Advice needed..thanks

[luckycloud5]

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Hello everyone,

I have found this website incredibly helpful over the past year, but have never posted.

However, I now have a question 🙂 I do not know if this has already been addressed in another thread, if so could someone please provide the link.

I am signed up to take the PCAT in June, but I don't know if I can sufficiently prepare for it while taking 5 classes this quarter. Should I wait until October, so that I have the entire summer to prepare? (I am planning on starting my applications for the Fall 07 entry this summer as well)

Thank you. 🙂

 

[mph2pharm]

Hello everyone,

I have found this website incredibly helpful over the past year, but have never posted.

However, I now have a question 🙂 I do not know if this has already been addressed in another thread, if so could someone please provide the link.

I am signed up to take the PCAT in June, but I don't know if I can sufficiently prepare for it while taking 5 classes this quarter. Should I wait until October, so that I have the entire summer to prepare? (I am planning on starting my applications for the Fall 07 entry this summer as well)

Thank you. 🙂

Are the courses you are currently taking, courses that will be covered on the PCAT such as organic chem., calculus, etc.? If so then on one hand, the information should be fresh in your mind for June but on the other hand, that doesn't leave you much time to prepare after your classes are over which I assume is in May?

I would suggest taking a practice test and seeing how you do. Some people have actually done quite well with minimal study other than the work that have done in their courses (I am not one of those people however). I believe that Harcourt has practice exams that you can purchase and take on-line under timed conditions. You may also want to buy (if you haven't already done so) a PCAT prep book such as Kaplan and take their practice exam under timed conditions like that of the actual PCAT. If you score well then I say go forward with taking the PCAT in June. If you don't score well then maybe you should wait until October. Some schools may only consider your highest PCAT score but I would rather score well the first time and not have to take the exam again versus having a few subpar scores on my PCAT transcript.

Good Luck!

 

[luckycloud5]

Thank you for your response. 😀

I have already finished most of the courses I will need to take the pcat (except human anatomy, which is only offered once a year during the winter quarter 🙁 )

And my classes don't end until a week before the PCAT unfortunately, which makes me nervous about taking it.

However, won't it be too late to take it in October, since I will be starting my application in the summer?

I agree that I would rather do well the first time around, but I'm just worried that October may be too late...

 

[patmcd]

I would take it this summer, that way in case you aren't happy with your score you'll still have time to retake it for next years application cycle (most school will take the oct pcat but double check on your schools).

 

[KUMoose]

I wouldn't put it off, what I would do is count the weeks between now and the test. Get a book/guide/CDs/divined information and chop it down into X-3 weeks (i.e. number of weeks less three) and study that chunk every week. I happened to get the Kaplan book, but others would work.

Chunking the material in this manner will help you out as some weeks will be light with materials you are very comfortable with and some a little harder. If you don't want to learn linearly (i.e. all Chemistry then all Biology, etc), you can match your light weeks with heavy course-work and vice versa. Take two weeks as gifts/gimmies and review the entire section the last week before the PCAT.

 

[rxlynn]

Thank you for your response. 😀

I have already finished most of the courses I will need to take the pcat (except human anatomy, which is only offered once a year during the winter quarter 🙁 )

And my classes don't end until a week before the PCAT unfortunately, which makes me nervous about taking it.

However, won't it be too late to take it in October, since I will be starting my application in the summer?

I agree that I would rather do well the first time around, but I'm just worried that October may be too late...

No, it won't be too late to take it in October. In fact, I think that may be when the majority of people take it. You will be able to go ahead and finish your PharmCAS application before you take the PCAT. Some schools will go ahead and look at your app before the PCAT scores come in. Most of them will wait to see the scores, but you will have them around Thanksgiving from the Oct. test, which is still quite early in the admission cycle for most schools. Double-check with the schools you are interested in applying to, but I don't think you will have any problem with Oct.

 

[luckycloud5]

Thanks for all the advice.

I'll see how the studying goes...

I currently am studying out of Kaplan's 06-07 and Barron's 2nd Edition.

maybe october... 😕

 

[Sefowa04]

I wouldn't put it off, what I would do is count the weeks between now and the test. Get a book/guide/CDs/divined information and chop it down into X-3 weeks (i.e. number of weeks less three) and study that chunk every week. I happened to get the Kaplan book, but others would work.

Chunking the material in this manner will help you out as some weeks will be light with materials you are very comfortable with and some a little harder. If you don't want to learn linearly (i.e. all Chemistry then all Biology, etc), you can match your light weeks with heavy course-work and vice versa. Take two weeks as gifts/gimmies and review the entire section the last week before the PCAT.

Lol that is exactly what I TRIED doing with my Kaplan book. I divided it into sections based on how many weeks I had until the PCAT...I think I stuck to it for 2 weeks 😳
But anywho, I was going through the same confusion last year, but it was a toss up between the October and January test dates. I wanted to take it in October so that if I didn't do well I could take it again in January, but the problem was that I had my midterms in October and I hadn't studied as much as I wanted to over the summer. Plus, all the testing centers around me were already full! So I just ended up taking it in January which worked out fine for me. Good luck with your PCAT!

 

[luckycloud5]

Lol that is exactly what I TRIED doing with my Kaplan book. I divided it into sections based on how many weeks I had until the PCAT...I think I stuck to it for 2 weeks 😳
But anywho, I was going through the same confusion last year, but it was a toss up between the October and January test dates. I wanted to take it in October so that if I didn't do well I could take it again in January, but the problem was that I had my midterms in October and I hadn't studied as much as I wanted to over the summer. Plus, all the testing centers around me were already full! So I just ended up taking it in January which worked out fine for me. Good luck with your PCAT!

🙂


my problem is that i have finals the week before...eep!

 

[TennisBoy78]

You have nothing to lose by taking it in June, even if it is a week after finals. If there are schools out there that only take one score, that would indicate to me that they have to be anal about other things too (so I wouldn't consider them).

You have to start from somewhere, and although the test costs $105-, it is an investment. If you score well enough, you won't have to worry about it later, and if you need to retake it, October isn't too late. January may be too late for a lot of schools however.

 

[luckycloud5]

No, it won't be too late to take it in October. In fact, I think that may be when the majority of people take it. You will be able to go ahead and finish your PharmCAS application before you take the PCAT. Some schools will go ahead and look at your app before the PCAT scores come in. Most of them will wait to see the scores, but you will have them around Thanksgiving from the Oct. test, which is still quite early in the admission cycle for most schools. Double-check with the schools you are interested in applying to, but I don't think you will have any problem with Oct.

So we can complete our Pharmcas application and have it sent to the schools even before the PCAT is taken? Just making sure.

I'm leaning more towards California schools, which don't require the PCAT, b/c I want to stay close to home. But I do want to take the PCAT, b/c I'm thinking of applying to a few out of state schools.

So if I send in my applications in the summer and wait until October to take PCAT, that might be okay?

Thanks.

 

[RachGator]

If possible, like others suggested, I would take 1 practice test from Harcourt (I believe they have 2 for sale) and see how you do. Then I would study my book (Kaplan, etc) for a few weeks, and take the second Harcourt test. From that score you can see where you are and take the test accordingly. I signed up for October 05 but cancelled in September (still got some of my money back too). I took the January 06 and did pretty well after studying where I was still weak.

I only wish I could have taken the October because it would have upped my chances with schools that had running admissions. This shouldn't be a problem for you though because you can still take June or October.

Good luck and Godspeed!

 

[luckycloud5]

I just stumbled upon the answer to my question on another thread.

Thanks. =)

 

[luckycloud5]

If possible, like others suggested, I would take 1 practice test from Harcourt (I believe they have 2 for sale) and see how you do. Then I would study my book (Kaplan, etc) for a few weeks, and take the second Harcourt test. From that score you can see where you are and take the test accordingly. I signed up for October 05 but cancelled in September (still got some of my money back too). I took the January 06 and did pretty well after studying where I was still weak.

I only wish I could have taken the October because it would have upped my chances with schools that had running admissions. This shouldn't be a problem for you though because you can still take June or October.

Good luck and Godspeed!

Thanks! I think I will take the Practice ones just to see how I do and if I don't do well, I'll probably cancel the PCAT and more fully prepare for the October one.

=)

 

[jruerph]

That sonds like a good idea, good luck!!!