Studying strategy...sorry, first post ever

[DDSoneday283]

Hey guys, I have been having trouble figuring out what way to prepare for the DAT exam. I have read many of the posts...but I am still not sure what is most effective for me. I took the DAT once, and I scored in the 90th percentile...but I need a really spectacular score for me to guarantee admission somewhere. I have talked to many people, and they said that studying kaplan again HARDER may not equal to a higher score because the book and the tests may not have helped me out that much the first time (and I did put in a good amount of work..3 months). So now I am thinking I just want to expose myself to as much tests and sample problems as possible. Aside from topscore, what other sources would you guys recommend me possibly looking into for sample problems and good explanations/strategies to those probs? As far as timeframe this second time around...what would you guys offer? My weakest fields were gchem and QR, and bio could def. be higher. Thanks for your help guys, please share some of your studying wisdom!!

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[Drill2Fill]

You can take a look at DAT achiever, but if you already scored in the 90th percentile, you might find it easier to fix the other things wrong with your application.

 

[dentaldentist]

Give us a run down of your full situation - what is your GPA, what were your exact DAT scores, any research or shadowing. If there was one or two particularly weak areas of your DAT, then yeah, taking the exam again might be a good idea. But with your DAT in the 90th percentile and assuming there are no 16s or below on any section you might want to look more closely at the rest of your application. Also, if you already applied but have not received any acceptance yet, let us know where you applied and any interviews you received.

As far as good DAT resources, I would say Kaplan, Topscore, Schaum's outlines of bio, chem and organic chem, DAT Destroyer, and DAT achiever are all good options. Its a good idea not to rely on a single DAT study guide, but instead get two or three to get a more comprehensive review. For extra help on the bio section I definitly recommend schaum's outline of biology.

 

[DDSoneday283]

My gpa is about 3.1 and my overall score was 20. I have shadowed and volunteered at community clincs for about 100 hours total. I applied once, and did not get in to the places I applied for. I know there are other routes of going about re-applying, but I think I have decided to stick with the DAT route.
Aside from topscore, achiever, and destroyer....do any of you guys know any other sources for full length DATs (I have most of the stuff from Kaplan)? Like even actual DATs that are just old?

 

[lilchinoboy03]

My gpa is about 3.1 and my overall score was 20. I have shadowed and volunteered at community clincs for about 100 hours total. I applied once, and did not get in to the places I applied for. I know there are other routes of going about re-applying, but I think I have decided to stick with the DAT route.
Aside from topscore, achiever, and destroyer....do any of you guys know any other sources for full length DATs (I have most of the stuff from Kaplan)? Like even actual DATs that are just old?

those are the 3 sources i used. is it b/c you're trying to get into certain schools and you don't want to apply to more schools. be careful with this b/c after scoring 20+...its hard to improve and not so hard to go down. After you're at a 20...The score increments are going to be determined by a matter of a couple to a few questions, making it more or less up in the air. I say a 20 is great unless you have particularly weak sections. whatever u decide to do...GL

 

[dentaldentist]

I had similar but slightly better stats than you - a 3.2 and 22/22/22 on the DAT, but I had the benefit of also having a master's degree. I'm now in my first year of dental school. A low GPA certainly hurts your chances but you are above a 3.0 so you have a shot and there are plenty of 3.0 -3.2 students who do get in..

Anyway, if you are going to retake the DAT, just make sure you study your butt off to ensure your scores go up. Get some of the resources I mentioned and sit down every day for a couple of hours for the next few months and really learn the material. You don't need 10 different DAT study guides to do well on the test, you just need to get a couple and really learn and know everything.

If you are still in school - make sure your do especially well this semester. Your GPA may only go up a small amount, but the positive improvement will show schools you are determined. If you already graduated, consider taking a night science class or two and get A's in those classes. You also may want to apply to more schools this time around to help improve your chances.

Another suggestion is to call the schools you were rejected from and see if you can talk with someone about how you can improve your chances for next year.

Good luck.

 

[DDSoneday283]

Just out of curiosity, what did you get your masters in? And how long did that take? How do you think that played in your acceptance? I guess I'm curious because the masters program is extended education...but not directly related to the dental field, so how do schools see that as a addition to the "whole package", so to speak. I don't mean to sound prying, sorry if i do.

 

[diane07]

I agree with . . . lilchinoboy03. Re-taking the DAT is risky. People can improve, but you can actually do worse too. If you scored in the 90th percentile, I don't think it's your DAT score that is the problem.

Based on the information you provided, I think it's the low GPA that is hurting you.

I know you don't want to hear that. And you seem really set on re-taking the DAT, and I can understand why (re-taking the DAT is a lot easier than fixing a GPA) But re-taking the DAT when you already have an excellant score may not improve your chances of acceptance if it's really other things in your application that are the problem.

Also, did you take the minimum science pre-requisites? Some schools outright say on their websites that they give preferance to those who have completed upper division science courses.

You probably would have preferred it if I had said, "oh yeah, it's your DAT" and agreed with you. But I can't in all honestly say that a DAT score in the 20's is the culprit. But ultimately, it's your application so do what you want.

 

[USCbiograd]

Although your GPA is not that high, Dental schools will look at trends in your transcript. I think your DAT scores are fine as long as your grades have been progressively improving.