New to SDN/DAT

[hopefuldent52]

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Hey everyone, I'm new to SDN and studying for the DAT. I recently switched from pre-med to pre-dent because I loved my experience shadowing my dentist. I plan on studying for the DAT this summer. What advice can anyone give me during this whole studying process? How long should I study for? What materials should I use for the DAT? What is considered a good score to get into school? Should I take a class to help me do on the test? How important is the test to admissions? So many questions!! Thank you for anyone who can help me and guide me in anyway!

 

[FutureDentist121]

Most people I've seen do well have been studying for two months before they take the test. Keep in mind that people have also done great in a month of studying. Really this depends on you and how well you know the information. Ari study guide is good and great starting point if you have no clue on how to start. You can get his study from his dat bootcamp website.

Materials for study:

1.DAT Destroyer- This study resource helps you nail down the information needed to perform well on the DAT.
2.Chad's videos- For general chemistry and organic chemistry these videos are must need.
3.DAT bootcamp- is a great resource for PAT and testing your knowledge for bio, chem, and qr.
4. Math Destroyer- is by far the best resource you could get for your QR section.
5. Cliff's bio 3rd- This has probably most if not all of the bio you need to know for your test.
6. Feralis bio notes- This should be used after reviewing bio and you can find it for free on Ari dat bootcamp website.

To get in really depends on not only your DAT but your gpa together. Plus your volunteering hours and such. I would say a good competitive score would be at least a 21 nowadays. The DAT is a important test to test your knowledge of information. It can often distinguish a 4.0 gpa ( from a easy school or major) from a 3.4 to 3.5 (from a competitive school or major). Some schools value the DAT over gpa or vice versa. This will depend on the school you are applying to.

Taking a class in my opinion won't help that much. Self studying should be sufficient depending on your work ethic.

If you have any questions just ask!!

 

[discensdentibus]

Being a chem tutor before and during my prep helped me a good bit before I took my exam over the summer. It helped me become aware of some knowledge gaps I had with the gen chem material, and it kept the ochem 1 material fresh in the spring time, aiding me with ochem 2. Over the summer, tutoring while prepping allowed me to keep my chem knowledge fresh as well. This allowed me to focus my time on all the anatomy & physiology/diversity of life I was lacking since I took the DAT before a good bit of upper level bio courses.

I agree with the above poster. Schools not only weigh DAT vs. GPA differently but also look at some specific scores on the DAT. Some schools like the PAT, some like the Reading comp, some don't give a crap about your math. I would argue that Biology section of the DAT is the most looked at out of the 3 science sections while the chems are generally easier to do well in and boost your score imo.

 

[swindoll]

Hey everyone, I'm new to SDN and studying for the DAT. I recently switched from pre-med to pre-dent because I loved my experience shadowing my dentist. I plan on studying for the DAT this summer. What advice can anyone give me during this whole studying process? How long should I study for? What materials should I use for the DAT? What is considered a good score to get into school? Should I take a class to help me do on the test? How important is the test to admissions? So many questions!! Thank you for anyone who can help me and guide me in anyway!

Welcome to SDN! 🙂
Take about 2 months to prepare for it. Use Chad's videos (coursesaver.com), DAT destroyer, Bootcamp, Cliff Notes, Campbell's Bio (only if you have time!). DO NOT BUY KAPLAN COURSE! I did not find it helpful at all.
I think 22AA is a good score. Others may disagree.
I think the test is very important to the admissions, so try to do your best!


Some other tips, I would recommend not checking the forum about 2 weeks before your test. Otherwise, it will stress you out even more! Also, work out as regularly as possible, and eat healthy! It will make a huge difference in your prep, believe me! 🙂

Best of luck!!!

 

[eugpeng]

Read my breakdown

 

[matardug]

Congrats on your choice of dental school! I personally studied for a couple months but that decision should be totally left up to you and how prepared you feel.
Check out my breakdown! I can honestly say after taking my exam two times, the best advice would be not to take the test until you are ready.
Resources I used: Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Cliffs, CDP, Kaplan (Destroyer was definitely the most helpful)
I would say that a good score to get in really depends on a lot of factors, gpa, experience, research etc. But I would try to aim for a 20+ Academic Average.

Good luck!

 

[hopefuldent52]

Thank you everyone for your responses 🙂

 

[BioChick_14]

I am new to SDN too and I am already finding lots of helpful information. What do you recommend for reading?

 

[matardug]

Hey biochick_14! As I told hopefuldent52 I recommend you take a look at my breakdown. I had the lovely experience of taking the DAT twice (just kidding about the lovely, but I did take it twice lol). I think it will help! For the reading I liked Kaplan and reading science articles that would be long and dense like the DAT passages.

 

[BioChick_14]

Great scores. I am using the DAT and Math Destroyer and will be taking my test this summer. Thanks for the breakdown.

 

[matardug]

Welcome! Hope it helped....if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer! 🙂

 

[Coloradoboulder]

If you are new to this forum read the breakdowns of the many taken DAT's and that will give you a very good idea on how to study and what to use. People usually follow the 2 month study plan by dentalworks. I think reading the breakdowns is what helped me the most.