Help on how to increase to a 30+

[premedhopeful2015]

Hey SDNers!

I am really struggling to increase my score to a 30+! I have been scoring from low to high 20s peaking at 26 (9,8,9). I have taken about 8 practice test.

Diagnostic (7, 3, 6) 16
Kaplan 1 (7, 4, 6) 17
Kaplan 2 (8, 5, 6) 19
AAMC 7 (7, 3, 6) 16
AAMC 8 (6, 3, 5) 14
Kaplan 3 (9, 8, 9) 26
Kaplan 8 (7, 4, 7) 18
Kaplan 7 (9, 5, 7) 21
Kaplan 6 (9, 8, 8) 25

I really can never hit a 10 in any section! Please help on how I should increase! I do post-game analysis a lot. I really do struggle a lot with biology and verbal the most. Please give any advice!

Thank you!

Should I do content review only? I took a Kaplan course and that was the review of content but i have not done any heavy in-depth studying for every content.

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[j9260]

You should never do only content review. It sounds like you need to narrow down your practice. Perhaps, invest in a Verbal Workbook (ExamKrackers and Princeton Review have them). It's really important to figure out what specifically is tripping you up. Is it stamina?

Have you understood all the explanations of the answers when you went through the review? Did you use the "Why I Missed It" sheets? Trends are so important to identify while you're studying for the MCATs.

I would recommend working more on Kaplan's sectional and topical tests until you see yourself improving on those percentage-wise because you hit the next FL. You need to start there and see where your weaknesses and strengths lie.

Otherwise, great job being persistent with practice tests! You've devoted a lot of time and it's great to see that dedication to take things to the next level!

 

[Gauss44]

Start by learning everything in Examkrackers Lecture books for the sciences. Those are the most concise MCAT books around. Use other MCAT books and the internet for reference if you NEED more information about something.

Get a tutor for VR and Bio if necessary. Wyzant is a good place to shop so you can pick your own tutor and hire him or her ONLY when needed (ex. hiring a tutor for only 1 hour with no future commitment is allowed). Wyzant allows you to shop for a tutor in any zip code, not only your own. (I recommend Wyzant after going around and around with Kaplan and Princeton review about paying thousands of dollars for a tutor I've never met. I had a similarly bad experience with a few other companies as well.)

Common pitfall (you may or may not do): DO NOT waste time researching stuff that is NOT on the test. Some students get in the habit of coming up with questions that will not be tested while studying for MCAT. This is good in the classroom as it shows enthusiasm. For MCAT prep, any time you spend on un-tested material is wasted time as far as MCAT is concerned.