3 FLs in - 3 weeks left to prep - where to go from here?

[theparty]

UPDATE: DELAYED UNTIL JUNE 13. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE STILL APPRECIATED...

1st of all, my scores:

SA: physics 68%; chem 76%; bio 77%; orgo 64%.
aamc #3: 10/9/11 = 30 (low = verbal)
aamc #4: 11/12/9 = 32 (low = bio)
aamc #5: 8/11/12 = 31 (low = physical)

avg: 9.7/10.7/10.7 = 31
highs: 11/12/12 = 35
lows: 8/9/9 = 26
overall % right for aamc #3-5: physics 80%; chem 69%; bio 78%; orgo 88%.
verbal avg for TPRH & EK was ~11
i often run up in time on the physical sciences section, but finish the biological science section with 5mins left.
resources: chad's videos; TBR set; EK bio & *orgo & *verbal/math techs; *EK1001 chem & orgo & physics; *TPRH science workbook; *official guide to the MCAT. [* = haven't utilized]

current test date = june 5 (last day to delay = may 20, this coming tuesday). original goal was 33, but after buying the MSAR & getting the 32 on my 2nd FL i would love a 34. instate for MI which has cmu (30avg); msu (30avg); oakland (31avg); wayne st (32avg); & wmu (new), but i have a 3.4 undergrad gpa & 3.3 masters gpa to make up for...

i haven't attempted to review my exams at all - all i did was check out the content categories i missed multiple questions on in on each aamc FL & my lowest sections of the SA and review those between my notes and chad's videos. what i have planned on my calender is 2 days of review ('day' = study 3 lowest content categories in a specific section; ie chemistry: bonding; stoichiometry; soln chemistry) between every practice test. my reason for not reviewing missed questions was in order to save time, and in case i need to retake it, being able to retake the FLs without the correct answers in the back of my mind (i didn't read anyone else utilize this strategy on the forum, i just kinda assumed it myself and it made sense to me...).

now for the advice i'm seeking:
1. how beneficial is reviewing the exams/SA? would just noting the content categories i'm bad at and focusing in on them yield equal results to going over the correct answers? more? less? and how long did it take on average to do so? did you just go over questions you got wrong or marked, or everything? i've been good at marking questions i guessed on, so i at least have that option if time is constrained.
2. should i just focus on doing practice passages instead of watching the videos and reviewing my notes (i just bought them a few days ago and am watching them all for the 1st time)? i love that i can just sit and watch the videos for hours without having to read more lines or answer more questions, and there are definitely things in my notes i wrote down but didn't understand that i now comprehend conceptually. if it matters, i did maybe 1/3 of TBR passages, and didn't really review any of them.
3. should i consider pushing my exam date back to june 13 (delay 8 days)? i can't delay it any further because of a trip, but if that could yield me enough time to realistically get myself up to a 34 i'd gladly do it. i'm just not exactly sure what kind of progression i should expect in the next 3 weeks, on top of the fact the final day to reschedule is tuesday. i plan on taking another FL on monday. if i don't do 32+ on that i'll definitely put more thought into delaying it. also, as right now, there's a spot at my original test center available on june 13...

let me know your thoughts. and no i'm not crazy or neurotic for posting such things on the forum at this time, i just like to work at night when everythings a bit quieter. i just don't really have much else to do right now considering i finished #5 and it's 5am... :|

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[IslandStyle808]

Rule of thumb here is that you need to be at your target score 4 weeks before your real exam. The next following tests are more to maintain that target score or score higher.

IMO you gain a lot more from doing questions and reviewing them, than looking at lectures or reading. It puts you in test mode, but it also teaches you the practical applications of what you learn. There are some thing you can only learn by practicing and reviewing. I am impressed you can hit such high scores without review. (I think it will get much higher when you look over the questions after your practice passages, as for the AAMCs, I also try not to look at the answers since I feel I could use the exams again)

 

[theparty]

Rule of thumb here is that you need to be at your target score 4 weeks before your real exam.

haha oh hell... i was following sn2ed where you took #3 a month before your exam date, then one every 3rd day or so. so you're saying delay or keep date and maybe review SAs with extra passages i review? obviously i can retake the FLs but not the SA.

 

[IslandStyle808]

haha oh hell... i was following sn2ed where you took #3 a month before your exam date. so you're saying delay or keep date and maybe review SAs with extra passages i review? obviously i can retake the FLs but not the SA.

Well, I have to admit it is different for everyone (you maybe able to do it in 3 weeks for all you know). If you are at your target score already, then just keep practicing. If you are aiming higher, like a 34 or something, then you may need extra few weeks. It is kind of tough to say in your situation.

Are you able to buy more practice exams such as gold standard or TBR? Then maybe you could get more practice with fresh tests.

 

[theparty]

at the 31, aiming for 33/34. could totally buy more tests, but still have 5 aamc's left (also have the gold standard book that came with 4 CBT's i didn't mention). if i delay until june 13, i could space the aamc's out with 4 days in between each exam - as of now, i'm kinda stuck taking them with ~2.5 days in between (not much room for improvement i'm guessing). obviously chemistry is my weakness, but there are also physics concepts (ie light & optics) that i'm not as strong in. finally, there are definitely things in bio (hormones) & orgo (rxn names & reagents) that i just need to memorize. the more i think about it the more i'm considering delaying, not because i don't thing i could do in 3 weeks, but the past week has been a mad rush, and it seems i'd have to keep that pace to fit all this in before june 5 (i'm not burned out, the exact opposite in fact, but the clock is definitely ticking...).