islanddrive
Future DDS
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2018
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 50
I was initially going to take the DAT in the fall but because classes took up so much time, I was only able to prepare for the PAT section during the fall and postponed my DAT until the winter when I had a lighter courseload. If you want to start preparing for the DAT early (during the school year like I did), I would HIGHLY recommend getting PATBooster, it’s hands down the best thing to prepare for the PAT and it lasts 6 months.
Background:
I’m in my junior year majoring in biology at Neuroscience at the University of Michigan (go blue!). My cgpa is 3.82 and I've taken all the major Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chem I & II, Calculus, and Biochemistry classes so far. I generally felt good taking the DAT and felt I should be okay as long as I brushed up my core-knowledge.
PAT: 25
QR: 22
RC: 17
Bio: 23
GC: 26
OC: 25
TS: 24
AA: 23
Resources Used:
DATDestroyer $199 (9/10)
- This is an amazing book and I don’t think my scores would have been the same without it, it literally covers every concept/question on the DAT. Any questions I had, Dr. Romano answered them the same day and was pretty helpful. The only problem was there were times I felt the questions were too tough to be on the DAT (honestly some questions were) but it was still the best study tool for the DAT. I would say this is the most valuable study resource I used for the DAT.
PATBooster $79 (10/10)
- Without a doubt, this is hands-down the BEST resource I used for the PAT. I’ve heard good reviews about PATBooster but I was skeptical about it until I actually started using it. At the end of every practice test, it breaks down your stats and tells you how much time you’ve spent on each section which was amazing and super helpful. It also had real 3D models that allowed me to see all the PAT objects in real life and manipulate them. And the PAT videos and generators were soo much better than DATBootcamp’s that it made practicing for the PAT enjoyable and raised my scores significantly. PATBooster is amazing and was the sole reason I got a 25 on the PAT.
Feralis Notes - Free (8.5/10)
- These notes are amazing. After my DAT I went back to look for the answers to every question I had on the real exam and found everything in this document. I honestly wished I spent more time looking over it rather than going through bootcamp’s biology notes.
Chad’s videos - Free (10/10)
- Chad is the man, he literally goes over EVERY thing you need to know for the DAT. I tried learning with Mike’s videos with Bootcamp but Chad’s videos were so much more clear that I ended up sticking with Chad’s videos the entire time. I owe my scores in GC and OC to Chad
DATBootcamp $497 (7/10)
- This was super useful, especially to get to know how the DAT works, but I honestly wished I didn't spent money on it. I started out doing a 5 hour full-length practice test and for some reason the score didn't save so that was an awful experience. This happened to me a few times and I stopped relying on DATBootcamp practice tests for most sections (honestly not needed anyways). The only section I primarily used DATBootcamp for was RC. This wasn’t planned, I was initially going to use Bootcamp as my primary resource for everything but I just found the other resources more useful than Bootcamp for the other sections. The only section I primarily used Bootcamp was for RC and honestly, I wish I had bought another resource like DATqvault since the real DAT was nothing like DATBootcamp’s practice tests (apparently this is a well-known fact). Looking back, I feel like I blew a lot of money buying Bootcamp when it’s honestly not needed. The only section I used DATBootcamp for, I ended up with a 17. If you're thinking of getting Bootcamp, I would save your money and use their free resources (notes, formula sheets) combined with the other resources to get the best of both worlds.
Official Breakdown
Bio (23) - I started out by reviewing the 120-page Bootcamp notes but I felt it was missing a lot of important information. So I began using Feralis notes since they were straight to the point and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it from my friends. In my free time, I went through the DATDestroyer questions and tried to get through as many questions as I could.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I think I could have scored higher if I had went through Feralis notes twice instead of once. Literally all of the answers to the questions on my DAT were in Feralis Notes.
GC (26) and OC (25)- I started out watching Mike’s videos but I found myself always referring back to Chad’s videos so I ended up switching to watching Chad’s videos completely. I also went through DATDestroyer once and tracked which ones I got wrong. The ones I did poorly on, I went back and redid them. In the last 2 weeks before my DAT, I did 3 Bootcamp practice tests (3, 7, and 9) and looking back I wish I never did them since I did poorly on them (scored 19, 20, and 19) and it really discouraged me. I would say the Bootcamp practice tests were honestly not representative of the real DAT in my opinion, I felt the questions were a lot easier and straightforward.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I shouldn’t have wasted time doing DATBootcamp practice tests, they weren’t representative in my opinion and I didn’t get the same questions on my DAT.
PAT (25) - I started off using DATBootcamp and I heard about PATBooster. I was skeptical about it at first but after using it for months, I have to say PATBooster is hands-down the best resource for the PAT. I loved it so much that I completely switched to PATBooster by the end of the study period because of how useful it was. The PAT videos on PATBooster were so much more clearer than DATBootcamp and taught way better strategies than the ones on DATBootcamp. Booster also had these 3D visualizers built into their practice tests that made it so easy to see the 3D object.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I wish I spent more time on PATBooster than DATBootcamp from the start since PATBooster was so much better than Bootcamp in every possible way. The PAT questions on the real DAT were definitely VERY similar/identical to the ones on PATBooster. In fact, I thought I had a few questions that looked identical, if not the same as the ones on PATBooster on my real DAT.
RC (17) - I started out going through Joel’s Reading Academy twice and went through all of the Bootcamp practice tests every weekend but it still wasn’t enough. This was definitely the one section I struggled the most, not sure if it was due to fatigue or just inadequate resources to prepare for this sections.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I felt the Bootcamp Reading Comp practice tests were not like the real DAT. The real DAT was much easier and offered different types of questions. I think if I had bought DATqvault or CracktheDAT or anything else, I could have scored better.
QR (22) - I started out doing the Math Destroyer problems and watched the Math Destroyer videos on youtube. Like most people I brushed QR til the very end. I probably spent a total of 4-5 days on QR and had enough time to go through the Math Destroyer book and do 4 Bootcamp practice tests. Both were super helpful but if I had more time I would have spent more time on more questions on DATDestroyer.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I wished I spent more time preparing for the QR. Dr. Romano has these youtube videos that were quite useful (I discovered them too late).
Overall Thoughts:
I thought the exam wasn’t that bad. Looking back, I regret purchasing DATBootcamp because I honestly don’t think you need it if you use DATDestroyer, PATBooster and Chad’s videos. I would have saved a considerable amount of money by doing this but I guess it’s too late.
In terms of advice for those taking the DAT, you don’t need to take practice tests for the sciences to do well. I barely did any and I did fine. More importantly, make sure you give yourself enough time to really prepare for the DAT and try to prepare for the PAT early on during the school year (PATBooster was amazing for doing this and it makes the PAT fun). I also found myself taking break days which was immensely helpful in rejuvenating my energy. On the day before your DAT, I would recommend visiting the center since my center was in some complex mall (very hard to find). I would also recommend doing a quick review of everything just in case you forgot something (optional). And lastly, try to bring a snack since you’ll get tired and hungry after a certain point.
Useful Tips:
- Join the official DAT study group: Official 2019 DAT Study Group
- Get enough sleep the night before
- Visit the location the day before
Background:
I’m in my junior year majoring in biology at Neuroscience at the University of Michigan (go blue!). My cgpa is 3.82 and I've taken all the major Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chem I & II, Calculus, and Biochemistry classes so far. I generally felt good taking the DAT and felt I should be okay as long as I brushed up my core-knowledge.
PAT: 25
QR: 22
RC: 17
Bio: 23
GC: 26
OC: 25
TS: 24
AA: 23
Resources Used:
DATDestroyer $199 (9/10)
- This is an amazing book and I don’t think my scores would have been the same without it, it literally covers every concept/question on the DAT. Any questions I had, Dr. Romano answered them the same day and was pretty helpful. The only problem was there were times I felt the questions were too tough to be on the DAT (honestly some questions were) but it was still the best study tool for the DAT. I would say this is the most valuable study resource I used for the DAT.
PATBooster $79 (10/10)
- Without a doubt, this is hands-down the BEST resource I used for the PAT. I’ve heard good reviews about PATBooster but I was skeptical about it until I actually started using it. At the end of every practice test, it breaks down your stats and tells you how much time you’ve spent on each section which was amazing and super helpful. It also had real 3D models that allowed me to see all the PAT objects in real life and manipulate them. And the PAT videos and generators were soo much better than DATBootcamp’s that it made practicing for the PAT enjoyable and raised my scores significantly. PATBooster is amazing and was the sole reason I got a 25 on the PAT.
Feralis Notes - Free (8.5/10)
- These notes are amazing. After my DAT I went back to look for the answers to every question I had on the real exam and found everything in this document. I honestly wished I spent more time looking over it rather than going through bootcamp’s biology notes.
Chad’s videos - Free (10/10)
- Chad is the man, he literally goes over EVERY thing you need to know for the DAT. I tried learning with Mike’s videos with Bootcamp but Chad’s videos were so much more clear that I ended up sticking with Chad’s videos the entire time. I owe my scores in GC and OC to Chad
DATBootcamp $497 (7/10)
- This was super useful, especially to get to know how the DAT works, but I honestly wished I didn't spent money on it. I started out doing a 5 hour full-length practice test and for some reason the score didn't save so that was an awful experience. This happened to me a few times and I stopped relying on DATBootcamp practice tests for most sections (honestly not needed anyways). The only section I primarily used DATBootcamp for was RC. This wasn’t planned, I was initially going to use Bootcamp as my primary resource for everything but I just found the other resources more useful than Bootcamp for the other sections. The only section I primarily used Bootcamp was for RC and honestly, I wish I had bought another resource like DATqvault since the real DAT was nothing like DATBootcamp’s practice tests (apparently this is a well-known fact). Looking back, I feel like I blew a lot of money buying Bootcamp when it’s honestly not needed. The only section I used DATBootcamp for, I ended up with a 17. If you're thinking of getting Bootcamp, I would save your money and use their free resources (notes, formula sheets) combined with the other resources to get the best of both worlds.
Official Breakdown
Bio (23) - I started out by reviewing the 120-page Bootcamp notes but I felt it was missing a lot of important information. So I began using Feralis notes since they were straight to the point and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it from my friends. In my free time, I went through the DATDestroyer questions and tried to get through as many questions as I could.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I think I could have scored higher if I had went through Feralis notes twice instead of once. Literally all of the answers to the questions on my DAT were in Feralis Notes.
GC (26) and OC (25)- I started out watching Mike’s videos but I found myself always referring back to Chad’s videos so I ended up switching to watching Chad’s videos completely. I also went through DATDestroyer once and tracked which ones I got wrong. The ones I did poorly on, I went back and redid them. In the last 2 weeks before my DAT, I did 3 Bootcamp practice tests (3, 7, and 9) and looking back I wish I never did them since I did poorly on them (scored 19, 20, and 19) and it really discouraged me. I would say the Bootcamp practice tests were honestly not representative of the real DAT in my opinion, I felt the questions were a lot easier and straightforward.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I shouldn’t have wasted time doing DATBootcamp practice tests, they weren’t representative in my opinion and I didn’t get the same questions on my DAT.
PAT (25) - I started off using DATBootcamp and I heard about PATBooster. I was skeptical about it at first but after using it for months, I have to say PATBooster is hands-down the best resource for the PAT. I loved it so much that I completely switched to PATBooster by the end of the study period because of how useful it was. The PAT videos on PATBooster were so much more clearer than DATBootcamp and taught way better strategies than the ones on DATBootcamp. Booster also had these 3D visualizers built into their practice tests that made it so easy to see the 3D object.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I wish I spent more time on PATBooster than DATBootcamp from the start since PATBooster was so much better than Bootcamp in every possible way. The PAT questions on the real DAT were definitely VERY similar/identical to the ones on PATBooster. In fact, I thought I had a few questions that looked identical, if not the same as the ones on PATBooster on my real DAT.
RC (17) - I started out going through Joel’s Reading Academy twice and went through all of the Bootcamp practice tests every weekend but it still wasn’t enough. This was definitely the one section I struggled the most, not sure if it was due to fatigue or just inadequate resources to prepare for this sections.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I felt the Bootcamp Reading Comp practice tests were not like the real DAT. The real DAT was much easier and offered different types of questions. I think if I had bought DATqvault or CracktheDAT or anything else, I could have scored better.
QR (22) - I started out doing the Math Destroyer problems and watched the Math Destroyer videos on youtube. Like most people I brushed QR til the very end. I probably spent a total of 4-5 days on QR and had enough time to go through the Math Destroyer book and do 4 Bootcamp practice tests. Both were super helpful but if I had more time I would have spent more time on more questions on DATDestroyer.
Post-DAT Thoughts: Looking back, I wished I spent more time preparing for the QR. Dr. Romano has these youtube videos that were quite useful (I discovered them too late).
Overall Thoughts:
I thought the exam wasn’t that bad. Looking back, I regret purchasing DATBootcamp because I honestly don’t think you need it if you use DATDestroyer, PATBooster and Chad’s videos. I would have saved a considerable amount of money by doing this but I guess it’s too late.
In terms of advice for those taking the DAT, you don’t need to take practice tests for the sciences to do well. I barely did any and I did fine. More importantly, make sure you give yourself enough time to really prepare for the DAT and try to prepare for the PAT early on during the school year (PATBooster was amazing for doing this and it makes the PAT fun). I also found myself taking break days which was immensely helpful in rejuvenating my energy. On the day before your DAT, I would recommend visiting the center since my center was in some complex mall (very hard to find). I would also recommend doing a quick review of everything just in case you forgot something (optional). And lastly, try to bring a snack since you’ll get tired and hungry after a certain point.
Useful Tips:
- Join the official DAT study group: Official 2019 DAT Study Group
- Get enough sleep the night before
- Visit the location the day before
Attachments
Last edited:
Gl this cycle!
