Should I take a DAT prep course?

[sarahsam88]

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Hello Everyone!

I'm a Canadian student looking to apply for US Dental schools for 2016. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering so my science background is not very strong. Do you guys think I should take a prep course like Kaplan or should I self study using different sources?? Is it possible to learn the material from the different resources like Cliff AP, Kaplan Blue Book, DAT destroyer, etc? or it's better to take a prep course?

Thanksss

 

[TheEpicFruitCake]

I'd say most people on SDN who score high (24+) don't take a prep course

 

[trangtn]

I took Kaplan and regretted it so much. It costs a lot less for you to just buy materials and study yourself. If you're worried about not being disciplined enough then I guess a course would help with keeping you on track. But if you can focus and study diligently with a consistent schedule, just buy materials to study

 

[TheEpicFruitCake]

and $2000 just because you can't stay focused is ridiculous

 

[sarahsam88]

I took Kaplan and regretted it so much. It costs a lot less for you to just buy materials and study yourself. If you're worried about not being disciplined enough then I guess a course would help with keeping you on track. But if you can focus and study diligently with a consistent schedule, just buy materials to study

My main reason thinking about taking KAPLAN was that I thought I might not be able to learn the material as thoroughly without taking classes. (I took my science pre-reqs about 4 years ago and i feel kinda rusty) But If I should be fine using the resources then I'd rather save the money 😛

 

[[DDS] Samer]

Personally, I am currently a Canadian student in the process of studying for the DAT and I am not taking a prep course. I have heard from many people that most prep courses are pointless unless i) you don't have a basic background in biology or ii) you don't want to go through the trouble of buying prep material. If I were you, I would try to study a few chapters from Cliffs AP Bio and see how well you are able to study them by using some pre-made flashcards online. If you are doing well, then you obviously don't need a course. If you are struggling you may want to consider taking the course. The reasons why I chose not to take the course are because I have a good background in the field of biology/chemistry, I can keep myself focused and self-motivated, and I would much rather use multiple resources for prep material than just one source like Kaplan.

 

[postpitadh]

bro don't waste your money. I'm glad i got chad, destroyer, and bootcamp like everyone on here recommends.