I am beyond devastated with my MCAT score

[rian.linda]

Hello everyone. Thank you for whoever took the time to read this. I am devastated, dumbfounded, so much more. I took the MCAT last year in April and I scored a 15. 2V, 6P, 7B. Last year I will admit I did not review any books. All I did was a few practice questions with each topic. I thought I knew the material well enough. This year I over-studied. I took the MCAT last month in April and I got a 17. 4V, 6P, 7B. I am speechless. Here is what I did for 4 straight months. I studied each day for 6-10 hours. I read all the Berkeley Review books TWICE (with notes) for Chemistry, Orgo, and Physics. I read ExamKrackers Biology TWICE (with notes). I watched the Golden Standard videos for each topic twice- a total of 32 hours (with notes). I did some of the Kaplan premier practice questions and exams. I took 6 out of the 9 AAMC exams and I scored 17, 19, 21, 22, 22, 23. I did not know what I was doing wrong. I went ahead and took the exam because it was too late for me to reschedule. I was hoping to get a 24 and apply to the early decision program. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND FOR THE LIFE OF ME how I got a 17. SOMEBODY please tell me what to do. I have to apply this year. Please. I will do anything. I cannot afford to take a class. I cannot study anymore. I have read the best rated books and even understood what I was reading. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOWWWW. Should I just do the ExamKrackers 1001 questions for each topic along with the Kaplan Qbank???? Basically I have no other choice. Does anyone have any suggestions or comments. I am literally about to have a panic attack. I can't think of what this will look like on my application. Will Med School even accept me if I pass the 3rd time with previous scores of 15 and 17? HOW????? HOW did I get that???

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[BobGadha]

Have you completed all your pre-med courses?

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Too much reading, and not enough practice problems.

" I took 6 out of the 9 AAMC exams and I scored 17, 19, 21, 22, 22, 23" means you have severe issues applying concepts to testing.

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Did you do all of the Berkley practice passages? if all you did was read the chapters, you wasted alot of time.

 

[rian.linda]

Have you completed all your pre-med courses?

Yes all of them....and I took a few extra courses beyond the pre-reqs

 

[rian.linda]

Did you do all of the Berkley practice passages? if all you did was read the chapters, you wasted alot of time.

Of course I DID EVERY SINGLE QUESTION in berkely

 

[rian.linda]

Too much reading, and not enough practice problems.

" I took 6 out of the 9 AAMC exams and I scored 17, 19, 21, 22, 22, 23" means you have severe issues applying concepts to testing.

So do you have hope for me??????what are you trying to tell me.....that if I do more practice I have a chance?????????????

 

[rian.linda]

so what I am trying to ask you all.....is if I did alllll the berkeley questions....will examkrackers 1001 help me or is there another problem????????????????????? Btw there are 75-100 questions in each berkeley chapter. I can't imagine why that wouldn't be enough for me to pass.

 

[BobGadha]

Adding onto the statement above, make sure to analyze your practice exams. You can take all the practice tests in the world, but if you don't examine what you need to work on, be it content or test strategies, you won't get anywhere. The MCAT, contrary to popular belief, is not a solely content-based exam. For example, on my actual MCAT exam, the BS section felt more like a VR-reading comprehension test than a science assessment, much to my dismay.

I personally think that if you take the time to really work on your test-taking weaknesses by analyzing your practice tests efficiently, you can raise your score.

 

[BobGadha]

If you're willing, what is your target score?

 

[deleted439911]

retake some of the passages and full lengths you did, see if you get a better score than your previous round. I don't doubt that you've read everything, but maybe there are some core topics you're struggling with. By redoing some passages you should be able to find out which material you're weak at, then focus a bit more on those.

 

[BeachBlondie]

Do you have testing anxiety? Or do you typically feel pretty clear when you attack an exam?

 

[rian.linda]

If you're willing, what is your target score?

28......please I'll do anything. I rescheduled for next month on June 15. I will deprive myself of sleep if I have to.

 

[TeamLeafs]

so what I am trying to ask you all.....is if I did alllll the berkeley questions....will examkrackers 1001 help me or is there another problem????????????????????? Btw there are 75-100 questions in each berkeley chapter. I can't imagine why that wouldn't be enough for me to pass.

So you didn't do the practice questions? NO wonder you did so bad. What were you thinking?

 

[rian.linda]

Do you have testing anxiety? Or do you typically feel pretty clear when you attack an exam?

I do have anxiety but it is at minimal. I feel ashamed of myself. I don't know what to do. I have to apply this year. I just have to! I cannot waste another year. I really want to start medical school next fall. Please tell me what I can do. I have 35 more days before my next exam- which will be my third time

 

[TeamLeafs]

Do not take in june. Take it in August, you won't be ready for June. TERRIBLE IDEA.

 

[rian.linda]

Do not take in june. Take it in August, you won't be ready for June. TERRIBLE IDEA.

Why do you think so? If so, what studying habits should I take out and when should I submit my application? Early June or late?

 

[TeamLeafs]

Of course I DID EVERY SINGLE QUESTION in berkely

Okay I take back my last message... not sure how you did so badly then :S

 

[rian.linda]

So you didn't do the practice questions? NO wonder you did so bad. What were you thinking?

WOW WOW WOW NOOOOO......I mistyped that. I DID ALL THE BERKELEY QUESTIONS......what I am saying is how will examkrackers help me if I did all the berkeleys

 

[ciestar]

Were you doing the TBR practice problems to actually practice or were you partly trying to memorize? If that's the case, you'll sink.

 

[rian.linda]

Were you doing the TBR practice problems to actually practice or were you partly trying to memorize? If that's the case, you'll sink.

No I promise you I am only saying the truth. I am too desperate to lie. I did them for practice. I do not believe in memorization. The only things I memorized were topics such as the stretch bands for C=O....do you know what I mean?

 

[Tradewinds]

Did you go over each practice question in BR and do a full analysis of why you got questions wrong AND why you got questions right? (This is pretty essential) Did you do them under timed conditions to get a feel for the timing?

 

[BeachBlondie]

I do have anxiety but it is at minimal. I feel ashamed of myself. I don't know what to do. I have to apply this year. I just have to! I cannot waste another year. I really want to start medical school next fall. Please tell me what I can do. I have 35 more days before my next exam- which will be my third time

My advice to you is to not take the exam in 35 days. Provided that you have a semi-solid application (apart from the MCAT scores), you would be serving yourself far better by taking the exam in August and submitting secondaries at the time of your score release. You will need a lot of time to fix this, and now is absolutely the moment to be honest about how much time that will take. Pride takes a backseat in this race -- just because you WANT to go to medical school next year certainly does not mean that you CAN. A sure-fire way to to ensure that you WON'T is by rushing a standardized exam of this magnitude.

Now then, is this a big hole to climb out of? Yes. Is it impossible? Absolutely not. I certainly will not contest that you worked hard -- in fact, it sounds like you had a good mix of content review (in several mediums), and practice. But now? Rather than working hard, you have to work smart. Your first interest--at this moment--should be identifying WHY your content is not translating into the way in which you engage with the test. Have you ever looked at the questions, the answers you chose, and the REASON the test-writers provide the contrary answer? What you might find (if you can begin to tabulate those missing variables) is that there is a consistency in WHY you are missing questions. This could be a myriad of things--from language barriers, to misreading, to misinterpretation. But, I guarantee you, that there is a common thread that exists.

When you can ascertain WHY you missed the questions (again, based on the logic the test-writers provide for the correct answer, juxtaposed with why YOU chose what you did), then you can again start to beat on your craft and crank through questions. To do so without deep, concerted reflection would be a waste of your precious time.

 

[BobGadha]

I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until next year regardless of whether you apply this cycle or not. To be honest, you are not going to get into a school this year with those scores and there is little to no way you can improve your score so significantly in a month. It's better to spend the time you need to do as well on the exam as possible instead of rushing it. Maybe get a job that will look good on your application during the interim. You are going to end up wasting a lot of time and money by rushing to apply this season. (Sorry about the real talk, but I promise it comes from a place of friendly concern!)

Also, you need to practically set your target score. Your target is well above any of your practice test scores, and people generally score a couple points lower than their averages on the actual exam.

 

[rian.linda]

Alright, you have boosted my confidence a little bit. I am just overwhelmed with all the efforts and time I put into studying for 4 months. Not to annoy you, but are you sure August will do it. Would July be too soon? Do you think with all the studying I did....I really need another 3 months? Go ahead and give me your honest opinion.

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Study well for the August MCAT, and you can get into DO schools fine. Just don't blow it again. Are you ESL? Maybe that could be why?

 

[rian.linda]

I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until next year regardless of whether you apply this cycle or not. To be honest, you are not going to get into a school this year with those scores and there is little to no way you can improve your score so significantly in a month. It's better to spend the time you need to do as well on the exam as possible instead of rushing it. Maybe get a job that will look good on your application during the interim. You are going to end up wasting a lot of time and money by rushing to apply this season. (Sorry about the real talk, but I promise it comes from a place of friendly concern!)

Also, you need to practically set your target score. Your target is well above any of your practice test scores, and people generally score a couple points lower than their averages on the actual exam.

I am not offended at all....if anything I am happy you are being honest with me. I am a bit insistent on applying this year. My resume is not as bad as it sounds. I have many volunteering experiences and I have 3 jobs. But my GPA is not so high. That is why my target score needs to be high. I believe that if I take in in August perhaps, I still have a chance.

 

[rian.linda]

Study well for the August MCAT, and you can get into DO schools fine. Just don't blow it again. Are you ESL? Maybe that could be why?

I came to America when I was 3.....so technically I speak fluently....but yest English is my second language. Do you think it is just practice that I need? Do you recommend something other than EK or Kaplan Qbank?

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Go over BR passages, in timed scenarios and REALLY ANALYZE why you got questions wrong. Doing that, you should be at 9-10 on PS, if not, then there must be some sort of other reason, since BR for PS is very thorough, and getting lower than 9 on PS makes no sense.

 

[BeachBlondie]

Alright, you have boosted my confidence a little bit. I am just overwhelmed with all the efforts and time I put into studying for 4 months. Not to annoy you, but are you sure August will do it. Would July be too soon? Do you think with all the studying I did....I really need another 3 months? Go ahead and give me your honest opinion.

I understand that you are overwhelmed, defeated, upset, and anxious to move on with your life. But, you absolutely need to know what you stand to lose if you rush your efforts. To take the MCAT for a 3rd time, so soon, is nothing short of reckless. Let me put this in perspective for you: I took the 4/5 exam, earned a 29, and am retaking on August 1st because it was 4-5 points below my average (partly due to extenuating circumstances, but whatever....). Put another way--I have already proven that I can achieve my goal scores (and have), but I am STILL giving myself 3 months to regroup and rally. This exam is not just about "Do you know x, y, and z?" This exam is about mental stamina, about taking a very basic set of physical rules and applying it to an infinite amount of scenarios, about abstraction of data, and--most importantly--doing all of that while going head-to-head with the best and brightest in the nation.

You need time.

 

[rian.linda]

I understand that you are overwhelmed, defeated, upset, and anxious to move on with your life. But, you absolutely need to know what you stand to lose if you rush your efforts. To take the MCAT for a 3rd time, so soon, is nothing short of reckless. Let me put this in perspective for you: I took the 4/5 exam, earned a 29, and am retaking on August 1st because it was 4-5 points below my average (partly due to extenuating circumstances, but whatever....). Put another way--I have already proven that I can achieve my goal scores (and have), but I am STILL giving myself 3 months to regroup and rally. This exam is not just about "Do you know x, y, and z?" This exam is about mental stamina, about taking a very basic set of physical rules and applying it to an infinite amount of scenarios, about abstraction of data, and--most importantly--doing all of that while going head-to-head with the best and brightest in the nation.

You need time.

If you don't mind sharing....how did you study? Your score sounds phenomenal!!!!!!!!

 

[BobGadha]

I understand that you are overwhelmed, defeated, upset, and anxious to move on with your life. But, you absolutely need to know what you stand to lose if you rush your efforts. To take the MCAT for a 3rd time, so soon, is nothing short of reckless. Let me put this in perspective for you: I took the 4/5 exam, earned a 29, and am retaking on August 1st because it was 4-5 points below my average (partly due to extenuating circumstances, but whatever....). Put another way--I have already proven that I can achieve my goal scores (and have), but I am STILL giving myself 3 months to regroup and rally. This exam is not just about "Do you know x, y, and z?" This exam is about mental stamina, about taking a very basic set of physical rules and applying it to an infinite amount of scenarios, about abstraction of data, and--most importantly--doing all of that while going head-to-head with the best and brightest in the nation.

You need time.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[BeachBlondie]

If you don't mind sharing....how did you study? Your score sounds phenomenal!!!!!!!!

I used TBR, just as you did. However, the one BIG difference is that I took the time to assess WHY I was missing questions. Every, single question I missed was logged into a journal, turned into a flashcard, and reviewed.

 

[rian.linda]

I used TBR, just as you did. However, the one BIG difference is that I took the time to assess WHY I was missing questions. Every, single question I missed was logged into a journal, turned into a flashcard, and reviewed.[/
I see....I did all of the Berkeley questions...it is too late to go back....rather....I will do EK 1001 for each topic and I will mark all the ones I got wrong....I am still recovering from this issue. Thank you so much for your time. You've been so kind and you deserve what you got and better.

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Doing ek 1001 wont really help that much, you can do that for a few weeks to get a better foundation, but you HAVE TO do the BR passages for PS AGAIN. This time properly.

Less pity for yourself and just get back onto the horse and do better! Take what we are saying, and not just say "its too late, i will do 1001"

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Take the suggestions, apply them, and kick the MCATS butt!!

 

[rian.linda]

Doing ek 1001 wont really help that much, you can do that for a few weeks to get a better foundation, but you HAVE TO do the BR passages for PS AGAIN. This time properly.

Less pity for yourself and just get back onto the horse and do better! Take what we are saying, and not just say "its too late, i will do 1001"

Alright...sounds right to me at least. Thank you again....sighhhhhh

 

[BeachBlondie]

Yes, it would be too late to go back and review those old answers. Chances are you won't remember your mindset during the administrations. As I said, it doesn't matter that you missed the questions; it matters WHY you missed the questions. You'll need fresh questions to do that.

 

[rian.linda]

Thanks to everyone who helped....all of you were great support <3

 

[WesternRedCedar]

Yes, it would be too late to go back and review those old answers. Chances are you won't remember your mindset during the administrations. As I said, it doesn't matter that you missed the questions; it matters WHY you missed the questions. You'll need fresh questions to do that.

Disagree, they clearly have issues with content,re-doing the BR questions and going over them properly would still be very fruitful to get their scores up.

Going from low scores to avg scores ,is a very diffferent endeavour than going from avg scores to higher scores, where the point differences are smaller.

 

[BeachBlondie]

Disagree, they clearly have issues with content,re-doing the BR questions and going over them properly would still be very fruitful to get their scores up.

Going from low scores to avg scores ,is a very diffferent endeavour than going from avg scores to higher scores, where the point differences are smaller.

Agreed, the content is lacking. But, I'm trying to get the user out of the mindset that going back and re-reading content for another 4 months would not serve them as well as FIRST identifying the cause of the malperformance.

 

[StIGMA]

This is a tough situation to be in. You state that you understood the material, and perhaps you do understand the concepts, but your scores indicate that you do not understand how to apply the concepts to the questions (or, perhaps, you do not understand the concepts as well as you think you do). You would benefit from a study partner who is scoring better (ideally 30+) or a tutor who can explain passages in a way that provides new insight to you. If you are averaging 7-8 per section, there is a lot of room for improvement. You should not take the MCAT again until you are averaging ideally 29+ on 2-3 straight practice tests that you are taking for the first time. If you cant get your score up, consider backup careers. Best of luck.

 

[rian.linda]

This is a tough situation to be in. You state that you understood the material, and perhaps you do understand the concepts, but your scores indicate that you do not understand how to apply the concepts to the questions (or, perhaps, you do not understand the concepts as well as you think you do). You would benefit from a study partner who is scoring better (ideally 30+) or a tutor who can explain passages in a way that provides new insight to you. If you are averaging 7-8 per section, there is a lot of room for improvement. You should not take the MCAT again until you are averaging ideally 29+ on 2-3 straight practice tests that you are taking for the first time. If you cant get your score up, consider backup careers. Best of luck.

Thank you but I will not consider back up careers. I want to be a physician. You are right...I am misapplying the concepts. I will have to look further into this to catch my mistakes pinpoint.

 

[BobGadha]

Agreed, the content is lacking. But, I'm trying to get the user out of the mindset that going back and re-reading content for another 4 months would not serve them as well as FIRST identifying the cause of the malperformance.

Yeah, it seems like a balance between the two would be best. It seems like OP's mistake was trying to memorize everything under the sun instead of applying the content, which won't serve her very well on the exam. Without breaching the confidentiality contract, there was a passage on the 04/05 PS that involved a completely novel phenomenon that went way beyond what you would study for the MCAT. You had to really utilize your basic understanding of physics to tackle the very complex phenomenon. Passages like that are why you need to study beyond the content.

 

[BobGadha]

Thank you but I will not consider back up careers. I want to be a physician. You are right...I am misapplying the concepts. I will have to look further into this to catch my mistakes pinpoint.

I'm guessing you're looking mostly into DO, right? Or are you hoping for MD?

 

[Laureatebarrel]

Your score shows that you are really weak with background concepts. A tip for doing problems: read all explanation choices, even the ones you got correct.

 

[rian.linda]

I'm guessing you're looking mostly into DO, right? Or are you hoping for MD?

I am looking into both, but I am leaning towards DO. I am desperate. This is ridiculous.

 

[rian.linda]

Your score shows that you are really weak with background concepts. A tip for doing problems: read all explanation choices, even the ones you got correct.

I have done that, but I guess I have not went back to see if there was a pattern in the wrong answers I got.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

I didn't read all the other posts, so this may have already been said or not applicable, but...

You might want to find a tutor to help you go over content, studying strategies, and testing strategies. Otherwise, take advantage of your university's testing services or academic advising.

Your practice test scores show that you have not mastered the basic information, and your official examinations show that, compounding upon your lack of a foundation, you do not handle the stress and time constraints well. You really need to get comfortable with 1) the information and 2) the speed of testing.

I was able to improve 9 points after really focusing for a few months, so it's definitely possible to learn the exam. Get some outside help if possible.

 

[rian.linda]

I didn't read all the other posts, so this may have already been said or not applicable, but...

You might want to find a tutor to help you go over content, studying strategies, and testing strategies.

Your practice test scores show that you have not mastered the basic information, and your official examinations show that you do not handle the stress and time constraints well. You really need to get comfortable with 1) the information and 2) the speed of testing.

I was able to improve 9 points after really focusing for a few months, so it's definitely possible to learn the exam.

Yes I do need to find a tutor....not sure who to turn to.