40+ MCAT with 27 days total studying.

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Refugee

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I'm signed up for the May 22nd MCAT. Unfortunately, I haven't felt like studying for the exam since I graduated from my undergraduate school in June...

Plus, I basically finished all pre-reqs my junior year (2007-08), so the material is anything but fresh in my mind.

But guess what? I still have every intention of taking the MCAT on the 22nd and getting a 40+ on it. 😀

I need to kill the MCAT after a series of ridiculously unfortunate personal tragedies destroyed my undergraduate cumulative and especially science GPA in a total of two semesters (think 0.7 decline). I am sitting on a ~3.2 cum. and ~2.9 sci. Yay bad luck.

Anywho, I have 27 days to start and complete my MCAT preparation. This is because I will be in a remote location in the Caribbean for four days towards the beginning of May. Unfortunately, the trip was scheduled way long ago and is naturally nonrefundable. Of course, the fact that I have been salivating waiting for the trip for the past couple months may also factor into my intransigence on the subject. Anyhow, it is basically understood that virtually no studying will be undertaken on those days haha.

So, I see it this way: I was a humanities major at one of the best (if not 'the best') schools in the country. I spent a few hours doing practice verbal sections (my only prep so far) and I didn't miss any questions so I am going to assume I can get a 15 on the verbal section and the highest marks on the written (what is that? a 'T'?). That leaves biological and physical sciences. I own the Kaplan 07-08 MCAT premier book, the MCAT in a box flash cards, and the AAMC Official Guide to the MCAT. I also have access to three full length AAMC exams.

My long coming question is this: how should I approach preparing for those two sections in the 27 days I have? I have nothing else to do, so yeah...

Disclaimer: I am a very fast learner and pretty ridiculously intelligent. I just have a 'slight' procrastination problem 😉.... Also, I am nowhere as arrogant as this post will make me seem (actually, quite the opposite).

Thank you for your help.
 
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I think this whole thread is getting to be completely ridiculous. I'm not trying to offend anyone or instigate anything, but I think we can ALL agree that legitimately believing you can achieve a 40+ in 3 weeks with insufficient practice and content is nearly impossible and it would be wise to move the date back. Period.
 
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ertwro said:
It's possible! Procrastinators are overall extremely good at cram...I'm guessing you internalized the basic principles of your science background. Problem is they are the kind of person who suck as doctors. Wish you the best luck. Do tons of practice questions, and stop fooling around here go back to study.

P. S. med-school is the best treatment for chronic procrastination.
Click to expand...



LOL. I like how you're already handing out prescriptions.
 
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definitely doable. definitely very very difficult.

i know it's doable because i did it. i started studying 1 month out and ended up with a 42S. however, i also had 2 things going for me, 1 of which might also apply to you. the first is that i was a science major, which helped for obvious reasons. the second is that i had literally no other obligations during my study time, which translated to me studying, on average, 10-12 hours a day everyday leading up to the test (i mean every day, including the day-before-test day).

i know a lot of people say that you should take a diagnostic immediately. i question how useful that would be - i mean clearly you're not going to have great science scores, but that's expected right? you wouldn't actually be getting information on it. i'd pack in 2 solid weeks of content review before testing. i used the mcat preparation book (the huge one), and went through it about 3 times, going back to sections i was unclear about or i had realized i had forgotten. then 2 weeks pre-test, i took AAMC 3 as a diagnostic and scored a 36. honestly, if you're not scoring 35+ on that initial diagnostic 2 weeks out, i'd be hesitant about your prospects of getting 40+ on the actual test. my diagnostic exams got better because i "learned how to take the test" - learned the question patterns and the methods of thinking that the test writers were looking for. sure there were always a few content points to shore up after each test, but really after the first 2 weeks 95% of my content review was done. also note that my "choice" to use kaplan wasn't really a "choice." it was just what i had at the time. from what i've read there are definitely better choices out there, but i don't know enough to comment on them.

i echo a previous post that you can't ever "count on" a 15 in verbal. some questions are intentionally ambiguous, and you're reduced to a coin flip. miss one coin flip, and there goes the 15. not doubting your verbal skills at all, but it's really something none of us can help. i do caution that if you use kaplan, their verbal practice really sucks. i stopped doing kaplan verbal questions because i couldn't convince myself of some of their answer explanations, so i wanted to see if it was "just me." i switched to the aamc verbal questions, and instantly started doing better.

i also have to question why you're taking it at the end of may if you have the ability to postpone. taking during a june date really won't hurt you, and if you're iffy on the sciences, the extra prep time could be a huge help. regarding your grades, i know you went to a top university (so did i, possibly the same one you did), but they are still kind of on the low side. from the health advising office from my school, 3.3 seemed like the "safe" gpa at which you could still apply. with a 3.2 cum and 2.9 bcpm, you might want to consider a post-bacc program and/or DO schools, because your gpa might not make the computerized "cutoff" that some schools use before a human even lays eyes on your app.

and most of all, good luck! i know the last paragraph wasn't the most encouraging, but since we're talking about the mcat here, your goal is definitely possible 👍
 
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Good luck to OP. Just make sure you take the practice tests. Two are available for free: AAMC 3 and the PR.

This tread is truly something, so far 3 members are banned due to it.
 
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nemo08 said:
Good luck to OP. Just make sure you take the practice tests. Two are available for free: AAMC 3 and the PR.

This tread is truly something, so far 3 members are banned due to it.
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm pretty sure that two of those slightly-misspelled SDN members are the same person.
Anyway, I agree with pick8: if you're a very good test-taker and you know the material cold, there's no reason not to shoot for 40+. Over 42+ might be more of a shot in the dark, but 13-14 per section is entirely reasonable, given a real mastery of the material. That said, there are a whole lot of brilliant folks here, (many from HYP, for whatever that's worth) and a little humor/humility will go a long way towards getting good tips.
Good luck.
 
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Refugee.....I wish you the best of luck, and I mean that sincerely.

I think the main problem with a lot of the so-called advice you have gotten is that it was unsolicited. Your only question was "Hey, given 27 days, how do I best prepare for PS and BS sections".

Nowhere in there did you seem to ask if it was a good idea to take the test in 27 days, or if anyone thought you were crazy to try to get such a high score. But, as you may have noticed, these types of responses seem to be par for SDN. It will drive you crazy if you let it, and I would suggest picking a day well before the test to get off of the SDN-crack as it will mess with your mind, a tool you will need on test day.

If the April 23rd test was any indication, reading comprehension is paramount these days. In fact, I think that all of the time I spent studying verbal was the most useful, especially in the BS section (go read the Official April 23rd thread to see what I mean). Mapping passages and being clear about what was happening was even more important than knowing your bio.

I of course have NO idea how I did on the MCAT, but if I had to give you a few key pieces of advice, this would be it:

1.) Do 5 verbal passages every day. Get your hands on as many as you can. Spend a lot of time examining the harder question types (Strengthen/Weaken, New Information, Roman Numeral Questions) and make sure you get good at them. EK passages are pretty representative of Verbal passages, but the TPR ones were actually shockingly representative of how the BS passages played out.

2.) Remember that for every question, 75% of the answers in front of you are WRONG. When in doubt, don't search for the right answer, search for the wrong ones....they are more numerous and therefore easier to find.

3.) Go through a list of all of the major topics and prioritize them for yourself. If you KNOW you are weak on Acids/Bases, make this a top priority; if you know you are fine with electron configuration, don't bother spending time on it.

4.) From practice tests (and I am sure many would disagree but this is what I have found) I would say these are some of the most highly tested items:
PS; Physics: Force, projectile motion, lenses, harmonic motion

PS; Chem: Acids/Bases/Titrations, Galvanic and Electrolytic Cells, Periodic Trends

BS; OChem: Diels-Alder, R/S, Radical Reactions, Hybridization, Stability (via substitution, in reactions, etc). MEMORIZE ALL REACTIONS. Understanding concepts is really important.

BS: Bio: Mitosis/Meiosis, Prokaryotic v. Eukaryotic, Physio (Esp. Cardiovascular, Reproductive, Digestive, and Kidneys), Hormones, Viruses.

EDIT: Lab techniques for G-Chem, O-Chem, and Bio.

Take enough practice tests so that you know you can get through the sections on time, or even with time to spare. For a lot of people, this is really hard, so spending a lot of time taking practice tests is what they need. If you get to the point where you realize this is not your problem (after 3 tests or so) then concentrate on content.

I truly wish you the best of luck and I believe that this, like many things in life, is largely the product of positive thinking. Make peace with the test, and make peace with the idea that you may need to take it again (I would say that to anyone, not just you). I know I personally would love to know how you do.


Damn The Man, Save The Empire.
 
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well, i think most people who frequent the mcat forum generally grow weary of these questions. There is no surefire way to get a 40+ on the MCAT- if there was a cohesive method to doing so the test would obviously negate itself in being able to distinguish between students.

The OP tells us several things- 1) he's been out of school for a year and 2) he hasn't done so hot in his classes, particularly sciences. These aren't obstacles that are impossible to overcome, but generally make the task of getting a 40+ on the MCAT, with 27 studying days even more unlikely. There's no time for any appropriated studying regime, but rather the OP will have to do 2-3 chapters/day and still have barely a week for FLs and practice passages. I've seen many more posters trying to rush the MCAT and receive poor scores than posters who were able to pull off a 40+ with less than 4 weeks of studying. I don't think all the wishful, positive thinking has much merit when compared to developing test-taking skills and solidifying your background knowledge.
 
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Refugee said:
I'm signed up for the May 22nd MCAT. Unfortunately, I haven't felt like studying for the exam since I graduated from my undergraduate school in June...

Plus, I basically finished all pre-reqs my junior year (2007-08), so the material is anything but fresh in my mind.

But guess what? I still have every intention of taking the MCAT on the 22nd and getting a 40+ on it. 😀

I need to kill the MCAT after a series of ridiculously unfortunate personal tragedies destroyed my undergraduate cumulative and especially science GPA in a total of two semesters (think 0.7 decline). I am sitting on a ~3.2 cum. and ~2.9 sci. Yay bad luck.

Anywho, I have 27 days to start and complete my MCAT preparation. This is because I will be in a remote location in the Caribbean for four days towards the beginning of May. Unfortunately, the trip was scheduled way long ago and is naturally nonrefundable. Of course, the fact that I have been salivating waiting for the trip for the past couple months may also factor into my intransigence on the subject. Anyhow, it is basically understood that virtually no studying will be undertaken on those days haha.

So, I see it this way: I was a humanities major at one of the best (if not 'the best') schools in the country. I spent a few hours doing practice verbal sections (my only prep so far) and I didn't miss any questions so I am going to assume I can get a 15 on the verbal section and the highest marks on the written (what is that? a 'T'?). That leaves biological and physical sciences. I own the Kaplan 07-08 MCAT premier book, the MCAT in a box flash cards, and the AAMC Official Guide to the MCAT. I also have access to three full length AAMC exams.

My long coming question is this: how should I approach preparing for those two sections in the 27 days I have? I have nothing else to do, so yeah...

Disclaimer: I am a very fast learner and pretty ridiculously intelligent. I just have a 'slight' procrastination problem 😉.... Also, I am nowhere as arrogant as this post will make me seem (actually, quite the opposite).

Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...



Good luck.
 
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Refugee said:
I'm signed up for the May 22nd MCAT. Unfortunately, I haven't felt like studying for the exam since I graduated from my undergraduate school in June...

Plus, I basically finished all pre-reqs my junior year (2007-08), so the material is anything but fresh in my mind.

But guess what? I still have every intention of taking the MCAT on the 22nd and getting a 40+ on it. 😀

I need to kill the MCAT after a series of ridiculously unfortunate personal tragedies destroyed my undergraduate cumulative and especially science GPA in a total of two semesters (think 0.7 decline). I am sitting on a ~3.2 cum. and ~2.9 sci. Yay bad luck.

Anywho, I have 27 days to start and complete my MCAT preparation. This is because I will be in a remote location in the Caribbean for four days towards the beginning of May. Unfortunately, the trip was scheduled way long ago and is naturally nonrefundable. Of course, the fact that I have been salivating waiting for the trip for the past couple months may also factor into my intransigence on the subject. Anyhow, it is basically understood that virtually no studying will be undertaken on those days haha.

So, I see it this way: I was a humanities major at one of the best (if not 'the best') schools in the country. I spent a few hours doing practice verbal sections (my only prep so far) and I didn't miss any questions so I am going to assume I can get a 15 on the verbal section and the highest marks on the written (what is that? a 'T'?). That leaves biological and physical sciences. I own the Kaplan 07-08 MCAT premier book, the MCAT in a box flash cards, and the AAMC Official Guide to the MCAT. I also have access to three full length AAMC exams.

My long coming question is this: how should I approach preparing for those two sections in the 27 days I have? I have nothing else to do, so yeah...

Disclaimer: I am a very fast learner and pretty ridiculously intelligent. I just have a 'slight' procrastination problem 😉.... Also, I am nowhere as arrogant as this post will make me seem (actually, quite the opposite).

Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...

You're a week out from your test, I'm sure you've started doing practice tests...how about an update?
 
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Here is what I have to say. Getting a 40+ is like missing 2, 3, or 4 questions on each section. You should take a AAMC test before you sit for the real examination. You might end up with a 17 (15VR/ 1PS/ 1BS)...

I don't think the MCAT is a hard test. Its a lot of easy material that is warped and convoluted to the point where you don't even know what its asking. If the Pre-req are not fresh in your head you are in NO WAY getting a 30+ regardless of what school you went to, how good you are at taking tests, or how cool you like to make yourself seem.

I too go to one of best schools in the nation and I have seen my peers crash and burn with the mentality you have. Not saying their (and your) mentality caused them to horribly fail the MCAT, but there is a sure correlation between the two events.

Best of luck...
 
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DrDotooMuch said:
Here is what I have to say. Getting a 40+ is like missing 2, 3, or 4 questions on each section. You should take a AAMC test before you sit for the real examination. You might end up with a 17 (15VR/ 1PS/ 1BS)...

I don't think the MCAT is a hard test. Its a lot of easy material that is warped and convoluted to the point where you don't even know what its asking. If the Pre-req are not fresh in your head you are in NO WAY getting a 30+ regardless of what school you went to, how good you are at taking tests, or how cool you like to make yourself seem.

I too go to one of best schools in the nation and I have seen my peers crash and burn with the mentality you have. Not saying their (and your) mentality caused them to horribly fail the MCAT, but there is a sure correlation between the two events.

Best of luck...
Click to expand...

Wow... This post was a long time ago. Shows me to pay attention to the date the tread was started.
 
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not spam, just a cold beer and a good score, in large part according to tips above, it's just too long to quote in
 
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fergusonian said:
not spam, just a cold beer and a good score, in large part according to tips above, it's just too long to quote in
Click to expand...

Lol. Repeatedly posting the same thing in a bunch of threads (including one that's been dead since 2011) is pretty much the definition of spamming.
 
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erskine said:
well, i think most people who frequent the mcat forum generally grow weary of these questions. There is no surefire way to get a 40+ on the MCAT- if there was a cohesive method to doing so the test would obviously negate itself in being able to distinguish between students.

The OP tells us several things- 1) he's been out of school for a year and 2) he hasn't done so hot in his classes, particularly sciences. These aren't obstacles that are impossible to overcome, but generally make the task of getting a 40+ on the MCAT, with 27 studying days even more unlikely. There's no time for any appropriated studying regime, but rather the OP will have to do 2-3 chapters/day and still have barely a week for FLs and practice passages. I've seen many more posters trying to rush the MCAT and receive poor scores than posters who were able to pull off a 40+ with less than 4 weeks of studying. I don't think all the wishful, positive thinking has much merit when compared to developing test-taking skills and solidifying your background knowledge.
Click to expand...

I actually have a family friend who had a 2.9 gpa/3.0 sgpa graduating. Took about a year or two off, took up a job, studied for the MCAT. He got I believe a 35 and eventually got 2 DO acceptances. From what I've heard, he was crying once he got in because most people said he didn't have a shot.
 
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Dreamstoo said:
I actually have a family friend who had a 2.9 gpa/3.0 sgpa graduating. Took about a year or two off, took up a job, studied for the MCAT. He got I believe a 35 and eventually got 2 DO acceptances. From what I've heard, he was crying once he got in because most people said he didn't have a shot.
Click to expand...

DO? People get MD acceptances with stats like that.
 
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Mindbuffer said:
DO? People get MD acceptances with stats like that.
Click to expand...

definitely agree, but with a 3.0/2.9, even a 35 MCAT will be an uphill battle for MD.

however, if your GPA is closer to the mid 3 range and you get a mid 30s MCAT, then you'll have very solid chances at even some of the better MD schools.

many of the kids at my alma mater got into very good MD schools (think case western and schools of its caliber) with 3.3-3.6 GPA and 35 MCAT.

OP, since you went to a prestigious undergrad, get your GPA as close to 3.5 as you can (at least a 3.3+) and aim for a 35+ on the MCAT. if you do so, you should have a good shot at an MD, given your other areas are solid. no need to get a 40+, imo.
 
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gmcguitar4 said:
No such thing. They aren't ranked.


Also, unless you are a URM a 2.9 cGPA and 3.0sGPA will maybe land you one MD interview and then ultimately a rejection.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. I have a friend who had almost the same GPA and a 36 MCAT, and he got at least one interview and an acceptance.
 
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gmcguitar4 said:
That is one person. Chances are that most would not.
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i think you are correct. 36 is an excellent score (i believe no school has a higher average?), but a 3.0/2.9 is just a bit too low. so unless you have an especially unique and/or strong factor (urm, outstanding research/publication, multiple years of intensive service work, etc.), the chance of acceptance with a 3.0/2.9 and a 36 is not very high. i would think that even DO schools will take issues with a 3.0/2.9. however, it is far from impossible.

i do believe that a high MCAT can compensate for a lower GPA, to an extent. but that GPA has to be in the 3.2-3.3 range at the minimum.
 
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aspiring20 said:
i think you are correct. 36 is an excellent score (i believe no school has a higher average?), but a 3.0/2.9 is just a bit too low. so unless you have an especially unique and/or strong factor (urm, outstanding research/publication, multiple years of intensive service work, etc.), the chance of acceptance with a 3.0/2.9 and a 36 is not very high. i would think that even DO schools will take issues with a 3.0/2.9. however, it is far from impossible.

i do believe that a high MCAT can compensate for a lower GPA, to an extent. but that GPA has to be in the 3.2-3.3 range at the minimum.
Click to expand...

I think his GPA was actually 3.3c/3.0s, so you're probably right.
 
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aspiring20 said:
oh damn! haha never realized that until now...

btw gettheleadout, what are you aiming for on the MCAT? 40+?
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"Realistically" (no idea how to back that up hah), yeah I want a 40+. People have gotten 45's before though, so since I believe I have a non-zero chance of achieving that, that's my goal.

I don't mean for that to sound bad; I don't expect to get a 45. I simply expect myself to put in the work I think is necessary to do my best, and I hope that ends up being as good as possible. I do personally think, whether this is correct or not, that I should be able to hit 40.

As a percentile goal I'd like to hit 99.9th percentile, which happens to be a 42 I believe.

Since I haven't taken an FL during prep yet, the only things I can present as justification for my self-expectations are the fact that I typically score high on standardized tests, do well on verbal passages and rarely hit below 80% on TBR science passages, and have confidence in my memory and critical thinking skills.

But who knows! I might end up plateauing at 32 on the AAMC FL's haha. Just have to wait and see.
 
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gettheleadout said:
"Realistically" (no idea how to back that up hah), yeah I want a 40+. People have gotten 45's before though, so since I believe I have a non-zero chance of achieving that, that's my goal.

I don't mean for that to sound bad; I don't expect to get a 45. I simply expect myself to put in the work I think is necessary to do my best, and I hope that ends up being as good as possible. I do personally think, whether this is correct or not, that I should be able to hit 40.

As a percentile goal I'd like to hit 99.9th percentile, which happens to be a 42 I believe.

Since I haven't taken an FL during prep yet, the only things I can present as justification for my self-expectations are the fact that I typically score high on standardized tests, do well on verbal passages and rarely hit below 80% on TBR science passages, and have confidence in my memory and critical thinking skills.

But who knows! I might end up plateauing at 32 on the AAMC FL's haha. Just have to wait and see.
Click to expand...

damn that sounds legit...

for me...my dream score will be a 36+
 
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Mindbuffer said:
I think his GPA was actually 3.3c/3.0s, so you're probably right.
Click to expand...

yeah...

even though a 3.3/3.0 is pretty mediocre (to put it kindly), it is much more salvageable than a 3.0/2.9.

now, if the stats are 3.6/3.3 and 35+ MCAT, the chances of getting in somewhere should be very solid if not good. countless examples at my school (confirmed, first hand knowledge, not hearing it from a friend of a friend).
 
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I read the whole thread in anticipation of learning OPs score, or atleast his practice test score. I'm guessing since he didn't post again he failed 🙁

Bummer, I had high hopes for him.
 
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aspiring20 said:
yeah...

even though a 3.3/3.0 is pretty mediocre (to put it kindly), it is much more salvageable than a 3.0/2.9.

now, if the stats are 3.6/3.3 and 35+ MCAT, the chances of getting in somewhere should be very solid if not good. countless examples at my school (confirmed, first hand knowledge, not hearing it from a friend of a friend).
Click to expand...

I don't know if you were implying I heard from a friend of a friend, but this person was actually a good friend of mine. He had some atrocious grades and a mediocre GPA and got in with a great MCAT. I can't comment on how likely this type of circumstance is, just that it happened. It may also be worth mentioning that the school I went to has a high acceptance rate to med school.
 
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Mindbuffer said:
I don't know if you were implying I heard from a friend of a friend, but this person was actually a good friend of mine. He had some atrocious grades and a mediocre GPA and got in with a great MCAT. I can't comment on how likely this type of circumstance is, just that it happened. It may also be worth mentioning that the school I went to has a high acceptance rate to med school.
Click to expand...

is your school in the northeast?
 
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