40 on the mcat: hardwork of natural intellect?

[AlanG]

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So, what does everyone think about achieving a 40+ score on the mcat. Is this something you can study your way to, or is it alll natural ability?

 

[MyBlsflHrt]

Perhaps these people who got 40+ took higher level bio classes like physio, genetics, biochem, cell/molecular bio, etc? Or would this actually be harmful as one now has a whole year to forget everything learned in chem, bio, physics, and orgo?

 

[Vihsadas]

Perhaps these people who got 40+ took higher level bio classes like physio, genetics, biochem, cell/molecular bio, etc? Or would this actually be harmful as one now has a whole year to forget everything learned in chem, bio, physics, and orgo?

It's not harmful insofar as you are familiar with the level of testing that is likely to appear on the MCAT. As long as you study from MCAT books, and do MCAT relevant material, preparing for MCAT type questions, and most importantly understand the level of complexity that the MCAT expects of you extra knowledge can only help you...most of the time it's completely superfluous, but occasionally it helps. In general, the AAMC puts a lot of effort into making sure that the passages they present are consistent with the entire body of scientific knowledge, even if they are only testing a basic concept. So in general, if you found that scientific fact disagreed with the logic or information on an MCAT passage, you could have a case for deeming the question unfair, but, you have to make sure that the information in the passage is the information you are using.

 

[Beren]

Perhaps these people who got 40+ took higher level bio classes like physio, genetics, biochem, cell/molecular bio, etc? Or would this actually be harmful as one now has a whole year to forget everything learned in chem, bio, physics, and orgo?

I sometimes found it difficult to answer MCAT questions based on upper div. classes, where they teach you about all the exceptions. I got by on the physiology with general bio.

Oh, and my gf just started her AAMC practice tests with a string of 40+ scores... but she also had a 4.0 in undergrad with crazy schedules.

 

[texahn]

I got a 39 and I think it was a mix of everything.
Plus a little caffeine/nicotine helped too

 

[Raihan Mirza]

I got a 39 and I think it was a mix of everything.
Plus a little caffeine/nicotine helped too

Nicotine helps in preparing for the mcats?

 

[BennieBlanco]

Nicotine helps in preparing for the mcats?

Cocaine is supposed to boost like 3 points if taken correctly.

 

[Segovia]

I think natural intellect is the deciding factor when scores reach a certain level. I wish it wasn't this way, and used to believe otherwise, but one of my friends recently took the MCAT, and he used Kaplan to prepare. He took 2 practice tests nonchalantly (only 1 AAMC), and got over a 40 on the real thing (I don't want to say his exact score, but it was higher than 40).

Here is the scary part...he got a 15 on verbal, and remembered the passages in detail a month later when he got his scores! I'm positive the only reason he didn't max out the other sections was because he missed some knowledge-based questions because he took his pre-reqs years ago. He had no "study plan", and didn't stress at all. He would probably laugh at the complicated strategies many of us have to resort to (myself included) to get a respectable score. I felt really stupid talking to this guy, but it made be believe that some people are on a whole other level cognitively.

 

[Doodl3s]

My view is hard work can get you up to a 38, anything above a 38 and you're only getting wrong 3-4 per section, which takes luck.

 

[BennieBlanco]

Lets have a nature vs nurture debate now also, so everyone can pick a side of a debate that obviously has no one answer.

GO!

 

[Vihsadas]

I think natural intellect is the deciding factor when scores reach a certain level. I wish it wasn't this way, and used to believe otherwise, but one of my friends recently took the MCAT, and he used Kaplan to prepare. He took 2 practice tests nonchalantly (only 1 AAMC), and got over a 40 on the real thing (I don't want to say his exact score, but it was higher than 40).

Here is the scary part...he got a 15 on verbal, and remembered the passages in detail a month later when he got his scores! I'm positive the only reason he didn't max out the other sections was because he missed some knowledge-based questions because he took his pre-reqs years ago. He had no "study plan", and didn't stress at all. He would probably laugh at the complicated strategies many of us have to resort to (myself included) to get a respectable score. I felt really stupid talking to this guy, but it made be believe that some people are on a whole other level cognitively.

I know the type you are talking about, and there are a few in my class as well. However, that doesn't discount the rest of us! It is still possible to do very well and not be a genius. I am not on that other playing field.
I'm not saying being a genius is somehow going to play against you, but ya kno. 😛

 

[DRIN]

Wait what? There is no possible way that a 10 is the national average for verbal. I'm pretty sure it is an 8 or slightly above an 8, like 8.2 or something.

Yeah, I scored a 9 in VR and that was in the 60th something percentile so that means I was definitely above the average.

 

[tigress]

IMO, VR is mostly natural ability and BS and PS are a combo but much more hard work.

I'm probably biased, though, since I got a high score on VR, a medium-high score on BS, and a not great score on PS. I know that there's no way I could have studied for VR--it just comes naturally to me, for whatever reason. I don't think this is a measure of intelligence, per se, but definitely a measure of some innate ability (as well as a lifetime of good education). My BS would have been super high if not for having 3 orgo/biochem passages (if I remember correctly--it was 4 years ago lol...but it was ridiculous). But my PS? I didn't know the material well enough at all. I hadn't taken second semester physics. I didn't study nearly enough, I really didn't.

My score was mid-30s.

 

[unDRdog]

i would guess that most people who end up in the 40s did so consistently in practice.

Agreed...i too think that if you can get your AAMC range 37-42 you could end up with a 40. Tiger woods isnt tiger woods bc he gets lucky..he repeats his performance

 

[unDRdog]

But the terrain Tiger plays on doesn't shift violently and unpredictably every few weeks like an erupting volcano 🙁

LOL...good point....i guess what i was trying to say is that if your good enough to land in the 40 range your good enough to land in it more than once. Grant it there are ppl that have averaged 36ish on the AAMC's and made a 40 but that is the exception to the rule. It takes one helluva understanding of the material , a lot of test taking finesse, as well as the ability to perform on game day.

 

[Baboo Bhaiya]

LOL...good point....i guess what i was trying to say is that if your good enough to land in the 40 range your good enough to land in it more than once. Grant it there are ppl that have averaged 36ish on the AAMC's and made a 40 but that is the exception to the rule. It takes one helluva understanding of the material , a lot of test taking finesse, as well as the ability to perform on game day.

Also, my vote goes to hard work.

 

[AKMD_1984]

MCAT is such a f**ked up exam, honestly.
im glad USMLE wasnt as painful as the USMLE.

 

[rama kandra]

I take some of my philosophy from the great investors. Rest assured they are all mostly 'smart' people with degrees and intelectual prowess - but they have made similar comments about their strategy; I'd like to share it.

Every one has a different way of trying to achieve their goals. Some dabble in certain industries, stocks, bonds, or currencies. The point is, you can study however you feel most confident - or where you are best suited. The outcome is not based on which strategy or methods you use, as long as they are the right one for you. Finding that niche is hard admittedly. But all the best investors have nearly similar rates of return, within a margin of fractions. Thats like saying if you were decently good, a 35 would be outstanding, but a 40 isnt exactly much greater on the scale, its rather logarithmic at that point in the curve.

And, they have usually made it clear - even the greats will lose gobs of money. Even your best laid plans could go wrong but its best to not ponder where and when it will occur. The best mind is a prepared mind.

In addition, I do not believe the great investors or test takers have much of any luck. I believe luck is a short term phenomenon. When someone makes a great score, a fantastic investment, those things are often luck with no evidence for future performance. But a great worker, with a strategy and resolve may not be 'lucky' and get the huge number or strike gold, but they will over the long term continue to perform at or above average.

Oftentimes the best records are those who just inched past the averages year after year, instead of explosive returns. Keep this in mind if you want to stay sane. Don't bother with some random 40+ story from a layperson, thats one in thousands. You are better off just keeping to a strategy that works and staying the course if you want to do well. GLuck.

 

[FishHungry]

I think sufficient discipline and study can improve a person's conceptual understanding and critical thinking capability to the point that they could consistently score in the 36-42 range. I think almost anyone can make these kinds of improvements, but they don't know how to go about it. They mostly focus on memorizing more information, and so they see little improvement and assume the MCAT must require some innate "ability" they don't have. I took the Altius prep course, a small company in Utah, and scored a 40. I think they have approaches that truly help you improve in critical thinking and conceptual understanding. Two people in our group scored over a 40 and I know one person who did last year as well.

Bottom line: I think a 36ish is attainable thru very hard work. You can definitely improve your chances of jumping over that the harder you work, but the room for error is so small, that you can't say a 36 and a 40 are really all that different. Finally, there are SIGNIFICANT differences between test forms. For example, the kid I mentioned who got a 40 last year, took it once and got a 36, retook it one month later with no additional studying and got a 40. He said the difference for him was the differences in the exam. The second one seemed a lot easier for him. SImilarly, one guy I studied with extensively ALWAYS got higher than me on practice exams. On test day I got a 40 and he got a 37. If we both retook it tomorrow I could easily see those scores flip-flopping. The AAMC would like to think that their test is so reliable that the same person will get the exact same score on any of the various test forms, but I don't buy it. Some forms are heavy on Genetics, while others are heavier on hormones. I had a freaky test that had two passages on digestion! No one I've ever talked to had a digestion passage, only a rare stand-alone here and there. Those differences are definitely going to interplay with the various strengths and weaknesses of individual examinees.

So, I wouldn't set my heart on a 40. I'd say a 35+ is a great goal and anywhere above that is icing on the cake. If any admissions committee compares a 38 and a 40 and actually considers the 40 student superior, they are pitiful and need to take a stats course.

 

[BennieBlanco]

But the terrain Tiger plays on doesn't shift violently and unpredictably every few weeks like an erupting volcano 🙁

Oh, but it does. It does.😉

 

[thatscorrect7]

I think sufficient discipline and study can improve a person's conceptual understanding and critical thinking capability to the point that they could consistently score in the 36-42 range. I think almost anyone can make these kinds of improvements, but they don't know how to go about it. They mostly focus on memorizing more information, and so they see little improvement and assume the MCAT must require some innate "ability" they don't have. I took the Altius prep course, a small company in Utah, and scored a 40. I think they have approaches that truly help you improve in critical thinking and conceptual understanding. Two people in our group scored over a 40 and I know one person who did last year as well.

this is great

 

[mrivera]

So, what does everyone think about achieving a 40+ score on the mcat. Is this something you can study your way to, or is it alll natural ability?

For the most part, pre-meds are the hardest working bunch, and they produce a combined average of 24/45. The average pre-med fails the MCAT.

I will say this, hardwork will get you an MCAT good enough for Medical school(low 30), but anything in the high 30s, and especially 40s range will require a great deal of natural intelligence. What I am reffering specifically to is absorption rate. Reading a passage, understanding to the fullest as you go along, and then destroying the questions, with very little need of reffering back to the passage(if ever)

 

[JohnnyBravo]

For the most part, pre-meds are the hardest working bunch, and they produce a combined average of 24/45. The average pre-med fails the MCAT.

I will say this, hardwork will get you an MCAT good enough for Medical school(low 30), but anything in the high 30s, and especially 40s range will require a great deal of natural intelligence. What I am reffering specifically to is absorption rate. Reading a passage, understanding to the fullest as you go along, and then destroying the questions, with very little need of reffering back to the passage(if ever)

I disagree. I got 14s in the sciences. The reason most kids do poorly on the MCAT is that they don't spend enough time "ATTACKING" passages. Getting a 14 PS and more importantly BS, does require multiple references to the passage. Finally, I think that a hard working person who TRULY understands the sciences can get 13 or 14. On my BS, it was ALL PASSAGE BASED. One read through wasn't enough. If you ''TRULY understand" the material you'll get at least 12. The problem is most premeds "MEMORIZE" there way to grades and the MCAT exploits that. My 2 cents.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I am totally confused here... You guys are talking about upper 30s and 40+ on that stupid standardized test... I am willing to donate one of my kidneys in exchange for just 30. You guys on SDN are smart... oh again I forgot that the national average for the MCAT is just 24+.

 

[drfancypants]

Hi FishHungry, I've been seeing the flyers for Altius up here in Portland and have been thinking about using them. They seem a little sketchy though -- their contact email is a hotmail address, and I have no way to verify their statistics (average score of 33...?). How did you decide to use them? Was it really that much better than self-study?

I've been assuming I'd just be a self-study for a while now, but the fact is I'm too old to risk not maximizing my chances because I'm too cheap to pay for a prep class that could help keep things structured and on track.

 

[BennieBlanco]

I think the cutoff should really be 38 or 39 for MCAT super excellence. 40 sounds like a nice number but you are still top 1% I believe with a 39 or 38.

There is no difference between 39 and 40

 

[BennieBlanco]

For the most part, pre-meds are the hardest working bunch, and they produce a combined average of 24/45. The average pre-med fails the MCAT.

I will say this, hardwork will get you an MCAT good enough for Medical school(low 30), but anything in the high 30s, and especially 40s range will require a great deal of natural intelligence. What I am reffering specifically to is absorption rate. Reading a passage, understanding to the fullest as you go along, and then destroying the questions, with very little need of reffering back to the passage(if ever)

RECENTLY BANNED!!! OUCH.

mrivera ... FAIL!

 

[ahmcadams]

All of the people I know who received scores in the 40s would be classified by anyone as well above average in natural intelligence. I doubt any amount of studying is going to allow someone who consistently scores in the very low 30s with significant preparation - which is the national matriculant average - to hit 40.

That said, there's very little room for error at the higher scores, so one has to have some good fortune when each careless error can represent a full point deduction.

In the end, it doesn't really matter. Get in the 30s and you'll have a good shot at acceptance, get in the mid-30s or higher and you'll likely be selecting from a number of good choices.

 

[Futuredoctors]

It's a bit of both.

 

[ilovemcat]

It's a bit of both.

God, what is it with the weird coincidences in this forum. Just yesterday I was looking at this thread and what'd ya know, someone bumped it. Despite their being many old threads it always seems the ones I just happen to look at get bumped, lol. ...weird.

 

[Robinson Crusoe]

Perhaps these people who got 40+ took higher level bio classes like physio, genetics, biochem, cell/molecular bio, etc? Or would this actually be harmful as one now has a whole year to forget everything learned in chem, bio, physics, and orgo?

I know someone who got a 12 in BS and a 39 overall before taking any biology classes in college (he took the exam because he was only going to do the premed thing if he did well). He didn't take any prep course, just ten practice exams. So I think it's natural ability.

 

[artsciencelove]

You can only increase your natural ability slightly by taking care of your body with rest, good diet, and exercise. You can't control how lucky you are on test day. The only factor you can really control is how hard you work for your goals.

Assuming you don't have some weird personality defect you can't suppress for the length of an interview, a 35 on the MCAT and a 3.5 GPA means you're certainly going to medical school in the US, if you want to. You may not get into the program you want, and you may have to live someplace you don't like for 4 years, but your biggest problem is going to be choosing from your multiple acceptance letters.

The difference between a 35 and a 40 is just a handful of missed questions. The average MCAT score for successful applicants to Johns Hopkins and Harvard last year was 36 (source: 2011-2012 MSAR). Scores above that are just for bragging rights, or to compensate for some otherwise fatal deficiency.

 

[phltz]

I think a lot of premeds really miss the forest for the trees when it comes to the MCAT. Actually, maybe I should just say that premeds miss the forest for the trees, full stop.

The way I see it, the MCAT is mostly a test of general scientific literacy, reading comprehension, and logic. Doing well also demands a solid understanding of most of the material covered in basic premed classes - 2 semesters each of gen chem, orgo, physics, and bio. Most people study for the MCAT almost entirely by focusing on the material. Assuming you did well in your premed classes and haven't taken them a super long time ago, this is not a particularly productive use of your time.

I've done a fair bit of tutoring for the MCAT, and I think most students would benefit most from working on their scientific reading and reasoning skills, more than any specific review of biology or chemistry or physics. Sadly, by the time people ask for my help, they're usually in the last few weeks, and they just want to charge straight at the test, spending their time reviewing material they expect to be tested on. I think this is how most premeds do all of their studying - by attacking it head on.

What's holding most of the already high-achieving, hard working MCAT takers from a score in the 40s is not content material though, and so attacking the MCAT head on is only minimally useful. I think this is why people's scores tend to plateau as they're studying. It's because they're spending their time on the wrong stuff. What you need to score in the 40s is excellent scientific reading and reasoning skills.

These skills are not some innate talent that can't be cultivated. They're regular skills, like any other. Instead of just driving straight at the MCAT, take a step back, and work on your foundations. Read a short journal article that's in a subfield a bit more specialized than you are familiar with. Try to figure out what's going on. What are they doing, and why? What assumptions are they making? What theories are they exploring? Are there flaws in their analysis of the data? What further experiments do you think they should do to continue the work? Spend a while trying to figure it out on your own. There may be some vocabulary you aren't familiar with, or a certain piece of equipment or gene you haven't heard of. Try to figure out what these things are from the context to the best of your ability. Maybe once you've understood most of the article, it becomes clear what a particular test is measuring. Once you've done this by yourself, try to figure out precisely what further information you need, and then go find it on wikipedia, in the library, or wherever.

After you've done all this, get together with some other students who've gone over the same article, and talk about it. Alternately, maybe a group of, say, three of you can read three articles. Each people is responsible for an in depth analysis of one article, which he can present to the others. After his explanation and summary, ask questions and discuss.

These are the kinds of skills that can get you a 40+ on the MCAT. All of the reviews and drills in the world won't be enough if your reading and analysis skills are weak. It's not innate ability. It's not dumb luck. You just need to take a step back and be smart about how you study, instead of just dumbly attacking the exam with flash cards and prep books.

 

[Danlee07]

I haven't taken it, but from everything that I've seen and heard, the MCAT is the more notoriously difficult standardized than the others because of its questioning of content and the way that you know how to understand the material.

By learning the skills of understanding new material put in front you quickly and accurately, then a better ability to answer can be accomplished as well.

These are just skills that you can work on. And for that person comparing to athletics................oh hell no.

 

[MCAT guy]

Seriously guys?


It is a multiple choice test. Take it, do well enough to get into med school and that's it.

These MCAT obsessions are unhealthy. Oh, and my scren name is MCAT guy.

 

[runawayclock]

For me, my first MCAT score was 30 - but this was with VERY little preparation, and I had no idea what the test was really about other than that it tested your basic sciences. Bad idea.

Then, I re-took the MCAT, most of my prep based on all the AMCAS practice tests. I scored consistently between 37 - 40 on my practice tests and got a 36 on my actual. I remember my SAT experience being similar.

I think there's a fairly narrow range of scores you're able to achieve on the MCAT at whatever given point in your life. You'll be able to boost it by studying but scoring much higher (from mid 20s to 40s) or much lower is just going to be a fluke or extraordinary effort. For some people, this might be 27-29, for some people it might be 43-45.

Like MCAT guy said, it doesn't matter what MCAT score you have as long as it gets you in SOMEWHERE.

 

[SnDividedbyn]

Eh, I am not fond of taking computer test since there are no paper trail.

I think reading is fundamental in the MCAT. It's not the IQ so no, probably not intellect.

 

[VonBeethoven]

Hi FishHungry, I've been seeing the flyers for Altius up here in Portland and have been thinking about using them. They seem a little sketchy though -- their contact email is a hotmail address, and I have no way to verify their statistics (average score of 33...?). How did you decide to use them? Was it really that much better than self-study?

I've been assuming I'd just be a self-study for a while now, but the fact is I'm too old to risk not maximizing my chances because I'm too cheap to pay for a prep class that could help keep things structured and on track.

First, their email is [email protected] (I don't know what this hotmail address is you're talking about)
And yes, their average score is that high. In fact, this summer, the altius group I studied with at BYU in Utah had an average of 34 with a large majority scoring 36+. If you don't trust the flyer, call the number, and I'm betting Lauren (the owner) will direct you to some students who took it last year, and I promise they will heavily recommend the program! Apparently what altius is doing works, unlike the lecture based programs like kaplan.

I decided to go with them because they were the only program that offered not just twenty hours with a personal tutor, but altius also provided bucketloads of real AAMC questions and passages every week! By halfway through the program we (in my group) were all writing our own MCAT questions. Kaplan bases their program on questions written by kaplan, not AAMC, and my friends in kaplan were not writing their own mcat questions at any point. I feel bad that I didn't persuade those friends to join me in altius because they paid the same price for an inferior and fundamentally flawed program.

Edit: There are way more reasons why this program rocks! There's admission advisement, scientifically proven learning methods, concept based lessons; I could go on. Trust me, after you graduate six figures in debt, an $1800 program that gets you into the school of your choice is worth it. PM me or visit www.altiustestprep.com

 

[Mithril]

You can get 14s and possibly 15s on science scores with lots of hard work and maybe a bit of luck, but the VR section is a completely different type of beast that hindered me from getting a 40 on my MCAT. My verbal score on the real deal was very mediocre even though I was getting anywhere from 9-12 on practice VR tests, which was really depressing because it closed the doors to a lot of out-of-province Canadian schools for me even though I have stellar science scores.

Now I'm wondering if I'll even get in for next year. I don't even know anything about the US health care system to apply to American schools next application cycle if I don't get into a Canadian school for next year. The tuition is just so much if I go down to the states.

 

[uclakid]

I think it's natural intellect to get you that high.

 

[MossPoh]

Eh, I am not fond of taking computer test since there are no paper trail.

I think reading is fundamental in the MCAT. It's not the IQ so no, probably not intellect.

It is something you'll have to get over. Pretty much all tests are computerized now. You'll warm up to it though when you realize your neck isn't throbbing and hand isn't exhausted from bubbling when you're done. You also don't have 2 things to juggle, extra pencils, etc.

All my tests and quizzes in med school are now computer based (we started with paper). The USMLE is also computer based, as are all other certification tests for health professional programs I believe. (May be an exception or two)

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

In fact, this summer, the altius group I studied with at BYU in Utah had an average of 34 with a large majority scoring 36+.

Thanks to all the buyers so far! There's only one item left! I found listening to Jordan and Jon was far more engaging than any lecture.

All ten books in this Berkeley Review set including

Biology Part I&II
Chemistry Part I&II
Organic Chemistry Part I&II
Physics Part I&II
Verbal
Writing

are in pristine condition and current edition (2010). I bought them new, read the books, and made all marks on separate paper to study for the May 21 MCAT and it went quite well. (47Y, 110 percentile, which is all right, I guess, right?)😉

I'll offer to sell them for $295 including shipping if you live in the US.

I'm a little confused by your timeline. You were selling your materials (EK, PR, and BR) in late June, about 35 to 40 days after your May 21 MCAT which you did well on. That timing makes perfect sense, because it would have been right after you took the MCAT and having a good score clearly didn't need them any more.

But now you're posting that you studied this past summer at BYU. Why would you do that, having gotten a great score and having sold all of your materials right here on SDN?

Repeating the MCAT after getting a great score is not a good use of time, especially after selling all of your materials.

 

[VonBeethoven]

I'm a little confused by your timeline. You were selling your materials (EK, PR, and BR) in late June, about 35 to 40 days after your May 21 MCAT which you did well on. That timing makes perfect sense, because it would have been right after you took the MCAT and having a good score clearly didn't need them any more.

But now you're posting that you studied this past summer at BYU. Why would you do that, having gotten a great score and having sold all of your materials right here on SDN?

Repeating the MCAT after getting a great score is not a good use of time, especially after selling all of your materials.

Sorry about the confusion. I think this warrants clearing up.

My roommate and I use the same account these days mostly to browse med school stuff on the other forums. I did indeed complete the may 21 mcat and tried to get him to buy my books for his test, but he took altius instead (and did just as well as me, too) so I ended up selling them in the classified forums. He must have happened across and responded to some questions about altius on the mcat forums last night I guess.

Reminds me! About those BR books, I ended up selling them to some gal in Connecticut, and USPS media mail LOST THEM ALL, and I didn't insure them. I ended up refunding her, but I was so miffed at my roommate because if he had just used my books I wouldn't have been out over two hundred bucks!😱

Moral of this protracted post:
Whether you self-study with BR and EK, or whether you take Altius it doesn't matter; you'll get a 47Y. Just for the love of all that's holy, get your media mail insured!

 

[cdnwpg]

Sorry about the confusion. I think this warrants clearing up.

My roommate and I use the same account these days mostly to browse med school stuff on the other forums. I did indeed complete the may 21 mcat and tried to get him to buy my books for his test, but he took altius instead (and did just as well as me, too) so I ended up selling them in the classified forums. He must have happened across and responded to some questions about altius on the mcat forums last night I guess.

Reminds me! About those BR books, I ended up selling them to some gal in Connecticut, and USPS media mail LOST THEM ALL, and I didn't insure them. I ended up refunding her, but I was so miffed at my roommate because if he had just used my books I wouldn't have been out over two hundred bucks!😱

Moral of this protracted post:
Whether you self-study with BR and EK, or whether you take Altius it doesn't matter; you'll get a 47Y. Just for the love of all that's holy, get your media mail insured!

C'mon dude. Really now? FAIL. Thanks to BerkReviewTeach for busting this guy.

 

[VonBeethoven]

C'mon dude. Really now? FAIL. Thanks to BerkReviewTeach for busting this guy.

Come on, the score is meant to be hyperbole! Everyone else is posting ridiculous high scores 10 points higher than what it probably is, and everyone takes it so seriously. Figured I'd join in. Sorry if my lighthearted banter doesn't come across well online.

 

[Ev1hmr]

Here's my point of view, coming from someone who got a 32 in 2007 and a 41 in July, 2010.

In my case it was natural intellect. I didn't prepare for the MCAT in 2007 hardly at all; I attended a few PR classes, but got fed up with the instructors being unable to answer my questions. Test day came around and I had barely opened the review books.

Long story short, I graduated and waited two more years before retaking the test. I highly suggest this strategy, as these have been a wonderful two years, but I digress... This time around I studied for about six weeks prior to the test, reading my PR books cover to cover, once. I took three or four practice tests, but had a hard time taking them seriously because they weren't real; I was scoring 36-37 (which was still an improvement I was excited about). I have a degree in math, so physics was easy enough, and I chose to just memorize everything else. I wouldn't say it was any harder work than reading 1000 pages, and was more my ability to reason and memorize material.

I've always been that kind of test taker though, and wouldn't recommend those study tactics for others. Part of me wants to retake the test because I bet I can score higher, but the other 99% of me wants to beat the crap out of that assenting voice.

 

[goldenniche]

So, what does everyone think about achieving a 40+ score on the mcat. Is this something you can study your way to, or is it alll natural ability?

I think "natural ability" comes in when its down to the verbal section, because it is not something you study for. And doing exceptionally well in verbal is necessary to score 40+.

But it is something you prepare for. The people with 'natural ability', in my opinion, have essentially been preparing for it there whole life. Critically thinking about the news, discussing it with their peers and family, being open-minded and educated about political, economical, historical issues etc. In general, being a well-rounded intellectual.

But there are people who have trained themselves to do this within the 4 months they have, I suppose.

 

[Handinhand]

It's all about hard work, and then getting lucky as hell. I started studying June 1st for an August 24th exam this year. First practice test, got a 22. Ended up getting a 36 on the real thing, and was scoring higher on my last AAMCs. I consider myself, while getting a great score, to have gotten unlucky with my exam and that if my PS section wasn't such a train wreck, probably would have hit 40.

There is very little on the MCAT that you could just get without studying, the people that do well while studying very little probably just studied like a son of a bitch when they first learned the material in OChem, GChem, Bio and Physics and just held on to it.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

It's all about hard work, and then getting lucky as hell. I started studying June 1st for an August 24th exam this year. First practice test, got a 22. Ended up getting a 36 on the real thing, and was scoring higher on my last AAMCs. I consider myself, while getting a great score, to have gotten unlucky with my exam and that if my PS section wasn't such a train wreck, probably would have hit 40.

There is very little on the MCAT that you could just get without studying, the people that do well while studying very little probably just studied like a son of a bitch when they first learned the material in OChem, GChem, Bio and Physics and just held on to it.

Your luck comment is so spot on! While we can argue all day that some 40s are natural ability and others the result of hard work, no one can disagree that luck plays a role in any score 36 and above. I can score above 40 one day and below 40 another day doing the same preparation. The only difference is that the passages are more to my liking when I score higher.

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

I've been seeing the flyers for Altius up here in Portland and have been thinking about using them. They seem a little sketchy though -- their contact email is a hotmail address, and I have no way to verify their statistics (average score of 33...?).

I took the Altius class, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that their statistics are horribly flawed. Anyone can send me a private message if they want to know why.

First, their email is [email protected] (I don't know what this hotmail address is you're talking about)
And yes, their average score is that high. In fact, this summer, the altius group I studied with at BYU in Utah had an average of 34 with a large majority scoring 36+. If you don't trust the flyer, call the number, and I'm betting Lauren (the owner) will direct you to some students who took it last year, and I promise they will heavily recommend the program! Apparently what altius is doing works, unlike the lecture based programs like kaplan.

I decided to go with them because they were the only program that offered not just twenty hours with a personal tutor, but altius also provided bucketloads of real AAMC questions and passages every week! By halfway through the program we (in my group) were all writing our own MCAT questions. Kaplan bases their program on questions written by kaplan, not AAMC, and my friends in kaplan were not writing their own mcat questions at any point. I feel bad that I didn't persuade those friends to join me in altius because they paid the same price for an inferior and fundamentally flawed program.

Edit: There are way more reasons why this program rocks! There's admission advisement, scientifically proven learning methods, concept based lessons; I could go on. Trust me, after you graduate six figures in debt, an $1800 program that gets you into the school of your choice is worth it. PM me or visit www.altiustestprep.com

I'm pretty sure that this person must be working for the company. It reads like an advertisement for their company.

I'm a little confused by your timeline. ... But now you're posting that you studied this past summer at BYU. Why would you do that, having gotten a great score and having sold all of your materials right here on SDN? ... Repeating the MCAT after getting a great score is not a good use of time, especially after selling all of your materials.

C'mon dude. Really now? FAIL. Thanks to BerkReviewTeach for busting this guy.

Yes, this seems to confirm my suspicion that VonBeethoven is an imposter.

 

[Perimeter]

A lot of people get 40s from hard work, but what does that say about them? It says they have to compensate for a disadvantage ie they are average people. Smart people get 40s with 1-2 months studying before and they don't worry about the MCAT because they know they will do well. You can always tell the difference between a hard working person who isn't very bright and a smart person who does some work in classes. They both get similar scores. Personally I only associaciate myself with smart people, but that's just me.