For those of you who just took MCATs...

[Mish550]

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Hey guys,

Congrats to all of you that did well on the August MCATs. I'm going to be taking the MCATs this April. I have good grades in my classes, but that's all from hard work and not because i'm "naturally bright," which worries me about the MCATs. I have to study to do well. So my question is, for those of you that are like me and did well on the MCATs in August, did you take a class? I have all of the Kaplan class books and the PR class books, but I'm still not sure if i should take the class. I wouldn't mind paying the 1200 if it means the difference between doing well and not. So what do you guys think? Also, when should I start studying? I feel like I will forget everything if I start right now.

Thanks and sorry this was long!

 

[jglemonade]

Hi, I am like you in that I work pretty hard and get really good grades. But a lot of it is not natural ability. I'm a junior and decided to take the august mcat sorta as a last minute deal, and took the PR class. I think taking the simulated exams really helps you build up ur stamina and confidence. I did well on Bio-11, did ok on physics-9..but sucked on verbal I think just due to nerves because on all the practice tests and AAMCIV and V i was getting 10's or 9's. I got a Q in the writing sample. PR really helps you get the writing sample down...it is basicallly a simple format, if you know somebody who took the class you can ask them. I thought taking the class was worth it because I had a really good instructor and she gave us extra private help free as well. Basically though, what makes the difference in the end is how much you practice the materials. I'll be taking it in April again as well to bring my verbal up. Good luck.

 

[sunflower79]

Hi Mish,

Having taken the MCAT twice, once in the spring and summer, I would caution you to take as few units as possible if you are in school. I was overcommitted during spring semester and didn't do as well as I could have (as proven by my summer scores 🙂 ). My experience during the summer was that I was a hermit for 6 weeks; from your post it sounds like you would benefit from at least 8 weeks of straight studying. If you have other commitments, more is in order. I would start during winter break if I were you.

On forgetting stuff: Yes there is a lot to remember 😛 but I made study sheets with the pertinent stuff and reviewed them weekly. If you do that you'll know the stuff like the back of your hand.

On prep courses: For the April exam I took TPR. It is helpful insofar as there are live people helping you review the material which you a) are not comfortable with and/or b) have forgotten. But PRACTICE is key. Second time I said forget TPR and just used their materials that I already had. I did practically every problem they gave me and the harder ones twice. That's the way to go. Practice gives you a feel for the exam style and ensures that you really know the concepts, not just the facts. If you are a conceptual learner as I am (I hate facts!), this will go a long way. If not, the practice will probably make up for it. Also it gives you stamina. The good thing about prep courses is the actually waking up Saturdays and taking the whole damn thing... several times. But if you don't use all their materials you aren't getting your money's worth.

Other good things about a prep course: it tells you what/not to study. Don't pour over your physics books thinking you have to do every problem. At the same time I found my old texts very helpful for reference. If you feel comfortable with self-study just buy the prep materials from someone.

Another form of practice is taking advantage of the writing prompts given in the MCAT annoucement booklet and sketching out what you would say. If you can write practice essays regularly, more power to ya. For me just sketching out what examples I would use and what I would say, in outline form, sufficed (because I was pressed for time). You can start doing that now 🙂 and just keeping up with current events (no doubt you already are). The point is just to make yourself as comfortable with the MCAT as possible (keep your friends close but your enemies closer 🙂 ). The test is 50% psychological!

Email me if you have questions; I am happy to help others do well and avoid my mistakes (and take it just once!). 🙂 Sorry so long!

 

[luckyduck]

I believe it depends upon your learning style. I usually benefit from class and taking notes, but I took Kaplan for the April test and I did not feel like the classes helped me at all! I learned the most from studying practice questions on my own. After a dissapointing score in April, I studied with the Examkrackers books on my own this summer. WOW! I felt so much more confident for my test in August. The books were suited for my learning style and really taught me the information. I improved my overall score by seven points! The key to studying is to practice as many questions as you can get your hands on and find the books and system that suits your learning style the best. I truly can say I wish I had found the Examkrackers books earlier and had saved that $1200! Those books, the MCAT Audio Tapes (available on amazon.com) and the AAMC tests were what worked for me. Just my 2 cents 🙂

 

[Wednesday]

I took Kaplan and was very happy with it. Definitly worth the money for me. (Took it in April, 30+). I found that the Kaplan classes themselves were not always useful since my teachers were people who had done well on the test and not necessarily in the actual class. If you learned the material the first time around, the classes alone are not worth the money. However, the practice materials that were available were AMAZING. They have all sorts of tests, not just full lengths, to practice on and they are assigned as you work through the material, so you can work up to longer and longer tests. The Saturday testing periods were helpful too. I ended up taking one on my own at the public library and it just wasn't as useful an experience as taking it surrounded by other people who were taking it. Practice is the key, not necessarily "natural brightness". (BTW just because you work hard doesn't mean you're not "naturally bright".)

I was worried about forgetting everything too, so I didn't start my Kaplan class until February. This plan would have been better if I hadn't had any classes in the spring, but it worked out fine. The only thing I regretted was not having enough time to complete all of the practice materials (there are SO MANY!). It was good to have everything fresh in my mind though.

 

[Dylann FMD]

Originally posted by kareniw:
•
Having taken the MCAT twice, once in the spring and summer, I would caution you to take as few units as possible if you are in school. I was overcommitted during spring semester and didn't do as well as I could have•

The above may have worked for kareniw, but I would disagree 100%. I totally overloaded myself last spring with classes. I had 17 credits, six courses, including some real tough ones (Calculus III, Biochem II, cell biology). I also took a MCAT prep course given by my school. I also worked and did extracurrics. It was very, very exhausting, and I didn't have a whole lot of time to directly study for the MCAT. However, I think it was the best preparation for the MCAT that I could have found. Contrary to what many believe, there isn't a whole lot you NEED to know to do well on the MCAT. However, you need to be excellent at analysis. With all these classes, my brain really was 'forced' to start analyzing things. I was really thinking better, if you know what I mean. Classes like Calc III really made me better at analysis.

Also, look at the courses you can take around that time, and plan them strategically. No one ever told me this, but by some divine intervention I took a really great set of classes. I had a philosophy class where there was a lot of analytical reading, plus we had weekly writing assignments where we took statements and wrote when they did and didn't work--VERY similar to the MCAT writing section. I took an art history class that reminded my biologically-stained brain about the world (and helped with the art passage on the verbal test). I took a medical terminology course that enabled me to look for word roots on a bunch of terms I didn't know on the test. I also took a bio course (cell) where the tests consisted of short passages and series of multiple choice/short answer questions based on the reading and background info. And in my biochem course we studied hemoglobin/myoglobin curves about two weeks before I took the exam, and guess what the first bio passage was about?

I guess what I am trying to say is look for and take courses that will help you prepare. Ask around and see what the tests and assignements are like, to see if they would be good prep for MCAT. And definitely take a literature or philosophy course that semester. For me, these credit courses helped way more than any princeton review/kaplan course ever could. Plus, you actually receive academic credit for them!

Keep in mind this is what worked for me. Do what fits your personality. I knew I couldn't sit the entire summer with MCAT prep books--I just didn't have the time or motivation. Besides, my brain in August is not the same as my brain around finals in April.

Note--if you do this, make sure not to totally overload yourself. I was getting really stressed at times, but a good spring break trip and an occasional mental break was ABSOLUTELY necessary. On the plus side, a semester like this will help prepare you for the rigorous coursework in med school. Good luck!

 

[lilninja]

I think before you start forking out the dough for classes, take a practice exam (although it is nervewracking when you aren't ready). You'll get a feel for what the test asks, and whether you remember a lot of that from your classes (which, if you got good grades, theoretically, you'd probably still remember the stuff). And then you will know what you need to do for the exam, and how much more studying you think you'll need. I truly believe that doing actual problems helps a lot more than just studying as much as you can, or memorizing your textbooks.

 

[Amy B]

I took Kaplan. I thought their instructors were poor, their resources were limited - we were always fighting over the 6 VCR/TV to watch their videos. I didn't get my money's worth AT ALL.

Yes the practice tests were helpful to getting me prepared for an all day test BUT you can purchase the REAL MCAT tests from aamc and practice at home.

For April, I had Kaplan
For August test I study at home alone using the kaplan books which are almost identical to the big red Kaplan book sold in any book store. In August I purchased the practice real MCAT's and did them all. They were MORE helpful then the fake practice MCATs offered at Kaplan. Plus they give you feed back on the number you guess and the number you guessed right. that was a big help.

The scores I got on the aamc tests were very close to my actual august MCAT. The Kaplan ones were not like my real scores.

Save yourself $1200. Buy the tests from aamc ($40 each) and buy the big red Kaplan book from the bookstore ($70) and VERY importantly set aside time EACH day to study, STUDY, STUDY!!!!!!!!

Oh, I would add anyone can set up an account on Kaplan.com and have access to loads of online practice tests that are graded within 2 minutes of you taking them. I signed up for this service before I signed up to take their course.

Good luck

Amy
😉