How long did you study for mcat?

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akakelsy

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I will be studying from scratch as honestly, I do not remember anything from the general science courses. I start my Princeton prep in two weeks giving me about 2.5 months until my test in early sept. Is this enough time to study? Other priorities this summer is taking a summer course (Biology of Cancer which is scheduled M,W,F from 8-11am) of which I'm contemplating of either not taking at all and saving for another semester to focus on the mcat. I know it depends on the person, but what do you feel is the best for me to achieve the best score possible?
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vi = 0
vf = 46000 ft/us
a is constant

Now figure out t, and that's how long I've been studying for the mcat.
 
Well, you won't really know until you see what kind of scores you are getting on the AAMC tests after studying. By then you should know where you stand and whether you will need more time or not.

I would estimate that it generally takes 2.5 - 3 months for most people. It seems to be the sweet spot that balances time spent and satisfactory scores. Personally, I took 5 months total (3 months for one take, 2 months for my retake).
 
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Study for a couple weeks then take a practice test to see where you're at. Until then you really don't know how long it would take but 2 months is solid questimate.

Survivor DO
 
Take a practice test and gauge. I only studied for a few days. I didn't know any better at the time. If I were doing it over, I would probably spend a month or so studying.
 
2.5 months while taking a class, doing research and volunteering. I started with almost 0 chemistry and bio knowledge (took ap courses). I probably could've taken it half a month earlier as my scores plateaued around then.

Your schedule is probably fine. Like others said take a practice test like a month in and judge from there. Don't delay it too long though.
 
I took 3 and 1/2 months, while taking 3 graduate classes, and working about 30 hrs a week.

Wish I had a little more, but it is what it is.

I think 3 months should be a minimum, but I guess it depends on your content knowledge. I was pretty cold.
 
6-7 weeks
10-12 hrs a days. Honestly could not study any longer than that. Head was about to explode
 
Took a week, around 4 hours a day due to time constraints. Turned out fine-ish with a 31. I wish I could have taken more time since I only studied physics, my weakest subject.

I suggest at least a month. Longer if you have other commitments.
 
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A month total.

2 weeks of content review -- couple hours a day while still working full time
2 weeks of grinding practice tests - 6-7 hours a day

Got a 37
 
About 6 weeks, though really only 3 weeks of intensive studying

Pulled a 38
 
I'm studying for about five weeks, 8-10 hours a day. We'll see how it goes. :D
 
if your full time studying (and I would argue that if your taking the cancer of bio you probably should be good in bio) 3-4 weeks

when I studied I studied nights (about 5-8 hr/night once i got home from work) for a month and half and then full time 12-16hrs/day for 1.5 weeks
 
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I'm taking mine September as well. Following SN2ed 3 month schedule. Approximately 40-55 hours a week for 12 weeks (~500-600 hours give or take) Hope it pays off! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Good luck!
 
1 hour, got a 45. :p

But seriously, 2-4 months seems to be the consensus range for most people.
 
Pons Asinorum said:
That is ridiculous. You are not efficiently using your time if you need 600 hours to prep for the MCAT.
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Multiple people who I've spoken to who've scored over 35 recommend at least 400 hours though. 600 may be pushing it I agree. To each his own.
 
tn4596 said:
6-7 weeks
10-12 hrs a days. Honestly could not study any longer than that. Head was about to explode
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My schedule. Though it was probably more like 8-9 hours/day (while constantly doing practice "one a day" questions via my smartphone in my "downtime." Those apps changed my life.)
 
Guys, it's the mcat, not step 1. Chill......
 
Pons Asinorum said:
That is ridiculous. You are not efficiently using your time if you need 600 hours to prep for the MCAT.
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I've heard 600 hours is about the average actually. I probably spent that amount of time over the course of about 6 months and ended up with a 39. Much of the reason I had to take that many months though was because I was a year out of school and 3-4 years removed from most of my pre-reqs, so I remembered virtually nothing, and I was working full time so I couldn't go at my prep like a full time job like a lot of people do.
 
You're going to get a lot of people bragging here, so know that when you open of these threads (Practically a layup to the "I studied for a week and scored a 37" crew).

That said, 2 months studying for 2-3 hours a day and you'll be fine. Practice exams throughout are key.
 
About 80 days, 3-4 hours a day. I scored a 29. I could have done a little better but oh well.
 
OCDOCDOCD said:
I've heard 600 hours is about the average actually. I probably spent that amount of time over the course of about 6 months and ended up with a 39. Much of the reason I had to take that many months though was because I was a year out of school and 3-4 years removed from most of my pre-reqs, so I remembered virtually nothing, and I was working full time so I couldn't go at my prep like a full time job like a lot of people do.
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600 hours of actual, dedicated study time is not average. 8 hrs/day * 5 days/week * 8 weeks works out to around 300, and even that looks like more than will actually get done.
 
Pons Asinorum said:
600 hours of actual, dedicated study time is not average. 8 hrs/day * 5 days/week * 8 weeks works out to around 300, and even that looks like more than will actually get done.
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It's SDN, brah.
 
DreadfulGlory said:
Just a question for you all, when did you actually start studying? Did you start as soon as you finished your first semester of bio? Or did you wait until you finished all the pre req classes? I assume some of you waited even longer that that.
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13 years after I finished first semester of bio :cool:
 
Passively ~0.75 hrs/day February to April using Kaplan books and was in school so Ochem was semi-fresh.
 
DreadfulGlory said:
Just a question for you all, when did you actually start studying? Did you start as soon as you finished your first semester of bio? Or did you wait until you finished all the pre req classes? I assume some of you waited even longer that that.
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Took mine after summer (sept 1st). It was my primary focus (so no school). I started in mid July-ish (so like 6 weeks). I had all pre-reqs completed.

like I said before 7-8hrs/day with iphone apps (Qbanks) occupying some of my downtime. Again, people.. those apps are great and free. They just help keep you occupied when you have a moment, and while they mainly represent descreet q's--help solidify foundations.

Actual score 31 (10/10/11)

AAMC averages 32-34 (think i choked a bit, honestly) --though I was neurotic and panicing since I convinced myself I didn't break 30. So the sight of a 31 was welcome.

edit: I just wanted to say... If you can truly dedicate 8 hours a day to studying and it's just material review--6 weeks is all most people should need. Yeah, I know everyone is different, but personally I couldn't have handled going over the same material for 3-4months. No way.
 
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rfenzo said:
You're going to get a lot of people bragging here, so know that when you open of these threads (Practically a layup to the "I studied for a week and scored a 37" crew).

That said, 2 months studying for 2-3 hours a day and you'll be fine. Practice exams throughout are key.
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I think this depends on what we mean by "fine" and what the student's particular situation is. For someone that just got out of their prereqs, it doesn't make sense to spend that much time (most of which is probably content review anyway). They can begin taking some full lengths and go to work. However, for someone that's been MIA for a lot of years, it will take a while for the background material to stick. The more of it you can stick, the faster you can answer questions and the more questions you'll avoid missing by simply not knowing the necessary background information.

That said, I think goals are also important. If your goal is to get a 39 (an unnecessary goal) you'll have to put in a lot of time to snag those few questions that often mean the difference between a 13 and a 14 on a section. If your goal is to get a 33, you can focus more on core ideas and major points that are higher yield. I see it as a war of attrition, and how extravagant your goals are can determine how much of a beating you'll have to take in the name of studying.

Pons Asinorum said:
So true. If you took the entire cohort of test takers, average study time is <200 hours, I would near guarantee.
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To be fair, the average MCAT score is also a 25.
 
5 months. My daily schedule was pretty light though, and I took a couple breaks during that time.
 
askamsky51 said:
Took mine after summer (sept 1st). It was my primary focus (so no school). I started in mid July-ish (so like 6 weeks). I had all pre-reqs completed.

like I said before 7-8hrs/day with iphone apps (Qbanks) occupying some of my downtime. Again, people.. those apps are great and free. They just help keep you occupied when you have a moment, and while they mainly represent descreet q's--help solidify foundations.

Actual score 31 (10/10/11)

AAMC averages 32-34 (think i choked a bit, honestly) --though I was neurotic and panicing since I convinced myself I didn't break 30. So the sight of a 31 was welcome.

edit: I just wanted to say... If you can truly dedicate 8 hours a day to studying and it's just material review--6 weeks is all most people should need. Yeah, I know everyone is different, but personally I couldn't have handled going over the same material for 3-4months. No way.
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Thanks for the input, I'll keep that in mind and check out some Apps. I had some on my iPad till it got jacked. :mad:
 
February to May took TPR with normal course load. My score went up 10 points from first practice test to the real deal. Stay disciplined! Honestly that's all there is to it. However most my improvement was in the last 3-4 weeks after my semester ended.
 
I studied for a year. Started after organic chemistry during the summer after sophomore year. I passively content reviewed from May to October (10 hours a week). I took a Kaplan course from Oct to April. I was over 30 by Jan, I kept studying.

Honestly, you should plan to start studying a year out from your test date. If you don't need it you can always stop studying. Also, you protect yourself from life events (work issues, family trouble, semester from hell etc.)

Everyone is different. But it is safer to start studying a year out and then say "I only need a month and stop" then only giving yourself a month and forcing a poor score
 
Espadaleader said:
I studied for a year. Started after organic chemistry during the summer after sophomore year. I passively content reviewed from May to October (10 hours a week). I took a Kaplan course from Oct to April. I was over 30 by Jan, I kept studying.

Honestly, you should plan to start studying a year out from your test date. If you don't need it you can always stop studying. Also, you protect yourself from life events (work issues, family trouble, semester from hell etc.)

Everyone is different. But it is safer to start studying a year out and then say "I only need a month and stop" then only giving yourself a month and forcing a poor score
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Studying for a year in anything isn't the wisest move, although it differs among each of us. It's called burnout. Your case represents the exception and not the rule. For most of us, the best approach is studying for three months.
 
Well I started studying last summer but didnt accomplish much and took the test in Aug just to see how it was and ended up with a 26.

I started studying again at the end of January and took the MCAT at end of May.

So over all I have been studying for the past year but I only hardcore studied for 4 months. Fingers crossed that I did better this time!!
 
Is it absolutely essential to take classes from companies like Princeton Review or Kaplan or any other? I have several books including ECs, the BR, Kaplan and so on; I'm just afraid that I might miss out on important tips if I study by myself.
 
Served said:
Is it absolutely essential to take classes from companies like Princeton Review or Kaplan or any other? I have several books including ECs, the BR, Kaplan and so on; I'm just afraid that I might miss out on important tips if I study by myself.
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For me, prep courses are a waste of cash. So no, it's not essential to take online/live classes. Your prep books will tell you all the important tips you need to know.
 
Served said:
Is it absolutely essential to take classes from companies like Princeton Review or Kaplan or any other? I have several books including ECs, the BR, Kaplan and so on; I'm just afraid that I might miss out on important tips if I study by myself.
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The classes are mostly a waste of money and extremely overpriced. The exclusive materials a lot of them hand out are pretty good, but they're not worth paying thousands of dollars for and you can get most of them secondhand anyway. I suppose they're also useful if you need someone else to keep you on track, but I would still recommend learning some self-discipline instead of paying $7000 for a class.

As far as test taking tips go, you already have TBR which is probably the best source of those tips you're going to find out there.
 
OCDOCDOCD said:
The classes are mostly a waste of money and extremely overpriced. The exclusive materials a lot of them hand out are pretty good, but they're not worth paying thousands of dollars for and you can get most of them secondhand anyway. I suppose they're also useful if you need someone else to keep you on track, but I would still recommend learning some self-discipline instead of paying $7000 for a class.

As far as test taking tips go, you already have TBR which is probably the best source of those tips you're going to find out there.
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Most classes will run less than $2000, not $7000 lol.

If you are going to take a class, look up a good location. For example, not all TPR test prep centers are created equal. Make sure you get a good one!
 
2 months of Kaplan class w/ little personal study, then 3 weeks intense right before exam = 35. I think the most helpful tool to my studying were Kaplan's and the AAMC practice full-lengths. The MCAT is basically the same crap over and over again presented in a different way, and the full-lengths are really helpful in figuring out where you are weak. Class itself was worthless, but online materials were key.

KNOW WHAT ELECTRON-WITHDRAWING AND ELECTRON-DONATING GROUPS ARE
 
I studied whenever I had the time for about 6 months and then right before the test I studied for a month as much as possible.
 
I know I am still in high school but can someone explain how you can study (intensively) for 8 hours a day and still have a life? Do people do that like during summer or something? No job? No other liabilities?
 
Jpatel2018 said:
I know I am still in high school but can someone explain how you can study (intensively) for 8 hours a day and still have a life? Do people do that like during summer or something? No job? No other liabilities?
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How bad do you want this?

This test is the barrier to entry for a medical career. During my intense studying, I would wake up at 8 or 9 and study until 10 or 11. My only breaks were for eating and randomly walking around to clear my mind.
 
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Jpatel2018 said:
I know I am still in high school but can someone explain how you can study (intensively) for 8 hours a day and still have a life? Do people do that like during summer or something? No job? No other liabilities?
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People who do 8 hours a day are (usually) doing it during the summer with nothing else going on. Some people who can't study during the summer before they apply will instead try to cram during winter break. I don't think it's possible for anyone to keep up 8 hours a day of studying on top of 8 hours of work or a full time course load.
 
Dbate said:
How bad do you want this?

This test is the barrier to entry for a medical career. During my intense studying, I would wake up at 8 or 9 and study until 10 or 11. My only breaks were for eating and randomly walking around to clear my mind.
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That is dedication right there man! I didn't mean to make myself look like I am against it or anything, did you do it during like summer or something? Did you have anything else going on as far as academics/work/volunteering/research for you during this period of studying? And lastly how long did you keep that up for?
 
I studied an hour or two a day for the three months leading up to the test. This was all during the summer, and (un)luckily the commute to my internship was about an hour and a half each way so I had a lot of time to study on the train.

For the two weeks leading up to the test, I probably studied 5-6 hours a day. I ended up scoring 4 points above my average on the real deal, so I was pretty pumped when I got my score.
 
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