The Official 7/16/2011 MCAT Club!

[msr25]

I don't believe there is a club for this date yet. Good luck to those studying for this exam date!

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[msr25]

I'm currently working on my primary, but will probably submit it in a few weeks. As for MCAT studying, I'm just taking as many practice passages as possible and brushing up content review before taking FLs (probably starting in 2 weeks).

 

[phnerd1105]

Yea it's pretty quiet in here. I'm getting nervous now, only a month left. I feel like I don't have enough time. About 2/3 done with content review but I realized after looking over something I got wrong on a FL the other day that I'm going to need to go over problem areas again.

I saw a couple people in the 30+ thread say that they took notes while they were doing content review the first time I should have done that first time around. Hopefully I still have time to go through it.

Didn't submit my primary yet. Did you finish yours?

I'm getting nervous as well. This test is a retake for me. The first time, I scored 6 points lower than my practice average for some reason. Yeah...not good.

Nope, I haven't submitted. I was originally going to submit with one school just to get verified, but then I probably wouldn't be complete until September. I might still do that and just pre-write secondaries, well see. My app is mostly done though! Are you going to submit with all schools or just one?

 

[runalb12]

I think im gonna submit my primary app mid-june.
i mean i have a high gpa (3.95 overall/ 3.92 science) and i have great extracuricculars, so im gonna take my chances if i get a 27-29 on my mcat. besides it's not like im applying to harvard or anything.

how is everyone doing with practice exams? for some reason I keep getting 8's on verbal and PS. BS im getting 9-11s, but it sucks that for verbal i'm always 3-4 questions away from a 10.

goodluck!

 

[EnergyDrink]

Good luck everyone! Anytime I start getting distracted, I remind myself to start studying again. My goal is to wrap up the sciences by this time next week, then focus on writing, verbal, and general review.

My goal is a 35

 

[xanman]

Glad to hear people are still on content review. I feel sooo behind

 

[MedicineManACL]

Glad to hear people are still on content review. I feel sooo behind

I was you last week. Then I decided to put my head down and really get through the content and incorporate test taking skills along with LOTS of practice problems. WE CAN DO THIS!!!

I'm studying about 4-6 hours/day right now. Once it gets inside a month it'll go to 8 hours/day.

 

[Shakes90]

Glad to hear people are still on content review. I feel sooo behind

same boat. my schedule is so off.

I keep telling myself this is my ticket to med school this year, or DEATH (aka the YEAR OF SHAME (for my family anyways)), gets ma butt crackin on the review.


we can do this

 

[runalb12]

So I've taken three practice exams so far:

PS-VR-BS: (7-8-11), (8-9-10) and (8 -9 -9).

I've been studying about 4-6 hours a day. I do 25-50 EK1001 questions a day for each subject, and I memorize flashcards and mistakes from practice exams/EK questions.

I'll be pushing for 7-8hrs a month before the test, but does anyone have a nice method for scoring high on verbal? i study so hard and practice a lot for verbal, but my scores always range from 8s to 9s. I'm confident in my BS, but VR needs to improve.

As for PS, i just need to review my concepts/content more. But damn that verbal, I always miss a "10" by 3 or 4 questions!!!!

 

[saveourpens]

So I go to register for this date and to my horror I see everything is full. The closest from testing site is a 1.5 hour drive. It's also for 8 am.

I don't want to take it at a later date. Should I just take it before it's full and get a hotel before the test day?

 

[PippFan14]

I'll be pushing for 7-8hrs a month before the test, but does anyone have a nice method for scoring high on verbal? i study so hard and practice a lot for verbal, but my scores always range from 8s to 9s. I'm confident in my BS, but VR needs to improve.

Hi! I'm not sure if I'm sticking to this exam date because I feel so NOT ready right now. But, I have improved verbal in the past 3 weeks. I started off getting 5-6's and now I'm doing around 9. I know you want to score high but I feel like I'm going to keep improving because I'm more confident about it.

So here is what I did to improve:
1. Ask yourself why you miss the questions you missed? For me, sometimes its because I didn't go back to the passage and it was clear if you re-read the few lines. And previously it's because I didn't focus enough on the passage.

I know a lot of people say to write down your errors and why you got it wrong and it really helps. Make mental notes when reviewing answers on why you got it wrong. Go over your passages noting both RIGHT and WRONG answers so you know why you picked the right one as well as the wrong ones.

Really focus and try to understand the ideas in the passage- read and make mental notes of the main point of each paragraph or what was important about it.

I've been using the EK101 book and doing passages (not always in a test setting but doing it under timed conditions).

Be confident. I think this is my favorite EK strategy. JUDGE the author. Believe in yourself that you can improve and you will.

This may seem cheesy but today I finally got my first perfect passage =] And I know I'm going to keep doing better! I hope that somewhat helped.

 

[PippFan14]

So I go to register for this date and to my horror I see everything is full. The closest from testing site is a 1.5 hour drive. It's also for 8 am.

I don't want to take it at a later date. Should I just take it before it's full and get a hotel before the test day?

Honestly I think people are going to drop this test date the closer it gets. Last day to drop is july 2nd. Keep checking in and I'm sure you'll get it =]

 

[saveourpens]

Honestly I think people are going to drop this test date the closer it gets. Last day to drop is july 2nd. Keep checking in and I'm sure you'll get it =]

Thanks for the heads up. I just registered for the the test in some Ohio town. I'll just pay the $60 change of test center fee if a spot opens up near me.

 

[EnergyDrink]

Glad to hear people are still on content review. I feel sooo behind

I don't know whether to take this as a troll attempt, or if you're genuine. I've been teaching standardized tests for a while.

12-11-12 today

 

[msr25]

I'm planning to take my first FL next Saturday; I hope everyone else is faring well with their content review. EnergyDrink, that's a great score! I'm aiming for 35 also.

 

[EnergyDrink]

I'm planning to take my first FL next Saturday; I hope everyone else is faring well with their content review. EnergyDrink, that's a great score! I'm aiming for 35 also.

Good luck! It is difficult for sure. You pretty much need to be familiar with every passage.

Don't get too bogged down on content guys. Most of the content is given to you. Understand concepts, contradictions, and types (ie: Sn1 and Sn2). The MCAT seems to like "A and B" type questions. Acid and Base, Elastic and Nonelastic Collisions, Static and Kinetic Friction, Sympathic and Parasympathetic, etc. Pay more attention to topics that involve pairs of things, yings and yangs and systems.

For Physics and Chemistry success, don't memorize equations. Understand where they derive from and why they are the way they are.

Something that I always do is think that they're trying to trick me. They really aren't on the MCAT, unlike the GRE.

 

[phnerd1105]

Almost done with content review, but the key is to do more passages. I barely did any passages the first time around and just focused on learning the material and doing the few questions EK provided at the end of a section. This time, I have EK 1001 for bio and the BR books for PS, so hopefully I can get a good amount of practice in.


When are you guys submitting your primary? Are you waiting until you get your score back, submitting with one school, or just submitting everything outright? I'm so worried about doing the later, but I'm determined to get a good MCAT score. It's do or die.

 

[phnerd1105]

Also, for verbal, I was averaging 10's-11's for my last test and ended up getting a 7

This time around, I've been using Vihsadas's strategy. Search for it, its pretty good!

 

[PippFan14]

Almost done with content review, but the key is to do more passages. I barely did any passages the first time around and just focused on learning the material and doing the few questions EK provided at the end of a section. This time, I have EK 1001 for bio and the BR books for PS, so hopefully I can get a good amount of practice in.


When are you guys submitting your primary? Are you waiting until you get your score back, submitting with one school, or just submitting everything outright? I'm so worried about doing the later, but I'm determined to get a good MCAT score. It's do or die.

I'm going to wait for my mcat score :[ ... I'm afraid of doing the latter too but I'm focused on doing well too AND WE WILL!

Also-- Afraid about verbal now, I just hope I keep up the confidence with it so I don't second guess myself :[

 

[Biebs]

Almost done with content review, but the key is to do more passages. I barely did any passages the first time around and just focused on learning the material and doing the few questions EK provided at the end of a section. This time, I have EK 1001 for bio and the BR books for PS, so hopefully I can get a good amount of practice in.


When are you guys submitting your primary? Are you waiting until you get your score back, submitting with one school, or just submitting everything outright? I'm so worried about doing the later, but I'm determined to get a good MCAT score. It's do or die.

Hey there, I switched from the 7/6 date. I should have almost all of my content review done. I have been reading the chapter in TBR, then reading it in EK, doing 1/3 of the EK 1001 questions, then half of the passages. I will have about half the passages done about a month before the exam. I want to use the last month for practice and reviewing things I get wrong on the FL's (done by doing the rest of the practice passages I have in BR). Then hoping to see some improvement.

I will probably end up submitting my primary in a couple of weeks and apply to one school so I can get verified. All of my other stats are pretty solid, so all I am worried about is the MCAT. But hopefully it will all work out.

What about you?

 

[EnergyDrink]

I'm depending on my MCAT skills to get me past the primaries. I really don't have a choice but to submit after I get my scores. I'm doing my MS at a medical school, which gives me a good foot in the door. I may submit here before I get my MCATs.

Finishing content review. Pulled >24 hours of studying over the past 3 days. Feel great about Biology and Organic (I haven't had anatomy/physiology since 2006).

I'm still weary on Physics/Chem

 

[phnerd1105]

Hey there, I switched from the 7/6 date. I should have almost all of my content review done. I have been reading the chapter in TBR, then reading it in EK, doing 1/3 of the EK 1001 questions, then half of the passages. I will have about half the passages done about a month before the exam. I want to use the last month for practice and reviewing things I get wrong on the FL's (done by doing the rest of the practice passages I have in BR). Then hoping to see some improvement.

I will probably end up submitting my primary in a couple of weeks and apply to one school so I can get verified. All of my other stats are pretty solid, so all I am worried about is the MCAT. But hopefully it will all work out.

What about you?

I was gonna wait for my MCAT score, but then I probably wouldn't be verified until late September. I was thinking about the 1 school, but then it woudl take me a couple weeks to get the secondaries. I could pre-write them, so it wouldn't be that bad. But it would be being complete beginning of Sept as opposed to mid-August.

I know what you mean though. The MCAT is the only thing holding me back from top schools (obviously haha). Everything else is set. Just want to do better on this one. Hell, I just want a 30+ so I can continue in the app cycle.

 

[EnergyDrink]

Always remember average score does not mean minimum score.

Being said, that 30 plane is a good one to break.

 

[xanman]

Took FL #3 this weekend. 10, 9, 9 for a 28.

Not so great considering I am aiming for a mid 30's range :-/

 

[EnergyDrink]

I can't break 12 on B or PS... I'm always 1 question off :-(

Scored a 12 on a Verbal section today. When I took a 2nd, I scored an 8.

 

[phnerd1105]

I can't break 12 on B or PS... I'm always 1 question off :-(

Scored a 12 on a Verbal section today. When I took a 2nd, I scored an 8.

Probably just fatigue, don't let it get you down!


I would love to hit 11-12 for verbal and bio. Both are consistently staying at 10, maybe with an occasional 11. PS is a pain in the ass for me, always around a 9, ugh.

 

[EnergyDrink]

I'm going light tomorrow

 

[VRsucks]

1 month and 1 day away from D-day. Hope everyone is still going hard!


I need to focus mainly on verbal... any advice on how to do better in VR?

 

[ssaiyan]

This post has been very helpful. Just a ton of practice in my opinion.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6022602&postcount=96

1 month and 1 day away from D-day. Hope everyone is still going hard!


I need to focus mainly on verbal... any advice on how to do better in VR?

 

[MedicineManACL]

One month! Time to start cranking it up. My goal is 33, starting Kaplan/AAMC FLs next week. I will be taking practice tests every other day till test day with supplemental study days in between, working on trouble areas, etc.

Kaplan diagnostic was 26. Took Summer Intensive Course starting early May so I will have only about two months of studying, but I am already over it. Don't know how some people do it for five months. Good Luck guys!

 

[phnerd1105]

Good luck everyone, we got this!

 

[runalb12]

based on what ppl said bout the mcat exams this year, it seems like the real test is overwhelmingly hard / nothing that anyone prepared for and a lot of people ended up guessing.

this kinda discourages me to stop studying since I know the real mcat will be 100x harder lol. whateverrr

 

[artsciencelove]

\

 

[iceman720]

I knew concepts/content very well, but did not have enough timed multiple choice practice. I lacked stamina and got fatigued 2/3 way into my first mcat attempt last year. Didn't do so hot. Retaking MCAT in Oregon on July 16th. WOOO!
I've been practicing EK101 in each subject and have been doing considerably better. I focus studying my weak areas and I've been doing 2-4 points better on the aamc practice tests I've taken. I find it really hard to work full time and still have energy at end of day to come home and study for more than a couple of hours. I plan to get at least a 30. Best of luck to everyone.

My primary application started the processing stage yesterday.

 

[VRsucks]

Hey guys, what i find most difficult is my ability to focus.

Do you guys have any suggestions as how to focus better?

Good luck studying!!

 

[SUGrad09]

Good luck everyone, we got this!

PHnerd I saw that you are a retake... I am as well. Are you re-using any full lengths? What tests are you using? I took GS2 and got a 30 this past weekend, we shall see how this weekend goes. Keep up the studying everyone! Its crunch time

 

[walkerahl]

This song pretty much sums up how I feel about the mcat right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuQi5Fswm1M

 

[phnerd1105]

PHnerd I saw that you are a retake... I am as well. Are you re-using any full lengths? What tests are you using? I took GS2 and got a 30 this past weekend, we shall see how this weekend goes. Keep up the studying everyone! Its crunch time

Yep I am. I plant to reuse my AAMC's and TPR tests just as practice, but not to gauge how well I'm doing. I'm ordering TBR tests soon, which are the 2nd best next to the AAMCs. Their sciences are hard, which is great practice. Their verbal is a little on the easy side, so I'm supplementing with the half of EK 101 I didnt do, and online TPRH problems.

One month left....really got to step it up. Moving back into school tomorrow and plan on putting in around 10 hours a day.

 

[nuitsansetoiles]

This date seems a lot quieter... are we all just busy?

I'm also retaking from a 3/26 (very hard decision). Hopefully, it won't come back to haunt me.

Good luck everyone!

 

[Bancrofti]

woop woop, home stretch guys. Gonna be logging about 10+ hours a day on off days from work and 4 hours on work days. Got my first balanced score today on AAMC 5. 10P/10V/11B.. definitely not satisfied with the total as I'd be like to be hitting 12s in each section before the exam date, but I'm content in that I feel confident taking the exam now, like I could pull off a 10 in any section regardless of the material. Was only 1 question away from the 11 in verbal so that' s encouraging. Gonna review tomorrow to see what mistakes I made and what I can do to raise the score.

35+ or Bust!!

Anybody know offhand how late you're allowed to switch test date? My test center is too far to drive in the morning but I made the mistake of reserving a seat in a place where there are no decent hotels nearby and the ones that are close are pretty expensive for apparently crappy service. Going to look to see if anything opens up around NJ before the 16th, doubtful.

 

[dan123]

Has anyone submitted their app? Should I wait for our score to submit or do it now? Also how come some people are only applying to one school to get verified, what exactly does this mean and would it be bad to submit my app to all my schools right now?

As for studying i take my first ever fl tomorrow...goodluck everyone!

 

[nuitsansetoiles]

Has anyone submitted their app? Should I wait for our score to submit or do it now? Also how come some people are only applying to one school to get verified, what exactly does this mean and would it be bad to submit my app to all my schools right now?

As for studying i take my first ever fl tomorrow...goodluck everyone!

If you're satisfied with your app, submit it now. I submitted in 6/9 and was verified in 6/17. You don't want it to take 6 weeks to be verified.

As long as you know those are the schools you're applying to regardless of your scores, then by all means, submit. Sometimes, based on your score, you might want to adjust the school list, which is why people submit their app with only one school listed.

 

[selfreflection]

Hey, how do you guys find the TBR physics passages compared to the TPR? are they worth practicing?

 

[SUGrad09]

I submitted my primary application with my previous MCAT score (10P, 10V, 10B) just so that I would not have to wait until August 16th to submit. If you are feeling confident then submit your primary now so that you can get verified and in August if you are happy with your score it won't put you behind in terms of application processing. That being said if there are schools that you are on the fence about because you don't know what your MCAT will be then add those later once your scores are in.

Keep up the great work everyone! We got this! Anyone else taking Gold Standard practice tests?

 

[xanman]

AAMC#4

28 PS8, VR 10, BS10

Seems like I always have one section that drags my score down but it's never the same one :-/ Overall though I want to be doing around 12 for each section, more practice required!!!

 

[EnergyDrink]

I switched into test mode, then decided to do content again. Bring it on Physical Sciences.

 

[dan123]

I am not feeling good as test day approaches. Missing a lot of easy questions on my practice fl, probably because I am nervous and just rushing to much...anyone else feel this is all happening way to fast?

 

[selfreflection]

woop woop, home stretch guys. Gonna be logging about 10+ hours a day on off days from work and 4 hours on work days. Got my first balanced score today on AAMC 5. 10P/10V/11B.. definitely not satisfied with the total as I'd be like to be hitting 12s in each section before the exam date, but I'm content in that I feel confident taking the exam now, like I could pull off a 10 in any section regardless of the material. Was only 1 question away from the 11 in verbal so that' s encouraging. Gonna review tomorrow to see what mistakes I made and what I can do to raise the score.

35+ or Bust!!

Anybody know offhand how late you're allowed to switch test date? My test center is too far to drive in the morning but I made the mistake of reserving a seat in a place where there are no decent hotels nearby and the ones that are close are pretty expensive for apparently crappy service. Going to look to see if anything opens up around NJ before the 16th, doubtful.

Seats usually open up closer to the date. A couple days before the June 16th late registration deadline a multitude of seats opened everywhere. I think the same will happen again. All the best!

 

[Bancrofti]

AAMC#4

28 PS8, VR 10, BS10

Seems like I always have one section that drags my score down but it's never the same one :-/ Overall though I want to be doing around 12 for each section, more practice required!!!

Sounds the same as me! Just make sure to thoroughly review the exam. If you're done with content review, chances are a good percentage of your questions wrong are things you knew but were not able to apply due to feeling rushed or a dumb mistake. Once you cut these out it will automatically boost your score. I always try to answer questions during the review without looking at the answers first, especially calculation questions. I reviewed AAMC 5 and I got 3 PS questions wrong because I added or multiplied something wrong the day I took it, but the question was simple to me during the review.

All 12s would have been a dream to me in the beginning but I'm realizing now it's more attainable than not, at least on the practice exams. Now 14s in each section...

I am not feeling good as test day approaches. Missing a lot of easy questions on my practice fl, probably because I am nervous and just rushing to much...anyone else feel this is all happening way to fast?

Did you finish your content review yet? I kind of got that kick in the face last week when i realized test day was less than a month away. Try to calm down during the practice FL, whatever it takes. If you're practicing nervous and anxious, there's a good chance it will happen on test day as well, which is the last thing you want. Always try to go into the exams confident, even if it's a "false" confidence... it helps imo.

Seats usually open up closer to the date. A couple days before the June 16th late registration deadline a multitude of seats opened everywhere. I think the same will happen again. All the best!

I hope so. Not trying to drop $100+ for a 2 star hotel then I'm just going to sleep in.


26 days!!!!

 

[SUGrad09]

Finishing up an MPH degree, applying for medical school, and preparing to retake the MCAT... I can't wait until things let up a bit! We got this people!

 

[VRsucks]

It seems like most of you guys are done with content review and have started doing the full lengths. Are you guys going to do all the Kaplan FLs AND AAMC FLs before test day?