Originally posted by confewshz
Hello everyone,
I know this question has been asked a zillion times, but I like to get fresh perspectives. For those who got 30+ MCAT scores(SouthernGirl, beanbean, JScrusader, Samoa, nero, and anyone else who has a 30+ MCAT score), can you post the following information please? It would be greatly appreciated.
1) Your individual scores and composite score
38S PS: 14 VR:13 WS: S BS: 11
2) The study method used for each section
I started a TPR class in mid-June but started doing outside studying in July.
Verbal Reasoning
I was always strong in Verbal. On average I'd miss about 5 questions in Verbal practice tests-- this didn't really improve. I worked most on building up speed while maintaining my accuracy so that I could spend more time on those questions/passages that bothered me. I suppose the moral of my verbal study method is: personally tailor your study method for verbal and make sure that it contains a good volume of reading. I am unconvinced that there is a widely-applicable good choice for verbal study methods. However, I do recommend a few things: I read the rationales behind the "correct" answer choices on questions that I was either unsure (whether or not I got it right) and questions that I got wrong. I didn't adopt much of The Princeton Review's method, but I did add a little bit of margin writing, word-circling, and such. I added just enough so that I could reference the text more quickly, but not so much that making the first-pass through the text was tedious or more time-consuming.
Physical Sciences
It had been a while since I had done most of the physics in the PS section. I read every chapter and did every single stand-alone problem and almost all of the passages assigned by TPR. I moved ahead in physics from TPR's schedule doing one chapter every 2 or 3 days and I would create problem sets for myself from the chapter I was currently covering and from the chapters I had already covered. This meant that I was constantly reviewing material while adding new topics and problem types. The same goes for Chemistry. Understanding the concepts are more important than the number-crunching in my opinion.
Biological Sciences
I relied heavily on my reading skills for biology. However I made it a point of memorizing the endocrine system, all the hormones and enzymes, their sources, etc.... I also really focused on DNA translation and transcription. Otherwise, I just went through the TPR course on their given schedule. I neglected Orgo a great deal but that was partially because I was unwilling to spend my time memorizing a number of reactions that had a small chance of appearing on the test--
though I recommend learning as much as you can out of the Biochem chapter of the TPR textbook. I also have yet to take the second half of Organic Chemistry in my coursework, and I figured that my time could be better spent on other material. What I found helpful for bio was that I would go through and make up and write down questions pertaining to the chapter as a I read it while maintaining an answer key elsewhere. The questions I created included simple recall questions but were typically more in-depth questions about physiology and "what if's."
This made reading through a chapter a fairly slow process. My idea was that I would go back and try and answer the questions
later for review. I found that I didn't really have to that (or perhaps I really didn't want to
) because the designing of questions increased my retention. My bio score was my lowest (11), but there were a lot of contributions to that: I took college freshman biology my JR year of high school and haven't taken a bio course since, I only got through about 2/3 - 3/4 of the material in TPR's Biological Sciences text book, and I did very few of the passages. My goal was to learn certain things very well to spare me the pain of having to memorize minutiae, which annoys me almost as much as the 11th-hour Cub's loss last night.
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
I used TPR and their textbooks primarily. I liked them so much that in November I'll begin a part-time job teaching Physics, Gen Chem, and possibly Verbal for them in their MCAT classes. It pays well and I figure it's nice to share the love.
4) Which practice tests did you use?
I did all 5 of the TPR course practice tests in real testing conditions over the course of June and July. These included AAMC 5R and 6R at the end of the course
5) What was your undergraduate major?
Music, with an additional concentration in vocal performance
and a minor in Computer Science.
5.x Where did you go to school?
Stanford, the most beautiful school in the world.
Go Cardinal! And, Go Cubs incidentally. Though they really blew it in inning eight last night...but I digress.
6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
1. Spend the money on a review course. I'll be the first to admit that the material they present could all be gleaned from textbooks, but the filters these courses provide on the material, and the psychological benefits from going through the motions of test-taking provide qualitative benefits, the so-called "intangibles" that are important in my opinion.
2. Make sure that you do at least a little reviewing of the material you've already covered each time you study.
3. Creating your own problem sets can be really useful. When doing problems on new material for the first time, I wouldn't concern myself with time too much. But once something was review, I always kept track of the time it took me to complete a certain number of questions.
7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
Started TPR in mid-June, started doing the homework and assertive review of materials in the 2nd week of July. Studied hard-core the last three weeks. (Hard-core equals 2 - 3 hours a day in addition to TPR classes).
Rager1
,
I'll just contact AAMC and have them transfer them to you. I'm sure they won't mind (although there will probably be a fee, for both of us 
