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there was one for 30, so i figured i would start one for this. and would you mind telling your diagnostic progress? dont be shy, be proud...
Shredder said:there was one for 30, so i figured i would start one for this. and would you mind telling your diagnostic progress? dont be shy, be proud...
QofQuimica said:lol, my advice to all of you MCATers is that you stop posting these silly threads instead of studying.
hahahha that's awesomeNotShorty said:40+ MCAT study habits?
Psychological suicide and a set of dice. Statistically, it won't happen for anyone who reads this thread. Anyone who can do it wouldn't dare share their secrets.
Try something attainable, like self-fellatio.
NS
I think the advice of the 30+ scorers isn't quite good enough for this fella, he only wants to hear what the 40+ has to say, and he's not gonna bother reading through that thread to find the 40+'s.Kazema said:Seeing as how 40 > 30, I expect that everyone who got a 40+ already posted to the 30+ thread.
thanks for a non wisecrack comment jeffsleepy. to those pointing out statistics, its sad that you let those determine your goals. may you live a mediocre life. yes 40 is greater than 30, but someone scoring that high would be exponentially more likely to post on a 40+ thread than a 30+ where advice would get lost among the sea of other posts. yes tinkle, it would be a nuisance to sift through those countless pages of 30+ posts reading about not partying every weekend, attending classes, and sleeping the night before the mcat. thats not the kind of information i sought in making this thread, which is supposed to be serious mind you all. if you want to start a 35+ thread, go right ahead, but this is not that and still has a right to exist.jeffsleepy said:1) Actually learn the material in your classes; everything on the MCAT you should've already covered.
2) Take a course if you're lazy or you like to procrastinate and can't manage your time.
3) Be good at standardized multiple choice tests.
4) Practice and pray.
I'll take that bet scrubz
In fact, I think that is correct. I am quite sure that people who score in the 30s and 40s approach the test in the same way, but the one's who score in the 40's have a talent for test taking or get lucky. I also think that at 37 and up the MCAT is no longer used to distinguish applicants, i.e. if it's 39 vs 41 = look at EC's rather than choose the higher MCAT. This is my experience after applying and getting acceptances, including at top ranked institutions. I also do meet the qualifications for posting in this thread.Shredder said:oooh okay so youre telling me that people who score 30+ and 40+ probably approached the test the same way and studied similarly, right? in addition, theyre probably about the same caliber of applicants. thanks, ill keep that in mind!
look, on a more serious note: what kind of detail should be gone into while studying (dont say 100% detail into everything, that is impossible), how was performance on practice tests compared to the real one, how many practice tests were taken, what did you find the hardest topic to be, how many questions can be missed...must i go on?
Shredder said:if you really want to know, the fact that half of the accepted applicants to top 10 schools on mdapplicants score 40+ worries me.
MWillie said:In fact, I think that is correct. I am quite sure that people who score in the 30s and 40s approach the test in the same way, but the one's who score in the 40's have a talent for test taking or get lucky. I also think that at 37 and up the MCAT is no longer used to distinguish applicants, i.e. if it's 39 vs 41 = look at EC's rather than choose the higher MCAT. This is my experience after applying and getting acceptances, including at top ranked institutions. I also do meet the qualifications for posting in this thread.
Shredder said:thanks for a non wisecrack comment jeffsleepy. to those pointing out statistics, its sad that you let those determine your goals. may you live a mediocre life. yes 40 is greater than 30, but someone scoring that high would be exponentially more likely to post on a 40+ thread than a 30+ where advice would get lost among the sea of other posts. yes tinkle, it would be a nuisance to sift through those countless pages of 30+ posts reading about not partying every weekend, attending classes, and sleeping the night before the mcat. thats not the kind of information i sought in making this thread, which is supposed to be serious mind you all. if you want to start a 35+ thread, go right ahead, but this is not that and still has a right to exist.
if you really want to know, the fact that half of the accepted applicants to top 10 schools on mdapplicants score 40+ worries me.
yes..i should take my signature more into consideration sometimes, but you cant miss opportunities to learn potentially valuable advice that may help you. study habits also depend on the situation of 30+ scorers, but that thread is still there. everyone can give a "depends on such and such" type of answer, what doesnt depend on something else? theres no one secret formula, but all of the secrets pooled together would definitely be helpful. and theres nothing wrong with shooting for 40--its a good benchmark to measure progress toward, like a 1500 on the SAT to compare it to another standardized test. just because a 40+ thread isnt statistically as pertinent to most SDNers doesnt mean it is any less valid. as for necessity for admissions, of course its not necessary, just like a superb gpa isnt necessary, but it would still give an added boost to your status as an applicant, and i dont see why that is such an evil thing. you can get into med school with a 30+, but getting into good schools takes more than that, and some people do want more than to get in just anywhere.QofQuimica said:(Re-read your own signature, shredder!)
You will also find that their study habits depend on the individual and his/her background; I studied physics in excruciating detail and didn't study organic at all because those were my respective weak and strong points. Other people have different study plans because they have different backgrounds and needs. There is no "secret" that people who scored 40+ know but that you lack.
you are going to continue to search for some kind of a "true path" to scoring a 40 like it's some kind of medical school admissions holy grail.
I accept. I will probably not be taking the April test; more likely August, perhaps April next year, because I am not good enough to do it without studying and I probably won't have time this spring. But when I do, I will take the bet, deposit the money with some neutral party (as will you, I hope), and attempt to prove that it is reasonable, under some circumstances, to expect a score that good. Whether it is reasonable to care about it, or to work toward it it as a be-all goal, is yet another matter.stoleyerscrubz said:I am taking bets for the MCAT. If you score 40+ I pay 4 to 1. minimum bet is $500.
Shredder said:yes..i should take my signature more into consideration sometimes, but you cant miss opportunities to learn potentially valuable advice that may help you. study habits also depend on the situation of 30+ scorers, but that thread is still there. everyone can give a "depends on such and such" type of answer, what doesnt depend on something else? theres no one secret formula, but all of the secrets pooled together would definitely be helpful. and theres nothing wrong with shooting for 40--its a good benchmark to measure progress toward, like a 1500 on the SAT to compare it to another standardized test. just because a 40+ thread isnt statistically as pertinent to most SDNers doesnt mean it is any less valid. as for necessity for admissions, of course its not necessary, just like a superb gpa isnt necessary, but it would still give an added boost to your status as an applicant, and i dont see why that is such an evil thing. you can get into med school with a 30+, but getting into good schools takes more than that, and some people do want more than to get in just anywhere.
Shredder said:if you really want to know, the fact that half of the accepted applicants to top 10 schools on mdapplicants score 40+ worries me.
Chr147 said:i've always wondered about those people who say they scored a 43 or 42 or whatever. according to the aamc website, no one scored above a 42 in 2004?
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/examineedata/combined04.pdf
Well it's definitely not zero. This very subject was debated awhile back. And someone already did what you suggested:jrdnbenjamin said:Thus there could have been up to 61,973*0.05*0.01=30 people achieving scores of 1-5 or 43-45. Or there could have been zero. We do not have enough information to determine this. Write to [email protected] if you really care, and let us know what they say.
truethat said:Sorry to revive this thread if anyone is offended by it.
I think one good reason why you wish to pursue a 40+ score, more than for acceptance purposes would be scholarships. Some schools will really dish out serious dough to retain some students who score in the 40+ range. In that sense, wishing a 40+ range makes lots of common sense I think. I would love to not only get accepted but get a free ride scholarship for having an outstanding score plus an overall good profile.
TheProwler said:Either you can do it, or you can't. Not likely that you can boost your score that high without natural ability.
I think that people greatly overestimate the importance of having a super high MCAT score. Most of the time, my MCAT score does not ever come up at interviews, or if it does, the interviewer will mention in passing that it's very impressive. But it's not like they see that 43 and realize on the spot that I must be god's gift to their medical school. My feeling is that once you hit the mid 30s range (35+), you are already so high above the mean that another point or two on the test isn't going to make much difference one way or the other for admissions or scholarship purposes. Yes, I've been offered some scholarships, but so have people with MCAT scores much lower than mine. Plus, you have to consider that since I'm a non-trad who is merely months away from earning my PhD (yay!), that I have a lot more ECs than the average applicant, just because I've lived ten years longer. I have ten years of research, work, and teaching experience, for example, not just a semester or two like the typical college applicant has. THOSE are the kinds of things that I feel set me off the most from the pack. My MCAT score is just icing on the cake.truethat said:Sorry to revive this thread if anyone is offended by it.
I think one good reason why you wish to pursue a 40+ score, more than for acceptance purposes would be scholarships. Some schools will really dish out serious dough to retain some students who score in the 40+ range. In that sense, wishing a 40+ range makes lots of common sense I think. I would love to not only get accepted but get a free ride scholarship for having an outstanding score plus an overall good profile.
QofQuimica said:I think that people greatly overestimate the importance of having a super high MCAT score. Most of the time, my MCAT score does not ever come up at interviews, or if it does, the interviewer will mention in passing that it's very impressive. But it's not like they see that 43 and realize on the spot that I must be god's gift to their medical school. My feeling is that once you hit the mid 30s range (35+), you are already so high above the mean that another point or two on the test isn't going to make much difference one way or the other for admissions or scholarship purposes. Yes, I've been offered some scholarships, but so have people with MCAT scores much lower than mine. Plus, you have to consider that since I'm a non-trad who is merely months away from earning my PhD (yay!), that I have a lot more ECs than the average applicant, just because I've lived ten years longer. I have ten years of research, work, and teaching experience, for example, not just a semester or two like the typical college applicant has. THOSE are the kinds of things that I feel set me off the most from the pack. My MCAT score is just icing on the cake.
In all seriousness, what my MCAT score has been the MOST useful for is to give me credibility with my MCAT classes. I've been able to convince some of the skeptics that maybe, just maybe, the Kaplan strategies DO work if you give them half a chance.
WTF??? If your goal is to get into a top 10 school, then set your goal as getting into a top 10 school and get over this ridiculous notion of making some number of the MCAT your goal. First off, MDApplicants is severely skewed, and if you can't figure that one out, you're really going to have to adjust your mathematical reasoning. Second, a 40 on the MCAT and $3.50 will get you a premium cup of coffee, and maybe land you an interview to teach for Kaplan or TPR--that's all I've gotten. I have a 40T, and I'd bet you a few thousand dollars that Harvard would not admit me. I'd wager I can't even get into UCSD. Wanna take that bet?Shredder said:thanks for a non wisecrack comment jeffsleepy. to those pointing out statistics, its sad that you let those determine your goals. may you live a mediocre life. yes 40 is greater than 30, but someone scoring that high would be exponentially more likely to post on a 40+ thread than a 30+ where advice would get lost among the sea of other posts. yes tinkle, it would be a nuisance to sift through those countless pages of 30+ posts reading about not partying every weekend, attending classes, and sleeping the night before the mcat. thats not the kind of information i sought in making this thread, which is supposed to be serious mind you all. if you want to start a 35+ thread, go right ahead, but this is not that and still has a right to exist.
if you really want to know, the fact that half of the accepted applicants to top 10 schools on mdapplicants score 40+ worries me.
It isn't any one thing. Having a good MCAT score will open doors for you in the sense of getting the schools to take a serious look at your application. But in and of itself it won't earn you a scholarship, or even an acceptance. There has to be more to you than just a good set of numbers. This is even true (maybe especially true) at the state schools, at least here in FL.truethat said:Hi qofquimica, so you believe the scholarships you obtained were due to your research experience and not your MCAT? the people with scores lower than yours you mentioned also had extensive research experience? thanks.
lol, I was just going to tell you that this kid Shredder has already taken the MCAT and applied.Nutmeg said:*Edit: Sorry, didn't realize this thread was ancient. Ignore this post.
QofQuimica said:I think that people greatly overestimate the importance of having a super high MCAT score. Most of the time, my MCAT score does not ever come up at interviews, or if it does, the interviewer will mention in passing that it's very impressive. But it's not like they see that 43 and realize on the spot that I must be god's gift to their medical school. My feeling is that once you hit the mid 30s range (35+), you are already so high above the mean that another point or two on the test isn't going to make much difference one way or the other for admissions or scholarship purposes. Yes, I've been offered some scholarships, but so have people with MCAT scores much lower than mine. Plus, you have to consider that since I'm a non-trad who is merely months away from earning my PhD (yay!), that I have a lot more ECs than the average applicant, just because I've lived ten years longer. I have ten years of research, work, and teaching experience, for example, not just a semester or two like the typical college applicant has. THOSE are the kinds of things that I feel set me off the most from the pack. My MCAT score is just icing on the cake.
In all seriousness, what my MCAT score has been the MOST useful for is to give me credibility with my MCAT classes. I've been able to convince some of the skeptics that maybe, just maybe, the Kaplan strategies DO work if you give them half a chance.
I don't mean to suggest that it doesn't matter at all. I'm sure that your MCAT score comes up plenty as well. But like I said, once you hit that mid-30s range, you've about maxxed out the usefulness of your MCAT score in terms of improving your application. It isn't the end-all, be-all key to medical school applications that some people seem to think it is. The MCAT is just one piece of an application that needs to be strong all around. You can't possibly tell me that you really believe that any school would pick me over you merely based on our MCAT scores.MoosePilot said:I mostly agree with Q, but she's also had enormous success in the application process (judging from the non-trad thread), so I think it helps. It might not come up in talks, because what can you say that's interesting about it, but I'd bet it came up when they were deciding to interview you and when the adcom met after your interview.
Shredder said:look, on a more serious note: what kind of detail should be gone into while studying (dont say 100% detail into everything, that is impossible), how was performance on practice tests compared to the real one, how many practice tests were taken, what did you find the hardest topic to be, how many questions can be missed...must i go on?
emack said:Practice reading passages quickly and not for detail. All you want to know on the first go-through is what's there, so you can go back and find it quickly depending on the questions.
QofQuimica said:I don't mean to suggest that it doesn't matter at all. I'm sure that your MCAT score comes up plenty as well. But like I said, once you hit that mid-30s range, you've about maxxed out the usefulness of your MCAT score in terms of improving your application. It isn't the end-all, be-all key to medical school applications that some people seem to think it is. The MCAT is just one piece of an application that needs to be strong all around. You can't possibly tell me that you really believe that any school would pick me over you merely based on our MCAT scores.
haha...thanks, first time im visiting the mcat forum since getting my score back though. fell short by 3 due to verbal neglect, and yeah im eternally pissed. good to see my thread revived though, not sure how that happened heheh. anyway i think 40s worth it for bragging rights alone. practical benefits be damned. and dont say it doesnt impress!emack said:Level of detail: as much as you can cram in! But seriously, it doesn't need to be 100%. For example, I gave up on really understanding much organic chem, and decided to cut my losses and just memorize what seemed to be the most common reactions.
Performance on practice tests: worse scores than on the real thing. I did 3 or 4 AAMC practice tests, and kept scoring 12s. I think the stress of the real test made me more paranoid about double-checking every answer, which I didn't usually bother with for practice ones.
Hardest topic for me: organic chem, some biology. Never having taken physiology, I had to teach myself the bare minimum of cardiac and renal stuff from a Princeton Review book. The hardest one to do on the real test was the writing sample. I didn't (couldn't) practice much ahead of time, and figure I'd be okay, having had some past experience with demand writing. I have to admit I got a bit pressed for time & ideas.
How many questions can be missed: variable. Answer every single question. When you don't know, try to narrow it down as much as possible. Even if you're staring at a question you're sure you have no clue how to answer, you can probably rule out at least one or two options.
Other important study strategies I used that may or may not already have been mentioned elsewhere:
-Practice doing scientific notation calculations quickly & accurately. You won't have time to double-check everything. Also practice quickly converting between all those measurement prefixes (you know: milli, micro, kilo, mega, etc.). I tend to automatically convert everything into scientific notation for calculations so I can forget about the prefixes, and convert back to the appropriate units for my answer at the end.
-Practice reading passages quickly and not for detail. All you want to know on the first go-through is what's there, so you can go back and find it quickly depending on the questions.
-Keep track of units, especially for physics questions. If you know, for example, all those relationships between Pascals, Newtons, kilograms, Joules, etc., then knowing which formula to use will be much simpler.
-Know the vocabulary! Even if you think a given subject might be a lost cause, even having an idea of what the most basic terms mean will help you get through a lot of questions. For me, this would probably have applied to anything to do with magnetism (*yawn*).
-Don't study too much. The law of diminishing returns applies to MCAT studying. Do what you normally do. I tended to study 3 afternoons or so each week. In the last week before, I started studying some evenings too.
-Don't panic! Don't stress! Don't let it ruin your life! While there are disadvantages to having to take it again, unlike a lot of other things you do in life, you can easily get a second chance at this (or third... or fourth... ).
Anyway, following this strategy, on my first attempt at the MCAT a couple of years ago, I got a 41R. Some of you probably won't believe me, but I don't really care. You're the ones looking for advice.
Y_Marker said:Do you think this strategy applies to both science passages as well as verbal passages? A lot of people here seem to agree with EK's strategy which says to avoid going back to the passage for VR passages. For science passages I concur with you. For VR, I'm not convinced.