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Is it possible?
- Thread starter orthoboy
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haha, Im in the same boat except starting now, so a few more weeks.
For your case, Im really not too sure because it doesnt sound like you have time for the Full length MCATS.
Im starting up with EK books and finishing through with Berkeley Review. Im trying to get thru the rest of EK by next week and then do Berkeley Review until the 12th of July. Also, Ive been doing EK 101 passages and TPR hyperlearning verbal book everyday. It all is working pretty well, but you have to get away from alllll distractions!!
My MCAT is August 12th so Ill have that month for FLs.
For your case, Im really not too sure because it doesnt sound like you have time for the Full length MCATS.
Im starting up with EK books and finishing through with Berkeley Review. Im trying to get thru the rest of EK by next week and then do Berkeley Review until the 12th of July. Also, Ive been doing EK 101 passages and TPR hyperlearning verbal book everyday. It all is working pretty well, but you have to get away from alllll distractions!!
My MCAT is August 12th so Ill have that month for FLs.
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Have you taken one of the AAMC practice exams? Start with #3 it is free.
Then buy at least four of them. I would suggest the last four (8, 9, 10, and 11).
The average from these 5 exams is the best predictor of your actual score. If you can average 30+ on them, then you are golden. Take them full length and timed. Even take the time to write the essays (even though they are not scored). Turn off the in-test answers too (makes it more real). Don't have any distractions and only take the scheduled breaks. Make it as real as possible. Don't have your cell phone, hide away in the deepest corner of the library or other quiet place so you have no distractions. And wear earplugs.
I was averaging in the 35 range on the practice exams, but still only came up with a 31 on the real exam in March (good enough to move forward, but disappointing to me considering my averages).
Good luck. I am sure you will do better than me. I am a non-traditional and decided to go back to med-school in December. Started studying for MCAT in January, and took it in March. All this while working full time, volunteering, and starting to take classes at a CC spring term.
dsoz
Edit- Find the MCAT question a day site and start doing them (archived questions for 3 years). It is not realistic nor diagnostic, but it does start dredging up some concepts in your head. I got it for my iPod touch (search app store). When I get through this process, that is one program that I want to support with money.
Then buy at least four of them. I would suggest the last four (8, 9, 10, and 11).
The average from these 5 exams is the best predictor of your actual score. If you can average 30+ on them, then you are golden. Take them full length and timed. Even take the time to write the essays (even though they are not scored). Turn off the in-test answers too (makes it more real). Don't have any distractions and only take the scheduled breaks. Make it as real as possible. Don't have your cell phone, hide away in the deepest corner of the library or other quiet place so you have no distractions. And wear earplugs.
I was averaging in the 35 range on the practice exams, but still only came up with a 31 on the real exam in March (good enough to move forward, but disappointing to me considering my averages).
Good luck. I am sure you will do better than me. I am a non-traditional and decided to go back to med-school in December. Started studying for MCAT in January, and took it in March. All this while working full time, volunteering, and starting to take classes at a CC spring term.
dsoz
Edit- Find the MCAT question a day site and start doing them (archived questions for 3 years). It is not realistic nor diagnostic, but it does start dredging up some concepts in your head. I got it for my iPod touch (search app store). When I get through this process, that is one program that I want to support with money.
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That short of a schedule is usually only doable when you're already scoring well within range of your target score or 2-3 points higher.
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EK is very condensed so I figure if I havent gotten through all of BR by July12th I can still start to take FLs and finish my last month as planned, checking what I got wrong and focusing on my weakest areas.
I generally love to procrastinate though so studying picks up hard nearest my deadlines although my pace seems to be working so far...
How are you planning so far?
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I think six weeks of solid studying is definitely enough time if you have a decent background in the subjects already. Also, the fact that you are only shooting for above a 30 should really be possible.
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I have been using BR, and I really love the books, but I haven't used everything that you own so I couldn't really complement on whether or not they are better. I will say that BR is mostly passages, so a lot of the content review actually shows up more in the passages than in the preceding sections, which is a great way to learn to take a test like the mcat.
Don't get all OCD about a study schedule, you should have a plan but be flexible if you start with certain books but then feel they aren't helping as much don't be afraid to change.
I started studying around the second week of May, and i take the test tomorrow. While I can't say that it can be done (since I havent taken the test and gotten my scores back), I can say that I have raised my practice scores considerably in 4 weeks...
Diagnostic - 24
Average of my last 3 AAMC's - 33
Hopefully that translates to tomorrow's test
Diagnostic - 24
Average of my last 3 AAMC's - 33
Hopefully that translates to tomorrow's test
Just to throw in my personal experience, I took the MCAT last July and just studied all of June. I had time to work through the EK books, which I thought were really helpful for me. I actually felt like I had it easier than my friends who took the MCAT during the spring semester because it was my only focus. Since I wasn't having to juggle classes and a lot of other things, it made the one month timeline not so bad. It worked out well for me, and I'm sure it can for you as well if you use the time you have properly.
If you have your medical school prereqs, I would say yes, for sure. (But don't underestimate the difficulty of studying for the MCAT all day!) Take a couple AAMC practice tests early to get familiar with the format and identify your specific areas of weakness, then focus your studying efforts on those areas first, since they'll be the highest yield in terms of points. Take another AAMC full length, and repeat until you can regularly achieve a balanced 33 or so (if a 30 is "good enough"). Don't burn out, and don't be afraid to reschedule if you aren't meeting your score goals. Good luck!
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Six weeks is a pretty short period of time, pretty much half of what a 3 month schedule would look like. Your best bet would be to review material as quickly as possible and jump on FLs asap. If you can do well the FLs, it'll be a good indicator of whether you have a shot at your target score or not.
I wound up making a 39O. I really didn't have a completely set schedule. I mapped out how many of the EK sections I'd need to get through each day to finish them all before the test. Then I just worked through what I felt comfortable with each day. Some days I did more, some less, depending on how effective I thought I was being. I just tried to make sure I stayed ahead of schedule, and then I took the EK full length a day or two before my MCAT.
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I'm a girl, definitely not a man.
Thanks. Nope, I had a pretty typical level of college classes, I think. I think my best advice would be just not to let the test psych you out. I'm normally really good at standardized tests, so that probably helped. I think if you do what content review you have time for, but focus a lot on just getting comfortable with how the test is formatted it works out pretty well. Then you can go into the test feeling fairly confident and be able to look at the questions with a clear head.That's really impressive
Thanks.
It was definitely a lot higher than I was expecting.Similar threads
