I cant seem to write more than 500 words within 30min. And if I still want some proofreading, it'd be like 450 words. I know how to write a good essay but the timing is killing me. What to do now?
Have trouble finish writing the essay in 30min
- Thread starter Genemo
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you shouldn't be worrying about the writing section unless other areas of your mcat practices are decent.
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You ought to try upping your typing speed. Consider taking a course in keyboarding. Do you use the home row? What is your current speed? 60wpm? 70wpm? Accuracy rating? 98%?
Practice free writing, or creative writing.
Prepare a database of prompts, or at least have some ready for politics, laws, and some for international conflicts. Have another few ready for businesses, and technology.
The cutoff is Q in Canada, including Queen's. P for Western, and something like M or N for U of T.
I'm not sure if it is my typing or my thinking that is taking too much time. And sorry I've no idea about my current typing speed either.
I can generally outline my essay in 1-2 munites but it takes time to actually construct each sentense. I tend to think that is why I'm writing too slow.
Btw I thought Queen's wss R last year? I'm pretty interested in Queen's since my overall is relatively low but most recent 2 years are pretty good. But I'm not sure if I can get R for the writing. And my verbal is at about 9, which is a huge problem too.
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Surprisingly, the cutoff was in fact a Q for the writing sample. Queen's kept their cutoff at R for a long time, but a Q was sufficient to get the number of applicants they needed for interviews.
Of course, you should aim for an S anyway or even a T.
You need to work on your free flow writing. There are some drills that you can do to improve your free flow writing. This is an easy skill to develop and hone over the next few months, and will be an asset to a good writing sample score for the MCAT.
There are also many free typing speed testing programs available via the internet. It would be good to see where you stand, and if you train at it, you can improve your typing speed by as much as 25% over the next few months.
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There are some other skilled writers on the sister forum. You may want to ask them for advice, and other relevant tips. Otherwise, some of the tips in this thread will be sufficient to get you a good enough score to matriculate at any of the schools in Canada, for WS at least.
Surprisingly, the cutoff was in fact a Q for the writing sample. Queen's kept their cutoff at R for a long time, but a Q was sufficient to get the number of applicants they needed for interviews.
Of course, you should aim for an S anyway or even a T.
You need to work on your free flow writing. There are some drills that you can do to improve your free flow writing. This is an easy skill to develop and hone over the next few months, and will be an asset to a good writing sample score for the MCAT.
There are also many free typing speed testing programs available via the internet. It would be good to see where you stand, and if you train at it, you can improve your typing speed by as much as 25% over the next few months.
Sounds hopeful...? (altho aim for T or S is pretty scary lol)
My test is within a month but I wish I could improve as much as I can before that. Definitely will try those. THX a lot!
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Check with that writer, he/she is very kind. Ask (nicely) if he/she will set up drills for you, or tailor a program to help you improve. One month of focussed training in your spare time can push your score up by as much as two levels. It's definitely worth a shot. If the writer says no, come back here and I will help you.
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The writer was Pasta-"something."
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The AAMC lists old topics. As you are practicing, try to use their old prompts to get a feel of the depth of thought you'll be required to furnish during the exam. Here's the link: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/85192/preparing_writingsampleitems.html
(I got a S on my last MCAT, so if you need help, I can give some pointers, too)
(I got a S on my last MCAT, so if you need help, I can give some pointers, too)
I am using those prompts for practise. I think I am able to construct a good essay, but I really can't finish it within 30min. I have TPRH online grading tokens, and I submited 4 essays I wrote under no time limit, all got 6. But when I start practising with time limit, I cant finish what I plan to write.
How long do you usually write? And do you think it is possible to write an OK essay with ~450 words?
S is really good! Congrats~
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I don't think length matters so much as you proving your point. If you can write a concise but thorough analysis with depth, then number of words don't matter.
I type fast, think fast, etc., and words just spill out of my fingers, so I'm on the other spectrum. My planning takes a full five minutes because I plot out what would prove the statement true, what would make the statement false, give the conditions of how it is false, and then summarize the argument altogether with some form of a conclusion. I can PM you a sample if you'd like.
Another suggestion might be for you to find some transition words or phrases that you can throw around. This will help you "transition" between each thought. Do some reading of other articles - fun articles, editorials, magazines - and get a sense of how they present a point, what words they use, etc.
Woo I wish I could have the luxury to plan for 5min!!!
I just can't have that "words spilling out of fingers". I have to think about every sentence and that takes time. Part of it could be I'm not a native speaker. The other part is probably my lack of practice. So I'll try to practice more. thx~ I'll bug you later if I come across new problems. 😛
I just can't have that "words spilling out of fingers". I have to think about every sentence and that takes time. Part of it could be I'm not a native speaker. The other part is probably my lack of practice. So I'll try to practice more. thx~ I'll bug you later if I come across new problems. 😛
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Here's an idea then - use an instant message chat as your means by which to practice. Speak with a friend in English, let it be rapid fire, and pick a topic from the prompt list and practice that way.
When you say you think about every sentence, is it because of conjugation? Are you thinking about grammar? Perhaps you should just type, and then come back and fix mistakes at the end? Try that, and see how that works for you?
I think one thing you can do about writing is that make sure you make an example that "sounds" good. Also, make sure you conform to the T-A-S structure.
Last year, I made up some random battle in the MCAT. I'm pretty sure no historian read that or I woulda failed.
Last year, I made up some random battle in the MCAT. I'm pretty sure no historian read that or I woulda failed.
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