08/22/08 MCAT Club

[rayden001]

Am I the only one taking it on this date? If so, that would be sweeeet cos I get to set my curve.

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[Phillies08]

PS: 10
VR: 10
BSW: 10
WS: R

Needed a 9 on each section for my program so I am in...very satsified!! I was averaging about a 30-31 on AAMC's. Didn't need the writing sample and didn't practice for it so pleasantly surprised on that

 

[nfg05]

Interesting. What do you think got you? My averages are about the same.

There was one passage on PS (ships and locks) and one passage on BS (snake kidneys) that I felt like could have swung either way based on my interpretation and cost me about 3 questions each. Clearly, they both swung against me. I didn't seriously consider voiding because I figured there would just be 2 more passages like that the next time, but seeing what happened maybe I should have.

I had such big hopes for this I wanted a 40+ and the practice tests made me believe it was possible. the AAMCs are SO easy compared to the real thing. I know everyone has said it, but Kaplan science is more indicative. On AAMC I would rarely spend more than 30 seconds thinking about a question, but on the real thing the questions were much more convoluted and multi-layered.

I really was NOT nervous during the test, I had a minor panic episode during the ships and locks passage but I still finished PS with 15 min left and was able to go back and get it (or so I thought). The rest of it was just cruising through, maybe finishing 10 min early instead of the usual 15 on the other 2 sections, but I don't know that I can attribute it to pure test day nerves.

Anyway, I know this doesn't really help you I wish I could explain to myself what happened. When the difference between 36 and 40 can be 1-2 questions per section, obviously the content of the passages is absolutely critical. Guess I just got a bad draw...

I'm not retaking but it's just frustrating because things could have been better on a different day. I wouldn't feel so shafted if I had taken it 3-4 years ago when it was given twice a year, but given how many different times there are now (even with some questions being reused) I just don't have faith that people are being tested equally.

 

[169817]

30 O
8/11/11

Never trust Kaplan tests. I was getting 37's/38's on them the week before I took the mcat.

This might be the single most epic fail of my life.

 

[nfg05]

Allen5055:

There was one passage on PS (ships and locks) and one passage on BS (snake kidneys) that I felt like could have swung either way based on my interpretation and cost me about 3 questions each. Clearly, they both swung against me. I didn't seriously consider voiding because I figured there would just be 2 more passages like that the next time, but seeing what happened maybe I should have.

I had such big hopes for this I wanted a 40+ and the practice tests made me believe it was possible. the AAMCs are SO easy compared to the real thing. I know everyone has said it, but Kaplan science is more indicative. On AAMC I would rarely spend more than 30 seconds thinking about a question, but on the real thing the questions were much more convoluted and multi-layered.

I really was NOT nervous during the test, I had a minor panic episode during the ships and locks passage but I still finished PS with 15 min left and was able to go back and get it (or so I thought). The rest of it was just cruising through, maybe finishing 10 min early instead of the usual 15 on the other 2 sections, but I don't know that I can attribute it to pure test day nerves.

Anyway, I know this doesn't really help you. I would just caution you against thinking you are awesome because you score 99.9 percentile (literally) on AAMC practice tests. My expectations were too high going in, which I don't think negatively impacted my performance (confidence is always better), but now I'm more disappointed than I would have been if I was just like "Oh anything above 35 and I'll be happy."

I wish I could explain to myself what happened. When the difference between 36 and 40 can be 1-2 questions per section, obviously the content of the passages is absolutely critical. Guess I just got a bad draw...

I'm not retaking but it's just frustrating because things could have been better on a different day. I wouldn't feel so shafted if I had taken it 3-4 years ago when it was given twice a year, but given how many different times there are now (even with some questions being reused) I just don't have faith that people are being tested equally.[/quote]

 

[ejay1518]

i am utterly disappointed with my score, i failed myself

thumbdown

 

[rayden001]

....

 

[MadEvans]

Average AAMC scores
PS: 10
VR : 8
BS: 10
Range: 27-29

Average Kaplan scores
PS: 11
VR: 8
BS: 11

Actual scores
PS: 12
VR: 10!!!
BS: 11
composite: 33

I consider myself a pretty thicked-skin individual until I saw my scores. Studying for the MCAT has been the most humbling experience of my life.

I studied the entire summer for this exam. I initially set my goals for a 37 since my kaplan diagnostic was a 26 (mind you I had been studying for about 3wks before my diagnostics).

So the journey began. I started taking practice exams and my science scores were slowly creeping up from single digits to double digits. My verbal however, always remained at 8. No matter what I did, I always ended up with an 8 on both Kaplan and AAMC. I did not know what I was doing wrong. I printed out bloody surgeons' verbal guide, used EK method and nothing worked.

I took approximately 6 AAMC exams and the highest I ever got was a 29 (with 7 on the verbal), a week before my actual exam. Suprisingly, on Kaplan FL9, I got 33, about 2 days before the real exam. Since the notion around here on SDN was AAMC was more predictive, I did not pay much attention to kaplan exams. In hindsight, I guess Kaplan FL 9 is quite indicative.

I remember telling my mom that I was going to postpone till next year after getting a 29 on AAMC 9 a week before my exam.

On the morning of my exam, I did something strange. I did the first 2 verbal passages on AAMC 8 that I had not taken previously and missed only 1. That gave me some confidence that I believe must have helped me in the verbal.

Long story, but I felt like giving someone hope. This exam can be done. All you need is confidence and prayer. If you don't pray, ask someone else to pray on your behalf.

Thanks SDN for your support throughout the summer. I really appreciate it. God Bless

Awesome jump. Good job, thread starter!

 

[DrMattOglesby]

MrMatt - Whoa! WTG!! It's probably on here somewhere, but would you mind briefly sharing what strategy/books you used to bring your PS up by a crazy huge 5 five points in a pretty short amount of time?

In truth, all I focused on for this past MCAT was the Physical Sciences. Prior to that, I hadn't really done that many practice problems and was more intent on learning concepts.
However, I feel that by working out numerous problems I was able to see questions and start working the math behind them very quickly. I also had some other strategies--but they focused mainly on balancing my drive to study and my need to do physical exercise. I am even tempted to go post in the 30+ thread now

Except for that school you boldly told you'd be making a 37.

Well--I said I could as high as a 37! lol...but yeah...some things I said maybe should have been kept as private thoughts

Congrats to everyone, especially Matt O. who worked his ass off for this.

EVERYONE worked their butts off for this! I am just glad to be included in such a supporting group
but you're right...it did take a special something to push me to take the MCAT a third time. If you talk to some of my friends, you'd know how just how hard it was to push myself to study again...

 

[BrokenGlass]

Practice tests (all 8 AAMCs): Range 35 - 41. Avg 38 (13 PS, 12 VR, 13 BS).

Predicted: 13 BS, 11 VR, 13 BS, who cares WS.

Actual score (36Q): 13 PS, 11 VR, 12 BS.

I will post how I studied for the MCAT when I get a chance but I'd like to say a word to those who didn't do as well as they were hoping or as well as their practice scores indicated. Don't give up!!! There is a huge amount of luck involved on this test and strategy (i.e. how you approach it) is crucial. Huge improvements are definitely possible. I will have more to say on all this later in the 30+ thread.

 

[fileserver]

just log in to ask

I remember you, brokenglass, took the MCAT last year too. Was this last year or this year score? Sorry for being noisy but your explanations in the MCAT question section were very good.

Congrat to all who've succeed.

Practice tests (all 8 AAMCs): Range 35 - 41. Avg 38 (13 PS, 12 VR, 13 BS).

Predicted: 13 BS, 11 VR, 13 BS, who cares WS.

Actual score (36Q): 13 PS, 11 VR, 12 BS.

I will post how I studied for the MCAT when I get a chance but I'd like to say a word to those who didn't do as well as they were hoping or as well as their practice scores indicated. Don't give up!!! There is a huge amount of luck involved on this test and strategy (i.e. how you approach it) is crucial. Huge improvements are definitely possible. I will have more to say on all this later in the 30+ thread.

 

[BrokenGlass]

just log in to ask

I remember you, brokenglass, took the MCAT last year too. Was this last year or this year score? Sorry for being noisy but your explanations in the MCAT question section were very good.

Congrat to all who've succeed.

36Q is for August 22, 2008 test.

 

[BNSN]

Kaplan Avg 13.80 13.00 14.20 41.00
AAMC Avg 13.50 12.50 13.13 39.13

Actual 12 12 12 S 36S

This is 1 point higher than the lowest AAMC practice I did. AAMC 6-10 Were 42, 42, 40, 40, 40. I'm pretty stunned right now.

I made the exact same score from the 8/05/08 test. Same breakdown and same WS. 36 was about 2-2.5 points lower than my average, so I understand your frustration, but really...it's a 36S. You're in the top 4% of test takers. Not a single school in the country has an MCAT average for accepted students higher than your score.

There are people who made 7-8 points lower than their average. Imagine going in and scoring a 30 when your average was a 39. Really...once you start getting into 35+ territory, it becomes more and more a matter of chance.

 

[RHan]

the highest i got on practice (kaplans) tests were like three 36's but i did slightly better:

PS: 13
VR: 10
BS: 14
Overall: 37Q

i took it downtown Chicago and I guess giving money to every homeless person i saw on my home from the test payed off!!! haha good luck to everyone in their next phase of their academic career. its a long and grueling road ahead of us but the beautiful thing is deep down we know we love it. peace!

 

[baller99]

i just wanna say thanks to all the people on sdn who helped us out...i'm sure the mcat would've been a lot rougher without them. and i'm also thrilled at my scores:

aamc
ps 11.25
vr 10.75
bs 11

actual
ps 10
vr 11
bs 11

knew that when i came out i had done bad on ps. didn't think i did this good though.

BUT can everyone who took the test post their aamc/kaplan averages along with their actual tests. i'm trying to see the correlation between the two...thanks guys. (so far out of 7 ppl, aamc avg = 33.32, mcat = 33.0)

 

[not respect]

just logging in to post a little bit, I got a 39 S (11 VR 13 PS 15 BS), I guess it is a good score so I should be happy but I'm somewhat disappointed, I really wanted 40+.

Verbal is pretty random for me, sometimes I get 14s on it but sometimes I get 9s, I finished with plenty of time to spare but I had a lot of ambivalence in my answers. Physics turned out better than I expected I guess because I didn't like the redox titration passage and may have also messed up the quantum numbers (I went through it real fast, I knew I made a mistake before time was up but not sure if I got back to it due to the weird way the "Review Marked" works). and Bio was right where I thought I would get. The bio questions didn't really test knowledge or anything but more like famliarity with the bio questions, so I had finished in only 15 minutes and had time to check it over 3 times, till i got bored of playing with my hair and I had to leave.

Overall I guess I am okay with the score, just wish it was a little bit higher.

 

[medicant]

aamc:
PS: 14
VR: 12
BS: 15

actual...exact same. 41T. pretty ecstatic. gl to all retaking!

 

[murdoc9]

haha, the last two posts make me giggle. you guys did fantastic

 

[CdanceNS]

Average AAMC: 35
PS: 11.1
VR: 11.3
BS: 12.3

Predicted:
PS: 12
VR: 11
BS: 12

Actual (August 22/08): 34R
PS: 11
VR: 11
BS: 12

So I pretty much hit my averages...my goal was 35Q so I'm happy with this re-take...I went from a 28P...PS: 10 VR: 10 BS: 8 ...so the 6 point increase feels awesome...and I'm Canadian so the writing sample helps (and my top choice school adds a bonus pt to your ranking for a writing score of R, S or T)...so I'm happy! Congratulations everyone!

 

[rhoads]

Predicted
Phys:13
VR:11
Bio:13
WS:R

Actual
Phys:14
VR:10
Bio:13
WS:T

I really thought that verbal went better. I can't be disappointed in a great score, but damn a couple more points there would've been phenomenal. I hope everyone's feeling better with the stress of waiting being done! Here's to being done with the MCAT forever! (*drink drink drink drink*)

 

[medicant]

wait which canadian school does that?

 

[CdanceNS]

Dalhousie

 

[medicant]

ah thanks. good choice.

 

[GoldShadow]

AAMC AVERAGE (3-10)
VR: 10.9
PS: 12.9
BS: 12.8

KAPLAN AVERAGE(1-7, 9) for those who asked for/are interested
VR: 10.4
PS: 13.5
BS: 13.5

PREDICTED SCORES
VR: 11
PS: 13
BS: 14
WS: Q

8/22 MCAT OFFICIAL SCORE
VR: 11
PS: 12
BS: 12
WS: R

So a 35R; no doubt an excellent score, but I was scoring in the 38-41 range on the last 7 practice tests I took (a combination of AAMCs and Kaplan FLs). I'm not sure how I didn't score a point or two higher in either BS or PS; I was destroying those sections by the end of my studying, and BS is my strongest section. But nothing to complain about I suppose, I'm glad I did well.

Congratulations to those of you who got your target scores, and consolations to those who didn't. Regardless of what you got, nobody (including the AAMC) can take away or trivialize all the work we've put in over the last few months!

 

[iA-MD2013]

AAMC AVERAGE (3-10)
VR: 10.9
PS: 12.9
BS: 12.8

KAPLAN AVERAGE(1-7, 9) for those who asked for/are interested
VR: 10.4
PS: 13.5
BS: 13.5

PREDICTED SCORES
VR: 11
PS: 13
BS: 14
WS: Q

8/22 MCAT OFFICIAL SCORE
VR: 11
PS: 12
BS: 12
WS: R

So a 35R; no doubt an excellent score, but I was scoring in the 38-41 range on the last 7 practice tests I took (a combination of AAMCs and Kaplan FLs). I'm not sure how I didn't score a point or two higher in either BS or PS; I was destroying those sections by the end of my studying, and BS is my strongest section. But nothing to complain about I suppose, I'm glad I did well.

Congratulations to those of you who got your target scores, and consolations to those who didn't. Regardless of what you got, nobody (including the AAMC) can take away or trivialize all the work we've put in over the last few months!

Nice job Gold! I know you're disappointed now, but that score is more than good enough to get you interviews at top schools. Congrats!

 

[MedYEP]

just logging in to post a little bit, I got a 39 S (11 VR 13 PS 15 BS), I guess it is a good score so I should be happy but I'm somewhat disappointed, I really wanted 40+.

Verbal is pretty random for me, sometimes I get 14s on it but sometimes I get 9s, I finished with plenty of time to spare but I had a lot of ambivalence in my answers. Physics turned out better than I expected I guess because I didn't like the redox titration passage and may have also messed up the quantum numbers (I went through it real fast, I knew I made a mistake before time was up but not sure if I got back to it due to the weird way the "Review Marked" works). and Bio was right where I thought I would get. The bio questions didn't really test knowledge or anything but more like famliarity with the bio questions, so I had finished in only 15 minutes and had time to check it over 3 times, till i got bored of playing with my hair and I had to leave.

Overall I guess I am okay with the score, just wish it was a little bit higher.

I think you are crazy to be even a little disappointed with that score, but that's just me! A 39 is beyond amazing! Congrats and be happy!

 

[mastamind518]

BS 12
PS 11
VR 7

30O

not as good as i wanted, need to improve my verbal and most likely retaking in Jan.

Congrats to every1, i see some pretty good scores...

 

[MDean86]

just logging in to post a little bit, I got a 39 S (11 VR 13 PS 15 BS), I guess it is a good score so I should be happy but I'm somewhat disappointed, I really wanted 40+.

Verbal is pretty random for me, sometimes I get 14s on it but sometimes I get 9s, I finished with plenty of time to spare but I had a lot of ambivalence in my answers. Physics turned out better than I expected I guess because I didn't like the redox titration passage and may have also messed up the quantum numbers (I went through it real fast, I knew I made a mistake before time was up but not sure if I got back to it due to the weird way the "Review Marked" works). and Bio was right where I thought I would get. The bio questions didn't really test knowledge or anything but more like famliarity with the bio questions, so I had finished in only 15 minutes and had time to check it over 3 times, till i got bored of playing with my hair and I had to leave.

Overall I guess I am okay with the score, just wish it was a little bit higher.

I don't see why you feel the need to be a troll and post something like this when you see people on here who are genuinely disappointed with their scores and have to retake. The difference between a score in the very high thirties and low forties is a couple of questions and you know that. So what's the point in acting so glum over missing a single question or two?

 

[allen5055]

There was one passage on PS (ships and locks) and one passage on BS (snake kidneys) that I felt like could have swung either way based on my interpretation and cost me about 3 questions each. Clearly, they both swung against me. I didn't seriously consider voiding because I figured there would just be 2 more passages like that the next time, but seeing what happened maybe I should have.

I had such big hopes for this I wanted a 40+ and the practice tests made me believe it was possible. the AAMCs are SO easy compared to the real thing. I know everyone has said it, but Kaplan science is more indicative. On AAMC I would rarely spend more than 30 seconds thinking about a question, but on the real thing the questions were much more convoluted and multi-layered.

I really was NOT nervous during the test, I had a minor panic episode during the ships and locks passage but I still finished PS with 15 min left and was able to go back and get it (or so I thought). The rest of it was just cruising through, maybe finishing 10 min early instead of the usual 15 on the other 2 sections, but I don't know that I can attribute it to pure test day nerves.

Anyway, I know this doesn't really help you I wish I could explain to myself what happened. When the difference between 36 and 40 can be 1-2 questions per section, obviously the content of the passages is absolutely critical. Guess I just got a bad draw...

I'm not retaking but it's just frustrating because things could have been better on a different day. I wouldn't feel so shafted if I had taken it 3-4 years ago when it was given twice a year, but given how many different times there are now (even with some questions being reused) I just don't have faith that people are being tested equally.

It does sorta suck that it was so much below your average scores. I took the August 26th test and I'm also hoping to get in the 40's. Still, I don't think I'd retake it if I were you. With a 36 already, medical schools might attribute a retake to an overlarge ego, which is definitely not desirable. I understand the desire to really stand out because of your MCAT score though. Good luck man.

 

[allen5055]

I don't see why you feel the need to be a troll and post something like this when you see people on here who are genuinely disappointed with their scores and have to retake. The difference between a score in the very high thirties and low forties is a couple of questions and you know that. So what's the point in acting so glum over missing a single question or two?

It's true that it is an excellent score, but some of us are just perfectionists and it's not everyone else we're competing against but rather ourselves. It's like in a class where you go for getting a 98% rather than just the minimum to get an A.

 

[muttley87]

Heyy guys !! so i've been following your thread for awhile now and finally mustered up the energy to register!!! congrats to everyone!! I took the 8/22 test too. I'm happy with my overall score but not the spread.

PS: 14
VR: 9
BS: 12
Overall: 35P

Do you guys think this will hurt me?? Should I plan on retaking? The only problem is I'm not even that sure I can do much better in verbal. I can never finish!

 

[allen5055]

So how did you guys feel about this test when you first took it? I took the August 26th one, which turned out to be much more difficult than we all expected. Correspondingly, I'm hoping it'll be graded like a Kaplan test. I was actually pleased that it was a lot harder because I don't like missing a point for every question, especially since most of the ones I miss come from dumb mistakes. Was your test like a normal AAMC test or was it significantly harder?

 

[MDean86]

It's true that it is an excellent score, but some of us are just perfectionists and it's not everyone else we're competing against but rather ourselves. It's like in a class where you go for getting a 98% rather than just the minimum to get an A.

There's nothing wrong with being a perfectionist, but you could show a little sensitivity towards the other people on this thread. You're showing the same amount of angst as people who literally have to spend the next 2-3 months of their life studying to take this thing again. I'm sure that you showing a little perspective would be appreciated by your peers.

 

[osuguy]

Average AAMC:
PS: 11.5
VR: 8.875
BS: 11.75

Predicted:
PS: 12
VR: 9
BS: 11

Actual:
PS: 12
VR: 8
BS: 12

32Q. I'm happy!!!! i never have to think about the mcat again
the only thing that kind of sucks is the 8 in vr. is that going to stand out too much?

 

[allen5055]

There's nothing wrong with being a perfectionist, but you could show a little sensitivity towards the other people on this thread. You're showing the same amount of angst as people who literally have to spend the next 2-3 months of their life studying to take this thing again. I'm sure that you showing a little perspective would be appreciated by your peers.

Yeah. Just so you know though, I haven't gotten my scores back. I was trying to defend someone else's perspective.

 

[confusedchild]

i'm actually a new member..just joined..i've been refreshing this thread over and over again the last two days to see if the scores are out and how others are feeling about this exam.....

just wanna seek everyone's opinion on something...

i got a 11P/11V/11B/S a total of 33S on the 8/22 exam...
i'm not completely estatic about my score but i'm also not too saddened i averaged a 37 on aamcs but i know that i'm one of those people who kind of freak out during exams and don't do as well... (a bit sad about 11 cuz i'm a ele. engr major and feel like i should do better on physics)...

i want to aim to stay in california and i'm wondering what is everyone's take on this...i know with this score i'm smack average for most cali schools...i'm applyin next cycle so i have a little bit under a yr to retake if i really really want to...right now i'm at a 80% don't retake 20% retake...

 

[iA-MD2013]

i'm actually a new member..just joined..i've been refreshing this thread over and over again the last two days to see if the scores are out and how others are feeling about this exam.....

just wanna seek everyone's opinion on something...

i got a 11P/11V/11B/S a total of 33S on the 8/22 exam...
i'm not completely estatic about my score but i'm also not too saddened i averaged a 37 on aamcs but i know that i'm one of those people who kind of freak out during exams and don't do as well... (a bit sad about 11 cuz i'm a ele. engr major and feel like i should do better on physics)...

i want to aim to stay in california and i'm wondering what is everyone's take on this...i know with this score i'm smack average for most cali schools...i'm applyin next cycle so i have a little bit under a yr to retake if i really really want to...right now i'm at a 80% don't retake 20% retake...

I think that the well balanced 33 should not close any doors for you in cali! You have a great chance at all the UCs if you have a good gpa and good ecs/essays. I think you should NOT retake.

 

[muttley87]

i'm actually a new member..just joined..i've been refreshing this thread over and over again the last two days to see if the scores are out and how others are feeling about this exam.....

just wanna seek everyone's opinion on something...

i got a 11P/11V/11B/S a total of 33S on the 8/22 exam...
i'm not completely estatic about my score but i'm also not too saddened i averaged a 37 on aamcs but i know that i'm one of those people who kind of freak out during exams and don't do as well... (a bit sad about 11 cuz i'm a ele. engr major and feel like i should do better on physics)...

i want to aim to stay in california and i'm wondering what is everyone's take on this...i know with this score i'm smack average for most cali schools...i'm applyin next cycle so i have a little bit under a yr to retake if i really really want to...right now i'm at a 80% don't retake 20% retake...

I would say it all depends on your gpa. If you have a decent gpa then don't retake! That's a solid across the board score!

 

[iA-MD2013]

Average AAMC:
PS: 11.5
VR: 8.875
BS: 11.75

Predicted:
PS: 12
VR: 9
BS: 11

Actual:
PS: 12
VR: 8
BS: 12

32Q. I'm happy!!!! i never have to think about the mcat again
the only thing that kind of sucks is the 8 in vr. is that going to stand out too much?

I don't think that the 8 is that big of a deal when you have a 32.

 

[confusedchild]

oh ya something popped into my head...my writing score of S is higher than expected..the main reason i wouldn't want to retake is the 11 on verbal and the S on writing..being an engring major....my last english class was senior yr of high school (3 yrs ago)...with 11P/11V/11B/S i know i can get better on the sciences..but verbal i think has a 80% chance of dropping along with writing if i retake...

lastly....for writing..does the "S" count for anything? i've been reading all over student doc that schools don't give a crap about writing is that true?

 

[MilkmanAl]

i've been reading all over student doc that schools don't give a crap about writing is that true?

Unless you have a J or K coupled with a poor verbal score, yes. Given the info about your verbal, I'd definitely suggest strongly against a retake. Straight 11's is a fantastic score.

 

[HumidBeing]

Just giving you guys who are sharing this experience a heads up. Engineeredout has updated his MDApps page.

 

[murdoc9]

confusedchild, im right there with you. exact same score & breakdown, 33S 11,11,11. my gpa isn't exactly stellar (3.5). im about 75% stick with the score, 25% retake.

 

[MilkmanAl]

A 33 is plenty good enough to "compensate" for a 3.5 which really isn't in need of much patching at all.

 

[nfg05]

I'm with goldshadow here, 38-41 range on practice tests not playing out on the real thing. Definitely sympathize with the guy who is disappointed with a 39 and wanted 40.

It's all about maximizing your own personal potential. If you don't feel like you did that, it's understandable to not feel good, no matter what end of the scale you're on, so I wouldn't write off "high" scorers being upset as trolling.

 

[murdoc9]

thanks for the reply milkman. im pretty sure im gonna stick with the score. now if i can just get through a whole additional year of classes...

 

[confusedchild]

hey murdoc9, although i wish both of us got higher scores...glad that there's someone out there that feels the same as me right now.... we don't really have a right to b*** cuz it's not a bad score....but not getting estatic about it either...so yup...stuck in limbo not low enough to warrant a retake..not high enough to make us happy...not happy not mad...just confused....

 

[muttley87]

what's the consensus on scores that are high in one section and low in another?? I'm happy with the overall, just not verbal.

 

[sportsfan1135]

Hi all, I have been a lurker for the past few months, I took my first mcat on 8/22 and got a 31N. The breakdown is 11 PS, 10 VR and 10 Bio. My gpa right now is 3.63, im a chem E major at a pretty tough school. EC's arent too great, ive done some volunteering but I do have two publications. I'm really torn with this score...I feel like I can do better but I really dont want to put myself through another few months of studying, plus with school I dont know if I have the time to put in a good effort. Is this score decent enough to get me in? Should I retake it? I'm just confused...

 

[GoldShadow]

Nice job Gold! I know you're disappointed now, but that score is more than good enough to get you interviews at top schools. Congrats!

Thanks berken! Your comment has actually made me feel a little better. Yeah, I think I'll be fine from this point on.

I guess it's just that I have that same perfectionist mentality that some of the others above mentioned, and sometimes it is very annoying.

 

[CdanceNS]

So how did you guys feel about this test when you first took it? I took the August 26th one, which turned out to be much more difficult than we all expected. Correspondingly, I'm hoping it'll be graded like a Kaplan test. I was actually pleased that it was a lot harder because I don't like missing a point for every question, especially since most of the ones I miss come from dumb mistakes. Was your test like a normal AAMC test or was it significantly harder?

I thought PS and VR seemed normal and BS was harder than AAMC practice...in the end i still scored my averages in the sections