Help On MCAT Decision

[is0632894]

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So I am a sophomore and looking ahead I am going to be taking the 2015 Revised MCAT. I am planning on taking a Kaplan course for a solid review next semester sometime. The only class I have yet to take is physics and that will be next year both semesters (Physics I & II) and the last date I can take the 2014 MCAT before it changes is November 7, which would give me 3/4 of one semester of physics plus the Kaplan course. What is your opinion? Should I wait and just take the 2015 MCAT with the new content or should I study physics (independently not through a college) over the summer and take the Kaplan Class early and the 3/4 of physics class and take the MCAT in November and If i do well, great; if not just retake it in May?

Another question on this is if I take the MCAT twice do Med Schools see that? Is that something that would be more of a hinderance than a help?

 

[brood910]

Course = waste of money.
Spend those thousands of dollars on more practice exams.
Why bother taking a course when your score will improve only if you do passages on your own?
Even if you will "learn" stuff from the course, you will still need to study on your own = waste of time.

MCAT is not about content review. It's more about critical thinking + test taking skills.

You can void the exam if you think you totally bombed it. If you do, they wont know if you took it or not.

If you didnt void it, and take it more than once, you should show improvements.

Think about this. Let's say they have 20 spots left for applicants. 10 of them got 32 on MCAT on the first try while other 10 got 25 on the first one and 32 on the second one. If they had exactly the same extracurricular activities, GPA, etc.. Who would you choose?

 

[gookies]

Medical schools do see that, but as long as your second score shows an improvement, it is not that detrimental. @brood910's comparison isn't a good one. Assuming they had all the same ECs and GPA (which is unlikely), interviewing skills seem to play an important role in getting accepted and everyone is unique in that aspect.

 

[brood910]

Medical schools do see that, but as long as your second score shows an improvement, it is not that detrimental. @brood910's comparison isn't a good one. Assuming they had all the same ECs and GPA (which is unlikely), interviewing skills seem to play an important role in getting accepted and everyone is unique in that aspect.

Wasnt it pretty obvious that I was trying to say it has very little effect? lol

 

[gookies]

Wasnt it pretty obvious that I was trying to say it has very little effect? lol

Ah, sorry. I thought you were trying to insinuate that they would choose the individuals who achieved a 32 on the first try compared to getting a 32 on the second try. Did not see that there were 20 spots and 10 of each group you mentioned.