my second one dealt with the stock market, reading stock information, and short-term gains. When I first saw the section I looked around to make sure I wasn?t suddenly taking the LSAT or a broker?s license. That passage had a lot of simple equations (price-earnings ratio calculation) supplied in the article and several of the questions asked ?which one would Joe use if he wanted to know the short-term profitability for Acme Giggles?? The questions went, for the most part, in the order that the information was presented in. I quickly read the section to get an idea of where the information was in the article and then read the question and searched for the answer. I had plenty of time and felt it wasn?t that bad.
As for the PAT, it is harder, in due in part by the crappy monitors, than say a paper exam and those on Topscore, etc. Just practice and then practice some more. Some questions are rather obvious while others are VERY confusing.
The math was very similar to Topscore and I had about four trig problems ? and some were crazy, like ?what is Peter?s height if the tan of theta is six more than a quarter to noon?? ? huh?!. Math is the one area I don?t excel in and have been known to suffer allergic reactions when exposed to copious amounts of math. Though I had anticipated this section to be my lowest, my practice test scores were higher. Either the questions were trickier or I just blanked on the majority of them. Oh well.
I studied for six weeks, seven days a week. I tried to get in at least eight hours a day, though sometimes I had to cut it to six while other days I would be in the library for 12 hours straight. I lugged the Kaplan bluebook everywhere I went and at times felt it to be a miserable parasite of sorts. In addition to the Kaplan book, I used old text books and class notes to brush up on concepts and refresh my understanding. Since it had been a few years since I took general chemistry, I created flash cards to drill equations and definitions into my head and I carried these everywhere and would review them if I was in a long line, in a traffic jam, etc. Kaplan did not have a center where I was (Idaho) and I was fortunate enough to have some friends that were also taking the DAT at the same time and we formed our own study group. Each one of us would pick a section we were not that familiar with or good at and research it, prepare an outline and handouts, and then present a lecture to the others. We would meet for about four hours in the morning and I found this to be most helpful (this could be an option for those that can?t afford Kaplan or don?t have access to a professional test review). It was a good way to leverage everyone?s strengths to address someone?s weakness.
Now for the study materials:
Topscore: As stated by others in this forum, Topscore is in fact more difficult than the actual DAT. The biology questions seemed to be much more specific and demanding of specialized knowledge than the actual deal. General chemistry on the DAT did not demand nearly the same volume of calculations that Topscore does, and the organic section on the DAT is very basic ? you shouldn?t expect to see some of the off-the-wall reactions that Topscore favors (i.e. the Wittig, etc.). The RC section, at least for me, was rather comparable to the DAT. Topscore?s PAT is easier than the real thing and, as has been mentioned before, simply take 3-4 points off of your Topscore score. Topscore?s math is comparable to the DAT?s math section.
Kaplan: The biology section in the blue book is a bare-bones review. About 80% of my questions on the DAT were covered in one form or another by Kaplan. Then there is the other 20%, which can kill you. Just supplement Kaplan with a good text book and your class notes and you should be fine. All of the general chemistry you will need is in the blue book. When you are studying, highlight the definitions and little caveats given in the chapter ? some of the DAT?s questions dealt with those little Kaplan pointers. As far as organic is concerned, Kaplan?s coverage is more than adequate. Their PAT tutorial, if you could call it that, it not that stellar. I went to Barnes and Noble and sat down one evening and read Barron?s pointers for the PAT and applied them to my PAT strategy. Kaplan?s math is once again very similar to the DAT. Overall, this is the book to get if you are studying for the DAT. In my opinion, one of the advantages to Kaplan is that they capture the relevant information, present it in a clear, concise manner, and follows the layout of the DAT.
AcetheDAT.com: If you have $50 burning a hole in your pocket and could use some extra practice questions, then sign up for their service. Unlike Topscore, it is all online and you don?t have to worry about your CD not working, etc. However, be aware that there are numerous flaws: egregious spelling errors, mis-marked questions (once I was docked a point because I had marked an answer and the answer key was blank for that question), and the like. Their PAT is much more difficult than the DAT and is a good resource to build up your confidence and skill. I did see some similar figures on acethedat and on the DAT. For example, I did have some crazy hole-punch folds in which the hole was punched on a crease, etc. Besides the PAT section, I did not regard their service as a superb benefit to me.
Barron?s: Very basic and, other than reading through their PAT section at the bookstore, I found that their coverage of the subject material was rather thin when compared to Kaplan.
DAT Secrets: A TOTAL SCAM! If you are into charlatans and vague advice, then perhaps you would be better placing your money with Miss Cleo than with this shmuck. At least she might make your product ?personalized? and align some stars for you.
I hope is this is of a benefit for some individuals and wish all the best of luck in the future!
TS: 20 (93.1%)
PAT: 18 (82.7%)
Bio: 19 (91.2%)
GC: 19 (82.6%)
OC: 27 (100%)
RC: 20 (77.4%)
Math: 15 (48.7%)
And because people will ask:
Overall GPA: 3.82, BCP: 3.71, Science: 3.60
Graduated 2002, Boise State University, BA History of Art and Visual Art
Schools applying to: U of S.Cal, Iowa, Nebraska, Maryland, U of Detroit Mercy, Creighton, Nova, Case Western, Ohio, Penn, UPitt, Marquette, and Arizona (Yes, it?s a lot. Yes, it?s expensive. Yes, I really want to go to dental school.)
I have been browsing this forum for the past year, and though I always meant to register and contribute it always slipped my mind, I found it to be a great personal resource and have appreciated everyone?s insights and advice. As such I feel I should be brave and post my results and offer my opinion on the exam and the various popular study materials as I found similar posts to be invaluable to my own preparation for the big exam.
Overall I thought the DAT was easier than what I had expected. Perhaps I would have done better on some sections if my mind was in full gear ? the day before I had to leave town to attend a hasty funeral for my grandfather, grieve, and then dash back. There were no questions that totally caught me off guard, though there were some strange ones (I did get that random question about the arm). Chances are, I fell back on a nasty habit of talking myself out of the correct answer when faced with a multiple choice question.
The questions on the biology section were challenging in the sense that they dealt with a large spectrum of topics. None of them required a painful, in depth knowledge of the subject material (e.g. how many different rRNA strands comprise the 60s eukaryotic ribosomal subunit?.). I encountered a lot of ecology, evolution, and taxonomy questions and hardly any ones dealing with micro/cellular issues. Focus a bit more on those areas as it seems those are the topics frequently targeted by the exam writers.
General chemistry was rather straight forward. I did have to do some simple calculations, such as ?how many moles of ?x? can be obtained if 7 grams of ?y? are supplied.? I had several questions in which you had to rearrange an equation to isolate a variable, such as those of ideal gases, and simply plug in the values supplied in the problem. I was not required solve the problem ? just recognize which one was in the correct form.
I was blown away how simple the organic chemistry section was ? considering the horrendous reactions that could have been present. You have to know Sn2, Sn1, E2, E1 for the exam. What I mean by that is that the lion?s share of questions went along the lines of ?Which one of the following compounds will undergo an Sn2 the fastest?? and then show a tertiary alkylhalide, a secondary one, a long primary, and then methyl iodide. There were some benzene ring action, but it the questions presented either dealt with substitution (they would give the reagents for the bromination of a ring containing an electron donating group, or no group, and ask for the product) or reactions of their substituents. I did have an aldol condensation question, which was rather straight forward, and questions relating to alkene stability. Kaplan covers it all in their book. For those of you nervous about spectroscopy, I only had one question dealing with H-NMR and it simply asked how many peaks would a certain hydrogen have in a spectrum. There was also a lab question dealing with extractions (they gave the structures of two compounds and asked which ones would separate the best in sodium hydroxide ? just look for the pair of compounds containing one that is really hydrophobic and a very hydrophilic one).
The reading comprehension was not bad. Yes, the passages were long. One was 19 paragraphs long ? but the catch is a lot of those ?paragraphs? are only one sentence long. I was anticipating having all science passages, though my second one dealt with the stock market, reading stock information, and short-term gains. When I first saw the section I looked around to make sure I wasn?t suddenly taking the LSAT or a broker?s license. That passage had a lot of simple equations (price-earnings ratio calculation) supplied in the article and several of the questions asked ?which one would Joe use if he wanted to know the short-term profitability for Acme Giggles?? The questions went, for the most part, in the order that the information was presented in. I quickly read the section to get an idea of where the information was in the article and then read the question and searched for the answer. I had plenty of time and felt it wasn?t that bad.
As for the PAT, it is harder, in due in part by the crappy monitors, than say a paper exam and those on Topscore, etc. Just practice and then practice some more. Some questions are rather obvious while others are VERY confusing.
The math was very similar to Topscore and I had about four trig problems ? and some were crazy, like ?what is Peter?s height if the tan of theta is six more than a quarter to noon?? ? huh?!. Math is the one area I don?t excel in and have been known to suffer allergic reactions when exposed to copious amounts of math. Though I had anticipated this section to be my lowest, my practice test scores were higher. Either the questions were trickier or I just blanked on the majority of them. Oh well.
I studied for six weeks, seven days a week. I tried to get in at least eight hours a day, though sometimes I had to cut it to six while other days I would be in the library for 12 hours straight. I lugged the Kaplan bluebook everywhere I went and at times felt it to be a miserable parasite of sorts. In addition to the Kaplan book, I used old text books and class notes to brush up on concepts and refresh my understanding. Since it had been a few years since I took general chemistry, I created flash cards to drill equations and definitions into my head and I carried these everywhere and would review them if I was in a long line, in a traffic jam, etc. Kaplan did not have a center where I was (Idaho) and I was fortunate enough to have some friends that were also taking the DAT at the same time and we formed our own study group. Each one of us would pick a section we were not that familiar with or good at and research it, prepare an outline and handouts, and then present a lecture to the others. We would meet for about four hours in the morning and I found this to be most helpful (this could be an option for those that can?t afford Kaplan or don?t have access to a professional test review). It was a good way to leverage everyone?s strengths to address someone?s weakness.
Now for the study materials:
Topscore: As stated by others in this forum, Topscore is in fact more difficult than the actual DAT. The biology questions seemed to be much more specific and demanding of specialized knowledge than the actual deal. General chemistry on the DAT did not demand nearly the same volume of calculations that Topscore does, and the organic section on the DAT is very basic ? you shouldn?t expect to see some of the off-the-wall reactions that Topscore favors (i.e. the Wittig, etc.). The RC section, at least for me, was rather comparable to the DAT. Topscore?s PAT is easier than the real thing and, as has been mentioned before, simply take 3-4 points off of your Topscore score. Topscore?s math is comparable to the DAT?s math section.
Kaplan: The biology section in the blue book is a bare-bones review. About 80% of my questions on the DAT were covered in one form or another by Kaplan. Then there is the other 20%, which can kill you. Just supplement Kaplan with a good text book and your class notes and you should be fine. All of the general chemistry you will need is in the blue book. When you are studying, highlight the definitions and little caveats given in the chapter ? some of the DAT?s questions dealt with those little Kaplan pointers. As far as organic is concerned, Kaplan?s coverage is more than adequate. Their PAT tutorial, if you could call it that, it not that stellar. I went to Barnes and Noble and sat down one evening and read Barron?s pointers for the PAT and applied them to my PAT strategy. Kaplan?s math is once again very similar to the DAT. Overall, this is the book to get if you are studying for the DAT. In my opinion, one of the advantages to Kaplan is that they capture the relevant information, present it in a clear, concise manner, and follows the layout of the DAT.
AcetheDAT.com: If you have $50 burning a hole in your pocket and could use some extra practice questions, then sign up for their service. Unlike Topscore, it is all online and you don?t have to worry about your CD not working, etc. However, be aware that there are numerous flaws: egregious spelling errors, mis-marked questions (once I was docked a point because I had marked an answer and the answer key was blank for that question), and the like. Their PAT is much more difficult than the DAT and is a good resource to build up your confidence and skill. I did see some similar figures on acethedat and on the DAT. For example, I did have some crazy hole-punch folds in which the hole was punched on a crease, etc. Besides the PAT section, I did not regard their service as a superb benefit to me.
Barron?s: Very basic and, other than reading through their PAT section at the bookstore, I found that their coverage of the subject material was rather thin when compared to Kaplan.
DAT Secrets: A TOTAL SCAM! If you are into charlatans and vague advice, then perhaps you would be better placing your money with Miss Cleo than with this shmuck. At least she might make your product ?personalized? and align some stars for you.
I hope is this is of a benefit for some individuals and wish all the best of luck in the future!
