How to increase MCAT 2015 verbal/success stories?

[eartwj]

Hey everyone,

So I took the July 2015 MCAT and did not do as well as I wanted to. The goal was to score 500+ but i scored a mere 492. This basically crushed me and I have yet to pick up any type of MCAT books since. My breakdown:
CP- 125
VR- 120 :/
BB- 124
PS- 123

So here I am halfway through my senior year of undergrad. I applied to a few med schools but my confidence is not too high so i'm obviously thinking about retaking either Jan 2016 (just so I can enjoy the rest of my senior year/ summer) or Spring/Summer 2016 (So I can have an ample amount of time to study).

The main problem is verbal. I scored decently on all of my verbal sections on the EK practice tests and even the AAMC FL (77%). I did put the least amount of prep into verbal though, only doing a passage each day (if that), and not even fully going over my answers like I should have. My goal is to score 125 in verbal the next time around and I feel that if I get better at verbal, my PS would naturally go up slightly as well because it felt like another version of the verbal section. I even recently picked up a book for pleasure (first time in YEARS) just to kinda get into a reading mode. I have EK 101 and im going to purchase the AAMC bundle soon, anything else worth getting to increase my score?

Does anyone have any tips/success stories as well? I would love to hear a living testimony.

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[Jack Westin]

You can definitely improve your CARS score as well as the other sections. I highly do not recommend taking the exam this Jan. You need more time. To improve on the sciences, do a lot of problems. To improve on CARS, do a lot of practice passages. Use the AAMC question packs first for all sections.

I have many students who come to me with your very breakdown. What separates the ones who improve dramatically from those who do not is pure effort. Can you wake up everyday for a couple of months and put in the work? Can you actually review the right way? I am a firm believer that anyone can improve on this exam with enough effort and time.

I also agree with you, the other sections of this exam are more or less like CARS. Did you come out of the test thinking nothing you practiced or memorized was on the exam? That's because the exam is based on critical thinking, not content. Learn how to approach CARS the right way through practice and strategy. This will prepare you for the other sections as well. Good luck.

 

[TheAnonymous]

Hey everyone,

So I took the July 2015 MCAT and did not do as well as I wanted to. The goal was to score 500+ but i scored a mere 492. This basically crushed me and I have yet to pick up any type of MCAT books since. My breakdown:
CP- 125
VR- 120 :/
BB- 124
PS- 123

So here I am halfway through my senior year of undergrad. I applied to a few med schools but my confidence is not too high so i'm obviously thinking about retaking either Jan 2016 (just so I can enjoy the rest of my senior year/ summer) or Spring/Summer 2016 (So I can have an ample amount of time to study).

The main problem is verbal. I scored decently on all of my verbal sections on the EK practice tests and even the AAMC FL (77%). I did put the least amount of prep into verbal though, only doing a passage each day (if that), and not even fully going over my answers like I should have. My goal is to score 125 in verbal the next time around and I feel that if I get better at verbal, my PS would naturally go up slightly as well because it felt like another version of the verbal section. I even recently picked up a book for pleasure (first time in YEARS) just to kinda get into a reading mode. I have EK 101 and im going to purchase the AAMC bundle soon, anything else worth getting to increase my score?

Does anyone have any tips/success stories as well? I would love to hear a living testimony.

Went from 7 on the old MCAT (37 percentile) to 127 on the new MCAT (81 percentile) - it's definitely possible if you put in the effort (spending ~1-2 hours every day taking passages, reviewing them, identifying your weak spots, formulating different strategies, keeping a progress report, etc.).

 

[eartwj]

You can definitely improve your CARS score as well as the other sections. I highly do not recommend taking the exam this Jan. You need more time. To improve on the sciences, do a lot of problems. To improve on CARS, do a lot of practice passages. Use the AAMC question packs first for all sections.

I have many students who come to me with your very breakdown. What separates the ones who improve dramatically from those who do not is pure effort. Can you wake up everyday for a couple of months and put in the work? Can you actually review the right way? I am a firm believer that anyone can improve on this exam with enough effort and time.

I also agree with you, the other sections of this exam are more or less like CARS. Did you come out of the test thinking nothing you practiced or memorized was on the exam? That's because the exam is based on critical thinking, not content. Learn how to approach CARS the right way through practice and strategy. This will prepare you for the other sections as well. Good luck.

I am considering enrolling in your course. When do you think I should?

 

[Jack Westin]

@eartwj I private messaged you.

 

[Jack Westin]

@TheAnonymous congrats on the amazing CARS score.

 

[TheAnonymous]

@TheAnonymous congrats on the amazing CARS score! 127 is essentially an "A" on the MCAT CARS section.

Thank you Jack

 

[williameb23]

I went from a 5 in VR on the old MCAT to a 127 on the new MCAT. I took the TPR Live-Online course and overall I think it was great - you can read more here. For CARS in particular, the best bet is a good balance. Depending on your study plan for a re-take, you should be doing at least one practice passage a day, and >5 practice CARS sections. Practice = exposure = > chance for success. But it's a lot more than that. Find an MCAT prep resource and study up on the types of questions you're going to get asked and some of the approaches/strategies to tackling a passage. Read for pleasure too, and not just to pass the time away. I put myself in the mindset of reading articles (WSJ, Times, NY, CNN, etc.) like MCAT passages - skimming fast and pausing every paragraph to summarize what I just read - and also trying to create questions based on the content. Seems silly, I know.

Don't re-take the MCAT until you're ready though. Be honest with yourself about your progress. Even with a stellar GPA, having a 492 on the books will hold you back a bit. When you are ready to apply again, apply realistically and broadly (and to DO programs). If you grab some interviews, have a good strategy for being able to explain the 492.

 

[vivatix]

@billeboi31 How long did it take you before seeing improvements in the scores?