@stellasjs
Stella Shon's pre-optometry journey — an 84-day daily warmup-question streak ending in a 360 AA score reveal, documented as it happened.
Best for: Seeing a complete, recent OAT prep arc from a peer.
FreeOAT — Additional Resources
A note on this list: the OAT has no big creator economy, and we'd rather give you a short, honest list than pad it. OAT students borrow smart — most of what's below is the science teaching and breakdown archives that OAT scorers themselves cite.
Chad's Prep
The most-recommended non-course OAT resource on SDN, full stop. Chapter-by-chapter video courses for General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and QR — free college-level versions on YouTube, with an exam-trimmed paid version. Multiple breakdowns credit Chad's with 20-point AA improvements on a retake.
Best for: Re-learning Gen Chem, Orgo and Physics content.
Freemium (YouTube free; paid OAT bundle ~$70)The Organic Chemistry Tutor
Worked-problem whiteboard videos across Orgo, Gen Chem, Physics and QR. Not OAT-specific — OAT students borrow the relevant sections, and SDN breakdowns cite exactly that approach, sometimes on a total prep budget of $50.
Best for: Problem-walking when a concept won't stick.
FreeCrash Course
Fast, animated topic videos — OAT students use the Anatomy & Physiology and Biology series to learn the human systems from zero.
Best for: OAT Biology systems review at the start of prep.
FreeProfessor Dave Explains
Concise concept explainers with worked examples; OAT breakdowns single out his Organic Chemistry teaching (one student credits it for a 360 section score).
Best for: An alternative voice when Chad's style doesn't land.
FreeKhan Academy (science playlists)
There's no OAT course on Khan Academy — OAT students use its science and MCAT playlists to repair specific missed concepts, especially in Biology. A 400-scorer describes reviewing every missed Bio concept with Khan videos.
Best for: Zero-budget concept repair, topic by topic.
FreeADA Official OAT Practice Test
The only practice material made by the test-maker — a retired-question sample (free) and a full online practice test (paid). SDN calibration reports are consistent: students' ADA scores track their real scores far more closely than any commercial test.
Best for: Final-week calibration. Save it for the end.
Freemium (sample free; full test paid)OAT Destroyer + Destroyer Study Group
The legacy standalone: a deliberately harder practice book (Biology, Gen Chem, Orgo, Math) plus a free Facebook study group with daily questions and a free Biology Review file.
Best for: Hard practice after content review — some students swear by it; others call it overkill. Both are right: it depends how much time you have.
Paid book ($189.95) · Free groupStudent Doctor Network — OAT Breakdowns
The OAT's real knowledge base: dated score breakdowns (including multiple 400 AA reports) listing section scores, practice-versus-real comparisons, and exactly which materials each student used.
Best for: Calibrating what a 320, 350 or 400 AA prep actually looked like.
Freer/preoptometry
The pre-optometry subreddit — application talk and OAT resource discussion. SDN breakdowns show it directly shaping choices: one 380 AA scorer found the resource the whole subreddit was discussing and rebuilt their prep around it.
Best for: Peer consensus and school-choice talk.
FreeSCCO Optometry Admissions Blog
Student-written OAT guides from a real admissions community — including a famous "$0 prep" budget post and honest student opinions on Kaplan, Destroyer and Chad's Videos.
Best for: Budget prep narratives in plain language.
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