*The Official May 6th, 2016 MCAT Thread*

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DannySCR

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
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Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to see who's with me in fighting this beast on May 6th. This could be a great place to help each other out, be it through study tips, mnemonics, or simply relieving stress. Nice to meet you all!

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Don't even know what to study at this point.

Have a final on the 11th...maybe I should start studying for that.
 
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Scored FL scores
516 - CP: 129 (88%)/CARS: 130 (89%)/B&B 128 (83%)/P/S 129 (88%)

Guys, I'm legit shocked. I never expected to do this well - especially on C/P. I've been doing so so on NextStep Exams (507/508s for 5 out of 6 exams) and not too hot on the Section Banks (65% on CP/B/B & 71% on P/S). All I want is a 511+ to get into my in-state schools. God, my adrenaline is pumping. Keep pushing guys. We can do it!!!!
nice job man. i also averaged ~508 on NS exams and i got a 515 on the scored FL. man i would love to get this score on the real thing. i'm just hoping the scored FL is not a fluke... i'm scared my actual score will end up being closer to my NS scores
 
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GUYS,

SO I'm looking for some advice. I just took my last Next Step Full Length today. I've done 6 total and have scored 503-508. And have taken TPR FL and scored a 500. I was just wondering how similar my score would be to the actual thing(I'm going to take the scored FL Wednesday since my test is on the 14th). My goal is honestly a 508-510. If I score in that range, I'll be a happy camper. Would I have a chance?

Also, what's worrying me is that my CARS score just keeps going down. Is it me or is NEXT STEP CARS convoluted?? Some answers are almost verbatim and others require you to do guesswork/inferences that I think is way beyond AAMC. uggh and my score has dropped from consistent 126 to 124, should I be worried? Or is Next STep's verbal just a crap shoot?

Any advice greatly appreciated!!
NS CARS suck. their science sections are good practice, but i really think their CARS section is way too convoluted and full of trick answers. i would not stress too much about their CARS if i were you. practice with AAMC CARS
 
nice job man. i also averaged ~508 on NS exams and i got a 515 on the scored FL. man i would love to get this score on the real thing. i'm just hoping the scored FL is not a fluke... i'm scared my actual score will end up being closer to my NS scores

Haha, same. It's like impostor syndrome. But, I definitely made a bunch of educated guesses throughout and marked a ton in C/P & B/B. I should figure out more efficient marking techniques.
 
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what are you guys doing for the last 5 days?
was thinking of just going through my notes for every subject. Should i take another kaplan fl? with a 502 on aamc scored, i really am feeling down at this point. Didnt even do anything all day today :(
 
what are you guys doing for the last 5 days?
was thinking of just going through my notes for every subject. Should i take another kaplan fl? with a 502 on aamc scored, i really am feeling down at this point. Didnt even do anything all day today :(
Taking scored tomorrow and then relaxing
 
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what are you guys doing for the last 5 days?
was thinking of just going through my notes for every subject. Should i take another kaplan fl? with a 502 on aamc scored, i really am feeling down at this point. Didnt even do anything all day today :(
I was thinking maybe do some Anki (I still have a pile up of new cards I haven't gotten around to), but at this point, practice passages are probably a better way of getting concepts to stick. I've also been trying to watch some Khan videos (at 2x speed because ain't nobody got time) when I identify weak points.

I don't even know how to approach CARS for these last few days. I still have a few CARS Q-pack passages to go, and even when I think I've got AAMC's reasoning all figured out, they come up with some explanation of nowhere that just leaves me staring at the screen like ".....Sure"

Those of you getting 128+ on CARS, I don't understand you.
 
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I'm at the point where I realize there are certain topics that just won't stick with me. I did well in orgo for school but it's honestly giving me so many problems on the mcat. Almost all the questions I get wrong are orgo/orgo technique related.

**** carbons.
 
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Just done the FL scored. Turned out to have a 509.

Hope I can keep that in the real thing!!!

*btw, anyone feel that the scored is actually easier than the FL sample a lot?
 
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Don't even know what to study at this point.

Have a final on the 11th...maybe I should start studying for that.

What best describes what this student is experiencing?
a.) social loafing
b.) role strain
c.) role conflict
d.) cognitive dissonance
 
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Took the scored yesterday got a 506 but the cars section really brought my score down. At this point ill gladly take a 506-507 and take my chances.


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Took the scored yesterday got a 506 but the cars section really brought my score down. At this point ill gladly take a 506-507 and take my chances.


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Yep, I know how you feel. I got all questions wrong for one of the passages which totally dragged my score down :(
I really hate those passages written with awkward choice of words......especially when I am from a non-English speaking background.
 
Btw, I have also taken 3 TPR and 1 Kaplan FL. All ended up with 501-503. I would recommend not to take their scores very seriously. They may be some good practices for concept clearance and term memorization, but I don't think their scoring systems representative at all and some of the questions I personally think were written poorly and inconsistently. Don't lose faith and hope, just a few more days and we will be free!!!
 
How do you guys attack the tricky experiment heavy B/B passages? I start to read them and mid-way through I'm lost.
 
How do you guys attack the tricky experiment heavy B/B passages? I start to read them and mid-way through I'm lost.
I have to read those passages a few times. But once I figure out what's going on I'll write down key points, like compound X was subjected to Y to measure Z. And then I'd write down the results and what they mean, just a few words to sum it up so it doesn't waste much time since I likely wasted enough time re-reading. I've been finding it helpful to just jot those things down so I can keep everything straight. I'm sure we will see a few of those on Friday. If I'm tight on time I'll likely mark them and come back or just guess tbh.


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How do you guys attack the tricky experiment heavy B/B passages? I start to read them and mid-way through I'm lost.

I usually start by panicking, skimming through because realistically I cant follow all of the info. Just highlighting the amino acids, what the enzymes are like kinases, any inhibitors, is it membrane bound, hydrophobic or phillic, and at the end I summarize what I think the purpose of the experiment is. Usually half the questions will be based on those details alone


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How do you guys attack the tricky experiment heavy B/B passages? I start to read them and mid-way through I'm lost.
Once again, not sure why I'm offering advice as if I've mastered this because I haven't, but in addition to what's already been said, I thinking reading the title of the cited source (if it's offered in the passage) helps with understanding the general idea behind the passage. And if figures and tables are offered as well, even better.
 
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Guys I keep seeing contradicting things about reinforcement schedules. I know the response rate of ratio is faster than intervals, but is a variable ratio schedule response rate faster or a fixed ratio schedule response rate faster?

If you google "reinforcement schedules" you get graphs showing both...
 
I thought response rates were relative to the experiment being done. Is there one universal schedule that produces the fastest response?


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Guys I keep seeing contradicting things about reinforcement schedules. I know the response rate of ratio is faster than intervals, but is a variable ratio schedule response rate faster or a fixed ratio schedule response rate faster?

If you google "reinforcement schedules" you get graphs showing both...

As far as I know, VR pattern of reinforcement is most effective in establishing the desired behavior.
 
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84%, 76%, and 67% on SB round 2 for psych, bio, and chem. Don't know if my scores are inflated from remembering answers or if I actually learned some things, probably from remembering. All that's left is scored AAMC tomorrow.
 
I thought response rates were relative to the experiment being done. Is there one universal schedule that produces the fastest response?
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I am talking in regards to comparing the different reinforcement schedules - fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio, variable ratio, etc.


As far as I know, VR pattern of reinforcement is most effective in establishing the desired behavior.

Do you remember the source for where you got this info?
 
I am talking in regards to comparing the different reinforcement schedules - fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio, variable ratio, etc.




Do you remember the source for where you got this info?

Kaplan has a graph that shows that VR > FR > VI > FI for reinforcement
 
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Kaplan has a mnemonic for VR. "VR stands for Variable Ratio, but it also stands for Very Rapid and Very Resistant to extinction."


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Got spanked by the Scored, getting spanked by the OG. Losing confidence daily
 
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Got spanked by the Scored, getting spanked by the OG. Losing confidence daily
May I ask how you're doing? About to take the scored tomorrow. Kind of terrified I'll do poorly 4 days before I sit for the actual exam.

Hang in there!

84%, 76%, and 67% on SB round 2 for psych, bio, and chem. Don't know if my scores are inflated from remembering answers or if I actually learned some things, probably from remembering. All that's left is scored AAMC tomorrow.

Good luck! Curious on how you do as well. Congratulations on SB scores.
 
Variable ratio is the BEST method for resistance to extinction- think gambling and why it is so addicting.

I was a psych major and if I could say I learned anything with 100% confidence from undergrad this would be it, lmao.
 
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May I ask how you're doing? About to take the scored tomorrow. Kind of terrified I'll do poorly 4 days before I sit for the actual exam.

Hang in there!



Good luck! Curious on how you do as well. Congratulations on SB scores.

finished with 65% on the OG. CARS was easy, I found C/P to be hard, P/S relatively easy even though I keep getting answers wrong. B/B was normal.
 
Took the FL scored last weekend and got a 503. Took the unscored today and using the AAMC percentiles I got around 506-507. Not great, but at this point I'll take what I can get...

Anyone have a good recommendation for resources for enzyme kinetics?
 
Took the FL scored last weekend and got a 503. Took the unscored today and using the AAMC percentiles I got around 506-507. Not great, but at this point I'll take what I can get...

Anyone have a good recommendation for resources for enzyme kinetics?
Kahn is pretty good. And they have a bunch of passages
 
Anybody here preview the B/B or C/P questions before actually reading the passage? I have found several passages with a crap ton of graphs/info and then the questions are essentially FSQ or not related to the graphs? I only preview Qs in CARS so I don't know if it is wise for me to switch now--gonna re do teh SB and see if that strategy plays out well.

Also, are people just honing in on what they know or are trying to learn new concepts, i.e. lens diopeters (which I do not know very well...)
 
Anybody here preview the B/B or C/P questions before actually reading the passage? I have found several passages with a crap ton of graphs/info and then the questions are essentially FSQ or not related to the graphs? I only preview Qs in CARS so I don't know if it is wise for me to switch now--gonna re do teh SB and see if that strategy plays out well.

Also, are people just honing in on what they know or are trying to learn new concepts, i.e. lens diopeters (which I do not know very well...)
I wouldn't worry about lens diopter a at this point probably not high yield
 
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Took the FL scored last weekend and got a 503. Took the unscored today and using the AAMC percentiles I got around 506-507. Not great, but at this point I'll take what I can get...

Anyone have a good recommendation for resources for enzyme kinetics?
How did you use the AAMC percentiles to convert your score? Does AAMC have a raw to percentile conversion out?
 
Taking the exam with you all this Friday! Best of luck to you all. Honestly, I'm just ready to relax from this regardless of what score I get. We have studied all this information in classes and have had content review and take FL's (seriously, devoting 6+ hrs just to do this is a bit outrageous), so I'm really sort of over this and am just ready to take it this Friday. Anyone else on the same boat with me? I guess maybe the reason why I feel so laid-back about it is that I have a back-up that I wouldn't mind going into.
 
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How did you use the AAMC percentiles to convert your score? Does AAMC have a raw to percentile conversion out?

My bad, I was using the percentiles as though they were % correct. But comparing my % correct on today's unscored FL with my % correct on my scored FL, I increased by 4-5% more correct this time, so I think my estimate is about right.

@myevilclone I agree, at this point I just want to be done and get to work on my app. I'm in a lucky state so if anything else I feel like I have a pretty solid chance at getting into my state school.
 
How in depth do you read the psych passages? I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like background knowledge can help me answer 80% of the questions and the other 20%, I Just glide over the table/figure the question is referring to. I've felt this to be true for both AAMC's question backs and NS FLs that I've taken.
 
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