The Official January 10, 2015 MCAT Thread

[Jhakaasmaan]

Hey everyone, first time posting here and I thought I would go ahead a make a thread for those writing on this test date.

115 days out!

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[Cawolf]

Man MCAT studying is tiring!

 

[makingthejump]

Man MCAT studying is tiring!

How much do you do per day?

 

[ahisma]

Yea it is tiring. I'm doing 8 - 10 hours per day with S2Ned's schedule. It's amazing how much I forgot from pre-reqs. Guess it's because I never use it now that I'm mostly done.

 

[ahisma]

Yup! Most of it is spent on content review & going over what I missed on practice questions. Plus the schools I'm applying to are very competitive and I don't want to re-take, especially because it will be a whole new test.

 

[Cawolf]

How much do you do per day?

Well I think if I was doing it full time I would spend about 8 hours a day like @ahisma is.

I am taking classes and working so right now I do about 20 hours a week. When classes end in December I will be doing one month of 12 hour days.

 

[TXhopeful]

I set a timer and do my studying in 2 hour intervals. Usually eat lunch for one of them, get a snack for the other break, workout for my longer ones. Comes out around 4 to 5.5 hours, depending on the likeabilily of the subject material. That's my best advice to prevent burnout.

 

[Member 201]

I'm a recent college graduate doing a non-trad route. I started studying while working part-time and managed to study about 6-7 hours per day. I recently was moved to a full-time shift and now only managing to study for about 3-4 hours a day. I'm only a couple days "behind" when it comes to following the Sn2ed schedule but I'm comfortable with the rate at which I'm going through it.

 

[Cawolf]

I took AAMC 3 about 1 week into studying. I am about 1/4 through material at this time.

 

[makingthejump]

Started content review on 9/1, will finish it on 10/24. Been doing just 2-3hrs per day M-F, nothing on weekends. Gonna start doing SAs and AAMCs starting 10/27 until 12/23 and then relax to clear my head for two weeks and take the exam on 1/10.

 

[Member 201]

I haven't taken any AAMC's yet. I'm doing the 4-month study route, so I don't plan on taking any until around the end of November/beginning of December, around the time it shows up on the schedule. This is my second time around taking the MCAT so I'm gonna save the practice tests until I feel ready to use them.

 

[TXhopeful]

I haven't taken any AAMC's yet. I'm doing the 4-month study route, so I don't plan on taking any until around the end of November/beginning of December, around the time it shows up on the schedule. This is my second time around taking the MCAT so I'm gonna save the practice tests until I feel ready to use them.

Ditto. I used up about 3 AAMC full lengths when I was studying earlier this year, so I want to keep all of them that I can. Especially when I want to make sure I'm solid on content review and practice questions before I move to the real thing. Don't want to make that mistake again.

 

[madmuttal]

sup guys. howz studying going? mainly focusing on verbal

 

[ahisma]

Yea verbal has been a tough nut to crack for me. Still only getting about half right for all the BR, TPRH & EK practice problems I've done. At first, I kept bringing in outside info and my own opinions but I have gotten better at not doing that. My biggest problems now are "misinterpreting" the author and missing keywords that just so happen to change the entire meaning of the sentence, even though I'm going slow. Just tried EK's techniques and will be looking at the other ones next.

The last two weeks have been quite a humbling experience.

 

[azor ahai]

Anybody thinking about dropping this seat PM me please. I don't think it's illegal to buy the seat from you but if it is, we'll think of something. I saw a seat in Alberta open up that disappeared right after i clicked it.

I will go to any country, to any length, to get a seat in January or December.

 

[nystin]

Anybody thinking about dropping this seat PM me please. I don't think it's illegal to buy the seat from you but if it is, we'll think of something. I saw a seat in Alberta open up that disappeared right after i clicked it.

I will go to any country, to any length, to get a seat in January or December.

There are going to be VERY limited seats opening up in the following cities. So stay glued. I have AAMCs tweets come directly to me as an alert... So do that if you can. https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/409474/mcatseats.html

Good luck!

 

[TXhopeful]

Yea verbal has been a tough nut to crack for me. Still only getting about half right for all the BR, TPRH & EK practice problems I've done.
The last two weeks have been quite a humbling experience.

Same problem, but mine is for the BS/PS sections. I love verbal and found out quickly that I wouldn't need to study for it like I do the other 2 sections. Doing SN2's schedule has helped out a lot, but BR is still very difficult. He highly recommends the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Verbal (I think it's that one) book, so maybe give that one a try?

 

[TXhopeful]

TXhopeful, I'm having the same issue. I don't "love" verbal per se haha, but it's definitely not my primary area of concern. My bio background is lacking compared to other areas and doing practice passages for the BS section really gets me down.

BR is very difficult, I agree. It's very dense and from what I gather the passages are harder than the real thing. I started out with BR, but reading each chapter took a long time for me (I was trying to be thorough). On top of that, solving passages and then taking them up took way too long. I switched to TPR books that I got by taking their prep course. It's making studying way easier for me. I like the way they present the material- way less intimidating than TBR imo. I'd try to take a look at these books if you can, but obviously if you're liking TBR then totally go for it. I think I would've liked studying with TBR if I were a bit stronger/more comfortable with the material since it would've helped me get tons of practice with difficult passages.

And yes- Hyperlearning MCAT VR workbook is good. EK 101 VR questions are great as well.

Agreed! I've also heard that BR is a good way to prepare for the MCAT, not to simulate it, which I found to be more and more true after almost 3 weeks. Their turbo-solutions and shortcuts are priceless and can make a big difference, but the material is by far the most difficult I've encountered. Kind of reassuring to read posts that say the actual MCAT was easier than BR though. SN2's schedule is very heavy and time-consuming as it is, but I suppose it's best to prepare with difficulty than be unprepared with easy questions.
If I start taking practice exams and don't see an improvement after 3-4 of them, then I'll go back and see what TPR has to offer. Thanks!

 

[ahisma]

but I suppose it's best to prepare with difficulty than be unprepared with easy questions.

That's what I keep telling myself as well. Trying not to get too hung up on specific problems.

He highly recommends the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Verbal (I think it's that one) book, so maybe give that one a try?

Yea going through TPRH verbal now. I like their explanations the best out of BR and EK.

 

[Cawolf]

I agree on TPRH verbal.

I am working out of TPRH and EK 101 for verbal practice and the TPRH passages and questions are more similar to the style I saw on AAMC 3.

 

[nystin]

So where is everyone with their studies? I am done with content review. Now just trying to practice a lot before I exhaust resources. I have been practicing VR for a few months...

 

[makingthejump]

So where is everyone with their studies? I am done with content review. Now just trying to practice a lot before I exhaust resources. I have been practicing VR for a few months...

What sources are you using for practice b4 aamc practice materials?

 

[nystin]

What sources are you using for practice b4 aamc practice materials?

Kaplan, BR.

 

[azor ahai]

There are going to be VERY limited seats opening up in the following cities. So stay glued. I have AAMCs tweets come directly to me as an alert... So do that if you can. https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/409474/mcatseats.html

Good luck!

Thanks. I'm currently signed up for GUAM.

 

[ReggieNoble22]

I agree with all the talk about the BS. Coming from a mechanical engineering background I have very little bio background and I'm not scoring well on the EK tests let alone the TBR passages (like staring at a foreign language, and the use of outside information makes me annoyed haha). Thinking about switching over to TPR SW for passages or just adding those to my already busy study schedule.

Also, as far as verbal scores go is it right to assume that the scales (although different for each test) are roughly 1 question wrong for each passage will be equivalent to a 10-11?

 

[nystin]

When did you start your content review? I am still covering material. In a prep course that finishes content review beginning of December. I'll have a month between the time the course ends and the test date, but I'm planning on doing lots of practice tests regularly probably starting sometime



in November.
Awe azor sorry to hear that Best of luck- hopefully seats open up for you!

I've been content reviewing since JuLy.

 

[ahisma]

Also, as far as verbal scores go is it right to assume that the scales (although different for each test) are roughly 1 question wrong for each passage will be equivalent to a 10-11?

Assuming 7 passages that would be about right based on the scale S2Ned recommends. No way to tell if this will actually translate to the real exam though since scores are your percentile rank from last year's test performance.

Source: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/85436/preparing_understandingscores.html
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/data/mcat_stats/

 

[Chocolatepumpkinpie]

I heard that the MCAT curve is pre set, so it doesn't matter how everyone else did (?)
Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[ahisma]

From my understanding the scaling is not "pre-set." The first AAMC page I posted says, "The exact conversion of raw to scaled scores is not constant; because different sets of questions are used on different exams."

But at the same time, the AAMC insists there are no major scaling differences based on test date. From the same page:

"While there may be small differences in the MCAT exam you took compared to another examinee, the scoring process accounts for these differences so that an 8 earned on physical sciences on one exam means the same thing as an 8 earned on any other exam. The percentile provided on your score report simply indicates what percentage of examinees from the previous testing year scored the same as you did on the MCAT exam."

So perhaps they re-use questions and scale your score based on the percentile rank for your specific questions across the history of the exam?

 

[Aspringphysician808]

I heard that the MCAT curve is pre set, so it doesn't matter how everyone else did (?)
Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

You are exactly right. A lot of students think the MCAT is curved or that certain test dates out of the year are less difficult. Neither of these are true and here is the reasoning if you are curious.

When a test is curved, this means that the test is being compared to other test takers on the same day. Think about the implication of this...If the MCAT was curved, scores would really fluctuate from one test date to the next. From a medical admission standpoint, using an MCAT score to compare students wouldn't be helpful because of the variability involved in a curved test. Instead the MCAT writers have standardized the MCAT test. When a test is standardized, this means that scores are based on a large sample size. So the MCAT writers use passages that were in prior test as experimental passages and their aggregated date.

...one more thing, the MCAT being standardized means that the AAMC practice exams are likely to reflect your actual MCAT score. So using the practice test to gauge your preparation is good idea! This is also why you will hear people saying to take as many AAMC practice test as possible before the real deal.

 

[kpandher]

Taking this test mainly because I bombed verbal last time

 

[juan_521]

I will join the group here. Retake in January because of my VR score.

 

[Cawolf]

What are you doing different this time around to prepare for VR?

 

[kpandher]

I'm taking a class by a guy whose username is VerbalMadeEasy.
Check him out so far he's pretty good

 

[makingthejump]

You are exactly right. A lot of students think the MCAT is curved or that certain test dates out of the year are less difficult. Neither of these are true and here is the reasoning if you are curious.

When a test is curved, this means that the test is being compared to other test takers on the same day. Think about the implication of this...If the MCAT was curved, scores would really fluctuate from one test date to the next. From a medical admission standpoint, using an MCAT score to compare students wouldn't be helpful because of the variability involved in a curved test. Instead the MCAT writers have standardized the MCAT test. When a test is standardized, this means that scores are based on a large sample size. So the MCAT writers use passages that were in prior test as experimental passages and their aggregated date.

...one more thing, the MCAT being standardized means that the AAMC practice exams are likely to reflect your actual MCAT score. So using the practice test to gauge your preparation is good idea! This is also why you will hear people saying to take as many AAMC practice test as possible before the real deal.

Great post. That's why you gotta take all AAMC exams b/c they are the ONLY reasonable indicator of the score you can expect on the actual mcat. Any deviations from an n=8 on all standardized mcat practice exams vs the actual exam is likely due to being nervous and anxious during the actual test taking

 

[ahisma]

My improvement in verbal really surprised me in the last week. I went from getting most of the questions wrong per passage to getting none or only 1 incorrect. I think EK's verbal techniques really helped me in the beginning of their verbal & math book, specifically their exercises where you answer without reading the passage. It was awkward at first but right afterwards verbal felt noticeably easier. What I do now that I wasn't doing before:

• Actively summarize every idea or argument while reading with confidence
• Do not go back and re-read the passage
• Choose an answer based on my gut feeling, overall theme & direct evidence from passage, most conservative language
• If the question is giving me trouble, I re-phrase them with more simple language aligned to the overall theme of the passage (per EK's technique)
• Broadly categorize missed questions with what I did wrong ("confused double negative" or "misinterpretation of author") to identify weaknesses

I'm doing as many passages as I can tolerate per day and then a little bit more. TPRH verbal is my favorite with EK 2nd.

 

[makingthejump]

Anyone start practice exams yet? If so, what are your scores like?

 

[Cawolf]

I took AAMC 3 before starting as a baseline. I did better than I thought I would, but now my target is higher!

 

[kpandher]

Any recommendations on practice tests if exhausted all of the AAMCs and the Gold Standard tests? I plan on doing the AAMCs again, but my score will probably be inflated

 

[ahisma]

I saw some recommendations for additional tests recently discussed at http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/retaking-no-aamcs-to-use.1101709/

One person said the old R version (paper) of the AAMC FLs are longer and have some more info than the online ones if you already did those.

 

[3655]

Any recommendations on practice tests if exhausted all of the AAMCs and the Gold Standard tests? I plan on doing the AAMCs again, but my score will probably be inflated

There are Tbr exams you can order, maybe some of the old kaplan exams. I think i read somewhere that some of the passages used in the old R versions were used in the self-assessments but if you haven't done those, maybe you can try those as well.

 

[ahisma]

I heard the same thing too but also saw a claim that they contained additional info:

I was FORCED to take it again since my scores expired. I also had done all the aamcs plus the self assessments and EK/Princeton. so I got all the R version tests (they do NOT contain all of the stuff in the self assessment, there is some new stuff in there) and I did those

 

[Dolly96]

Hi everyone! After reading these forums for quite some time, I've finally joined. We have 71 days until MCAT day! Have any of you taken the AAMC Self-Assessment exams yet?

 

[nystin]

Hi everyone! After reading these forums for quite some time, I've finally joined. We have 71 days until MCAT day! Have any of you taken the AAMC Self-Assessment exams yet?

Nah. Not yet. Gonna start em soon though. Have you?

 

[Dolly96]

Nah. Not yet. Gonna start em soon though. Have you?

No, I haven't yet. I'm thinking about waiting until at least mid-November. I studied a lot over the summer, but still need to touch up on some content.

 

[nystin]

No, I haven't yet. I'm thinking about waiting until at least mid-November. I studied a lot over the summer, but still need to touch up on some content.

Yeah that's what I am doing. I am trying to finish all of my Kaplan stuff. Before I dabble in the AAMC stuff. Also. I am totally over this test. Lol. I can't remember a time...where I did nothing on my days off........seems so so long ago.

 

[mauroz]

Yeah that's what I am doing. I am trying to finish all of my Kaplan stuff. Before I dabble in the AAMC stuff. Also. I am totally over this test. Lol. I can't remember a time...where I did nothing on my days off........seems so so long ago.

Better get used to it now

 

[nystin]

Better get used to it now

Amen. But sometimes its like GAAAHH!

 

[kpandher]

There are Tbr exams you can order, maybe some of the old kaplan exams. I think i read somewhere that some of the passages used in the old R versions were used in the self-assessments but if you haven't done those, maybe you can try those as well.

Is Kaplan or Berkeley Review better? for practice tests
and anybody know about Princeton Review tests

 

[kpandher]

How are you guys balancing school and studying for MCAT

 

[nystin]

Is Kaplan or Berkeley Review better? for practice tests
and anybody know about Princeton Review tests

TBR is better than Kaplan by a long shot. I am doing TBR for extra practice. Don't know about Princeton..