?

[madtramps33]

---

Members do not see this ad.

?

 

[JimKimSlim]

IMO, MCAT is something you need to study consistently. If you don’t stick to a regular schedule, you won’t see a strong improvement with your FL’s. In my case, when I skipped even a week on CARS, I found myself back to where I started. I studied for the MCAT about 5 months, where i was a full-time student the first half and a full-time worker the latter half. Try to study about 2-3 hours every weeknight, and use Saturday’s to do practice problems or FL’s about 8 hours. I know it’ll be annoying to study for the MCAT after dinner on weekdays, but it will be worth it at the end. Think of it as a mental work out, where you see the most gain by making time for it no matter how busy you are. Also, put as much time and effort into doing practice problems/FL’s as content review, and get started with CARS early (like now). I did this for about 5 months, while taking Sundays off (sabbath) to myself. If I can do it, you can too.

 

[Shunsui]

Agree with Jim. Haven't taken the actual yet, but my biggest regret is not staying consistent with CARS throughout my entire prep. It's holding me back big time on my FL. Start going through some 3rd party passages soon and gradually ramp up the # of passages a day as you progress.

 

[JimKimSlim]

Thank you both!! Gonna start looking at CARS now. Would you say it's fine to leave psyc/soc towards the end? They seem the least application based and thought it would be most efficient this way.

You’re gonna have to memorize a bunch of stuff for P/S. Get started early and write down unfamiliar concepts on Anki so that you can review them over time the longest. I think B/B should be tackled the last since you will be likely already familiar with the majority of their concepts from biochemistry.

 

[JimKimSlim]

Also curious about when you guys worked on your personal statements. After wrapping up the MCAT doesn't seem like an option if I stick to the June 2021 date. I'm thinking of trying to go through them much earlier in advance, and come back to just polish it when I feel much more comfortable with my MCAT preparation level.

In my case, I had to write my PS ahead for a committee letter meeting, which was way before May when AMCAS portal opened. Just try to write down some ideas and structure. Use your school’s resources to edit and refine your initial draft.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Also curious about when you guys worked on your personal statements. After wrapping up the MCAT doesn't seem like an option if I stick to the June 2021 date. I'm thinking of trying to go through them much earlier in advance, and come back to just polish it when I feel much more comfortable with my MCAT preparation level.

Personal statement tends to be a process over many weeks to months. I wouldn’t wait to work on it.

 

[Shunsui]

I'm not applying this cycle so can't comment on PS

@GreenDuck12 @JimKimSlim I found out my school doesn't offer committee letters, will this affect my chances at applying to schools that require one? I'm planning to get the standard 2 science prof, 1 non-sci prof, and then 1 from a volunteer coordinator whom i know very well

 

[GreenDuck12]

I'm not applying this cycle so can't comment on PS

@GreenDuck12 @JimKimSlim I found out my school doesn't offer committee letters, will this affect my chances at applying to schools that require one? I'm planning to get the standard 2 science prof, 1 non-sci prof, and then 1 from a volunteer coordinator whom i know very well

Call the admissions office and explain that your school doesn’t offer a committee letter and ask if you can still apply. It shouldn’t be a problem but it’s best to ask the school directly.

 

[JimKimSlim]

I'm not applying this cycle so can't comment on PS

@GreenDuck12 @JimKimSlim I found out my school doesn't offer committee letters, will this affect my chances at applying to schools that require one? I'm planning to get the standard 2 science prof, 1 non-sci prof, and then 1 from a volunteer coordinator whom i know very well

I think on your primary application there is an option to choose whether you're submitting a committee letter. Regardless, you should contact how each school handles LoR requirements during their secondary processes. It's only August, so you have plenty of time to sort that out.