SECOND time DAT taker preparation??

[frenula]

Hi friends,
So I attached my scores. Not proud of the DAT score, but took it AFTER I submitted 8 applications. (Ever heard of anyone doing this and still being offered a spot somewhere?)

Assuming that I lost my competitiveness due to weak sections, I want to share how I studied the first time, and would like to hear from the second time DAT test takers out there on their study habit changes and how it positively affected their second DAT score.

First DAT scores. 3-4 weeks of studying 8-10 hours a day, 5x/wk.
I used DAT Bootcamp for this time, as well as DAT Destroyer that covers all sections. I completed DAT Bootcamp sections about once, and only had time to complete bio section of DAT Destroyer. This is my first time.

I am a full time dental hygienist, and was granted 3.5 weeks off to prepare for the DAT. I am considering taking a financial leap and quitting for 3 months to study.
I got LASIK vision correction before the DAT (2 weeks before), because of a high prescription. I wanted to be SO ready for DS. After the science section, my eyes were huuuuurting. This definitely broke my focus.

Anyways,

AA - 18
TS- 19
RC - 21
BIO -21
GC - 17
OC - 18
PAT - 16
QR - 13

I know the scores <18 are low, so I would love to hear constructive criticism only.
- What was your 1, 2, 3 times DAT scores?
- What modifications did you make to prepare the first vs. second time?
- Any friends/classmates with similar experiences that had a positive outcome without retaking the DAT? (I saw a thread with someone getting in with 12 QR)


(oGPA 3.74 ... sGPA 3.87... AA, AS, BAS, 196 credit hours)

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[deleted945327]

To be honest, that GPA is really good and you didn't do horrible in biology. How'd you do in general chemistry and organic chemistry?

These were my scores:
1st time DAT:
18 AA
18 TS
17 BIO
18 GC
19 OC
15 QR
21 RC
18 PAT

2nd time DAT:
19 AA
20 TS
20 BIO
19 GC
21 OC
15 QR
18 RC
19 PAT

3.55 cGPA, 3.45 sGPA

I did things a lot differently the second time around. I wouldn't rush myself but to be honest, perhaps it would be best for you to re-take within the next 3 months.

 

[frenula]

To be honest, that GPA is really good and you didn't do horrible in biology. How'd you do in general chemistry and organic chemistry?

These were my scores:
1st time DAT:
18 AA
18 TS
17 BIO
18 GC
19 OC
15 QR
21 RC
18 PAT

2nd time DAT:
19 AA
20 TS
20 BIO
19 GC
21 OC
15 QR
18 RC
19 PAT

3.55 cGPA, 3.45 sGPA

I did things a lot differently the second time around. I wouldn't rush myself but to be honest, perhaps it would be best for you to re-take within the next 3 months.

I got a 18 OC, and 17 GC. Just edited those in to the original post.
I am thinking retake too.
What changes to study habits did you make before the second try? Have you applied yet?

 

[deleted945327]

I got a 18 OC, and 17 GC. Just edited those in to the original post.
I am thinking retake too.
What changes to study habits did you make before the second try? Have you applied yet?

Yea I honestly think you could do a lot better and get into the schools you want. I submitted my application august 6 and got verified august 9. Applied to 12 schools and still never heard back. Submitted 3 supplementaries on august 10, and the other 9 on august 18.

 

[deleted945327]

To be honest, I went through the destroyer twice for each section(bio,gc,oc). I took notes on topics I was weak in and was constantly reviewing the sciences. I knew going into the exam that general chemistry was my weakest out of the 3 sciences. I used cliffs AP bio first time...second time around I didn't. I used 120 pg notes for biology on DAT bootcamp. Read them twice. I'm also a psychology major so I was really weak in biology. Orgo.. I just memorized road maps, FOCUSED ON WHAT IM WEAK ON (this is so important because people don't realize how much time they waste studying sections they're already good in). QR...lost cause tbh. I did good in college for pre-calc and statistics getting an A, but I haven't taken any math course since 2 years ago. RC....you're good from the looks of it. PAT.... I only used PATbooster and didn't practice as much as I should have. On the actual DAT, the PAT was so much easier compared to PATbooster that I was able to finish the 90 questions within 40 mins (no joke that's how confident I was in my answers, but I obviously reviewed in the remaining time).

 

[ChemistryDentist]

Hi friends,
So I attached my scores. Not proud of the DAT score, but took it AFTER I submitted 8 applications. (Ever heard of anyone doing this and still being offered a spot somewhere?)

Assuming that I lost my competitiveness due to weak sections, I want to share how I studied the first time, and would like to hear from the second time DAT test takers out there on their study habit changes and how it positively affected their second DAT score.

First DAT scores. 3-4 weeks of studying 8-10 hours a day, 5x/wk.
I used DAT Bootcamp for this time, as well as DAT Destroyer that covers all sections. I completed DAT Bootcamp sections about once, and only had time to complete bio section of DAT Destroyer. This is my first time.

I am a full time dental hygienist, and was granted 3.5 weeks off to prepare for the DAT. I am considering taking a financial leap and quitting for 3 months to study.
I got LASIK vision correction before the DAT (2 weeks before), because of a high prescription. I wanted to be SO ready for DS. After the science section, my eyes were huuuuurting. This definitely broke my focus.

Anyways,

AA - 18
TS- 19
RC - 21
BIO -21
GC - 17
OC - 18
PAT - 16
QR - 13

I know the scores <18 are low, so I would love to hear constructive criticism only.
- What was your 1, 2, 3 times DAT scores?
- What modifications did you make to prepare the first vs. second time?
- Any friends/classmates with similar experiences that had a positive outcome without retaking the DAT? (I saw a thread with someone getting in with 12 QR)


(oGPA 3.74 ... sGPA 3.87... AA, AS, BAS, 196 credit hours)

First off, I just want to say thank you for taking the leap to make such a post. We don't see a lot of people like you admitting what went wrong, and I know it will help a ton of people!

Now, for your scores, you really ought to retake. While your sciences are average to above-average, the 16 PAT may exclude you from schools with a 17 PAT cutoff. The 13 QR will most definitely hurt as well--schools care the least about QR, but it dragged down your AA, unfortunately. Like you said though, it's entirely possible that a school will overlook that. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't take the gamble though.

If you think 3 months is necessary to retake, then take that time for sure. The DAT is an incredibly important test. Even if you're sunk for this cycle, going in with a higher score right off the bat next cycle will be a great improvement! I definitely recommend focussing more on the DAT Destroyers, especially the Math Destroyer as well. These will help increase your science scores some more (yes, GC) and give you confidence there. Then for QR, hit the Math Destroyer and look at videos online (Dr. Romano has a ton of good ones I followed to the T and they helped tremendously). That should get you set for those sections.

As for RC, you did pretty well there. I'd just suggest reading science articles daily (from ScienceDaily, etc.) to help tug up that score a bit more to increase your AA. And then PAT: I would try giving PATBooster a shot, it worked for me. A lot of people like watching free YouTube videos as well if you're on a tight budget.

Hopefully this all helps a bit. What I said here is just what I would do if I was in your position. To each his/her own, though!

 

[frenula]

To be honest, I went through the destroyer twice for each section(bio,gc,oc). I took notes on topics I was weak in and was constantly reviewing the sciences. I knew going into the exam that general chemistry was my weakest out of the 3 sciences. I used cliffs AP bio first time...second time around I didn't. I used 120 pg notes for biology on DAT bootcamp. Read them twice. I'm also a psychology major so I was really weak in biology. Orgo.. I just memorized road maps, FOCUSED ON WHAT IM WEAK ON (this is so important because people don't realize how much time they waste studying sections they're already good in). QR...lost cause tbh. I did good in college for pre-calc and statistics getting an A, but I haven't taken any math course since 2 years ago. RC....you're good from the looks of it. PAT.... I only used PATbooster and didn't practice as much as I should have. On the actual DAT, the PAT was so much easier compared to PATbooster that I was able to finish the 90 questions within 40 mins (no joke that's how confident I was in my answers, but I obviously reviewed in the remaining time).

Thanks! Will definitely incorporate those changes.

 

[frenula]

First off, I just want to say thank you for taking the leap to make such a post. We don't see a lot of people like you admitting what went wrong, and I know it will help a ton of people!

Now, for your scores, you really ought to retake. While your sciences are average to above-average, the 16 PAT may exclude you from schools with a 17 PAT cutoff. The 13 QR will most definitely hurt as well--schools care the least about QR, but it dragged down your AA, unfortunately. Like you said though, it's entirely possible that a school will overlook that. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't take the gamble though.

If you think 3 months is necessary to retake, then take that time for sure. The DAT is an incredibly important test. Even if you're sunk for this cycle, going in with a higher score right off the bat next cycle will be a great improvement! I definitely recommend focussing more on the DAT Destroyers, especially the Math Destroyer as well. These will help increase your science scores some more (yes, GC) and give you confidence there. Then for QR, hit the Math Destroyer and look at videos online (Dr. Romano has a ton of good ones I followed to the T and they helped tremendously). That should get you set for those sections.

As for RC, you did pretty well there. I'd just suggest reading science articles daily (from ScienceDaily, etc.) to help tug up that score a bit more to increase your AA. And then PAT: I would try giving PATBooster a shot, it worked for me. A lot of people like watching free YouTube videos as well if you're on a tight budget.

Hopefully this all helps a bit. What I said here is just what I would do if I was in your position. To each his/her own, though!

Thanks a TON. The advice and insight certainly helps. As for PAT, I'll try the PATBooster for sure. I understand studies are person-dependent as far as time commitments and lengths to absorb material, but how long did you prepare? What kind of schedule?

 

[ChemistryDentist]

Thanks a TON. The advice and insight certainly helps. As for PAT, I'll try the PATBooster for sure. I understand studies are person-dependent as far as time commitments and lengths to absorb material, but how long did you prepare? What kind of schedule?

I did what I refer to as "hardcore" studying in about three weeks, but I did some light studying over the course of a couple of months. Plus, of course, I paid attention in my college classes, which served as good preparation. Feel free to check out my breakdown for specifics (in my signature). It has a lot more detail there!

ChemistryDentist's 2019 DAT Breakdown (27AA/25TS/25PAT)

Hi everyone! I've been a longtime lurker on SDN and have used a ton of advice from those in this forum, so I really thank you all a ton for everything. I'm writing this breakdown to give back for all the help I received, and to hopefully help some people who were more tight on money like myself...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[deleted945327]

You’re going to do better the second time around. You got this!

 

[Rambunctious]

Hi friends,
So I attached my scores. Not proud of the DAT score, but took it AFTER I submitted 8 applications. (Ever heard of anyone doing this and still being offered a spot somewhere?)

Assuming that I lost my competitiveness due to weak sections, I want to share how I studied the first time, and would like to hear from the second time DAT test takers out there on their study habit changes and how it positively affected their second DAT score.

First DAT scores. 3-4 weeks of studying 8-10 hours a day, 5x/wk.
I used DAT Bootcamp for this time, as well as DAT Destroyer that covers all sections. I completed DAT Bootcamp sections about once, and only had time to complete bio section of DAT Destroyer. This is my first time.

I am a full time dental hygienist, and was granted 3.5 weeks off to prepare for the DAT. I am considering taking a financial leap and quitting for 3 months to study.
I got LASIK vision correction before the DAT (2 weeks before), because of a high prescription. I wanted to be SO ready for DS. After the science section, my eyes were huuuuurting. This definitely broke my focus.

Anyways,

AA - 18
TS- 19
RC - 21
BIO -21
GC - 17
OC - 18
PAT - 16
QR - 13

I know the scores - What was your 1, 2, 3 times DAT scores?
- What modifications did you make to prepare the first vs. second time?
- Any friends/classmates with similar experiences that had a positive outcome without retaking the DAT? (I saw a thread with someone getting in with 12 QR)


(oGPA 3.74 ... sGPA 3.87... AA, AS, BAS, 196 credit hours)

I think what’s concerning is your high gpa and extremely low dat scores. There shouldn’t be that much of a discrepancy. You need to retake the dat to be considered

 

[Iroh]

- What were your DAT scores?

​	AA​	TS​	Bio​	GC​	OC​	RC​	QR​	PAT​
First​	20​	21​	21​	20​	21​	21​	19​	20​
Second​	22​	24​	25​	24​	22​	21​	19​	20​

I think those are the right numbers for first time (Can't remember off the top of my head).

- What modifications did you make to prepare the first vs. second time?

Just had a little more time to study and prepare. Not to mention it was 3 years after my first DAT was taken and I had gotten my Master's at this point. So basically I was just more mature and wiser in terms of preparation and approach.

- Any friends/classmates with similar experiences that had a positive outcome without retaking the DAT? (I saw a thread with someone getting in with 12 QR)

Can't speak for others but as you can see from my first attempt, numbers aren't everything. Most schools I believe are doing a holistic approach now. Obviously you need to bring your numbers up to I'd say 21 minimum it at least AA TS BIO GC OC RC, but those aren't absolute. Aim for as high as you can and just present yourself as a well-rounded, capable individual. That's really all you can do.

 

[SpitfireX9]

My advice would be to retake and focus only on DATDestroyer and PATBooster the 2nd time. @Orka pointed out that no one ever does bad using those 2 resources and it's true.

 

[predentstudent2]

Hi friends,
So I attached my scores. Not proud of the DAT score, but took it AFTER I submitted 8 applications. (Ever heard of anyone doing this and still being offered a spot somewhere?)

Assuming that I lost my competitiveness due to weak sections, I want to share how I studied the first time, and would like to hear from the second time DAT test takers out there on their study habit changes and how it positively affected their second DAT score.

First DAT scores. 3-4 weeks of studying 8-10 hours a day, 5x/wk.
I used DAT Bootcamp for this time, as well as DAT Destroyer that covers all sections. I completed DAT Bootcamp sections about once, and only had time to complete bio section of DAT Destroyer. This is my first time.

I am a full time dental hygienist, and was granted 3.5 weeks off to prepare for the DAT. I am considering taking a financial leap and quitting for 3 months to study.
I got LASIK vision correction before the DAT (2 weeks before), because of a high prescription. I wanted to be SO ready for DS. After the science section, my eyes were huuuuurting. This definitely broke my focus.

Anyways,

AA - 18
TS- 19
RC - 21
BIO -21
GC - 17
OC - 18
PAT - 16
QR - 13

I know the scores - What was your 1, 2, 3 times DAT scores?
- What modifications did you make to prepare the first vs. second time?
- Any friends/classmates with similar experiences that had a positive outcome without retaking the DAT? (I saw a thread with someone getting in with 12 QR)


(oGPA 3.74 ... sGPA 3.87... AA, AS, BAS, 196 credit hours)

Use iprep!!


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[predent2024]

Use iprep!!


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I second this. I used iPrep and raised my score from 18AA to 21AA. Can’t thank them enough.

 

[predentstudent2]

I second this. I used iPrep and raised my score from 18AA to 21AA. Can’t thank them enough.