The Official January 26th, 2013 MCAT Thread

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MMa23

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Curious to see how many people are taking it....

How many retakers? I am one
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Farmerboy said:
37 - 13 VR, 12 BS, 12 PS

I need some honest advice here - do you think I should retake? I am only planning on applying to top 10 medical schools in the USA, as I am an E.U. citizen and have options in the UK, Sweden, and my home country (and I could see myself staying in those locations permanently). I understand that most people think it is radical to apply to fewer than 15 schools, or to apply to only very selective schools, but for me, there is no point in attending med school in the USA unless it is at one of the most elite institutions. I don't mean to be arrogant or disrespectful; that is simply my viewpoint.

I knew on the test day that my performance was not as good as I would have liked it to be. I would have canceled, but my father explicitly prohibited me from doing so. My schedule in the coming months should be more relaxed, so I think I could devote more time than previously to studying. When I took the practice AAMC's, my scores were ranged from 35 to 41, and I am somewhat disappointed that I did not strike on the higher end of that scale.

On another note, congratulations to everyone who was able to achieve their personal goals:).
Click to expand...

h7C9CD972
 
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Farmerboy said:
Dear O Grady,

Did you read the entirety of my post? I am inquiring not whether a 37 is sufficient to get into medical school, but specifically, whether I could get into somewhere like HMS or JHU with a 37. I did not intend my original question as a joke.
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Since the median score at HMS-like places are around 37, meaning half the people enrolling at these places have a score lower that. I think part of your concern is that you'll be applying as an international student, but because the score was in fact within your range and the risk of scoring lower is always present, I'd stick with your score. You'd also have to consider what re-taking a 37 would look like to adcoms (it might come off as number-greedy or wasting time that could be spent volunteering or shadowing). I'd only re-take if you're confident you could score a 40+, but I'm pretty sure no-one can really say that with any certainty :laugh:
 
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alpharez said:
I'll be the first failure post:

PS: 12
BS: 11
VR: 3


I'm shocked. Time to go die in a corner... I don't even know how that 12 happened either.
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dang, that verbal. With a 3.6-3.8 GPA as Hispanic ethnicity, you've got a 58% chance which isn't bad.
darklabel said:
Congratulations dude! :thumbup: I remember when we were both freaking out before taking it.
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thanks man, I'm just glad it's over. Now I just need LORs
 
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alpharez said:
I'll be the first failure post:

PS: 12
BS: 11
VR: 3


I'm shocked. Time to go die in a corner... I don't even know how that 12 happened either.
Click to expand...

Gosh, I'm sorry dude. Your sciences are very good. Hopefully you can improve on VR a little more and still apply this year.
 
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alpharez said:
I'll be the first failure post:

PS: 12
BS: 11
VR: 3


I'm shocked. Time to go die in a corner... I don't even know how that 12 happened either.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way! Did you take it on the 24th? My VR is similar to yours while the VR in practice tests never dropped below a 8
 
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IgA said:
Adrian, will you be applying to MD, DO, or both? Just curious because I also scored a 30 and don't feel too confident about MD right now.
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Only DO school I'm applying to is Philadelphia - Atlanta. The location of the school I go to is more important than anything else to me.

What you should do is go to the AAMC and look up the table data. If your GPA and MCAT give you a 70+% chance of acceptance, then you'll definitely get in. A 30 is a great score.
 
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alpharez said:
I'll be the first failure post:

PS: 12
BS: 11
VR: 3


I'm shocked. Time to go die in a corner... I don't even know how that 12 happened either.
Click to expand...

I'll volunteer to be the second:
PS:6
BS:7
VR:10

Grand Total of 23....Already signed up for a retake in May.

I'm a non-trad who was working 24 hours a week and trying to study. I took a Kaplan course during my worst UG semester to date, never finished the homework, never took a practice test.... I've got a lot of work to do between now and May. didn't realize how much that was going to hurt me.
 
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34 - PS10/VR13/BS11

I was extremely nervous at the beginning of the test and screwed up some easy questions on PS as a result. A little surprising given that I'm an engineering major, but I'll take it!!

My study habits started in earnest around Jan 3. I spent anywhere from 2-5 hrs per day, about 5-6 days/week. That seems a little lackadaisical compared to some of the routines I've seen on this site, but I have difficulty sustaining concentration while studying for even that much time. If I had managed to study more before the test, my initial nerves probably wouldn't have been so bad.

My study methods were pretty standard - I started off by reviewing old concepts, then took full length AAMC practice tests and made sure to go over the concepts behind every problem I got wrong. The practice tests and subsequent error analysis were what really helped my score. Just straight-up reviewing old material didn't do jack for me.
 
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Farmerboy said:
37 - 13 VR, 12 BS, 12 PS

I need some honest advice here - do you think I should retake? I am only planning on applying to top 10 medical schools in the USA, as I am an E.U. citizen and have options in the UK, Sweden, and my home country (and I could see myself staying in those locations permanently). I understand that most people think it is radical to apply to fewer than 15 schools, or to apply to only very selective schools, but for me, there is no point in attending med school in the USA unless it is at one of the most elite institutions. I don't mean to be arrogant or disrespectful; that is simply my viewpoint.

I knew on the test day that my performance was not as good as I would have liked it to be. I would have canceled, but my father explicitly prohibited me from doing so. My schedule in the coming months should be more relaxed, so I think I could devote more time than previously to studying. When I took the practice AAMC's, my scores were ranged from 35 to 41, and I am somewhat disappointed that I did not strike on the higher end of that scale.

On another note, congratulations to everyone who was able to achieve their personal goals:).
Click to expand...

Don't retake. A 37 will not be what keeps you out of HMS.

You'll be much better served putting that time and effort towards ECs.
 
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Guys......I have no idea what to feel.

15/15/15

I don't even think it's real. This has to be a dream. I didn't even think this kind a score was possible until I saw it. I scored in the high 40's on the practice exams...but this is ****ing ridiculous.

I swear I'm not trying to troll.
 
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Yeah seriously. I am happy but also just like in this dream state where I feel nothing. I mean WTF, who the **** gets a perfect score?
 
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UC pre med said:
Guys......I have no idea what to feel.

15/15/15

I don't even think it's real. This has to be a dream. I didn't even think this kind a score was possible until I saw it. I scored in the high 40's on the practice exams...but this is ****ing ridiculous.

I swear I'm not trying to troll.
Click to expand...

Damn, congrats! What a beast. Our of curiosity, how did you feel after the exam? I still haven't mustered up the courage to check my score
 
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studentdoctor08 said:
Damn, congrats! What a beast. Our of curiosity, how did you feel after the exam? I still haven't mustered up the courage to check my score
Click to expand...

I felt pretty good. I mean it was followed by the usual ups and downs that most people have but I knew I would get 15's on the sciences. It's the verbal that has me like, WTF. Because I never scored higher than 13 on any verbal practice tests and many times I was in the 10-11 range.

Go check your score, the sooner you know the better man. I'm sure you did fine.
 
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UC pre med said:
Yeah seriously. I am happy but also just like in this dream state where I feel nothing. I mean WTF, who the **** gets a perfect score?
Click to expand...



Wait until it REALLY sinks in! Then you'll be really HAPPY!! :soexcited:


That's awesome though... HARD WORK PAYS OFF!
 
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UC pre med said:
Guys......I have no idea what to feel.

15/15/15

I don't even think it's real. This has to be a dream. I didn't even think this kind a score was possible until I saw it. I scored in the high 40's on the practice exams...but this is ****ing ridiculous.

I swear I'm not trying to troll.
Click to expand...

Hey, congratulations to this and the 40! A 45 is truly unbelievable. I scored 43 on AAMC 10, (13/15/15), so I know it's possible to score in those ranges. When you get to 13+ in each subsection, it's almost a matter of luck in terms of passage/discrete topics and whether your guesses go the right way!

Congratulations to everybody. If you didn't score where you want: keep your chin up, an MCAT retake isn't the worst thing in the world.
 
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UC pre med said:
Guys......I have no idea what to feel.

15/15/15

I don't even think it's real. This has to be a dream. I didn't even think this kind a score was possible until I saw it. I scored in the high 40's on the practice exams...but this is ****ing ridiculous.

I swear I'm not trying to troll.
Click to expand...

you better retake
 
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freshbagels said:
Hey, congratulations to this and the 40! A 45 is truly unbelievable. I scored 43 on AAMC 10, (13/15/15), so I know it's possible to score in those ranges. When you get to 13+ in each subsection, it's almost a matter of luck in terms of passage/discrete topics and whether your guesses go the right way!

Congratulations to everybody. If you didn't score where you want: keep your chin up, an MCAT retake isn't the worst thing in the world.
Click to expand...

Definitely going to have to agree there. I got lucky on some of the passages since I knew them really well.
 
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UC pre med said:
Guys......I have no idea what to feel.

15/15/15

I don't even think it's real. This has to be a dream. I didn't even think this kind a score was possible until I saw it. I scored in the high 40's on the practice exams...but this is ****ing ridiculous.

I swear I'm not trying to troll.
Click to expand...

Assuming you aren't exaggerating (and I must admit I'm suspicious), you are a GOD among us. Amazing.
 
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10vr 11bs 12ps, never will i have to take this god forsaken exam again. got above a 30, good enough for me.
 
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cooksgenes said:
Can I ask you how you studied to improve on Verbal? I got 7 and have used all my TPR, EK and AAMC passages :(
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I think you have a big chance of improving. I signed up for the Verbal Accelerator class through Princeton Review in July of last summer (I took the MCAT the first time in May). The VA class was HUGE help in my opinion, because it helped me learn to read for main points/big themes instead of reading the little details of the passage. It also helped me to go from doing 6 passages to doing all 7. I spent a lot of time reading the economist and then by late october I started on the 3 month SDN schedule. I had also burned through all the material the first time around, but when I started up on doing passages daily, I pretty much had forgotten the answers to the TPR, EK and AAMC passages. I was averaging 8-10 this time around after taking the class instead of 6-7. Hope this helps! :thumbup:
 
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Congrats to everybody who did well!

I am posting this for future non-trads who might end up in the same boat as myself, I am not a great test taker, and this again was shown by mcat score.

1st MCAT: 21N 7/7/7 (APR 2006, yes it was that long ago back when it was on paper)
Kaplan Diagnostic: 20 (Nov 2012)
Kaplan Avg: ~25 (6 exams)
AAMC Avg: 27 (2 exams)
2nd MCAT: 27 8PS/10VR/9BS (26 Jan 2013)

Not the score I was aiming for, but it is indicative of my practice exams. I am not going to retake it I am trying to go DO, and it is a toss up. Check my future posts and see if this gamble works. I am hoping that my past 6 years spent as a Naval Officer means something to a school and the fact the last time I had pre-req course was at least 7 years ago.

What I think could have improved my score: an actual MCAT course (did Kaplan on demand I am not the best at self motivate studying, but it's better then nothing), if you have the time redo a couple of the pre-reqs, and being more structured with my studying i.e. short term goals.
 
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UC pre med said:
I know man, I would be suspicious of anyone telling me they got a perfect too. I'm not a god, I think I just got lucky.
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I believe you. I got two 45s during prep. (both on tpr exams) Also got a 43 on AAMC #8 and a 41 on #5. But I also got a 29 on a tpr :eek: and two 34s (AAMC #4 & #11). It's the luck of the draw and you just got dealt a royal flush.:D

CONGRATS!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
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UC pre med said:
Guys......I have no idea what to feel.

15/15/15

I don't even think it's real. This has to be a dream. I didn't even think this kind a score was possible until I saw it. I scored in the high 40's on the practice exams...but this is ****ing ridiculous.

I swear I'm not trying to troll.
Click to expand...

I have no facts to back this up, but I bet with a 45 you could get an interview everywhere
 
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eth said:
hey is english your first language?
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No but I don't really consider myself ESL. I was in the ESL program till 5th grade and speak Spanish at home but I've been in the American school system since kindergarten so I have no excuses.

My verbal range was 7-9 so I died when I saw that 3. Dunno what happened. I knew I felt too good coming out of that section.

As of now I'm planning on still applying and taking a June/July MCAT. I'm afraid I will get lower science scores though.

Again I got 12p/3v/11b
 
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WOO! I went from a 27, (6 VR, 11 BS, 10 PS) to a 31 (9 VR, 10 BS, 12 PS). I'm so happy I decided to restudy and retake. I was quite terrified of scoring lower. For anybody who is going to retake with similar stats, Exam Krackers was what did it for me. My biological and physical science scores were relatively the same but as far as verbal goes, it was a lifesaver. I know it was still only a 9, but my verbal average on practice tests went from a 7 to an 11 after Exam Krackers verbal. I still scored less on verbal than on practice tests but I broke the 30 barrier and I'm done with MCAT. Can't wait to apply.:thumbup::thumbup:


Also, to anybody out there who scored less than your goal, keep trying until you get it! Switch up study habits, try different test taking techniques, you'll get there. Though I only got a 31, I'm happy to give any advice I can.

To all that met your goals, congrats!!
 
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