Hi ALL

[MD2008]

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SO hello fellow SDNer's....😀

I introduced myself yesterday and I guess I am official to post threads. Although my question may be aptly posted in the MCAT thread, my intent is to have those who have already taken the mact and done well on the MCAT to read it.,

So, ....how many hours a week did you guys prepare? 60 hours a week (like - something crazy?) are most of you good test takers - and perhaps the test wasn't so bad for you? I have a 3.65 GPA (worked 30+ hours/week ALL 4 years of college to put myself through), tons of EC,volunteer, research (1 poster) etc. But, I took a free Kaplan MCAT and got a 18!!!! i thought the test was rediculous! I heard that Kaplans test are way off (?) because there are so many calculations and that is doesn't truly reflect the MCAT. I heard thay buying exam crackers book are good - but sometimes do not offer adequate explanation...

so for all of you future MD's....any advice would be GREATLY appreciated! I think I am scarred from that kaplan test (jokingly...sort of)...how did you guys do it? 😕

 

[TPROrgoTutor]

I went to most of the classes at TPR (no verbal), and looked over notecards that I made for PHY and BIO before bed (Hormones, anatomical structures, physics equations...had about 150 of them I think). I did about 1/2 of the work in the workbooks and about 1/3rd of the ICC passages. I think the notecards for phy and bio helped tremendously, and I was already very strong in O and GChem.

1st practice 24 ----> real test 36 (14/11/11)


DONT WORRY ABOUT THE FREE MCATS YOU TAKE. THEY ARE HARDER. I dont understand why companies do this, our average is 15 or so for the first one. Its ridiculous. They are not on par with the real thing, they are made to get you scared of the test. Just study and you'll be ok, 18 is actually pretty good for a first diag.

Obviously, Ill reccommend princeton review but I am biased. For what its worth, when my own sister wanted to start studying for the mcat I reccommended her get the TPR materials and buy examkrackers materials and not invest in a class. But that is because I will be there to teach her certain tricks about the test, and the princeton and EK materials together should be sufficient.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

I went to most of the classes at TPR (no verbal), and looked over notecards that I made for PHY and BIO before bed (Hormones, anatomical structures, physics equations...had about 150 of them I think). I did about 1/2 of the work in the workbooks and about 1/3rd of the ICC passages. I think the notecards for phy and bio helped tremendously, and I was already very strong in O and GChem.

1st practice 24 ----> real test 36 (14/11/11)


DONT WORRY ABOUT THE FREE MCATS YOU TAKE. THEY ARE HARDER. I dont understand why companies do this, our average is 15 or so for the first one. Its ridiculous. They are not on par with the real thing, they are made to get you scared of the test. Just study and you'll be ok, 18 is actually pretty good for a first diag.

^^companies do it so they can claim they improve scores by an average of 10 points.

i wouldnt worry about the diag. i improved by 19 points from diag to the real thing. the diag means crap because you have no sense of the length of the test, you're more nervous than another practice tests, you have none of the "skills" yet (the most important being using your time effectively), and you havent prepared at all yet (and may have taken your premed courses years ago).

you're spot on with kaplan being heavy with calculations. however, TPR and examcrackers are also not that much better either in terms of having practice tests similar to the real thing (best gauge of the real thing are the recent AAMC tests). i took TPR and i found that their materials were pretty solid. i had friends in kaplan and a friend who bought all the examcracker guides. pretty much, i found that kaplan had the best bio/orgo book, princeton had the best physci book (a HORRIBLE bio book, though technically more in-depth than kaplan), and examcrackers had the best verbal workbook (the one with 50 practice tests or something like that, its kind of a beige color). kaplan had great mini-section tests.

my advice is to really buckle down about 3-4 weeks before the test, and sort of study effectively previous to that (several hours a week, but not necessarily everyday). after a while, you should know all the content on the mcat, no missing the free-standing questions... the only questions that'd be hard should be tricky ones that are passage-based.... the key to studying is PRACTICE. take as many practice tests as possible. if you want anymore insight, PM me.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

DONT WORRY ABOUT THE FREE MCATS YOU TAKE. THEY ARE HARDER. I dont understand why companies do this, our average is 15 or so for the first one. Its ridiculous. They are not on par with the real thing, they are made to get you scared of the test. Just study and you'll be ok, 18 is actually pretty good for a first diag.

I was told by another TPR teacher that they make the exams harder at first (4931-4961) and then easier later, ending with the 3R-7R to make it seem like your scores go up.

Tricksy.

I wouldn't recommend doing a review program like TPR or KR unless you absolutely have 0 work ethic and need someone screaming at you. The books for TPR are good, as are the tests, KR has good notecards and challenging tests as well. I'd get the materials and study on my own.

When I took the class the first time around, it was a waste, their hyperlearning course has you reviewing stuff all the way up to the week of the exam with little opportunity to practice with a full arsenal. What I did the second time around: got new materials, went to the library from 9-5 like a normal job, and for the first month and a half reviewed subjects and did problems. For the second month and a half, took alot of diags, and did some secondary review.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Then again, with the new MCAT system, it may be wise to invest in a course seeing as how no body really knows any tricks for the new system, or even if the new system will be too drastically different in terms of how to take the test. I dunno. Good luck young guinea pig.

 

[MD2008]

THanks to everyone for their tips and ideas...I am diligent and hope to succeed....

but...if anyone has any other great ideas😀 ...keep 'em coming!!!
THANKS!

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

I wouldn't study the subject material with friends, but I'd do the diags with them. Makes it a little more bearable.

 

[Kardizzle]

SO hello fellow SDNer's....😀

I introduced myself yesterday and I guess I am official to post threads. Although my question may be aptly posted in the MCAT thread, my intent is to have those who have already taken the mact and done well on the MCAT to read it.,

So, ....how many hours a week did you guys prepare? 60 hours a week (like - something crazy?) are most of you good test takers - and perhaps the test wasn't so bad for you? I have a 3.65 GPA (worked 30+ hours/week ALL 4 years of college to put myself through), tons of EC,volunteer, research (1 poster) etc. But, I took a free Kaplan MCAT and got a 18!!!! i thought the test was rediculous! I heard that Kaplans test are way off (?) because there are so many calculations and that is doesn't truly reflect the MCAT. I heard thay buying exam crackers book are good - but sometimes do not offer adequate explanation...

so for all of you future MD's....any advice would be GREATLY appreciated! I think I am scarred from that kaplan test (jokingly...sort of)...how did you guys do it? 😕

Don't take the prep classes, they are a waste of money. You can't seriously learn the orgo/chem/bio/physics from their crappy college-student teachers. Plus you have to waste time sitting in class when you could be studying or doing something healthy. I don't know ANYONE who said he got something significant out of the lectures.

Try to get as much practice material as you can. Borrow them from someone who did take the class. Accumulate as much practice questions, passages, and exams as you can, as well as the answer key and explanations if possible. That's all you need.

 

[juice55]

I think the Kaplan course was useful because of all the practice tests/review materials they give you... and you get free access to the aamc tests. Of course, I did use other materials from Examcrackers (which I thought sucked) and Princeton review.

I don't think anyone screamed at you in the class to do stuff. haha. But, it was a good introduction to the MCAT.

My first diagnostic from Kaplan was a 21, and the last few practice MCATs turned out to be 36's and 37's. I ended up getting a 36 (V11/B12/P13) on the real MCAT.

 

[Ginkneephur]

I thought the Kaplan course wasn't worth the $$$. I made my own notecards for bio, physics, chem, physio, etc (~500) and reviewed them everyday. I took all the old AMCAS exams and kaplans up to 6 i think. The highest I ever got on a kaplan test was a 28 and my diagnostic was a 23. The highest I ever scored on an AMCAS practice exam was a 32. On the real thing I got a 35. I got lucky on the verbal part; almost all of my passages were science i.e. the passages I did the best on. I also had a really nice test center. I think the kaplan course is good for like the practice test you do, it helps you build stamina and stuff. I felt like during test day it was just another kaplan practice run which was kinda a nice suprise. It was a little different though because I knew it was real so I had more anxiety and I was also running on adrenaline only cuz I didn't sleep well the whole week before. I studied everyday once finals were over in Dec. up until 2 days before the April 22nd exam. Some days I studied like an hour total and others I studied 10 hours total. I think the real key to doing well on the MCAT is building up stamina and repitition. The more you see something the easier it will be to recall/understand/remember. Anyway, it won't be pretty or fun but it'll be better just to try your hardest the first time so you'll only have to take it once. 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

[Ginkneephur]

Opps I meant AAMC practice tests not AMCAS practice tests...it's been a long day. 😳

 

[MollyMalone]

This is definitely an MCAT forum post. Moving.

 

[enigma85]

Look at these threads for more info:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=46880
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=292697

 

[MD2008]

Thanks to all those who gave great input!!!!😀