Hello fellow May 12ers! I didn't see a thread for our test day and considering we are 5 weeks away, I decided to make one! I hope everyone's preparation is going well!
The Official 5/12/2012 MCAT Thread
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Congrats everyone! I'm slightly bummed, scored a few points lower than my AAMC average but did awesome on the writing section... go figure. Still applying and fingers crossed I'll squeeze in somewhere!
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DONE!
AAMC Scores:
3: 13, 10, 12 (35)
4: 13, 10, 11 (34)
5: 12, 7, 13 (32)
6: 13, 12, 12 (37)
7: 13, 8, 11 (32)
8: 14, 10, 12 (36)
9: 13, 9, 14 (36)
10: 14, 11, 11 (38)
11: 14, 11, 11 (36)
AAMC Average: 13.2 , 9.8, 12.1 (35.1)
Honestly, I came out of that exam feeling meh for PS, completely clueless for verbal (could have gotten from a 6-11) but had time left over for the first time ever, and TERRIBLE about BS. I usually kill orgo and that props my BS score and the real deal had tough orgo that I had to guess on. Also, we had a killer bio passage that was like the dreaded "ebola" passage of AAMC 11 which didn't allow me to go back and check marked questions.
With that said, my total score came out to exactly my average AAMC score even though I thought for sure it wouldn't. That AND it matched my AAMC 11 section-for-section except -1 in BS probably due to the Orgo.
Best of luck to everyone and thanks for the support over the past 5 months. For those that are disappointed, keep your head up! Don't let the scores here get you down because it's not a representative sample. Also, YOU are who shows up to interviews and YOU are who becomes a doctor, not your MCAT score. Don't give up on your dreams.
Thanks again guys and girls and if you have any questions please PM me!
Enginr
AAMC Scores:
3: 13, 10, 12 (35)
4: 13, 10, 11 (34)
5: 12, 7, 13 (32)
6: 13, 12, 12 (37)
7: 13, 8, 11 (32)
8: 14, 10, 12 (36)
9: 13, 9, 14 (36)
10: 14, 11, 11 (38)
11: 14, 11, 11 (36)
AAMC Average: 13.2 , 9.8, 12.1 (35.1)
Honestly, I came out of that exam feeling meh for PS, completely clueless for verbal (could have gotten from a 6-11) but had time left over for the first time ever, and TERRIBLE about BS. I usually kill orgo and that props my BS score and the real deal had tough orgo that I had to guess on. Also, we had a killer bio passage that was like the dreaded "ebola" passage of AAMC 11 which didn't allow me to go back and check marked questions.
With that said, my total score came out to exactly my average AAMC score even though I thought for sure it wouldn't. That AND it matched my AAMC 11 section-for-section except -1 in BS probably due to the Orgo.
Best of luck to everyone and thanks for the support over the past 5 months. For those that are disappointed, keep your head up! Don't let the scores here get you down because it's not a representative sample. Also, YOU are who shows up to interviews and YOU are who becomes a doctor, not your MCAT score. Don't give up on your dreams.
Thanks again guys and girls and if you have any questions please PM me!
Enginr
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Congratulations to everyone! If anyone is selling books, PLEASE let me know. I'm looking for Berkeley Review books!
12PS 9VR 12BS = 33M
Did better in PS than I expected and on par in BS. VR I was never good at, ranged from 8-12 on practice AAMCs. Average AAMC was 33.7.
I am disappointed in the low verbal and the low writing scores. I really thought I did better than an M, granted I didn't write a lot. I had writer's block. If it was just the writing I don't think I would care but it's compounded with low verbal as well so now I'm considering a retake. Any thoughts? And I don't need mean sarcasm here telling me I should be grateful for my score. It is just how I feel.
Did better in PS than I expected and on par in BS. VR I was never good at, ranged from 8-12 on practice AAMCs. Average AAMC was 33.7.
I am disappointed in the low verbal and the low writing scores. I really thought I did better than an M, granted I didn't write a lot. I had writer's block. If it was just the writing I don't think I would care but it's compounded with low verbal as well so now I'm considering a retake. Any thoughts? And I don't need mean sarcasm here telling me I should be grateful for my score. It is just how I feel.
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If you honestly feel you can 1) score better for both verbal and writing, 2) maintain the great scores you got in PS and BS, 3) aren't applying this cycle 4) aren't an english, or complit major, I would say retake it. VR scores are usually used to measure your learning aptitude and ability to logic through an argument (like going through a diagnosis) if they think that you are weak in that skill in addition to being able to not communicate as effectively with others you may get unfairly passed aside.
But like I said only retake if you think you can do better. A 9 isnt a great score, but its not terrible either, and doing the same or worse on a retake would do you more harm than anything.
ahahah- I heard it on grapevine....
but honestly, don't retake--especially if your writing is at its best on your many personal statements in your application or you've received great english grades or won essay contests.
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Great job everyone!! Those who did "ok" or even "bad" don't give up! My first score was atrocious, and I'm still considering a 3rd, and now you know exactly how the real MCAT will be so you can and will do much better the next time around...
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Congrats Jude! Great to hear that you scored so well above your average. Good job to everyone else. For those of you who didn't score as well as you wanted or aren't posting you scores keep your head up!
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Ended up with a 33Q, with 11s across the board. I would've been happy with anything 30 and up, so I'm pretty excited.
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I overheard a woman at my testing center registration desk saying she was planning to take the MCAT, but was not planning on completing the writing section.
Is this common practice to skip the writing section?
Is this common practice to skip the writing section?
Got a 29Q. I just have a question. Do I have a chance of getting into US medical colleges? I have tons of extra curricular activities like volunteering at hospitals, rescue squad, shadowing a surgeon, youth volunteer organization, got my masters done, research, teaching at my university etc. I would really appreciate the feedback. I am reapplying by the way.
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Seems like a lot of lower than normal BS scores, glad I am not the only one. I think the experimental passage on this test probably screwed a lot of us over. I don't think it's fair that they provide tests from years ago for practice and now the real deal has a very different focus for that section.
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Absolutely, but what did you get the first time you applied? How long did you study for the mcat this time? Do you think you can still improve your score through more practice? With all your experiences you can definitely get in with a 29, but if you can score higher then it might be worth it to take it one more time.
For those posting scores, what were your % correct on the sections? I know tests vary, but it'd be nice to get an idea of how %correct correlates to your score in relation to the AAMC practice tests.
I'm not sure if you receive this information with your scores... So don't blast me if I'm wrong!
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Congrats to everyone who did well! To those of you who didn't do as well as you had hoped, it's OK, it is only a test and you can re take it! Now..for those of you who did do well, how's about you sell me your TBR set? 
My cousin is taking her MCAT soon and I sold my TBR books before she had a chance to tell me so now I'm helping her find a set to use. PM me if you wanna sell it
My cousin is taking her MCAT soon and I sold my TBR books before she had a chance to tell me so now I'm helping her find a set to use. PM me if you wanna sell it
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Yeah you don't get to see that.
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MzAries: That is a really great score, you should be really proud of yourself. I would urge you to take what Williamiv4 wrote above with a grain of salt -- can he back up that statement with evidence or is what he wrote just heresay? Besides, different schools will interpret MCAT results differently -- one school may focus on VR results, while another may be more interested in BS results for whatever reason.
A 9 in verbal is a very good score. Remeber that the Admissions Committees are looking at your WHOLE PRIMARY application, not just your verbal reasoning score. Make sure that your primary application (as a whole) paints a truthful and thoughtful picture of who you are, the "best" you that you want to put forward for the medical schools to see. Make the primary application as perfect as possible (no mistake in entering your coursework). Submit it as early as you can AND send in your secondary applications as early as you can. If you can manage to do all of that AND write essays that genuinely reflect who you are and why you want to be a physician, then you will be golden. Your score is really great, congratulations. Now go forth and submit a kick-a$% application!
A 9 in verbal is a very good score. Remeber that the Admissions Committees are looking at your WHOLE PRIMARY application, not just your verbal reasoning score. Make sure that your primary application (as a whole) paints a truthful and thoughtful picture of who you are, the "best" you that you want to put forward for the medical schools to see. Make the primary application as perfect as possible (no mistake in entering your coursework). Submit it as early as you can AND send in your secondary applications as early as you can. If you can manage to do all of that AND write essays that genuinely reflect who you are and why you want to be a physician, then you will be golden. Your score is really great, congratulations. Now go forth and submit a kick-a$% application!
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"Absolutely?"
How about, what are your second and third most important stats, your GPAs?
What has changed on your application since last year?
29 is slightly below average for matriculated students, GPA's will come into play.
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6/21er here, just stopping by to say congrats to those who did well, and offer condolences to those who didn't...
Good Job guys! Hopefully I am reporting good news in 5 weeks!
Good Job guys! Hopefully I am reporting good news in 5 weeks!
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For my 39R...
I did every single practice question in the entire $1,800 Kaplan MCAT package. I also read all 5 of the Exam Krackers books. I listened to the EK "Audio Osmosis" in its entirety at least 50 times during the year leading up to the test. I watched all of the MCAT Gold Standard videos. I also watched many free MCAT prep videos on YouTube (namely the ones on how to write a good essay). Other than the Audio Osmosis recordings which I kept on my iPod and which I fell asleep to every night (so it doesn't really count as lost time), I'd say I put in about 1,000 hours of prep time over the course of 5 months leading up to the exam.
I received a 14 in Physical Sciences, an 11 in Verbal Reasoning, an R in the writing section, and a 14 in the Biological Sciences section.
Verbal Reasoning still makes no sense to me. On Kaplan practice tests, I would get one section 100% correct, and the next section 100% wrong. Despite what they said, I never seemed to improve on VR no matter how many practice tests I took.
Overall, I found ironically that the VR sections which made the most sense to me (i.e. those which discussed dinosaurs or fossils), and for which the answers seemed easy--were actually the most difficult to answer correctly. While the VR sections which made absolutely no sense to me (i.e. ancient Greek philosophy) and for which I pretty much guessed at the right answer were actually the ones I got right most often.
I feel that a PS and a BS score can be improved by simply doing hundreds of practice problems. Each problem that you get wrong teaches you a tiny new bit of science, while each problem you get right helps you to do the math and manipulations faster in your head.
I feel that it didn't help me at all to study any of the VR material from any of the sources I had access to. My learning curve for VR stayed flat from the beginning to the end of my preparation.
The $1800 Kaplan course was just fine for the online material, but the in-class portion was a complete waste of time. The beauty of Kaplan is their on-line exams. If anyone is considering the Kaplan course, buy the "Kaplan On-Demand" version and skip anything which involves a classroom.
I find classroom work very stimulating, especially when you have a highly educated professor with many years experience. But Kaplan instructors are 21 year old pre-med students who need a part-time job and just happened to do well on their own MCAT. They have no wisdom. They will not teach you anything you can't learn on your own by reviewing forums such as this.
I did every single practice question in the entire $1,800 Kaplan MCAT package. I also read all 5 of the Exam Krackers books. I listened to the EK "Audio Osmosis" in its entirety at least 50 times during the year leading up to the test. I watched all of the MCAT Gold Standard videos. I also watched many free MCAT prep videos on YouTube (namely the ones on how to write a good essay). Other than the Audio Osmosis recordings which I kept on my iPod and which I fell asleep to every night (so it doesn't really count as lost time), I'd say I put in about 1,000 hours of prep time over the course of 5 months leading up to the exam.
I received a 14 in Physical Sciences, an 11 in Verbal Reasoning, an R in the writing section, and a 14 in the Biological Sciences section.
Verbal Reasoning still makes no sense to me. On Kaplan practice tests, I would get one section 100% correct, and the next section 100% wrong. Despite what they said, I never seemed to improve on VR no matter how many practice tests I took.
Overall, I found ironically that the VR sections which made the most sense to me (i.e. those which discussed dinosaurs or fossils), and for which the answers seemed easy--were actually the most difficult to answer correctly. While the VR sections which made absolutely no sense to me (i.e. ancient Greek philosophy) and for which I pretty much guessed at the right answer were actually the ones I got right most often.
I feel that a PS and a BS score can be improved by simply doing hundreds of practice problems. Each problem that you get wrong teaches you a tiny new bit of science, while each problem you get right helps you to do the math and manipulations faster in your head.
I feel that it didn't help me at all to study any of the VR material from any of the sources I had access to. My learning curve for VR stayed flat from the beginning to the end of my preparation.
The $1800 Kaplan course was just fine for the online material, but the in-class portion was a complete waste of time. The beauty of Kaplan is their on-line exams. If anyone is considering the Kaplan course, buy the "Kaplan On-Demand" version and skip anything which involves a classroom.
I find classroom work very stimulating, especially when you have a highly educated professor with many years experience. But Kaplan instructors are 21 year old pre-med students who need a part-time job and just happened to do well on their own MCAT. They have no wisdom. They will not teach you anything you can't learn on your own by reviewing forums such as this.
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I've got the same question as Mitalie, I'm debating whether or not to retake right now after seeing my score today cause I'm right on the borderline. I got a 29S (11 VR / 9 PS / 9 BS). I've got lots of clinical experience (ED scribe for 1.5 years and counting & hospice volunteer for 4 years), interesting extracurriculars (rape crisis volunteer, genetic counseling intern, your normal premed society/clubs, student activities board, etc), and cGPA 3.99 and sGPA 4.0. Do you think it's worth to retake and delay my application or just go for it and hope for the best? I'm a Texas resident and I'll be applying everywhere in TX and a few OOS schools.
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I have talked with many of the AdComs at many of the Texas schools, and they all say the same thing. They are looking at the "complete package" which is more than just your scores.
If you look at the statistics for many of the schools, you'd be surprised at how low some of the matriculants' scores actually are. For UT Southwestern in Dallas, arguably the most "numbers heavy" schools in Texas, someone got in last year with a 26 MCAT. Someone else got in with a 3.2 GPA.
For less selective schools, even a 24 might be acceptable so long as you have some other highly redeeming characteristics. So for those who didn't do as well as they would have liked on the May 12, 2012 MCAT, retaking is definitely an option. But so long as you can afford the price of the application, there is no harm in trying your luck to see if you get a shot.
If you look at the statistics for many of the schools, you'd be surprised at how low some of the matriculants' scores actually are. For UT Southwestern in Dallas, arguably the most "numbers heavy" schools in Texas, someone got in last year with a 26 MCAT. Someone else got in with a 3.2 GPA.
For less selective schools, even a 24 might be acceptable so long as you have some other highly redeeming characteristics. So for those who didn't do as well as they would have liked on the May 12, 2012 MCAT, retaking is definitely an option. But so long as you can afford the price of the application, there is no harm in trying your luck to see if you get a shot.
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Proud of you guys. Seems like nearly everybody did well! I would take any of the scores posted hahaha I guess ill see next week when my score is out
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AAMC Practice Tests:
VR, PS, BS
#11: 11, 10, 12 (33)
#7: 15, 10, 10 (35)
#8: 14, 11, 11 (36)
#9: 11, 11, 11 (33)
#10: 14, 8(??), 11 (33)
Averages: 13, 10, 11
Real: 13, 13, 12 (38)
Quite a pleasant surprise, especially the PS! I thought the real thing was very similar to the practice tests, except that the passages were a bit longer. But I'm pretty chill during tests, so that probably helped. (Although I'm still a wreck before and after, ha ha.)
Good luck to everyone! And remember, it's just a silly test. Really. You can take it again if you have to.
VR, PS, BS
#11: 11, 10, 12 (33)
#7: 15, 10, 10 (35)
#8: 14, 11, 11 (36)
#9: 11, 11, 11 (33)
#10: 14, 8(??), 11 (33)
Averages: 13, 10, 11
Real: 13, 13, 12 (38)
Quite a pleasant surprise, especially the PS!
I thought the real thing was very similar to the practice tests, except that the passages were a bit longer. But I'm pretty chill during tests, so that probably helped. (Although I'm still a wreck before and after, ha ha.) Good luck to everyone! And remember, it's just a silly test. Really. You can take it again if you have to.
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So I got my score back today... Feeling pretty dejected (and slightly ashamed). I spent quite a while preparing for this MCAT and took a Kaplan course where I was scoring consistently around a 27-29 on my AAMC practice MCATS. I have a 4.0 in my pre-med classes but I am a non-traditional student with a business degree so I haven't taken all of the in depth bio courses... Anyways, I got a 24P. Which consisted of a PS9/VR9/and a crippling 6 in BS. This was my first MCAT. I just scheduled a second one for late July. I am wondering if I should still submit my appication to my desired schools and post a message that I am going to retake the MCAT, or if I should wait until late August to get my second score back and then consider applying then. I realize a 24 is far less than a desirable score, but wouldn't it hurt me even more to wait until after I get my score to apply. (seeing as though "the earlier the better" is kinda the MO for applications)
Thanks in advance guys...
Also, encouraging comments, or sharing personal experiences of a bad first test score is appreciated as well
Thanks in advance guys...
Also, encouraging comments, or sharing personal experiences of a bad first test score is appreciated as well
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So I got my score back today... Feeling pretty dejected (and slightly ashamed). I spent quite a while preparing for this MCAT and took a Kaplan course where I was scoring consistently around a 27-29 on my AAMC practice MCATS. I have a 4.0 in my pre-med classes but I am a non-traditional student with a business degree so I haven't taken all of the in depth bio courses... Anyways, I got a 24P. Which consisted of a PS9/VR9/and a crippling 6 in BS. This was my first MCAT. I just scheduled a second one for late July. I am wondering if I should still submit my appication to my desired schools and post a message that I am going to retake the MCAT, or if I should wait until late August to get my second score back and then consider applying then. I realize a 24 is far less than a desirable score, but wouldn't it hurt me even more to wait until after I get my score to apply. (seeing as though "the earlier the better" is kinda the MO for applications)
Thanks in advance guys...
Also, encouraging comments, or sharing personal experiences of a bad first test score is appreciated as well
I pretty much tell anyone with 3.8+ and a <29 MCAT that they're "settling for less" if they apply ASAP. I think you have the mind to master the concepts but just need to tackle it different. That 24 will be near impossible for MD, but I don't know about DO. If you get a 29+ you'll be at a significantly higher advantage for the MD pool. Also, if you app is too late and your cycle doesn't turn out great, you can rest easy knowing your retake score is fine and you just need to boost your ECs.
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If your GPAs are 3.3+, you definitely have a shot.
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12/10/12 Q.
Super excited!!
My aamc average was about 33.
Super excited!!
My aamc average was about 33.
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I am a retaker. I took the test approximately a year ago and received a score of 27 (PS7/VR10/BS10)
A year of intermittent studying and full time working later I recieve a score of 34 (PS12/VR12/BS10)!
I am mostly dumbfounded, because I did not walk out of that exam confidently, but I am pretty happy too.. Anyhow, some facts for you curious folks:
*AAMC CBT Average2011
(n=8, yes I took all of them): 30.8
*AAMC CBT Average2012
(n=6, yess I retook many of them, and yes it was helpful): 33.8
*Gold StandardCBTs: VERY low average...don't use these tests as indications of your score, use them as practice
My main advice (probably iterations of others'): Practice, practice, practice (once you think you've mastered the concepts)! The bulk of my studying the second time was just completing practice problems. Secondly stay calm...the first time I took it, I was terribly terribly spastic, and I believe it was very detrimental to my score. I was still spastic this time, but much less so. Also...I personally wouldn't rush the retake.
A year of intermittent studying and full time working later I recieve a score of 34 (PS12/VR12/BS10)!
I am mostly dumbfounded, because I did not walk out of that exam confidently, but I am pretty happy too.. Anyhow, some facts for you curious folks:
*AAMC CBT Average2011
(n=8, yes I took all of them): 30.8
*AAMC CBT Average2012
(n=6, yess I retook many of them, and yes it was helpful): 33.8
*Gold StandardCBTs: VERY low average...don't use these tests as indications of your score, use them as practice
My main advice (probably iterations of others'): Practice, practice, practice (once you think you've mastered the concepts)! The bulk of my studying the second time was just completing practice problems. Secondly stay calm...the first time I took it, I was terribly terribly spastic, and I believe it was very detrimental to my score. I was still spastic this time, but much less so. Also...I personally wouldn't rush the retake.
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So I got my score back today... Feeling pretty dejected (and slightly ashamed). I spent quite a while preparing for this MCAT and took a Kaplan course where I was scoring consistently around a 27-29 on my AAMC practice MCATS. I have a 4.0 in my pre-med classes but I am a non-traditional student with a business degree so I haven't taken all of the in depth bio courses... Anyways, I got a 24P. Which consisted of a PS9/VR9/and a crippling 6 in BS. This was my first MCAT. I just scheduled a second one for late July. I am wondering if I should still submit my appication to my desired schools and post a message that I am going to retake the MCAT, or if I should wait until late August to get my second score back and then consider applying then. I realize a 24 is far less than a desirable score, but wouldn't it hurt me even more to wait until after I get my score to apply. (seeing as though "the earlier the better" is kinda the MO for applications)
Thanks in advance guys...
Also, encouraging comments, or sharing personal experiences of a bad first test score is appreciated as well
Submitting your Primary application in August will be too late. Our prehealth Advisor recommends submitting no later than July 14. Remember that many AdComms are going thru completed applications (meaning secondaries and letters are in) in the order in which they were received. If you submit in August and your application is #4000 or something, the schools will have likely already processed a significant amount of highly qualified candidates and that puts you at a disadvantage. Every school processes applications slightly differently, from what I understand, but getting your application in early is going to help you. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
If I were you I would submit my primary as soon as you can so that it gets processed (which takes around 6 weeks). Just apply to one school first -- maybe even a long shot school. Then when you get your MCAT results in August decide whether or not you want to add other schools to your application. If your primary is already processed, when you add additional schools in August the application will go straight thru. You don't need to wait for your MCAT scores or letters of recommendations before submitting your primary!!
Remember that the AdComms are looking at your appication in its entirety. So make sure you paint a truthful, coherent and vivid picture of who you are thru your experiences and personal statement. AND get your secondary applications back to the schools AS SOON AS YOU CAN. If it takes you too long to write your secondaries your completed application will be late, which means that you're going to be at the bottom of the pile. Timing is really friggin' important.
Just want to chime in here.
The other part to consider is that many schools will toss your application if you do not make a minimum score (usually around a 6) in each section. So if you really want to go for it this year, my advice would be to get on the phone before you shell out the bills $$$$.
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36Q (13VR 11PS 12BS)!
I'm pretty stoked about it given how long it's been since I took some of those subjects. Listened to Audio Osmosis and used EK books as well as Princeton Review. No formal MCAT prep courses though.
I'm pretty stoked about it given how long it's been since I took some of those subjects. Listened to Audio Osmosis and used EK books as well as Princeton Review. No formal MCAT prep courses though.
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Just want to chime in here as I am in a similar predicament. My score history is:
Test Date Verbal Reasoning (VR) Physical Sciences (PS) Writing Sample (WS) Biological Sciences (BS) Total * AMCAS Release
05/12/2012 11 07 O 06 24O Y
07/16/2011 09 07 O 09 25O Y
No clue what happened on the BS section. I applied last year and received one interview and was wait listed. With my new (lower) score, I have started calling all the DO schools to see which score they consider. The majority have said they will only consider the best (overall, not section) score and essentially forget any others. The other part to consider is that many schools will toss your application if you do not make a minimum score (usually around a 6) in each section. So if you really want to go for it this year, my advice would be to get on the phone before you shell out the bills $$$$. I have started looking into SMP and post bacc programs...
Want to add my score in the mix as it's closer to yours (congrats to all of those who did so well).
26Q (11 V, 7 PS, Q, 8BS). I am a career changer ('06 undergrad) with a business background (just started taking the science pre-reqs in January while working full-time) hoping to at least get into a DO school.
Well so my GPA is 3.69 for bachelors and 3.63 for masters in cell & developmental biology. I have gotten my masters in year and half, masters thesis, was a TA for genetics and genetics lab, started volunteering in a youth volunteer organization as a mentor. So I do have a lot of experiences to talk about. My question is would it be enough? Please let me know as I plan to do MD only.
So my bachelors GPA is 3.69 and masters GPA is 3.63. In three years since I graduated I got my masters done in one and half years, was a teaching assistant for genetics, started volunteering as a mentor for youth volunteer organization, did masters thesis. My last MCAT score was in 2009 and it had expired as I had taken it in july and most schools do not accept scores after b4 august. My previous MCAT score was 25 but the distribution was really off. This time my distribution is 9 PS, 9 VR and 11 BS.
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Have any of you actually talked to the AdCom members? Because if you had, you wouldn't be asking questions like this.
Go to a couple of the medical school recruitment fair "meet and greets" and talk to some of the people who will be reviewing your application.
They are looking for the "total package". Yes, grades and MCAT scores are important. So is your character. The last thing a medical school wants to do is choose someone who is going to drop out halfway through. So unless you have an absolutely horrendous score on your MCAT and you have a horrendous GPA, then you probably have a chance of getting in. It all depends on who you are. Your application is a lot more than a couple of numbers. You are a whole person, and it is the AdCom's responsibility to evaluate you as a whole person.
So I got my scores earlier and have been in a tizzy all day about what to do
8 PS/10 VR / 11 BS for a 29Q overall.
In addition, I have a 3.95 GPA, with my science GPA being just about the same. I have some pretty decent extracurriculars including research in a lab for three years for which I received a pretty nice fellowship for. I have also volunteered at a Children's hospital bedside and hope to begin adding in working with families in the patient resource center which is essentially a library where parents can learn more about their child's illnesses. In addition to a few clubs, I have worked part time as well. Advice on whether I should retake? I know I am right on the fence. A point either way in the other directions, and I don't think I would be so concerned!
Thanks for any of your help
8 PS/10 VR / 11 BS for a 29Q overall.
In addition, I have a 3.95 GPA, with my science GPA being just about the same. I have some pretty decent extracurriculars including research in a lab for three years for which I received a pretty nice fellowship for. I have also volunteered at a Children's hospital bedside and hope to begin adding in working with families in the patient resource center which is essentially a library where parents can learn more about their child's illnesses. In addition to a few clubs, I have worked part time as well. Advice on whether I should retake? I know I am right on the fence. A point either way in the other directions, and I don't think I would be so concerned!
Thanks for any of your help
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Well said. Remember there are some people who get a 4.0 and >36 on the MCAT and they DON'T get into medical school. The numbers are not everything.
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34S
12PS/10VR/12BS
I am happy. You all are pretty smart!
I felt the AAMC practices were the best study tool we have to see where you are. Although my score is 2 points lower than I was hitting in the 4 weeks leading up to the test, the test day PS was a mess compared to those tests, and the PS score decrease accounts for the differences in average. My VR and BS scores are right what I usually got.
I used TBR for chemistry (good), Nova for physics (excellent), and EK for bio (okay--good enough if you're a bio major as I was). I averaged 30 hrs/wk studying for 11 weeks. It has been 4 years since I took any inorganic chemistry, 3 years since orgo, and 2 since physics. This was my first time taking the test.
12PS/10VR/12BS
I am happy. You all are pretty smart!
I felt the AAMC practices were the best study tool we have to see where you are. Although my score is 2 points lower than I was hitting in the 4 weeks leading up to the test, the test day PS was a mess compared to those tests, and the PS score decrease accounts for the differences in average. My VR and BS scores are right what I usually got.
I used TBR for chemistry (good), Nova for physics (excellent), and EK for bio (okay--good enough if you're a bio major as I was). I averaged 30 hrs/wk studying for 11 weeks. It has been 4 years since I took any inorganic chemistry, 3 years since orgo, and 2 since physics. This was my first time taking the test.
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Wow, well done dude. You certainly deserved that score.
I had a similar experience with verbal. I have a strong humanities background, so my verbal score was consistently good... But, I consistently performed better with passages that I found difficult to read or that pertained to subject areas in which I was completely unfamiliar.
For example, I have an art history background and I always lost points in those passages. Probably because I think I was bringing my own assumptions/knowledge into the passages and questions rather than focusing only on what is in the passage and nothing else. Long story short, I knew to always be extra careful when I approached a passage that was either easy to read or in an area in which I was familiar.
Also, I found EK verbal to be the most helpful. Everyone preparing for the MCAT should read that!!
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