The Official October 25th, 2014 MCAT Thread

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Violagirl

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Hey all! Just thought I'd get a thread out there for those of us taking the MCAT on October 25th! Feel free to post how you plan to study, any study tips/tricks you might have or other resources you found helpful that might benefit others. I originally planned on taking the MCAT on July 12th but ended up having to reschedule with the hassle of job hunting. Now that I have a new job lined up, I ended up rescheduling to take it in October instead in getting back on track with studying. Best of luck to everyone taking it!

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Five days and about 16 hours until Tragedy Tuesday, when the cold-eyed executioners of the AAMC release their verdict. We've spent the last 25 days or so in crippling fear and the most intense torment still awaits.

Some people think the MCAT is a matter of life and death. This is incorrect: it's way more important than that.
 
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Five days and about 16 hours until Tragedy Tuesday, when the cold-eyed executioners of the AAMC release their verdict. We've spent the last 25 days or so in crippling fear and the most intense torment still awaits.

Some people think the MCAT is a matter of life and death. This is incorrect: it's way more important than that.

Yeah pretty much, you have it spot on. Literally my whole life is weighing on this one moment. I try to act like it's whatever and I don't care, but at the end of the day.... it is going to be the most terrifying moment of my life. And the worst part is, it's not going to be good :(
 
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Btw - is time going ridiculously slow for anyone else? It's like it'll never be Tuesday. Sigh. Though I don't even want it to be. Blissful ignorance is always better.
 
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Btw - is time going ridiculously slow for anyone else? It's like it'll never be Tuesday. Sigh. Though I don't even want it to be. Blissful ignorance is always better.

Quite the contrary for me. I've been studying again for a most likely retake so I know when the scores come out, it'll be a month closer to my retake.
 
I'm also late in replying to this thread. I believe the Physical Science was not in the least similar to the AAMC practice exams. I struggled terribly and I normally average a 11-12 on AAMC practice physical science sections. My heart was nearly exploding out of my chest for the first 5 minutes. I had to use yoga techniques to calm myself down and do some discretes. Verbal I thought I did alright, it was similar to AAMC 10 and 11. Biology was easier in the first half of the exam, but the latter half was getting harder, albeit manageable. I'm expecting getting hosed on PS hard and it is a little concerning that some people found it not too bad... The wait is killing me.
 
Btw - is time going ridiculously slow for anyone else? It's like it'll never be Tuesday. Sigh. Though I don't even want it to be. Blissful ignorance is always better.

Same. You know, I thought time was going by faster and faster as I got older. I can say that I have found the antidote for that trend: waiting on a MCAT score.

Here's the thing: let's say you achieve your wildest MCAT fantasies and get the score of your dreams. Everything goes your way and a year later, you're sitting on an acceptance to your top choice medical school. You go there and it really is everything you were hoping it was. Years 1 and 2 are filled with success. Then, you have to take USMLE Step 1, the MCAT's bigger and much meaner brother, where the scores can take EVEN LONGER to release. The people who took the exam on May 12th have to wait until like July 9th for the scores to be released. Your future and hundreds of thousands of dollars in spent money are at stake, loans that will hound you until the day you die. Based on how you're feeling now, how will you feel then? How slowly will time pass?

A guy I know made a silly little social media app earlier this year with his friends. It blew up and he's now sitting on $75 million in venture capital funding, which is probably more than what five attendings combined will make in their lifetimes. Making that money did not involve taking a multiple-choice test filled with continuity equations and magnetic fields and linkage analyses. Sometimes, it seems like medicine is the hardest, most stressful path to a decent standard of living- and we haven't even started yet.
 
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Same. You know, I thought time was going by faster and faster as I got older. I can say that I have found the antidote for that trend: waiting on a MCAT score.

Here's the thing: let's say you achieve your wildest MCAT fantasies and get the score of your dreams. Everything goes your way and a year later, you're sitting on an acceptance to your top choice medical school. You go there and it really is everything you were hoping it was. Years 1 and 2 are filled with success. Then, you have to take USMLE Step 1, the MCAT's bigger and much meaner brother, where the scores can take EVEN LONGER to release. The people who took the exam on May 12th have to wait until like July 9th for the scores to be released. Your future and hundreds of thousands of dollars in spent money are at stake, loans that will hound you until the day you die. Based on how you're feeling now, how will you feel then? How slowly will time pass?

A guy I know made a silly little social media app earlier this year with his friends. It blew up and he's now sitting on $75 million in venture capital funding, which is probably more than what five attendings combined will make in their lifetimes. Making that money did not involve taking a multiple-choice test filled with continuity equations and magnetic fields and linkage analyses. Sometimes, it seems like medicine is the hardest, most stressful path to a decent standard of living- and we haven't even started yet.

Yeah but to counter what you said, with the USLME, at least at that point you are in medical school. Plus I feel the USLME is more relevant than a bunch of abstract questions about physics and chemistry. I'd pick the USLME over MCAT anyday (Lol, I say that now...ask me again in two years).

GAHHHH why isn't it Tuesday yet????
 
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So I'm confused, I see people saying the Oct 25th MCAT scores should be out next Tuesday November 25th but the Oct 21st MCAT group is saying their scores will be out the same day November 25th. So, does anyone have any idea when we should expect our scores for Oct 25th MCAT?
 
The verdict will be read at 5PM EST, generally. At that time, the quantum wavefunction that is your MCAT score will collapse into a single value-a single two-digit number that will represent your value as a human being, more or less. It will be emblazoned upon your application like the scarlet "A" on the smock of Hester Prynne.

What WON'T be revealed is the answers to the questions we agonized over for the past month. Remember those hard PS questions that you tried to Google after the test, to little avail? You'll never know the answer, or even if you got them right. Even if you got a 15 in that section-and I know I didn't- the curve may be set up so that you could miss one or two and still get a 15. The AAMC will just appear, tersely toss out a few numbers, and then disappear into the darkness.
 
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The verdict will be read at 5PM EST, generally. At that time, the quantum wavefunction that is your MCAT score will collapse into a single value-a single two-digit number that will represent your value as a human being, more or less. It will be emblazoned upon your application like the scarlet "A" on the smock of Hester Prynne.

What WON'T be revealed is the answers to the questions we agonized over for the past month. Remember those hard PS questions that you tried to Google after the test, to little avail? You'll never know the answer, or even if you got them right. Even if you got a 15 in that section-and I know I didn't- the curve may be set up so that you could miss one or two and still get a 15. The AAMC will just appear, tersely toss out a few numbers, and then disappear into the darkness.

That's exactly what I was thinking earlier, a two digit number that will define everything. Also, why was it that googling the answers to those PS questions didn't work? Seriously I spent so much time trying to find answers, but why? Honestly I was tempted to post them to AskScience of Reddit, but I'm terrified AAMC will come find me...
 
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Is anyone else waiting on their score to finish applying? Im sitting on like 10 secondaries right now and simply need my mcat score to send them. Its a horrible feeling to have so much hanging in the balance on one number. I applied late in hopes of getting a good score and having everything complete by December ( I'm only applying DO so still a chance at that point) but the way I felt when leaving the test I scored a 15. My aamc average was a 30 with aamc 11 being 32 and i literally feel like i could have scored anywhere from 15-27. FML
 
OMG. Worst dream ever. I dreamt I had a 7 in PS, 11 in VR and then a 4 in Bio. Which was such a WTF moment because I thought I killed bio. Welp, at least we're all a day closer. Though I really feel I won't be able to bring myself to check..
 
Is anyone else waiting on their score to finish applying? Im sitting on like 10 secondaries right now and simply need my mcat score to send them. Its a horrible feeling to have so much hanging in the balance on one number. I applied late in hopes of getting a good score and having everything complete by December ( I'm only applying DO so still a chance at that point) but the way I felt when leaving the test I scored a 15. My aamc average was a 30 with aamc 11 being 32 and i literally feel like i could have scored anywhere from 15-27. FML

You're not the only one...I felt like my score could have been 15 too except I wouldn't even ask for a miracle of a 27 after walking out of that test. Not applying this cycle though..hopefully next one depending on how the mcat goes.
 
The verdict will be read at 5PM EST, generally. At that time, the quantum wavefunction that is your MCAT score will collapse into a single value-a single two-digit number that will represent your value as a human being, more or less. It will be emblazoned upon your application like the scarlet "A" on the smock of Hester Prynne.

What WON'T be revealed is the answers to the questions we agonized over for the past month. Remember those hard PS questions that you tried to Google after the test, to little avail? You'll never know the answer, or even if you got them right. Even if you got a 15 in that section-and I know I didn't- the curve may be set up so that you could miss one or two and still get a 15. The AAMC will just appear, tersely toss out a few numbers, and then disappear into the darkness.

Well hopefully it will be a two digit number... if not your application goes like this:+pity+ And then in response, you go like this: +pissed+
 
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Am just wondering what the Physical section will do to my score. I can only remember thinking "kill me now" during that section....This is my Second and Last Retake. :(:(:(:(
 
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Since the test, after i do something good for someone. i stop i think " did i just do that because i want to get a good score?" ha. Lord i surrender my score to you. Surprise us all in a good way §
 
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Since the test, after i do something good for someone. i stop i think " did i just do that because i want to get a good score?" ha. Lord i surrender my score to you. Surprise us all in a good way §

I DO THE SAME THING. That's why I up'd my CS hours... lol
 
Having an awful time trying to study for a Cell Bio test tomorrow. All I keep seeing on my flash cards is:

Test Date: 10/25/14
Time: 1:00 pm
FL AAMC Average: 25
AAMC 10-11 Avg.: 24.5
Post-test expected score: 27
Actual Score (PS/V/BS): :depressed:/:spitoutpacifier:/:dead:
 
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I'm really glad I'm a non-trad because I'm old enough to purchase alcohol. You under-21s who are taking it junior year must be going through hell with this anxiety and nothing to take the edge off.
 
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Does anyone else feel at peace with whatever happens tomorrow? It's weird, I've been freaking out all week/past month, but now I'm just like "whatever."
 
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lol...if you guys really let an MCAT define your life...smh...MCAT is not one all be all...im getting my MCAT tomorrow as well and its my third time taking it. Im going to SGU most likely and I have friends who have gone there and did very well. Also the doctors I work with agree with me in that the MCAT is a worthless exam. doesn't mean anything in your competency to succeed in medical school. if medicine is truly your desire in life, then don't let numbers define your humanity and desire to succeed. apply to DO schools or go to the "carrib" which supposedly "the worst".
 
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I'm just ready to know what my next step is in this process! Do I need to study for this thing again or am I fine to relax and just prep for the next app cycle I just want to know! Tomorrow I find that out, and whatever happens I'm ok with that because no one score will define my career! Only I Can! With that in my heart I know I will be fine!
 
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Well, at least in my neck of the woods, it's the 25th now. Good luck to those receiving their scores today. May we all get the scores we want.
 
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For anyone repeatedly checking, here's what I saw on their twitter response: "Scores are released by 5 PM ET. An announcement will be made on Twitter once scores are posted."
 
I was not stressed out about my scores until this last two days. Oh well. May all the forces be in our favor.

Please no "I got a 37, should i retake" trolls here today, i will find you and reduce your real mcat score by a factor of ten.

Ain't nobody got time for that. §
 
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^^^^^^^^^^^^ this times 1,000!! The really awesome ones are when they say something like this, " My AAMC average was a 27 and I scored a 34 on the real thing :(. Im so depressed I didn't do better and wondering if I should retake or not?" ................Like WTH your average was 7 points less than what you actually scored you idiot! Its gonna be a long day lol
 
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. all i hope for is a double digit in each section, but i cant bring myself to check till after my birthday. cant afford to ruin it
 
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I'm on lunch and NOW I'm nervous...I've been good this ENTIRE MONTH, and now I want to panic...the food I'm eating is enjoyable but if I vomit I wouldn't be surprised... I may not even check tonight!
 
I'm actually having a great day haha so I think I can handle a set back pretty well if it needs to come. Will report back in 2 hours
 
I don't know why all of a sudden it came on. I was rear ended on the way to work that SUCKED, so a bad MCAT probably couldn't make my day worse lol
 
Test Date: 10/25/14
Time: 1:00 pm
FL AAMC Average: 25
AAMC 10-11 Avg.: 24.5
Post-test expected score: 27
Actual Score (PS/V/BS): 28 (9/9/10)

I'll take it!
 
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Test Date: 10/25/14
Time: 1:00 pm
FL AAMC Average: 38
AAMC 10-11 Avg.: 38
Post-test expected score: 32
Actual Score (PS/VR/BS):37 (12/11/14)

WE GO HARD IN THE PAINT, SON
 
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congrats .. now if u scored amazingly.. and have a jan 23 seat please release it.. thanks
 
Test Date: 10/25/14
Time: 1:00 pm
FL AAMC Average: 35
AAMC 10-11 Avg.: 34
Post-test expected score: NO IDEA
Actual Score (PS/VR/BS):36 (13/9/14)
95-97 Percentile

HOLY ****. WHAT A STUPID TEST.

Honestly, I had a legit panic attack during the physical sciences. I seriously considered standing up and leaving for about two minutes. Ridiculous

Verbal I felt like I did okay in too! Like hell, I was hoping verbal would bring up my score!!!!

I'm happy with the total...just the break down hurts. That 9 verbal will no doubt hold me back at some places.

Edited for percentiles per request
 
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