Breaking Down the MCAT: A 3 Month MCAT Study Schedule

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SN2ed

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Written by SN2ed.

Downloadable MCAT Calendar iCAL and XML versions: http://www.studentdoctor.net/3-month-mcat-study-schedule/
(Click the events for more details)

Everyone please keep the questions to this strategy AND READ ALL OF THE FIRST FOUR POSTS.

Do NOT start this schedule late. You will burnout. There have already been numerous posts & threads on people starting late, trying to rush through the material, and burning out quickly.
Check the Update log in the last post for any changes.

I noticed that some people are claiming they wrote this guide to scam people out of money. Let me make this clear, I have not and will not be selling anything related to this guide. If you see a poster trying to sell books saying they wrote this schedule, do NOT buy from them. They are attempting to take your money away on false pretenses. Additionally, this guide has only been and should only be posted on SDN. I have not posted this guide anywhere else. Furthermore, SDN is the sole MCAT/medical forum I visit and the only forum where I use the screen name SN2ed. I never imagined this thread would be popular enough to warrant this kind of attention. The contents of this thread (and any other on SDN) cannot be replicated and re-hosted on any other forum, blog, or website without prior consent of both the author and SDN.
Make sure you read ALL of the opening posts, including the FAQ, before posting questions.

To begin with, check out these two threads:

Why Diagnostics are Worthless: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=557231

MCAT and a Heavy School Workload Don't Mix: Stop rushing to take the MCAT:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602186

Can I accomplish this schedule with a part-time job or school?

Very unlikely. I highly recommend you devote 3 months to the MCAT. There may be a few that could follow this schedule and work part-time, but chances are it would not end well. You are FAR more likely to burn out if you try to study for the MCAT using this schedule and go to school or take a part/full-time job.

Furthermore, I've yet to see a valid reason for students (ie. not non-trads) to not take the MCAT in the summer.

Will following this guide guarantee me a +30?

Sadly, there are no guarantees on the MCAT. I certainly hope it helps you, but I can't say whether or not you'll hit your target score.

Should I take the MCAT before finishing my pre-reqs?

There's no point in doing so. You have to take them anyway. Hence, you might as well go into the test with your pre-reqs completed. Yes, this includes the English pre-req.

Any tips for retakers?

Check out the thread I made on the subject: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=754682

Remember to check out the third and fourth post FAQ.

Anything else before I start?

CONFIDENCE. Through all of the troubles and hardships you'll face, approach everything with confidence. You must constantly attack this test. The MCAT is merely a stepping stone on your journey.

Also, this is just a guide I made up. It is my opinion on what a study schedule should resemble. I'm sure there will be people that disagree with parts of this schedule or the whole thing. This schedule can easily be adjusted for 4 months instead of 3. I don't suggest starting heavy studying 5 months+ from your test date. Keep it to 3-4 months. If you start too soon, it will be a waste of time and resources.

Remember to use the search function on these forums. Tons of questions have already been asked and answered.
Lastly, please give credit to me, SN2ed, if you post this elsewhere. I put a ton of work into it.

Materials:

- Berkeley Review (BR) General Chemistry
- BR Organic Chemistry
- Examkrackers (EK) Biology for non-detailed approach OR The Princeton Review Hyperlearning (TPR) Biology/BR Biology for a detailed approach (In the schedule, I will use EK Bio because most prefer a non-detailed approach)
- BR Bio
- BR Physics
- EK 1001 series, excluding EK 1001 Bio (i.e. do NOT buy EK 1001 Bio)
- EK Verbal 101
- TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook or Berkeley Review Verbal
- AAMC Full Length (FL) #3-5 and 7-11 (AAMC #6 is not available at the moment)

You're using EK Bio for content review and BR Bio for passages. If you need more detail during in your content review, refer to BR Bio.

You can pick up the BR books from their website: http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html
Also, check out the For Sale section on here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=230 All of the above, except for the AAMC FLs show up from time to time. I've regularly seen a complete BR set go for under $100 on there. Whenever you buy used, MAKE SURE THE PASSAGES ARE UNMARKED.

To buy the AAMC FLs: http://www.e-mcat.com/

Bare Minimum Set-up:

$245 for AAMC FLs (http://www.e-mcat.com/)

$240 for BR Physics, O-chem, Gen Chem, Biology (http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html)

$26 for EK Verbal 101 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT101-Passages-Verbal-Reasoning/dp/1893858553)

$30 EK Bio (Amazon product ASIN 1893858626)


Prices vary on TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, search the For Sale forum on here for copies. They regularly show up. You should be able to get one for under $50.

Total = $541 + TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook

Set-up with EK 1001:

$18 EK Physics 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-MCAT-Physics/dp/1893858189)

$20 EK O-Chem 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-Organic-Chemistry/dp/1893858197)

$19 EK Chem 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-MCAT-Chemistry/dp/1893858227)

Total = $598 + TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook

Possible Book Replacements:

If you're having a hard time finding the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, BR is an okay replacement. Well, there's not much of a choice left. Again, I HIGHLY recommend you hunt down the TPRH Verbal Workbook.

TPRH is a great choice for content review in all subjects, however, you still need the BR books and EK 101 Verbal for their practice passages. TPRH does not have enough practice passages, though the Workbooks are still great resources.

A Little Bit more about TPRH books:

If you're looking for the Science or Verbal Workbooks, your best bet is through the For Sale forum on here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=230

You can also find the full TPRH set in the For Sale. People usually sell the whole set together.

If you want the content books, they're available on Amazon.

Yes, these books are the same as the TPRH content review books. The only difference is that these books, unlike the class content review books, contain some practice passages. I believe it's 3-4 passages per chapter. It's not enough to just stick with these books and some FLs, but it's nice to have a few passages thrown in.

About the EK 1001 series:

It is a good idea to get the complete EK 1001 series. I thought they really helped me nail down my understanding of the various topics. Through using the physics especially, I found that I didn't understand some things as well as I would like. Furthermore, for whatever reason, they helped me visualize the problem in my head and made the equations intuitive to use.
Too many people neglect their basic understanding which could be bolstered by EK 1001. They think they have a strong grasp, yet when those fundumentals are tested, one's weaknesses become more apparent. Plus, doing more timed practice problems is always a good thing.

The only negative for the non-bio and VR practice books is that they aren't in the right format (unless you think of them as tons of discretes).
However, it is significantly easier to spot your content weaknesses with EK 1001 because they aren't passages. You don't have to worry about if you messed up due to a failure to synthesize multiple ideas or the passage was worded strangely. When you mess up on EK 1001, you know it's due to a content weakness. Lastly, this problem would be alleviated by the BR books and EK content books containing practice passages. There are also the practice tests that you will be taking.
I suggest you get the above materials 1-2 months in advance! It takes awhile to get your BR books! You don't want to be missing your materials when you're about to start this schedule. Also, older content review books are usually okay, just don't go too far back (past 5 years old).
Lastly, sign up for your MCAT as soon as possible. Seats fill up months in advance.

Timing:

- ALWAYS complete your practice problems under TIMED conditions
- For BR passages: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- For the EK 30-minute exams….well 30 minutes
- EK 1001, except Bio series: 30 seconds to 1 minute per question
- EK Verbal 101/TPR Verbal: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- AAMC FLs: Use their timing


Notes:

- Do NOT retake old practice material
- Thoroughly review ALL of your practice problems. Review your problems the day AFTER you take them. Don't even look at the answers until then. If there's a break day, review your problems on the day after your break.
- Remember to round like crazy for any math problem
- Always use process of elimination with your answer choices
- Before you begin this schedule, count the number of verbal practice passages (101 from EK + however many in the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook). Divide the number of passages by 70 (total days - the number of break days AND FL days). That number is the number of verbal passages you should be taking per day. I'm hoping that number breaks down to at least 3 passages per day. Ideally, you should take 4-5 verbal passages per assigned day. You do NOT take verbal passages on break days OR FL days.
- If you don't want to get the EK 1001 series, spread out the second 1/3 of BR practice passages over 2 days. Again, I recommend you get the EK 1001 books that are listed.
- If your practice test score is not within your target range after 2-3 tests, you should consider delaying. If you delay, go over your weaknesses again and complete an in-depth analysis of what went wrong.
- If you have enough money, you could adjust the schedule to fit in more practice tests. I didn't include that many to keep the cost down.
- If your test is in the morning and you're not a morning person, start getting used to waking up early when you start taking practice tests.
- Try to practice under as realistic as possible conditions when you take your practice tests. In other words: wake up early enough to be able to drive to your center; eat a meal you would eat before a test; follow the proper timing; and if you're really into it, you could even drive around for about the same time it would take you to get to your test center.

General Guidelines for Reviewing:

- Go over EVERY question. Both the ones you got right and the ones you got wrong.
- Reviewing should take 2-3 times longer than taking the timed practice problems.
- If your tests are fluctuating, it is due to the different topics on the various tests. In other words, you have some glaring weaknesses that when targeted, nail you, badly. You have to find out what those weaknesses are because they are evident by your scores. Do NOT dismiss any wrong answer as a "stupid mistake." You made that error for a reason. Go over your tests again.
- You might want to consider making a log for all of your post test results where you work through the questions below. Doing so, you'll be able to easily notice trends.

Some things to go over when reviewing:

1. Why did you get the question wrong? Why did you get the question right?
2. What question and passage types get you?
3. How is your mindset when facing a particular passage?
4. Are you stressed for time?
5. Where are your mistakes happening the most? Are they front loaded? Are they at the end? All over?
6. What was your thought process for both the questions you got right and the ones you got wrong?
7. For verbal, what was the author's mindset and main idea?
8. Did you eliminate all of the answer choices you could from first glance?
ex. You know an answer should be a positive number so you cross out all of the negative number answer choices.
9. What content areas are you weak in?
10. Why are the wrong answers wrong and the right answer right?
11. How can you improve so you don't make the same mistake again?

Hat Trick:

Get a hat and write every single MCAT PS and BS topic onto a piece of paper. Then, when you're ready to practice PS, put all the PS topics into the hat. Draw two or three pieces of paper and connect the topics together. In addition to connecting them, come up with what a passage might look like and what kind of questions you might get. If you can't do this, go back and review each of the three sections. Rinse and repeat.

The hat trick days are important because they aid you in synthesizing the various topics together. On the MCAT, you utilize this skill for every passage because MCAT passages combine topics. Furthermore, you may also discover content weaknesses that you will need to go over.

PS Topic List: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85562/data/ps_topics.pdf
BS Topic List: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85566/data/bstopics.pdf
Page to get topic lists if you don't want to directly download the pdf: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing

Here's a rough example using Distillation, Mendelian Genetics, and Lipids:

You are studying a Mendelian inherited recessive genetic defect of a lipid receptor. A defect in this receptor prevents the uptake lipids in the body and can cause several negative effects, such as, atherosclerosis due to fat build-up in arterial walls.

To test for the concentration of lipids in a patient's blood, you design a distillation experiment.

1. Given a couple where the male is Ll and the female is ll, what is the chance the child will have the defect?

2. What kind of solvent should you use to test the concentration of lipids?

3. What type patient would have the highest boiling point elevation?

4. If the trait exhibited incomplete dominance, which patient is likely to be Ll? Boiling point information here.

5. Which cell component requires lipids?

Verbal Help:

Check out Vihsadas's verbal guide and the other guides found in the MCAT Guide sticky
Vihsadas's Guide: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6022602&postcount=96
MCAT Guide Sticky: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602154

Arithmetic Tricks:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528674&highlight=Arithmetic Tips Tricks
 
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Hello everyone,
I am a new member & would like to thank everyone for the wonderful information.

I am currently a junior & going to start my Spring semester. I work 30 hrs a week and take 20+ credits. Not because I'm in a pre-med frenzy, but because I have to work to pay for my school/car/ food ect.. (like many ppl here). I plan on taking my Mcat this summer (after reading the advice here)

My question: I have NOT taken the MCAT, but have taken the Kaplan course last summer. I have all the books/ flashcards, and becuase I attended every class I qualify to retake the course again for FREE.

Sn2ed & others , what would you do if you were in my shoes? Get EK/BR? Or stick with kaplan? Thank you
 
Hey SN2ed, for verbal practice tests...how much time should we be spending on each passage/question set.....if the passage has 5 questions with it and were averaging ~6 min is that good or should it be less?
 
Hello SN2ed,

I just started using this guide for the 03/27/10 MCAT and finished day 1...how many hours of studying do you recommend/day? I don't think I saw anything in your initial post...I apologize if this question was asked before!

Thank you!
 
Hello all,

I have been following this study guide for about 2 weeks. I am a full time student and doing a few ECs. I am planning on taking this exam in March, but I was wondering if I am doing something wrong because for some passages I will miss three or four questions and on others only one or two. I wanted to know what exactly is the approach to attacking the science questions in BR? I just want to get a 30 and I feel as though my verbal is improving because I am consistently only missing one or none on most passages, however I feel I am mastering the science concepts but still missing too many questions on several passages. Any advice is appreciated!
 
@ballinplayer03
I had the same problem. When I did the BR physics passages I got 3/7 questions correct, so now I'm wondering if I need to spend more time reviewing the chapters or is this normal when you first start doing content review. I understand that we have to re-read the chapters, etc... How many hours do you spend studying/day?
 
I spend around 4-5hrs generally because I also have classes and some other activities I am involved in. However, I feel like its more the passages and questions than content for me because I have studied for this exam before and this is the second go at it, but I am trying to not let anything slip up this time
 
Thank you! We just started using this guide so let's not get all discouraged....remember that confidence is everything 🙂 ....well, let's see if anybody else can help us out.
 
Hello SN2ed,

I just started using this guide for the 03/27/10 MCAT and finished day 1...how many hours of studying do you recommend/day? I don't think I saw anything in your initial post...I apologize if this question was asked before!

Thank you!

As loveoforganic mentioned, as long as it takes. Don't focus on the hours. Different people will spend a different amount of time. If you need to read the chapter twice in a day or you want extra reading time, do it. Go with what works best for you.
 
On page 2, you suggested a typical day may breakdown as follows:

2-3 hours for reading the chapter
18-20 minutes to take 3 timed verbal passages (you're working towards 6 minutes per passage or 18 minutes)
1 hour to review verbal passages from previous day
21-35 minutes for BR chapter questions or EK (depends on how passages per chapter or whether you're doing the 30 minutes EK chapter test)
1-1.5 hours to review chapter questions

****

1) In what order do you suggest the above is completed?

2) And, when you say you should review practice problems, I understand this includes VR from the previous day, but do you also mean every single PS/BS practice problem (i.e. those in 1/3 of the BR passages of the day before, and the stand alone questions in EK1001)?
 
joshto:

I don't recommend basing your schedule on those times since reading the chapter and reviewing your practice problems can take you far longer.

The order you complete everything doesn't matter too much. The only thing that must be done in order is reading the chapter must come before you work on the chapter's practice passages.

Yes, I mean you review ALL of the previous day's practice problems.
 
Just in terms of review, do you think it would be best to review, both the VR and PS/BS problems from the previous day, first? that is, might studying other content (whatever is scheduled on that day) interfere with your ability to adequately review?
 
Just in terms of review, do you think it would be best to review, both the VR and PS/BS problems from the previous day, first? that is, might studying other content (whatever is scheduled on that day) interfere with your ability to adequately review?

It shouldn't interfere. If you think it will, then review your previous day's work first.
 
I am unsure about how this schedule means when it says:

-Day 8: Complete second 1/3 of BR passages for the previous 4 chapters. I’m going to shorten this to: “Complete second 1/3 of BR passages”

Does that mean do the 2nd 1/3 for physics, orgo, chem and bio? so you arent learning anything new, just doing more problems?(ok that's learning, but is that right?)\

2nd

Day 6: Re-read chapters and work through corresponding EK 1001 sections for the chapters you worked through. For instance, BR O-Chem chapter #1 goes over Organic Structure & Bonding; hence, complete the Molecular Structure in the EK 1001 O-Chem. The topics probably won’t match all the time, but go with the best fit. Also, only do every third problem/passage in the EK 1001s. From now on, this day’s work will be abbreviated: “Re-read chapters + EK 1001”


so this means for all the chapters you have covered in this time since last review, go through the EK books and do the problems??

-what is throwing me off is some days I spend 2-3 hours doing work and some days I spend a lot more time working.... shouldnt I spend at least 5 hours(timed with breaks as you have on Test day?)

Its a solid guide though, and I think I understand what I just said I dont understand, but just checking.:meanie:
 
You're right on both counts. Different days are going to take different amounts of time. I was solid in organic and could be done in an hour and a half. I was crappy in bio and would take 6+ hours on occasion. On the review days, I occasionally took 12 thanks to bio. There's no need to work 5 hours on something you can understand completely in 1.5 though.
 
You're right on both counts. Different days are going to take different amounts of time. I was solid in organic and could be done in an hour and a half. I was crappy in bio and would take 6+ hours on occasion. On the review days, I occasionally took 12 thanks to bio. There's no need to work 5 hours on something you can understand completely in 1.5 though.

Orgo took me 10 hours :laugh:

Physics - 30 minutes.

What did you use EK Bio or TBR? 6+ hour seems like a lot for EK Bio, but for TBR I guess that would seem appropriate from what I've seen with TBR books (very detailed and descriptive).
 
Orgo took me 10 hours :laugh:

Physics - 30 minutes.

What did you use EK Bio or TBR? 6+ hour seems like a lot for EK Bio, but for TBR I guess that would seem appropriate from what I've seen with TBR books (very detailed and descriptive).

I used ek bio, but I made a c and a b- in bio 1 and 2 due to lack of effort, and that was all the bio I'd had, so I needed to learn pretty much everything fresh from the review book
 
I used ek bio, but I made a c and a b- in bio 1 and 2 due to lack of effort, and that was all the bio I'd had, so I needed to learn pretty much everything fresh from the review book

That's ok I got B-s in orgo I and II.
 
Do you just use broad topics such as fluids, solids, sound, etc.? Because that seems too general, but then if you do every single subcategory from the aamc topics list it's way too much. Should I just use my judgement when picking which topics or use the general ones? thanks

Also, we do nothing for bio on the finish second 1/3 of br right?
 
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sixpence: This should answer your first question. Could you rewrite the question about the second 1/3 of BR? I'm not sure what you're asking.

Sorry this is quite a stupid question, but I can't figure out the hat trick: how specific are our topics supposed to be when we write them onto pieces of paper? For example, in PS, according to the pdf, is it better to just write "electron structure", or go in more depth and write each of the numbered topics on different pieces of paper (ie, orbital structure, ground state, etc)?


Thanks!

It's really up to you and how you ultimately want to utilize the Hat Trick. A good starting point would be at least writing down the bolded topics. Then, when you're doing the Hat Trick, you should think about each topic more in-depth. Remember, you're trying to think up an MCAT style passage. In other words, the passage won't be simple; it will involve some of the complexities of each topic.

Going to update the FAQ to include the above.
 
sorry about that it was late..

I meant on the "Complete second 1/3 of BR passages for the previous 4 chapters" days, we just take a break from bio?
 
First of all, a huge thanks to SN2ed for putting all of this together. I have all of my study materials (per your suggestions) and am ready to start. Just a question on the schedule though, if you wouldn't mind...

I notice that you schedule your review days (rereading chapters and working through the EK 1001 sections) to occur after five days of chapter reading (for each of the FOUR subjects). I assume this is intentional to stagger the topics so that you're not always reviewing after working on the same subject. For example, on Day 6 you've got us rereading chapters -- I assume this includes Physics Ch. 2 as well as Ch. 1, correct? And on day 8, you've got us completing the second 1/3 of passages. You say that's for the previous 4 chapters, but don't you mean the previous 5 since there are two physics chapters up to this point?

I hope this makes sense and thanks again!
 
LingoLaine:

The re-reading on day 6 includes all of the previous week's chapters. This includes BR Physics chapter 1 & 2, BR Gen Chem chapter 1, EK Bio chapter 1, and BR O-chem chapter 1.

For day 8, yes, there are only 4 chapters because you work through 4 BR chapters. On day 6, you are working through EK Bio 1001 which is why it's not repeated on day 8.
 
Ah, perfect, thanks. I actually decided to go ahead with Berkeley Review for the bio chapters as well. I'm not sure how well the EK1001 bio topics will match up on those days but will look for the best fit.

Thanks again!
 
Hi SN2ed, I am a non-traditional applicant working full time (40hrs/wk). I will be taking the MCAT 5/22 and I just received my BR and EK materials. I will be following 4 months schedule. I know that you don't recommend ppl working full time and following your schedule. I really have no choice and I don't want to wait another year before I apply. I know that there is a very high chance that I might burn out in the middle but I think I really have the motivation to tough it out. Lets hope I don't collapse due to exhaustion in the middle of studying 😛

Question: How much better is TPR verbal compared to BR Verbal? I can't seem to get my hand on TPR verbal. Checked the for sale section already
 
Hello S2Ned,

You are quite the celebrity in pre-med circles, and I'm sure you alone account for many, many BR sales.

May I ask, would you recommend the PR Science workbook over the EK1001 Questions? How closely do the PR science workbook questions resemble the MCAT discrete questions? I don't plan on doing the PR passages.


Your morsels of wisdom would be greatly appreciated, oh wise one.
 
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MT2MD: There are a few people selling them now.

mipp0: I wouldn't recommend the workbook over EK 1001, but in addition to it. The two books are good in two different things. If you can get the workbook, pick it up. Yet, if you aren't using it for the passages, you're wasting the book. I wouldn't worry about discretes too much. Plus, it's not like you won't have discrete practice.
 
Hello,

I haven't taken Biology since 2006 and I really didn't learn anything in my Physics 2 class Last year neither. As of right now I am in a Princeton Review Class but I am taking 13 credits this semester biochemistry 2, biochem 1 lab, toxicology, french and tap dance, when it comes to the study schedule should I use outside material other than the Princeton Review books? I have the Berkeley Review Books for Orgo, Physics and G. Chem as well as the 1001 Questions set, also is it possible in three months say taking the MCAT the end of April to the beginning of May to do an overall increase of the MCAT by 13 points.
 
EDITED FIRST PART OUT

Seoncdly, I understand completing 1/3 of the passages at a time is to allow us to come back to earlier chapters, so that we don't forget what we've learned. Is this not the case for Bio?


Sorry for the confusion, I just want to be clear as I am starting tomorrow.
 
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SN2ed, thank you so much for your guide!; I appreciate the time and energy you put into it and I am def going to be getting the books your recommend!

My question is in regard to non-trad students, like myself; how do you recommend us non-trad students adapt your schedule to study the MCAT when we work full-time jobs?

I am also going to grad-school part-time for a master's; I was planning to take the MCAT not till the middle of 2011 so I wanted to know if its possible to spread out your schedule and start studying 6-8 months prior to exam time? I'm waiting for a re-apply on the non-trad forum on how others in my position are studying for the MCAT

I was thinking of starting to study this coming summer when I won't have any grad school classes and will only have work full-time on the subjects that are harder for me, ie physical sciences and orgo and then into my major area, bio sciences and the verbal section
 
The last thing I noticed is that, according to this schedule, the final 1/3 of EK1001, for all subjects, will be left untouched.
 
The last thing I noticed is that, according to this schedule, the final 1/3 of EK1001, for all subjects, will be left untouched.

It wouldn't take you too long to do the last 1/3 if you wanted to.

To save time, don't write down anything, just look at the answer choices and try to think what the right one is (do mental math, perform reasoning in your head), choose an answer choice, and then look at the answer solution quickly.
 
TPRH is a great choice for content review, however, you still need the BR books, EK 101 Verbal, and either EK Bio 1001 or BR Bio. TPRH does not have enough practice passages, though the Workbooks are still great resources.

The books I currently have are listed below and I was wondering if, in your opinion, they would give me enough practice material/content review/practice questions to sufficiently study. What I'm most concerned with is whether the TPRH Orgo & Chem are good enough or if I should get the BR Orgo & Chem. I got the whole TPRH series as a package deal but I wasn't set on all of it, mostly I wanted the verbal and the bio because I like alot of detail. Thanks in advance for you help!

-TPRH Series (PS Review/BS Review/Science Workbook/Verbal Workbook/Verbal Reasoning & Writing Review/Science review Q's & Solutions)
-Nova: Physics Workbook
-ExamKrackers 1001 Series (Chem/Physics/Bio/Orgo)
-EK 101 Passages
-AAMC Practice Tests
 
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1) I don't understand what we are supposed to do on the following days:

Day 62: Last 1/3 of BR passages for Chapter 1 + Second 1/3 of EK 1001 Bio Chapter 1
Day 63: Last 1/3 of BR passages for Chapter 1 + Second 1/3 of EK 1001 Bio Chapter 1


2) Okay, so I understand the last 1/3 of all subjects, in EK 1001, will be left untouched. But, on what day, for example, will the second 1/3 of, let's say, Physics Chapter 1 be completed?
 
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I left my responses in order.

futuredoctor328:
Yes, you should because you need practice problems. The recommended book list and book alternates is listed on the first page. As to your second question, there's no way to know. I can say you aren't putting yourself in a good position to succeed.

joshto:
You can finish the last 1/3 of Bio 1001 is you want. I left it out because I used the 30 minute lecture quiz in place of the first 1/3.

smarty666: Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations. It's up to you to fit the schedule around your job. There are too many variables to take into account for me to come up with a guide for non-trads. At least you're in a better position in terms of burnout compared people that try to take the MCAT while in school.

joshto: That's correct. This gives you a chance to have some spare problems in case you run into concept difficulties.

kgigs: There is absolutely nothing wrong with TPRH content review books. They're very good. The problem is I don't think you have enough practice problems. You're fine in physics, bio, and verbal, but not gen chem and o-chem.

joshto:

1. Pretty much what it says. You complete the last 1/3 of the BR practice passages for all BR chapter 1s. In other words, you do the last third for BR chapter 1 Physics, BR chapter 1 Gen Chem, etc. On top of that you complete the second 1/3 of EK 1001 Bio chapter 1.

2. Please refer to Day 8 for the second 1/3.
 
I left my responses in order.

futuredoctor328:
Yes, you should because you need practice problems. The recommended book list and book alternates is listed on the first page. As to your second question, there's no way to know. I can say you aren't putting yourself in a good position to succeed.

joshto:
You can finish the last 1/3 of Bio 1001 is you want. I left it out because I used the 30 minute lecture quiz in place of the first 1/3.

smarty666: Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations. It's up to you to fit the schedule around your job. There are too many variables to take into account for me to come up with a guide for non-trads. At least you're in a better position in terms of burnout compared people that try to take the MCAT while in school.

joshto: That's correct. This gives you a chance to have some spare problems in case you run into concept difficulties.

kgigs: There is absolutely nothing wrong with TPRH content review books. They're very good. The problem is I don't think you have enough practice problems. You're fine in physics, bio, and verbal, but not gen chem and o-chem.

joshto:

1. Pretty much what it says. You complete the last 1/3 of the BR practice passages for all BR chapter 1s. In other words, you do the last third for BR chapter 1 Physics, BR chapter 1 Gen Chem, etc. On top of that you complete the second 1/3 of EK 1001 Bio chapter 1.

2. Please refer to Day 8 for the second 1/3.

Where can I find the TPR workbook?
 
You say that Day 8 is when the second 1/3 of EK 1001 (for Physics, Chem, Ochem GChem).

According to the schedule, though, Day 8 does not specify any EK 1001 work. I was under the impression, according to my interpretation of the schedule, that Day 8 was strictly a day for completing the second 1/3 of BR Passages only (i.e No EK 1001).


My apologies for the confusion.
 
joshto: You only complete the first 1/3 for most of the EK 1001 books (2/3 for Bio). This is so you have extra practice for concept specific problems. If you want, you're free to go through more.
 
Hey SN2ed, thanks for the schedule. It sounds reasonable and
well-thought to make you cover the material holistically.

I'm going to study according to it, and just thought
it'd be awesome to put the schedule into Google Calendar, to track myself.
Because you know, once you put the data into Google Calendar you can
move it around to your phone, mail, etc..

And then what struck me is if there could be a way to
set the start date of when you'll start the schedule
and generate the .csv file that Google Calendar understands
and imports.

Me being a computer science major before going pre-med,
I was able to create a very simple webpage that would do it.

It's here: http://mcatschedule.webs.com/mcatschedular.htm

Click the calendar icon, select your start date, then click the link right
next to the icon. At the bottom of the page you'll see a textbox
with the contents that Google will understand. Open up
Notepad and save as a .csv file, then import that into Google Calendar.

I don't know if this'll help any one of you guys, but it fits my way
of keeping track of things, because I set the Calendar to constantly
remind me of events by mail.

Thanks again for the schedule SN2ed, you've took a lot of planning
off my shoulders.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a good writeup after the application process.

Best,
Seungjin Kim
 
Hey SN2ed, thanks for the schedule. It sounds reasonable and
well-thought to make you cover the material holistically.

I'm going to study according to it, and just thought
it'd be awesome to put the schedule into Google Calendar, to track myself.
Because you know, once you put the data into Google Calendar you can
move it around to your phone, mail, etc..

And then what struck me is if there could be a way to
set the start date of when you'll start the schedule
and generate the .csv file that Google Calendar understands
and imports.

Me being a computer science major before going pre-med,
I was able to create a very simple webpage that would do it.

It's here: http://mcatschedule.webs.com/mcatschedular.htm

Click the calendar icon, select your start date, then click the link right
next to the icon. At the bottom of the page you'll see a textbox
with the contents that Google will understand. Open up
Notepad and save as a .csv file, then import that into Google Calendar.

I don't know if this'll help any one of you guys, but it fits my way
of keeping track of things, because I set the Calendar to constantly
remind me of events by mail.

Thanks again for the schedule SN2ed, you've took a lot of planning
off my shoulders.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a good writeup after the application process.

Best,
Seungjin Kim
I am not a computer person at all.
I want to do the 3 month schedule, but I am going to need to make some days, 2 days from SN2ed's schedule, like combine break days with Biodays, as bio is cake for me.
How do I make a calendar for that using what you have done?
I take my MCAT 4-23-10
 
I am not a computer person at all.
I want to do the 3 month schedule, but I am going to need to make some days, 2 days from SN2ed's schedule, like combine break days with Biodays, as bio is cake for me.
How do I make a calendar for that using what you have done?
I take my MCAT 4-23-10

Please make personal changes INSIDE the Google Calendar.
Once the schedule is inside the Calendar, you can move dates around
to suit your need. I changed mine so all my Break days fall on a Sunday.

Now that I think about it.. if the changes are extensive, I'll let you know
if I make an easier way to actually adjust the uneditable schedule list on the site. For now editing the Calendar is the only option.

Okay. Minimal editing capabilities has been added. Now you can edit either on that page or in Google Calendar.
 
Last edited:
Please make personal changes INSIDE the Google Calendar.
Once the schedule is inside the Calendar, you can move dates around
to suit your need. I changed mine so all my Break days fall on a Sunday.

Now that I think about it.. if the changes are extensive, I'll let you know
if I make an easier way to actually adjust the uneditable schedule list on the site. For now editing the Calendar is the only option.

Okay. Minimal editing capabilities has been added. Now you can edit either on that page or in Google Calendar.
huh what is google calendar?
I never use that and have no idea how to download/save stuff into CSV or whatever
I just made Word Table with 2 columns
[Date][what to do]

then I combined a few days of stuff from 2 days to one day.,(bio and something else)
then I was done.
 
In terms of the verbal practice books, some (such as TPRH) include "tests." Like as if it was the real MCAT they give you 6-7 passages as a test. Should we just stick to the 3 passages a day- so in an essence breaking up these tests doing 3 passages a time in them or take the entire tests at once for practice?
 
I have just got all my books this week and am starting the schedule to take the mcat on 5/27. I managed to modify the schedule to somewhat stretch it out until that long and take into account midterms, where I may not be able to do a session those days.

I read this whole thread a two weeks ago, but I can't seem to find what I was looking for again. Someone mentioned there was a specific order you should do the practice verbal passages in terms of how they simulate the real mcat. I believe the response to that question was do TPR hyperlearning first and then EK101 last. Can someone confirm this?

Also, I am considering to get the official MCAT book for additional practice passages if I run out by the last two weeks before the test date. Would this be good idea or would you recommend something else that has passages for all subjects?
 
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