The Official August 22, 2013 MCAT Thread

[Person0715]

Hey everyone! With just a little less than 2 months to go, I am wondering why this thread hasn't been made yet.

Is anyone else here signed up for the 8/22 MCAT?

I'm following the SN2ed schedule and I can't wait to be done with content review. I'm excited to finally take an AAMC to see if I've been studying correctly these last 2 months.

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[Person0715]

Any of you have problems with verbal consistency?

I have taken 4 of the AAMC FLs 3-7 and my verbal scores just seem to be arbitrary

I've gotten a 10, 12, 11, 10 on 3-7 respectively so far. I would really like to be able to keep this in the 11-12 range if it all possible but I can't seem to highlight the problem in verbal as my mistakes everytime i analyze them for verbal seem random and unrelated

At least your scores are kind of consistent. I've scored 9, 12, 14, and 9 on my last 4 AAMCs. My verbal scores seem way too arbitrary

 

[neurotroph]

Don't you hate reading a big long passage then answering 6 or 7 questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the passage? ...

Yeah for this reason I'm just going to stop reading the passages. Especially the PS ones since I tend to run out of time.

 

[deleted393595]

Lucky you. You only have 10 days until your test.

I can't wait to be done with the MCAT so that I can enjoy my 1 week of summer break before classes start up again.

Haha I think that varies based on your perspective

Same situation. I'm trying to not even think about next semester, as my lack of break is depressing.

Just think of every semester that goes by as the

[YOUTUBE]9jK-NcRmVcw[/YOUTUBE]

until med school!

Don't you hate reading a big long passage then answering 6 or 7 questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the passage? ...

Most questions on the Bio section are pure recall. There are a few that I have to look back at the passage at to figure out the answer, but mostly I can rely on what I learned in school to reason it out.

As a matter of fact, I often finish bio with about 25-30min and use the rest of my leftover time to check. It seems to be working since I haven't scored below a 14 on Bio on several AAMC tests I've taken.

 

[Austorior]

You know it. Passage 3 and 4 killed my score. Missed 4 on psg 3 and 3 on psg 4...

 

[sd227]

Aamc 4- Ps11 Vr 8 Bs11

Aamc 5- 13 7 11

Aamc 7- 13 11 12

Verbal has been all over the place for me. I originally got a 9 on aamc 3.

 

[Person0715]

Just took AAMC 8 and got a PS 13 VR 12 BS 13. Verbal is so unpredictable. I really think it will come down to the luck of the draw on the real deal for verbal

How have everyone else' practice tests been going recently?

 

[shrey93]

Just took AAMC 8 and got a PS 13 VR 12 BS 13. Verbal is so unpredictable. I really think it will come down to the luck of the draw on the real deal for verbal

How have everyone else' practice tests been going recently?

wow, good job on AAMC 8 people always seem to refer to that as one of the tougher ones!

Curious to see how it compared with your previous AAMC practice tests in terms of scores and difficulty as I am taking it this Friday and am pretty nervous!

 

[Person0715]

wow, good job on AAMC 8 people always seem to refer to that as one of the tougher ones!

Curious to see how it compared with your previous AAMC practice tests in terms of scores and difficulty as I am taking it this Friday and am pretty nervous!

Surprising you say that because I really thought I would bomb both PS and BS. There were so many questions that I was unsure of and I changed quite a few answers. This is one of my higher scores due to the verbal. My science scores have been pretty consistent.

 

[sunflower18]

I got a 33 again on AAMC 7 -- different breakdown this time. 10 PS, 13 VR, 10 BS. Still really really hoping to get 35 on the real deal. Gotta step up my game for the next 15 days!

 

[sunflower18]

also, question for y'all. how on earth do you spend all of your time in each section?? even after reviewing my marked questions, i finished PS with ~10 minutes left, VR with ~8 minutes left, and BS with 25 minutes left!! i feel like if i didn't speed through the sections so fast, i'd get more questions right. how do you force yourself to slow down and take your time?

 

[Person0715]

I got a 33 again on AAMC 7 -- different breakdown this time. 10 PS, 13 VR, 10 BS. Still really really hoping to get 35 on the real deal. Gotta step up my game for the next 15 days!

Just 2 more points! You can do it. Nice verbal by the way. And I see you're PS has improved. I think you're well on your way for a 35+

 

[sunflower18]

Just 2 more points! You can do it. Nice verbal by the way. And I see you're PS has improved. I think you're well on your way for a 35+

Thanks so much for your encouragement!! I hope so!! I spent a few days hammering concepts home in PS by playing with mirrors and lenses, and watching animations of circuits and such. A lot of people say that passages and questions are the best/only way to improve, but I disagree -- just blindly doing passages without having any idea about the concepts is a recipe for disaster and mistakes. I'm glad I figured that out for myself now! And thanks about the VR -- hopefully I broke through the ice on that one too.

Your scores are freaking awesome, btw. What is your goal score?

 

[Person0715]

Thanks so much for your encouragement!! I hope so!! I spent a few days hammering concepts home in PS by playing with mirrors and lenses, and watching animations of circuits and such. A lot of people say that passages and questions are the best/only way to improve, but I disagree -- just blindly doing passages without having any idea about the concepts is a recipe for disaster and mistakes. I'm glad I figured that out for myself now! And thanks about the VR -- hopefully I broke through the ice on that one too.

Your scores are freaking awesome, btw. What is your goal score?

I wholeheartedly agree with you on that. Practice passages are definitely the way to go, only if you have a good foundation of content knowledge. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and do a bit more content review before you can get the most out of practice problems. Youtube videos are a great way to mix the review up a bit. It gets tiring to be reading from a book every day.

My target score is 36+.

 

[sunflower18]

I wholeheartedly agree with you on that. Practice passages are definitely the way to go, only if you have a good foundation of content knowledge. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and do a bit more content review before you can get the most out of practice problems. Youtube videos are a great way to mix the review up a bit. It gets tiring to be reading from a book every day.

My target score is 36+.

Definitely. I'm glad someone else agrees with me on that front

Well you look pretty much set!!! That's awesome! Your biggest variable is VR, right? You said you've gotten 9-14 pretty randomly over the past few AAMCs?

 

[Person0715]

Definitely. I'm glad someone else agrees with me on that front

Well you look pretty much set!!! That's awesome! Your biggest variable is VR, right? You said you've gotten 9-14 pretty randomly over the past few AAMCs?

Yea. I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I'm at verbal's mercy come test day.

 

[sunflower18]

Yea. I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I'm at verbal's mercy come test day.

That's nervewracking but at least your sciences are rock solid!

 

[sunflower18]

omg i'm super freaking annoyed right now. i have access to all of the aamcs through my princeton review portal, and it's down right now. i was in the middle of test analysis when it stopped working, and now i can't even log in. i'm so annoyed. if this had happened in the middle of my test, i would have FREAKED OUT.

you'd think the fact that they have a ton of students who paid $2000 for access to all of this stuff would incentivize them to get rid of any bugs.

 

[Person0715]

omg i'm super freaking annoyed right now. i have access to all of the aamcs through my princeton review portal, and it's down right now. i was in the middle of test analysis when it stopped working, and now i can't even log in. i'm so annoyed. if this had happened in the middle of my test, i would have FREAKED OUT.

you'd think the fact that they have a ton of students who paid $2000 for access to all of this stuff would incentivize them to get rid of any bugs.

I tried accessing the FLs via Kaplan just to check and I'm getting the same error. It seems its a problem on AAMC's side. Either way that sucks, especially since an MCAT administration is coming up in a two days

 

[sunflower18]

I tried accessing the FLs via Kaplan just to check and I'm getting the same error. It seems its a problem on AAMC's side. Either way that sucks, especially since an MCAT administration is coming up in a two days

Ooohh okay. Yeah that really sucks! Hopefully they get it fixed soon!!

Did you take a Kaplan course?

 

[Person0715]

Ooohh okay. Yeah that really sucks! Hopefully they get it fixed soon!!

Did you take a Kaplan course?

I'm currently enrolled in their on-demand course, which is their online only course w/o class time.

 

[Austorior]

Ordered EK 1001 bio yesterday via amazon prime, anyone know the best way to attack this book in only 15 days?

I'm planning on finishing up the Kaplan topical tests, ek 1001 bio, and doing at least a couple of verbal passages each day in addition to the kaplan/aamc full lengths until test date. Hopefully my PS scores stay around what I get now and my VR stabilizes by test date.

Getting more confident on my 35+ goal!

 

[DocCox]

Went from,
AAMC 3- 11, 9, 10 - 30
AAMC 4- 12, 10, 10 - 32
AAMC 5- 11, 6, 10 - 27 (Yes, 6. I missed 15 of the last 17 on the last 3 verbal passages. Wasted all my time on the Picasso passage.)
AAMC 7- 13, 11, 12- 36 Today

Don't really know what to think (dat 9 point increase doe), just gotta have a clear head and STRICT timing for verbal - can't let one passage ruin the rest. Hopefully AAMC 7 is somewhat indicative of the currently distributed exams. Good luck everyone, 2 more weeks until we are finished.

 

[sunflower18]

We can all do it!!!

seriously, does anyone have any tips on how i can slow the eff down? some of my mistakes are just so stupid, and i'm pretty sure i could have gotten them right if i had spent like, 10 seconds longer on the question. but i think i just get anxious and fling myself recklessly through the section. advice would be awesome.

also, this is kind of a lame/obvious tip for verbal, but what really helps me is reading the title of the book that the passage is from. it's listed at the bottom of the passage. honestly it's really helpful in putting the person's perspective in mind, because sometimes it's hard to tell what the author is actually trying to say. if the title of the book is, like, "why bees are saving the world", you should be safe to assume that this person is pro-bee pollination. just a thought

 

[Jadevon Clowney]

YO what it do yall.


I'm jadevon clowney and I am studying for mcat as well. What are some tips yall peeps have. I have interest in medicine or I can just be the number 1 overall draft pick in the NFL and get paid 60 Millions buck and get all the fine ass women I want... mhm??

 

[sunflower18]

YO what it do yall.


I'm jadevon clowney and I am studying for mcat as well. What are some tips yall peeps have. I have interest in medicine or I can just be the number 1 overall draft pick in the NFL and get paid 60 Millions buck and get all the fine ass women I want... mhm??

 

[inycepoo]

YO what it do yall.


I'm jadevon clowney and I am studying for mcat as well. What are some tips yall peeps have. I have interest in medicine or I can just be the number 1 overall draft pick in the NFL and get paid 60 Millions buck and get all the fine ass women I want... mhm??

60 mil over 5 years, sure, but that's only for QBs unless you're at Randy Moss' level (back when he was with the Vikings, no less), which I doubt.

As for the women...I hope you're not a 6' 8'', 320-pound lineman. Word on the street is that y'all don't get around much with the ladies. Same for OT and DT as well. QB, WR, and RB are better bets.

 

[Zod]

Going to try doing the Physics and Chem SA today. My last score being 10/10/10, I'm slowing improving consistently in VR but my PS and BS scores need to be improved since my exam before that I had 11PS and 11BS.

Hey Person0715, I have the same Kaplan On Demand! Are there any specific things you are improving your PS/BS with their resources? I feel like I may not be using what I have effectively.

 

[inycepoo]

Hey Person0715, I have the same Kaplan On Demand! Are there any specific things you are improving your PS/BS with their resources? I feel like I may not be using what I have effectively.

PS and BS Section Tests. Hit them hard, get your ass kicked, and understand why. Topical Tests are also high-yield as well.

 

[Zod]

Thanks, I'll do em asap. What I had been doing is using their score reports because they list the topics that were covered. Then going to Kaplan and improving on those topics by doing all the questions they have for that topic. Takes a long time but helped a lot.

 

[Person0715]

PS and BS Section Tests. Hit them hard, get your ass kicked, and understand why. Topical Tests are also high-yield as well.

If you have time, I would definitely do the above. I'm finding the section tests really challenging, which is great practice.

 

[Austorior]

We can all do it!!!

seriously, does anyone have any tips on how i can slow the eff down? some of my mistakes are just so stupid, and i'm pretty sure i could have gotten them right if i had spent like, 10 seconds longer on the question. but i think i just get anxious and fling myself recklessly through the section. advice would be awesome.

also, this is kind of a lame/obvious tip for verbal, but what really helps me is reading the title of the book that the passage is from. it's listed at the bottom of the passage. honestly it's really helpful in putting the person's perspective in mind, because sometimes it's hard to tell what the author is actually trying to say. if the title of the book is, like, "why bees are saving the world", you should be safe to assume that this person is pro-bee pollination. just a thought

I feel like sometimes second-guessing yourself can get some of those careless mistakes back, but sometimes you just ruin your timing by doing so... Have to find the right balance I guess.

Good to know section tests are more challenging than FLs? I shall give those a try some time instead of doing Kaplan FL 9+.

 

[sunflower18]

I feel like sometimes second-guessing yourself can get some of those careless mistakes back, but sometimes you just ruin your timing by doing so... Have to find the right balance I guess.

Good to know section tests are more challenging than FLs? I shall give those a try some time instead of doing Kaplan FL 9+.

Can you elaborate on that a bit?

 

[Zod]

Sunflower, I think a good strategy for you would be to make sure to explain to yourself why you think the other answers are not correct and why yours is correct. Also, when you choose an answer, look back to the question and make sure the answer you chose answers the question. Mark the ones where there are two really close ones and you don't want to spend to much time on it on the first run thru.

 

[sunflower18]

Sunflower, I think a good strategy for you would be to make sure to explain to yourself why you think the other answers are not correct and why yours is correct. Also, when you choose an answer, look back to the question and make sure the answer you chose answers the question. Mark the ones where there are two really close ones and you don't want to spend to much time on it on the first run thru.

That's a good idea. I usually don't think about why the others are wrong, so that might be a really good strategy. Thanks so much!

 

[amad01]

That's a good idea. I usually don't think about why the others are wrong, so that might be a really good strategy. Thanks so much!

although many times the other answers aren't "wrong" they just aren't as good... then you're just in a bundle

 

[sunflower18]

although many times the other answers aren't "wrong" they just aren't as good... then you're just in a bundle

I hate that!!! I also hate it when there are questions like, "why does x do y?" And the answer is, "because x does y." That seems wrong to me!

 

[Austorior]

Can you elaborate on that a bit?

It's not much of a strategy, but I find myself doubting if my answers are right, especially during PS, and if I spend a couple seconds thinking about it I realize the question was actually trying to trick you. But then other times I just think too much while 3-4 minutes go by...

A good strategy is, as above said, to prove to yourself why the other choices are wrong (or not as good). Usually you get down to two choices, and one of them is just a tiny bit more accurate than the other. Think "this is wrong because" instead of "this is right because" when you're stuck on two.

 

[SB14]

My scores for the AAMC's are:
#3 13 11 13 37
#4 12 10 11 33
#5 12 11 13 36
#7 12 11 13 36
#8 12 9 10 31

I don't know what happened to #8. Anyone else find this test really hard? I just lost my concentration at the beginning of verbal and that carried through to bio and was well below my averages.Should I just chalk #8 to a bad day or are the other ones generally considered easier and a 31 is where I'm realistically at?

 

[deleted393595]

Any of you have problems with verbal consistency?

I have taken 4 of the AAMC FLs 3-7 and my verbal scores just seem to be arbitrary

I've gotten a 10, 12, 11, 10 on 3-7 respectively so far. I would really like to be able to keep this in the 11-12 range if it all possible but I can't seem to highlight the problem in verbal as my mistakes everytime i analyze them for verbal seem random and unrelated

Verbal's awfully arbitrary.

My scores for the AAMC's are:
#3 13 11 13 37
#4 12 10 11 33
#5 12 11 13 36
#7 12 11 13 36
#8 12 9 10 31

I don't know what happened to #8. Anyone else find this test really hard? I just lost my concentration at the beginning of verbal and that carried through to bio and was well below my averages.Should I just chalk #8 to a bad day or are the other ones generally considered easier and a 31 is where I'm realistically at?

Just did #8 today and it was my best score so far. Overall, I thought that PS was a little bit easier, VR was a little bit tougher, and BS overall was much tricker especially in the kinetics vs thermodynamics passage.

*Spoilers*


AAMC is also awfully wrong about several things in Bio. For one of the questions about speciation, 3 of the 4 answer choices are correct since they're all correct definitions of species. I mean, who the heck even writes these tests? And this isn't the first question I've come across in Bio that's wrong.... There have been a bunch in the last few AAMC test I've taken.

 

[shrey93]

i am getting very nervous.

 

[Person0715]

i am getting very nervous.

Trust in the prep you've been doing! Just two more weeks

 

[neurotroph]

My summer internship ended today, so that gives me about a week and a half of unadulterated studying time. Hoping I can fit the other full lengths in because I've still only taken #3.

 

[sunflower18]

My summer internship ended today, so that gives me about a week and a half of unadulterated studying time. Hoping I can fit the other full lengths in because I've still only taken #3.

Lucky you to have free studying time! I work 4 shifts before the test, so that's not too bad.

 

[Markymark15]

Results so far:

AAMC Practice Test 3 13/10/14 (37)
Practice Test FL9 13/11/14 (38)

Gotta work on not making stupid mistakes lol

GLTA

 

[sunflower18]

Results so far:

AAMC Practice Test 3 13/10/14 (37)
Practice Test FL9 13/11/14 (38)

Gotta work on not making stupid mistakes lol

GLTA

Gosh, am I the only "low" scorer taking the test this day? great scores everyone, and I really am very happy for you all, but realising I am in a different, much less good league than everyone else is a tad disheartening!

But I shouldn't think that way. It should inspire me to keep working so I can join you all!

 

[9087]

Gosh, am I the only "low" scorer taking the test this day? great scores everyone, and I really am very happy for you all, but realising I am in a different, much less good league than everyone else is a tad disheartening!

But I shouldn't think that way. It should inspire me to keep working so I can join you all!

I am scoring lower as well but I am a retaker as well. But what are you getting on the practice tests?

 

[sunflower18]

I am scoring lower as well but I am a retaker as well. But what are you getting on the practice tests?

~33 average so far. My highest scores in each section combined is a 35, which is my dream score.

 

[amad01]

AAMC 3 : 10 8 12 - 30
Kaplan 4 : 13 11 12 - 36
AAMC 4 :13 8 12 - 33
Kaplan 2 :12 11 11 - 34
AAMC 5 :13 11 12 - 36
AAMC 6: 13 11 13 - 37

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[shrey93]

this is kinda a random question, but the testing center is going to be a desktop computer with a normal mouse right? I hate the touchpads on laptops so just wanted to make sure

 

[deleted393595]

this is kinda a random question, but the testing center is going to be a desktop computer with a normal mouse right? I hate the touchpads on laptops so just wanted to make sure

I wish I could use my gaming mouse on it instead since it's ergonomic and a lot more comfy