MCAT Tutors or People Who Can Help with Scheduling/Strategy

[GrayArea]

Hello all,

I plan on taking the MCAT late Jan or early Feb 2017. However, I have accepted that I am not the most effective person when it comes to creating a strong study plan. I definitely have the motive and drive to study, but hope to find somewhen who can help me with the details of a study plan. Also, I am hoping on getting help with the strategic side of the MCAT. Obviously, knowledge is required for the exam, but knowing how to take the exam and knowing how they ask questions can be very helpful in scoring high.

Please, if anyone is someone who is willing to help or knows someone who can, reply. I am retaking the MCAT and need to excel in it once in for all. It is a battle I have been fighting for too long now and in all honesty, the only major hurdle left on my path to medical school.

I sincerely hope to hear from someone out there. I promise if someone helps me out, I will return the favor to someone in the future who finds themselves in a similar position to myself.

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[Kpw101]

There's a consensus among SDN members that say more should be spent on practice than on content review. Buy 1/2 sets of books (TBR, TPR, Kaplan, EK all come to mind) and give yourself around a month to finish the books and get familiar with the material. Then buy practice books, FLs, as well as all the AAMC material and plan on finishing those within two months. Review everything meticulously and review weak areas while you are finishing the practice material. Most of my friends scored very well (510+) and on average have taken around 7-8 FLs during their studies. You should aim to take the same amount of FLs (full lengths). If you have ample time (and money), the more the merrier.

So just base your schedule off that.

TLDR:
1.)For the first month divide up your content book chapters by day and have them finished within a month.
2.)For your practice months allot yourself two days for each FL: One day to take it and one day to review it.
3.)Find time to squeeze your practice books and AAMC stuff (questions pack, section bank, official guide) in between your FLs.
4.) Save your AAMC FLs till the very end.
5.) Destroy the exam.

- It will be much more effective just taking FLs and experiencing for yourself what strategies you should use and how the MCAT asks questions rather than listening to someone spew on about how you should take the exam.

 

[Roayer]

Hello all,

I plan on taking the MCAT late Jan or early Feb 2017. However, I have accepted that I am not the most effective person when it comes to creating a strong study plan. I definitely have the motive and drive to study, but hope to find somewhen who can help me with the details of a study plan. Also, I am hoping on getting help with the strategic side of the MCAT. Obviously, knowledge is required for the exam, but knowing how to take the exam and knowing how they ask questions can be very helpful in scoring high.

Please, if anyone is someone who is willing to help or knows someone who can, reply. I am retaking the MCAT and need to excel in it once in for all. It is a battle I have been fighting for too long now and in all honesty, the only major hurdle left on my path to medical school.

I sincerely hope to hear from someone out there. I promise if someone helps me out, I will return the favor to someone in the future who finds themselves in a similar position to myself.

Alot depends on what classes you have taken, how strong your knowledge is in certain areas, how large your course load will be next semester etc. But overall I'd spend 1 month using EK and another combo for your content review being sure to do practice problems over the content you are covering, and then spend 2+ months taking FLs and doing lots of practice in your weak area and CARS. You should try to do 10 practice tests or more. I would recommend EK1-4, NS 1-4, and the AAMC Tests as a bare minimum. Obviously the more practice tests you take, the better off you will be. For P/S I recommend supplementing all your prep book with Khan Academy and the KA 100 page summary. For Biochem I recommend supplementing Kaplan/EK with Lehninger's principles of Biochemistry for your weak areas. When I get your other info I can help you outline a more detailed plan.

 

[GrayArea]

Alot depends on what classes you have taken, how strong your knowledge is in certain areas, how large your course load will be next semester etc. But overall I'd spend 1 month using EK and another combo for your content review being sure to do practice problems over the content you are covering, and then spend 2+ months taking FLs and doing lots of practice in your weak area and CARS. You should try to do 10 practice tests or more. I would recommend EK1-4, NS 1-4, and the AAMC Tests as a bare minimum. Obviously the more practice tests you take, the better off you will be. For P/S I recommend supplementing all your prep book with Khan Academy and the KA 100 page summary. For Biochem I recommend supplementing Kaplan/EK with Lehninger's principles of Biochemistry for your weak areas. When I get your other info I can help you outline a more detailed plan.

I have already finished my undergrad career. I took time off to gain experience in the field and study for the MCAT. At the moment, I am only working twice a week, do some volunteer work, and research with a physician. I am strongest in Bio and O Chem, I am alright in Chem and Physics, and I am weakest in CARS (very weak actually, CARS is the main reason why I am retaking).

Thank you for your help!

 

[GrayArea]

Oh and I am also strong in Psych/Socio.

 

[Roayer]

I have already finished my undergrad career. I took time off to gain experience in the field and study for the MCAT. At the moment, I am only working twice a week, do some volunteer work, and research with a physician. I am strongest in Bio and O Chem, I am alright in Chem and Physics, and I am weakest in CARS (very weak actually, CARS is the main reason why I am retaking).

Thank you for your help!

Sounds like content review shouldn't be that big of a deal. I would do EK and supplement it with either TPR/TBR/or Kaplan for a more detail review and try to bang that out of the way in a month. After that I would take 1 FL a week until about a month and a half before and then take a FL every 3 days. Save the AAMC material until the last 3 weeks and do the Old VR sections, I can link to them if you want. I might start with TPR/Kaplan FLs for the first month and then switch to NS until about a month before your exam and then switch to EK. For CARS you should do 3 passages a day and take a CARS section at least 1x a Week (you would be doing 2 if you take a FL). I would use EK101 and TPRH for starters but you will most likely run out of those so I would look into Testing Solutions or NS108 for more practice once you finish that. I would also pick a good CARS method and stick with it. I liked EK's CARS strategy so I used it and then refined it to work better for me since I got a 125 in CARS. Hopefully it paid off but I was scoring much higher on CARS for my retake. This is kind of a rough schedule but since you have so much time I bet you can make it work. The key is since you are studying over such a long period of time is to keep taking FLs to help you have to keep reviewing content. Also I would make a Notebook/Word Doc of all the questions you missed and had trouble with and periodically review it. You should spend a day reviewing each FL and then a day or 2 doing practice passages in the areas you had trouble with on the FL. Best of luck!