The Official March 22, 2014 MCAT Thread...

MCAT is Hard? Not with BeMo's 515 Score Guarantee.
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brood910 said:
Yeah. I remember reading "if your undergraduate school has a health committee, a letter from them is required" somewhere. It's different for different schools though.
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ok cool thanks, I was flipping out about that lol then I found out my school doesn't do those kind of letters. phew. Are students who don't have that opportunity at a disadvantage compared other applicants?
 
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mrh125 said:
ok cool thanks, I was flipping out about that lol then I found out my school doesn't do those kind of letters. phew. Are students who don't have that opportunity at a disadvantage compared other applicants?
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Depends... sometimes I worry my committee letter will take away the strength of the individual letters. Kind of like reading a review paper vs. primary source
 
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TheNeuroman said:
Depends... sometimes I worry my committee letter will take away the strength of the individual letters. Kind of like reading a review paper vs. primary source
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Agree.

What's weird is that I stumbled across a school that actually requires a committee packet (composite + individuals that made up that composite)... but my school only does the composite letter. Meh.
 
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TheNeuroman said:
Depends... sometimes I worry my committee letter will take away the strength of the individual letters. Kind of like reading a review paper vs. primary source
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TBH, ppl working there are the most useless ppl I've ever met. Their advice sucks cow balls. Not even sure if their letter will be any good. They told me they do not write a bad letter, but still.. seeing how useless they are makes me believe their letter will be useless too.
 
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brood910 said:
TBH, ppl working there are the most useless ppl I've ever met. Their advice sucks cow balls. Not even sure if their letter will be any good. They told me they do not write a bad letter, but still.. seeing how useless they are makes me believe their letter will be useless too.
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haha I agree 100%. The advisors I had (which I assume would normally be the committee) were the most useless and discouraging people I've ever encountered and gave me advice that just set me up for failure had I followed it. I would have severely dreaded requiring anything from them at all.
 
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@brood910 idk why you are nervous bro you are gonna be like those guys in the January MCAT thread who said "Post expected score: 29. Actual score 34. Welp. That happened"lol
 
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So does everyone here pretty much feel that our actual MCAT is a lot harder than the AAMC practice exams?
 
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I'm actually thankful I work the next 3 days (10 hours each one) so that before I know it it'll be Tuesday. But I'm probably going to have an ulcer by the time this is over...
 
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madmuttal said:
guys i was reading the jan exam thread and i found this which made me hopeful....the person had some good luck, hopefully we all have that too!!


Test Date: 1/23
AAMC average scores: Ranged from 30-35, but average was 31.6 with AAMC 10 and 11 being 31 and 30, respectively
Post-Test Expected Score: Maybe 30-32 if I was lucky. I was especially worried about verbal because my VR score ranged 7-11 on AAMC practice tests and I had 4 minutes left to do the last passage!
Actual Score: 12/10/14 = 36
Comments: I only scored a 35 once on AAMC 9 so I wasn't expecting a 36 at all. I had to triple check to make sure I read it correctly haha. I definitely struggled while I was studying because my practice test scores were inconsistent. I kept pushing through though. I was seated near the door during my exam and thought the distractions from the door opening/closing would make me perform worse. After I took the exam, I was hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I read inspirational posts from previous test takers who had low AAMC practice test scores and scored above their average to keep me motivated until test day. I'm so glad I don't have to retake.
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Hahaha, I posted that and I'm happy it gave you some hope! I think I did have good luck on my side though. I'm not religious at all and I'm not advocating this, but I prayed at a temple before and after my test haha. I'm not saying that made a difference, but who knows?? I'm somewhat of a believer after receiving my MCAT score :p.

From what I remember, I didn't feel like my test exploited my strengths in any way though, which was why I really worried. Based on undergrad, I also have a tendency to underestimate myself and pressure can make me perform better sometimes.

I occasionally checked this thread so I'm rooting for you all when your scores are released :).
 
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good luck guys, when we wake up tomorrow only 3 more days left. If I did well on this mcat it's going to open so many doors. I've been researching and ordering medical schools based off of their stats and mine in excel like all day and a few points can make all the difference in the world.

Same for all of us :).
 
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I think real test shouldn't be easier than the AAMC, otherwise the curve will be ridiculous. In general, I think MCAT is a very doable test but getting a high score requires tremendous amount of effort and some luck. I used to be the one complain about the test, but now I see it as a selective test for a specialized career. The test isn't for everybody just like a career in medicine isn't for everybody either.
 
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justanotherday said:
I think real test shouldn't be easier than the AAMC, otherwise the curve will be ridiculous. In general, I think MCAT is a very doable test but getting a high score requires tremendous amount of effort and some luck. I used to be the one complain about the test, but now I see it as a selective test for a specialized career. The test isn't for everybody just like a career in medicine isn't for everybody either.
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yea, but anyone can do it with enough time, energy, and enough practice. it's just a matter of how much you want it. I mean it may takes months upon months upon months of seemingly infinite practice to get a 30 and it may not be a "pass with flying colors above average 35+", but you can still achieve what you want. I studied for this test for so long and I'm feeling very positive about getting a 30 or above (keep positive guys and dont doubt yourself, positive attitude is at least half of winning the game) Whether or not this test's selectivity is right for medical school is debatable imo, but regardless it's not gonna change, so it's better for everyone to just get their study on like no other.

The rising average mcat score is what bugs me the most though, i mean 73% of people dont get a 30 or above, yet the median mcat score nationwide of accepted students (if that's what the msar is based off of) is now 33. It's like holy ****.
 
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mrh125 said:
yea, but anyone can do it with enough time, energy, and enough practice. it's just a matter of how much you want it. I mean it may takes months upon months upon months of seemingly infinite practice to get a 30 and it may not be a "pass with flying colors above average 35+", but you can still achieve what you want. I studied for this test for so long and I'm feeling very positive about getting a 30 or above (keep positive guys and dont doubt yourself, positive attitude is at least half of winning the game) Whether or not this test's selectivity is right for medical school is debatable imo, but regardless it's not gonna change, so it's better for everyone to just get their study on like no other.

The rising average mcat score is what bugs me the most though, i mean 73% of people dont get a 30 or above, yet the median mcat score nationwide of accepted students (if that's what the msar is based off of) is now 33. It's like holy ****.
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really?I have 2009 version of MSAR and it says around 30. 33 is like 90 percentile.....
 
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I had a dream I got a 28- PS: 10 VR:15 and BS: 3. Hahah. I just love MCAT dreams.
 
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Tman90 said:
Just to be certain, thats the median? not the mean? If so, what was the mean?
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they dont show the mean on the msar. it threw me off too that they show the median, but yes it only shows the median.
 
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mrh125 said:
yea, but anyone can do it with enough time, energy, and enough practice. it's just a matter of how much you want it. I mean it may takes months upon months upon months of seemingly infinite practice to get a 30 and it may not be a "pass with flying colors above average 35+", but you can still achieve what you want. I studied for this test for so long and I'm feeling very positive about getting a 30 or above (keep positive guys and dont doubt yourself, positive attitude is at least half of winning the game) Whether or not this test's selectivity is right for medical school is debatable imo, but regardless it's not gonna change, so it's better for everyone to just get their study on like no other.

The rising average mcat score is what bugs me the most though, i mean 73% of people dont get a 30 or above, yet the median mcat score nationwide of accepted students (if that's what the msar is based off of) is now 33. It's like holy ****.
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Honestly, I don't see ANY reason why staying positive helps. The score is completely out of our hands now. That said, I'm expecting the absolute worse. AAMC average was a 29, i thought the test was "meh," expecting a 23-26. If i fall within that range, then no surprise. I'm already scheduled for the retake. Will just start studying after my finals are over this week. If i score at my average or higher, i'm gonna go effing insane.

On the other hand, if i'm thinking, "wow maybe i pulled off a 30+, that'd be incredible :) :) :)," then i'm only gonna be really down in the dumps when i see my score.

With all that being said, i've been pretty relaxed during this past month. However, now that the day is getting real close, and i know that getting a good score IS POSSIBLE, i'm starting to get a little nervous.

Regardless of my score, i don't plan on posting it here hahah. If i don't do well then i won't want to see that everyone scored high. If i score high, i won't want to make anyone feel bad. If i don't post on here before tuesday, good luck to everyone! Fight hard, never quit.
 
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I'm also expecting the worst, although there is a slight chance I scored my average. I'm not sure how likely that is though considering my performance was not like the practice tests. Hoping for some good news Tuesday. Good luck you guys!!!!! Praying for us all!
 
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mrh125 said:
they dont show the mean on the msar. it threw me off too that they show the median, but yes it only shows the median.
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median means 50% people is higher and 50% of people is lower than that number. actually it's a better descriptor of a data set than mean if the distribution is not gaussian.
I would say mean is less useful in our case of MCAT score since the distribution is not symmetrical
 
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Omppu27 said:
Honestly, I don't see ANY reason why staying positive helps. The score is completely out of our hands now. That said, I'm expecting the absolute worse. AAMC average was a 29, i thought the test was "meh," expecting a 23-26. If i fall within that range, then no surprise. I'm already scheduled for the retake. Will just start studying after my finals are over this week. If i score at my average or higher, i'm gonna go effing insane.

On the other hand, if i'm thinking, "wow maybe i pulled off a 30+, that'd be incredible :) :) :)," then i'm only gonna be really down in the dumps when i see my score.

With all that being said, i've been pretty relaxed during this past month. However, now that the day is getting real close, and i know that getting a good score IS POSSIBLE, i'm starting to get a little nervous.

Regardless of my score, i don't plan on posting it here hahah. If i don't do well then i won't want to see that everyone scored high. If i score high, i won't want to make anyone feel bad. If i don't post on here before tuesday, good luck to everyone! Fight hard, never quit.
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staying positive helps because you cant change it or stress over what's out of control. less stress for now, when you get the score it is what it is.
 
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I also had a dream last night 10/8/11. And I don't why in my dream the total is 31. When I woke up I calculated it again, it's actually 29........... I don't know which one is true.....
 
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what are you all planing to do take your mind off this torture? I'm preparing for a job interview for tomorrow...
 
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Tman90 said:
I want to say I disagree, but you're probably right since thats the way they do things, hahahaha. The only thing I will say is that I thought one of the main purposes of the scaled score is to be able to put those scores on a normal scale, in which case wouldn't the mean be preferable as long as there no outliers?
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Outlier is one of the consideration when deciding using mean or median. But if you look at the hist of the accepted score, you will find a good number of people with 25-29 got accepted. There are only small number of people score 36+, so the data is actually negatively skewed. The mean will be less than median 33, but giving applicants a unrealistic perception since scoring mean actually put them in the bottom half.
 
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justanotherday said:
Outlier is one of the consideration when deciding using mean or median. But if you look at the hist of the accepted score, you will find a good number of people with 25-29 got accepted. There are only small number of people score 36+, so the data is actually negatively skewed. The mean will be less than median 33, but giving applicants a unrealistic perception since scoring mean actually put them in the bottom half.
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We talking MD?
 
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Haha, I meant are we talking about MDs as in allopathic medical schools. The other person said that a sizeable chunk gets in with 25-29 MCAT score, and I wanted to know if he's talking about MDs or DOs. Sorry for the confusion.
 
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2 more days!!!!!!

had a dream early this morning where I checked the score it was 10/13/13........when i woke up from the dream, it was still dark and i shouted NOOOOOOOO!!!
 
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Apparently we're all freaking out because I had a dream I got a 36 :\
Haha! Yeah right..... In my dreams :p
 
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It's worse having a dream about getting a great score because you wake up and it's not real. At least the other way around you are relieved
 
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let us all calm down and enjoy the last two days :)
whatever the outcome is, there are many paths in life so just be calm ;)
 
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Had a dream that my composite was listed as an 18... a 2 PS/ 10VR/ 10 BS. Yes... I know that sums to 22. My dreams don't make sense.
 
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