The Official 06/16/2011 MCAT Club!

PRIVATE MCAT LESSONS. Click to learn more!
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
M

Mbeas

Hi I'm Kate
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
2,211
Reaction score
152
I was going to go with the May 26 date, but I could use a little more time. I started content review a few weeks ago, and I'm going to take a "diagnostic" in a few weeks to see where I stand.

So, who's with me?
Members don't see this ad.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
aquarius3 said:
I did poorly on this mcat. I took the 8am. The PS just blew my mind. I got really frazzled and choked. My score is VS-10, BS-8, PS-5 :(

I NEED opinions. Should I reschedule for Aug. 23 or Sept 2?
Will I really be at an extreme disadvantage to test in Sept?

Help please! I know I can do better.
Click to expand...

Sept. 2. I don't think it will put you at a bigger disadvantage than aug. 23 already puts you at. Sorry about your score, but keep up hope! You can improve and still have a strong application this cycle.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
As I stated before I got a 4 on verbal, way lower than expected, and I am so distraught I don't know if I can bring myself to study for the next month to try and squeeze in another test. Reading the other posts with abnormally low verbals it sounds like a scoring error, but I just don't want to get false hope. I wish there were only a quicker way to find out.

Anyone have any words of wisdom? What are the plans of the other low verbal 6/16ers?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
duckymd said:
with a gpa like that you definitely should retake! and maybe spend more than 2 weeks :) best of luck to you!

Edit: what i mean is you have a great gpa and definitely should not rule out med school.
Click to expand...

I wonder. Should I continue applying this season, and while my applications are being sorted aim for the August 19/23 MCAT for a retake? Hmm...

Anyone want to chime in? I'm also non-tradition, worked in biotech for 7 years, ~250hrs of volunteering as a nurses aid...

I studied so little because I'm in the middle of a divorce, had to move all the way across the country right before the exam, and well, not much as changed since then... so I just don't know if a retake will improve my score much.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
jacol3650 said:
As I stated before I got a 4 on verbal, way lower than expected, and I am so distraught I don't know if I can bring myself to study for the next month to try and squeeze in another test. Reading the other posts with abnormally low verbals it sounds like a scoring error, but I just don't want to get false hope. I wish there were only a quicker way to find out.

Anyone have any words of wisdom? What are the plans of the other low verbal 6/16ers?
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat here. I got a good BS score and an ok PS score. I don't know what I can possibly do to score higher in VR if all my practice exams were in the 10-11 range..
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
For those of you who took the 2pm test, did you prefer taking it in the afternoon?

I took the 8am one, thinking that my mind would be freshest in the morning, but apparently it was still asleep! I couldn't work fast enough during the first section.

Just want opinions for my retake time.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
2pm taker

PS:10 VR:11 BS:13 WR:Q total : 34 Q

Averaged a 35 (only score I got) on practices (first and second time I took the test). The first time I took it I got a 30Q

Def not complaining. Hope everyone else did as well
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How often do they mess up the grading though?

I averaged a 11-12 on VR on all my AAMCs and I got a 5 on VR today, which totally blows since the other scores are A LOT higher.

I took the 2pm test also.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
light warrior said:
I'm in the same boat here. I got a good BS score and an ok PS score. I don't know what I can possibly do to score higher in VR if all my practice exams were in the 10-11 range..
Click to expand...

I got an 11 in PS and 12 in BS, and I'm positive I got at least an 8 in verbal. But there just is no quick way to know. I rescheduled for Aug 18, at which point I will either be dumping the entire month of studying down the toilet or I'll actually need it. This sucks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
10, 10, 10 WRO; And the most impressive part is I broke most of the studentdoc/SN2 mcat "rules"(study for 2-3 months straight, always take all pre-reqs....etc.). Advice to all future mcatees, study for a bit, take some practices and just take the damn test. There is little more you can do for your score.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
so i studied a total of 470 hours, those are all hard study hours...I stopped the timer for any procrastination.

I took all of the princeton review and AAMC practice tests. I averaged a 34.8 on the AAMC tests with a range of 32-40. Mean BS: 11.88 Mean PS: 11.88 Mean VR: 11.13.

I took the 8am test and I felt absolutely brutalized after the PS section, and was honestly expecting an 8 on that section.

I ended up with a 35R. BS 11 PS 13 VR 11

Good luck to everyone who's applying and to everyone who's taking the exam again!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jianhui said:
I wonder. Should I continue applying this season, and while my applications are being sorted aim for the August 19/23 MCAT for a retake? Hmm...

Anyone want to chime in? I'm also non-tradition, worked in biotech for 7 years, ~250hrs of volunteering as a nurses aid...

I studied so little because I'm in the middle of a divorce, had to move all the way across the country right before the exam, and well, not much as changed since then... so I just don't know if a retake will improve my score much.
Click to expand...

it depends on what you have averaged on the practice tests. if this 25 is an anomaly and you absolutely know you can score higher, then i suggest you sign up for the august retake. but if you haven't taken any practice test, then you should do so and just apply in a different cycle.

everything else looks good. you have experience and definitely show commitment. but again, if you really are considering being a doctor, take the time to raise that 25.

sorry to hear about your divorce. hope everything works out in the end.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
2Pm:
30: 13BS/11PS/ but a 6/VR . dnt knw what to do. have a 3.8 UG GPA and 3.98 Postbac GPA
I already have a prob of only applyin to a few schools cos I have a foreign degree.
wat do yall think? re-take? august 23 or sept 2? dnt want my app to be too late.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
aquarius3 said:
For those of you who took the 2pm test, did you prefer taking it in the afternoon?

I took the 8am one, thinking that my mind would be freshest in the morning, but apparently it was still asleep! I couldn't work fast enough during the first section.

Just want opinions for my retake time.
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely. I slept until 930, and had plenty of time to get to the center early, have lunch, and get a cup of coffee before the test.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey guys! 2 pm'er here and got 30Q (10PS/8VR/12BS)...my last two scores were mediocre 22M and 22O! I just did not prepare the way I should have last 2 times and I was very distracted with other activities, bf, etc. I just had too much on my plate and that's a sure way of screwing up on this big test!

I just worked my *** off this time making it my main priority, everything else secondary...and VR had always been my weakest...was hoping to do better on that but hey am happy with the 8 point jump overall and with the improvement on my writing score even if it doesn't count much. I am also from India, moved when I was 15 years old and I find the english on VR to be on a whole another level!

For those who did not do well...there is hope and just work hard...it pays off. I had only 2 months to prepare and I honestly spent more than 7 hours each day with full day breaks in between once in awhile. I took 2 full lengths AAMC 10 and 11 and got 31 and 33 during the month before the actual exam.

Good luck to those who are taking it in near future...and give it your all. :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
To all the 2 pm verbal reasoners. I really didn't think it was a very tough section. I breezed through it and got a 11. I'd challenge it if you thought you did better
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
aquarius3 said:
For those of you who took the 2pm test, did you prefer taking it in the afternoon?

I took the 8am one, thinking that my mind would be freshest in the morning, but apparently it was still asleep! I couldn't work fast enough during the first section.

Just want opinions for my retake time.
Click to expand...

I took the 2pm and got the average score of my practice exams so it turned out okay but I would NEVER take it in the afternoon again unless you sleep in until 11 or noon. The entire morning before the exam was torture because you're just waiting around getting antsy and then you hit the afternoon slump right in the middle of your exam.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
To everyone concerned about the validity of their VR score I feel this may be the consequence of test nerves. I have heard many stories of people freaking out during VR on their test due to the length of the passages or complexity of the questions. I truly believe that the actual MCAT just has larger font so it feels as if the passage is longer because you have to scroll down more but that just an opinion. I got a 6 in verbal on my 2010 exam and knew a guy that got a 3. I clearly remember being afraid of running out of time and skimming passages and convincing myself of answers that were really just guesses. This is my experience if it helps at all for those considering a rescore, only to wait another month for the same disappointment.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
8 am:

I was getting anywhere between 24-31 on my practice tests. My actual score was a 29S.

Phys - 11 (I thought I would get an 8 or so after taking it because it was so damn awful)
Verbal - 7 (I thought I did at least an 8 or 9 but I'm also a slow reader and didn't get to the last passage)
Bio - 11 (This was kind of expected since there were not many ochem questions)

I have 2 questions: First... does the S actually do anything for my score?

Second: I have 3 years of research experience and 1 published paper, with a 3.5gpa. Is there a possibility of getting into an M.D school with this score?

Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
aln012 said:
8 am:

I was getting anywhere between 24-31 on my practice tests. My actual score was a 29S.

Phys - 11 (I thought I would get an 8 or so after taking it because it was so damn awful)
Verbal - 7 (I thought I did at least an 8 or 9 but I'm also a slow reader and didn't get to the last passage)
Bio - 11 (This was kind of expected since there were not many ochem questions)

I have 2 questions: First... does the S actually do anything for my score?

Second: I have 3 years of research experience and 1 published paper, with a 3.5gpa. Is there a possibility of getting into an M.D school with this score?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1) No
2) Absolutely
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
aln012 said:
8 am:

I was getting anywhere between 24-31 on my practice tests. My actual score was a 29S.

Phys - 11 (I thought I would get an 8 or so after taking it because it was so damn awful)
Verbal - 7 (I thought I did at least an 8 or 9 but I'm also a slow reader and didn't get to the last passage)
Bio - 11 (This was kind of expected since there were not many ochem questions)

I have 2 questions: First... does the S actually do anything for my score?

Second: I have 3 years of research experience and 1 published paper, with a 3.5gpa. Is there a possibility of getting into an M.D school with this score?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The 7 on VR might cause you to be screened out at some schools. Make sure you apply broadly.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rexasaurus83 said:
I took the 2pm and got the average score of my practice exams so it turned out okay but I would NEVER take it in the afternoon again unless you sleep in until 11 or noon. The entire morning before the exam was torture because you're just waiting around getting antsy and then you hit the afternoon slump right in the middle of your exam.
Click to expand...

I took an afternoon MCAT and felt like it was much more conducive to success (for me) than the morning administration because I am not a morning person, at all.

The morning before my test I just went over summary sheets of topics that I had difficulty with and organic chemistry flash cards. It really helped because some of the stuff that was fresh on my mind from reviewing in the morning showed up on the actual MCAT.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ppfizenm said:
To all the 2 pm verbal reasoners. I really didn't think it was a very tough section. I breezed through it and got a 11. I'd challenge it if you thought you did better
Click to expand...

just make sure if you sign up for the 8am, then you take all of your practice tests at 8am. and same with 2pm--practice in the afternoon, when you might be sleepy after lunch.

i think you just have to train your body to be comfortable with the test time and setting.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Stats for 6/16/2011 (based on self-reported scores on this thread)[1]
Sample size: 53
Average: 32 (standard deviation: 3.02)
Median: 32
Writing: R (mode)

These stats are extremely similar to the stats of 5/16/2011 (Avg = 32.45; Std Dev = 3.02; n=50; Median = 32.00).

K, I'm done. Good show guys.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Took it at 8 AM:

I did well on the other sections but got a 6 on verbal. I averaged 9-10 on practice tests so I have no clue what went wrong. :confused:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The dreaded gray area.

8 ps
11 vr
9 bs
Q ws

28Q

I can't complain. I didn't study as long as I should have. Oh well. It is higher than my state school's mean, so I'm happy.

8am
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
31M. 10 PS/11 VR/10 BS.

Thought I bombed PS and VR so that was a bit of a relief. However I thought I did better on BS. And writing... ouch.

Practice test range 29-36. Not sure how to feel about my score... Would have liked to do a bit better. Trying to decide whether I should retake or not.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm just going to preface by saying that studying for 470 hours is just insane. Either youre lying or you have no life. Go outside once in a while. I legitimately studied for about a month prior to the test while taking a class during summer and probably snuck in around 2 hours during that month each day. The week before the exam I got in about 4-5 hours each day but no more than that. Unless you are going for a 39 then by all means put in hundreds of hours but this exam is not that important to waste your life away.

I never broke even got a 30 on any practice exams (AAMC #3 - 29, AAMC #7 -29, AAMC #11 - 28) and I got a 7 on verbal the week before I was to take the real thing. I was freaking out because I just wanted anywhere from a 30 and up. So for a week before, I didn't read any verbal sections which was a big help because my mind was fresh for the real thing. Taking the exam at 2 pm is very easy on the brain too.

Practices: 28-29
Expected: 28
Actual: 10 PS, 10 VR, 11 BS, 31R
Study habits: Sane
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
VR 9 PS 11 BS 12 Writing: R

32R!

8am test.
Felt like my writing and BS was good.
Studied using Berkeley Review Books

Got a 27O using just Kaplan stuff. SCREW YOU KAPLAN, TBR RULES!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
aquarius3 said:
For those of you who took the 2pm test, did you prefer taking it in the afternoon?

I took the 8am one, thinking that my mind would be freshest in the morning, but apparently it was still asleep! I couldn't work fast enough during the first section.

Just want opinions for my retake time.
Click to expand...

I had taken it in the morning before and felt much better about it. But, my situation this time around was a bit different so I was stuck with the 2pm. I would have much preferred it to have been in the morning. When I got to BS it was later in the day so I was already hitting the time of day that I have a natural lull in. That and the environment affected my BS score negatively. Plus, I had all day to sit there and get all worked up about the exam. I guess one positive was that I did have the morning to do some last minute review of PS equations.

Anyway, I think it really matters more of what kind of person you are. Like someone else said, if you usually have your wake up time later, or if you are just an afternoon person, then yeah 2pm might be good. But if you perform best in the morning, then I would aim for the 8am.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MedicJosh said:
so i studied a total of 470 hours, those are all hard study hours...I stopped the timer for any procrastination.

I took all of the princeton review and AAMC practice tests. I averaged a 34.8 on the AAMC tests with a range of 32-40. Mean BS: 11.88 Mean PS: 11.88 Mean VR: 11.13.

I took the 8am test and I felt absolutely brutalized after the PS section, and was honestly expecting an 8 on that section.

I ended up with a 35R. BS 11 PS 13 VR 11

Good luck to everyone who's applying and to everyone who's taking the exam again!
Click to expand...
Hey what were you TPR averages? Thanks
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
rawr5567 said:
31M. 10 PS/11 VR/10 BS.

Thought I bombed PS and VR so that was a bit of a relief. However I thought I did better on BS. And writing... ouch.

Practice test range 29-36. Not sure how to feel about my score... Would have liked to do a bit better. Trying to decide whether I should retake or not.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, I think you are ok. Unless you REALLY think you can score better. You're balanced and the writing means very little. I don't know what your grades and ECs are, but for the majority of schools, I think a 31 is reasonable.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
:(

2pm exam

32Q

averaged 35 on practice AAMCs
The lowest I ever got was a 32 which I took before picking up any MCAT book.
I am upset, to say the least :(
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
does anyone know what bottom 10% means on the msar...for example if a school's range is 30-37 does that mean they don't accept anybody below a 30? thanks!

(and i know this is probably the wrong place but i figure there would be more people here to answer it quickly)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Been a lurkin':
I wasn't going to check my score until after tomorrow morning because my committee interview's tomorrow morning, but I only managed to hold off for a few hours before I caved:
2pm exam:
30R: 9/9/12

After feeling like I bombed the PS & VR, and after all the delays (system crashing for the room I was going to be in, dark as hell in the testing room, and the multiple police sirens outside) all I could think about after that point was just voiding my scores.

Got a 27Q (8/10/9) last year, all I wanted was a few more points to hit a 30 so I am SUPER HAPPY. Not too happy about the breakdown, but I'll take it.

Only nagging thought: Any chance I'll get crap about my VR dropping? :/
I'm not too worried about the other things: 3.97 cGPA, 3.93 sGPA, great LORs, etc. Chances still okay?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
nola2016 said:
How often do they mess up the grading though?

I averaged a 11-12 on VR on all my AAMCs and I got a 5 on VR today, which totally blows since the other scores are A LOT higher.

I took the 2pm test also.
Click to expand...

OMG, this is me. I can't believe I did so horrible on my VR. I have to retake.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi all,
32Q..was scoring an avg of 36 on practice tests. I scored a 34 back in 5/08 but that score expired. As a third time re-app with a low GPA, I am planning to retake on Aug 12 to at least get that 34 or higher, by timing myself better/doing many many more TBR questions. I'm applying this cycle too. Thoughts?

Congrats to all of you who hit their target score, and good luck to those of you retaking!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have no idea what happened on VR for 2pm. I didn't think it was horrible either, but ended up with an 8 (avg 10-11 on AAMC practice tests and 10 on previous actual MCAT).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I got a 36P (PS 14, V 10, BS 12). Seems like most everyone had trouble with the verbal on the 8:00 AM test.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
hey so i took the 8am, and still haven't been able to see any scores when I login. Anyone know if this is normal, or if all the scores should be released at the same time?

thanks
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
33L (14 PS/6 VR/ 13 BS)
2pmer

Does anyone know if any school accepts 6 in VR and a horrible L in writing?
I'm non-trad (EE) and non native speaker. 3.9sGPA (I havent completed all the req though) 3.8cGPA.

Thanks in advance.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am planning to retake but don't know if it will be worth it to retake in September for this application cycle...will an October score release be too late?
I have already received and submitted some secondaries :(
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

agentfaithmd
AAMC MCAT Official Prep Complete Bundle Worth It?
Replies
0
Views
485
agentfaithmd
agentfaithmd
H
  • Question
AAMC Official Guide to the MCAT EXAM fourth edition vs. fifth edition
Replies
0
Views
987
happymedicine30
H
C
  • Question
AAMC MCAT Official Prep Online Bundle - sufficient for practice?
Replies
3
Views
3K
PlsLetMeIn21
P
H
  • Question
Studying using ONLY AAMC official prep hub materials
Replies
3
Views
2K
cantthinkofanamelol
C
2
  • Question
is testing 8/1 and submitting to all schools 8/16 too late?
Replies
2
Views
583
KnightDoc
K
Top