First off, I'd like to thank everyone on SDN for the input, advice, questions, and comments over the past two months. This site has been an invaluable resource for guiding and refining my studying and practice strategies.
My scores came out:
PA - 30 (100%)
QR - 25 (97.4%)
RC - 23 (92.6%)
Bio - 26 (99.6%)
GC - 30 (100%)
OC - 26 (97.7%)
TS - 27 (99.8)
AA - 26 (99.9)
Basically I sat down for a full two months to cram in everything I could. I began with textbooks. After reading through the sciences once or twice, I moved on to Kaplan BB(bummed off of my sister's friend), and Schaum's Bio, GChem, and OChem. I also read through Cliff's and Barron's AP Bio twice. After that I went through Destroyer 2008. I can say without a doubt my OChem would be a few points lower had I not gotten my hands on a copy of Destroyer. It really touches on important and less-well-known concepts, and I actually delayed my test a week after I realized how much more I had to polish up OChem. Destroyer Bio is great for covering a wide array of topics. Destroyer GChem was a little over the top in terms of difficulty compared to the actual exam though
As for PA, I absolutely recommend CDP. I got the 10-test version and did one every week (1 every day in the last week), and the questions are great for familiarizing yourself with TFE shapes and Keyhole perspectives, and for practice recognizing cube counting trends. The hole-punch section of the actual exam was a bit different in terms of question diagramming. Angles were my weakest section starting off, so I practiced CDP angles every day. The actual exam had much easier angles.
I also got my hands on most every practice exam I could: Acethedat, Topscore, Achiever, which i took in roughly that order.
AA PA QR RC Bio GChem Ochem TS
Ace 1 21.4 14 29 28 17 18 15 17
Ace 2 21.8 17 28 28 18 19 16 18
Ace 3 23 17 29 30 20 19 17 19
TopScore1 19 22 20 23 20 19 15 18
TopScore2 20 23 21 23 18 18 19 18
TopScore3 22 23 26 23 19 21 19 20
Achiever1 22 18 22 23 19 23 21 21
Achiever2 21 20 23 25 18 19 18 19
Achiever3 22 20 30 22 18 19 25 20
I also wiped my Topscore numbers and retook them more recently
TopScore1 27 25 29 29 22 28 28 26
TopScore2 26 26 30 22 26 25 28 27
CDP 21/21/22/22/23/28/25/23/25/26
Obviously my retakes would be higher seeing as how I specifically covered questions i got wrong in the past. IMO AcetheDat is a terrible representation of the actual test, but the PAT section is wicked hard and good practice. Achiever seemed over the top in the science depth. Topscore seemed to represent the actual exam closest.
In summary, I'd like to thank everyone again for either directly or indirectly helping me during my time lurking the forum. I know there have been a few threads about people discouraged by the types of scores posted on this site. Don't be! Remember this place represents a very small, overachieving sample of people in the nation And I don't want anyone to take this post as my bragging (well, maybe a little ), but I wanted to do what others have been doing and contributing my experience and advice to the pool in the hopes that they will help someone else.
That said, **fweeew** ...now I have to get to completing my personal statement and sending out my apps. As great as my scores may be, I do have some blemishes on my graduate record that have to be taken into account, so Ill be busy in the coming weeks/months
My scores came out:
PA - 30 (100%)
QR - 25 (97.4%)
RC - 23 (92.6%)
Bio - 26 (99.6%)
GC - 30 (100%)
OC - 26 (97.7%)
TS - 27 (99.8)
AA - 26 (99.9)
Basically I sat down for a full two months to cram in everything I could. I began with textbooks. After reading through the sciences once or twice, I moved on to Kaplan BB(bummed off of my sister's friend), and Schaum's Bio, GChem, and OChem. I also read through Cliff's and Barron's AP Bio twice. After that I went through Destroyer 2008. I can say without a doubt my OChem would be a few points lower had I not gotten my hands on a copy of Destroyer. It really touches on important and less-well-known concepts, and I actually delayed my test a week after I realized how much more I had to polish up OChem. Destroyer Bio is great for covering a wide array of topics. Destroyer GChem was a little over the top in terms of difficulty compared to the actual exam though
As for PA, I absolutely recommend CDP. I got the 10-test version and did one every week (1 every day in the last week), and the questions are great for familiarizing yourself with TFE shapes and Keyhole perspectives, and for practice recognizing cube counting trends. The hole-punch section of the actual exam was a bit different in terms of question diagramming. Angles were my weakest section starting off, so I practiced CDP angles every day. The actual exam had much easier angles.
I also got my hands on most every practice exam I could: Acethedat, Topscore, Achiever, which i took in roughly that order.
AA PA QR RC Bio GChem Ochem TS
Ace 1 21.4 14 29 28 17 18 15 17
Ace 2 21.8 17 28 28 18 19 16 18
Ace 3 23 17 29 30 20 19 17 19
TopScore1 19 22 20 23 20 19 15 18
TopScore2 20 23 21 23 18 18 19 18
TopScore3 22 23 26 23 19 21 19 20
Achiever1 22 18 22 23 19 23 21 21
Achiever2 21 20 23 25 18 19 18 19
Achiever3 22 20 30 22 18 19 25 20
I also wiped my Topscore numbers and retook them more recently
TopScore1 27 25 29 29 22 28 28 26
TopScore2 26 26 30 22 26 25 28 27
CDP 21/21/22/22/23/28/25/23/25/26
Obviously my retakes would be higher seeing as how I specifically covered questions i got wrong in the past. IMO AcetheDat is a terrible representation of the actual test, but the PAT section is wicked hard and good practice. Achiever seemed over the top in the science depth. Topscore seemed to represent the actual exam closest.
In summary, I'd like to thank everyone again for either directly or indirectly helping me during my time lurking the forum. I know there have been a few threads about people discouraged by the types of scores posted on this site. Don't be! Remember this place represents a very small, overachieving sample of people in the nation And I don't want anyone to take this post as my bragging (well, maybe a little ), but I wanted to do what others have been doing and contributing my experience and advice to the pool in the hopes that they will help someone else.
That said, **fweeew** ...now I have to get to completing my personal statement and sending out my apps. As great as my scores may be, I do have some blemishes on my graduate record that have to be taken into account, so Ill be busy in the coming weeks/months