-July 31, 2009 MCAT Official Thread-

MCAT is Hard? Not with BeMo's 515 Score Guarantee.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Z

Zona Pellucida

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
2,446
Reaction score
3
This thread is for all those taking the July 31st 8am administration.

This will be my second time taking the test after May 22nd, 2009.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Same here.....Didn't do well on the real thing on May 22nd despite good practice scores so I'm taking it July 31st 8am
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Me too.. took May 2 - this was the first available retake I could get. I am finding the Gold Standards DVDs to be quite helpful - much more so than EK was but perhaps because I'm an audiovisual learner.

Also - I started a thread a while back called 07/31/09 MCAT Club - is there a way to merge the two?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I previously took the MCAT as well...May 1st. Didn't even come close to hitting my practice range (28-32). I'm just hoping for a 25-27 so I don't have a gaping hole in my application that needs explaining. I'm having a really hard time studying since I KNOW my previous score wasn't representative of what I know...I almost wish I could have taken it again immediately...without studying (and after a shot or two of moonshine :) O well...at least it's getting me used to giving up my days off at the beach for my career!

Good luck to everyone!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Hi Zona,

I butchered the 22nd test as well. I just wanna break 30. :(

Any of you verified yet?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey guys,
I too will be joining you in the ring on July 31st.....THIRD TIME!....*sigh* BTW Indigoboy0 where can I get the GS DVDs? I reviewed all the EK stuff, but I feel like I am more of an audiovisual learner also.

Thanks
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have a question...would you guys retake the mcat for a 3rd time if you are already signed up for it and are currently waitlisted at 2 schools and the thing that is dragging ur application down is the mcat even if one of the school's representative where ur waitlisted at advised you you dont really need to retake, just apply earlier? I would love to not have to retake that hellish exam again but the prob is that i got a miserable 20 both times i took it :( so idk if i should follow her advice or what. I've been studying but I never feel confident taking it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ODOPHI said:
I have a question...would you guys retake the mcat for a 3rd time if you are already signed up for it and are currently waitlisted at 2 schools and the thing that is dragging ur application down is the mcat even if one of the school's representative where ur waitlisted at advised you you dont really need to retake, just apply earlier? I would love to not have to retake that hellish exam again but the prob is that i got a miserable 20 both times i took it :( so idk if i should follow her advice or what. I've been studying but I never feel confident taking it.
Click to expand...

If you have the money, I would take it. By the time scores come out you will know if you got in anywhere or not. (July 31st scores don't come out until the 1st of September). At the very least you will have only wasted 225 bucks...but if you don't retake your chances of getting in with a 20 next year will be even less than this year. At least this way you will be covering all of your bases. My advice is - Don't bank on being accepted off the waitlist...it MAY happen, but you have to account for what MAY NOT happen as well...and that may be that you won't get in. I'm not trying to be pessimistic here...just realistic.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey guys...I got a 22R the first time around

7 verbal
7 PS
8 BS

At the very least it's balanced and nothing is under a 7...I'm trying to look at the positive side since I'm tending to be more of a 'glass half empty' person these days.

Practice range was 28-32, so I'm not sure what my problem was...

I was getting a solid 11-12 in verbal and 9s in PS and BS for weeks before the exam...I'm thinking I just had a bad day. I guess I'm just looking for some words of encouragement...and some strategies for best utilizing the study time I have left...maybe you've got something I haven't tried yet! I've gone through all of exam crackers and a 800 pg Princeton Review book...ugh...the thought of doing that again turns my stomach.

In any case...I think we all need someone to lean on right now...as it looks like most of us (if not all) are 2nd or 3rd timers. So here's my 2 cents...I know it's gorgeous outside and all you want to do is take some 'me' time. But, sit your ass in a chair, buckle down...we've got 5 weeks. We all can do this. Just think of how much you'll hate yourself if, come Sept 1st, you get your score and you know you didn't give it your all. If you really want this you'll sacrifice the next 5 weeks. Good luck!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
First time taker (7/31)...

I've done all of my content review with Princeton. Boiled everything down to 20 pages of notes for both PS and BS. Right now I'm doing crap load of passages everyday with full lengths(PR and AAMC) on Mondays & Fridays and a full length verbal only (PR workbook and EK101) on Wednesdays.

Problem:
First 6 full lengths I averaged PS(7) V(7) BS(10) and looking back at PS and Verbal I realized that I wasn't finishing up on time. There was always that one passage I couldn't get to and had to guess. When I went over the questions for that passage, I realized they were all within my limit.
Answer (read it on SDN):
Practiced doing all science/verbal passages within 7-8min. If there were any Qs left over after that time I simply picked the choice with a reasonable number or one that sounded less extreme, and moved on.
Result:
Within a week of practicing this strategy (70 passages or so) I'm averaging PS(10) V(8) BS(11) over 3 full lengths. I'm also noticing that I'm cutting down on this guess work and actually finishing 2-3 min ahead of time. Whereas I was getting 2 wrong per passage and 1 whole passage wrong before, now I'm getting just 1-2 wrong per passage at most. I think this pacing is actually helping me with not getting too involved with the passage and avoid wasting time, which could be better spent on the questions...which is what really matters!

Hope this helps anyone who is going through a similar situation. Any change in strategy with verbal that has helped you tremendously...shoot em my way!
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi all,

Although I've scorned SDN in the past it seem slike this thread is good - most of us are second time takers with lower scores - I was in the offical 5/2 thread and most were getting 30+s on practice and then scored in the 30-40 range.

I got a 25 R - 10 VR 8 BS 7 PS - I'm afraid on the retake the sconences may go up but I may not obtain the same VR.

The GS DVDs are available on Ebay (cheapest) and Amazon. They are the only thing that are motivating me to study these days. Yes, they're not totally comprehensive but for me personally are 100X better than EK - I really wasn't thrilled with EKs coverage of most things, minus VR. Once I finsih the chem, bio and organic DVDs I will take practice test 10 (the only one I have left) and then try to get my hands on kaplan, etc.

On the positive side my AMCAS has been verified already and I even got a secondary fgrom GWU already. I also applied to University of Queensland/Oschner Program in Australia and need to finsih up my application to BGU in Israel. Unfortunately many of the schools I listed on the AMCAS have pre-reqs I don't have (UCLA had a 2 semester enlish requirement which they do not accept AP for, all the Puerto Rico schools I apllied to (3) require 12 credits of "English" I don't have (hopefully they'll accept AP History or something, and UIC requires an upper level bio course). They all claim I can apply (I'm a non trad) without having completed - I'm not going to take another english comp or bio course just for one school - one would think everyone would have the same basic requirements! The average for UQ/Oschner is 8/8/8 so I'm in the ballpark - and the admissions lady is really responsive. I told her that I'm retaking. I plan on sending my GWU secondary in Monday since they get 10,000+ aps - granted they won't look at my app until September 1 when our score come in (SUCKS) but at least they'll have it.

Alright.. off to watch Chem DVDs on this all too nice day. I'd like to limit this thread to non-over achievers, just those of use having difficulties, but I don't think that's possible (esepcially with pre-med).

Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
IndigoBoy0 said:
Hi all,

Although I've scorned SDN in the past it seem slike this thread is good - most of us are second time takers with lower scores - I was in the offical 5/2 thread and most were getting 30+s on practice and then scored in the 30-40 range.

I got a 25 R - 10 VR 8 BS 7 PS - I'm afraid on the retake the sconences may go up but I may not obtain the same VR.

The GS DVDs are available on Ebay (cheapest) and Amazon. They are the only thing that are motivating me to study these days. Yes, they're not totally comprehensive but for me personally are 100X better than EK - I really wasn't thrilled with EKs coverage of most things, minus VR. Once I finsih the chem, bio and organic DVDs I will take practice test 10 (the only one I have left) and then try to get my hands on kaplan, etc.

On the positive side my AMCAS has been verified already and I even got a secondary fgrom GWU already. I also applied to University of Queensland/Oschner Program in Australia and need to finsih up my application to BGU in Israel. Unfortunately many of the schools I listed on the AMCAS have pre-reqs I don't have (UCLA had a 2 semester enlish requirement which they do not accept AP for, all the Puerto Rico schools I apllied to (3) require 12 credits of "English" I don't have (hopefully they'll accept AP History or something, and UIC requires an upper level bio course). They all claim I can apply (I'm a non trad) without having completed - I'm not going to take another english comp or bio course just for one school - one would think everyone would have the same basic requirements! The average for UQ/Oschner is 8/8/8 so I'm in the ballpark - and the admissions lady is really responsive. I told her that I'm retaking. I plan on sending my GWU secondary in Monday since they get 10,000+ aps - granted they won't look at my app until September 1 when our score come in (SUCKS) but at least they'll have it.

Alright.. off to watch Chem DVDs on this all too nice day. I'd like to limit this thread to non-over achievers, just those of use having difficulties, but I don't think that's possible (esepcially with pre-med).

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I've had some of the same thoughts...but then again, most of the students that are on here also study religiously...it's part of their personality...so I don't really blame them for it. For the most part it's a good thing. I'm not one of those people...I study as much as I need to. I'm also a non-trad student, so my study time is limited. So far I've only submitted my DO apps (applied to 10 schools). My MD app is complete...just don't know why I don't want to send it. Aside from not having the money to send them right now...with my MCAT at a 22R (I'm retaking) and some serious considerations of becoming a DO, I haven't had the inclination to send it...I'm a head-case LOL. At the being of this process I was hell-bent on going MD...but now I really think I only want to do DO. I've been researching it a lot lately and I think it fits my personality much better. Anyone else on here going DO?

The rest of my app is ok:
3.6 sci and cum gpa.
200 hrs doc shadowing
150 hrs ED volunteer
5 yrs research
Masters degree
tons of leadership experiences, clubs, extracurriculars
...just that damn MCAT...at this point the 'R' in writing is laughable.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi I'm also rewriting the MCAT on the 31st, I wrote last year and want to improve my score.
Good luck to all!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Rtrn2sndr said:
I've had some of the same thoughts...but then again, most of the students that are on here also study religiously...it's part of their personality...so I don't really blame them for it. For the most part it's a good thing. I'm not one of those people...I study as much as I need to. I'm also a non-trad student, so my study time is limited. So far I've only submitted my DO apps (applied to 10 schools). My MD app is complete...just don't know why I don't want to send it. Aside from not having the money to send them right now...with my MCAT at a 22R (I'm retaking) and some serious considerations of becoming a DO, I haven't had the inclination to send it...I'm a head-case LOL. At the being of this process I was hell-bent on going MD...but now I really think I only want to do DO. I've been researching it a lot lately and I think it fits my personality much better. Anyone else on here going DO?

The rest of my app is ok:
3.6 sci and cum gpa.
200 hrs doc shadowing
150 hrs ED volunteer
5 yrs research
Masters degree
tons of leadership experiences, clubs, extracurriculars
...just that damn MCAT...at this point the 'R' in writing is laughable.
Click to expand...

Congrats - I'm glad you decided what the right path for you is. I honestly think I would have a much better chance of getting into DO, however I want to practice abroad eventually (I do international health) and the DO degree does not allow you to practice everywhere like the MD (Strange). Keep up the motivation! If you are thinking MD I'd submit NOW! I don't really have the money either but am putting in on credit cards.. not a smart move. But I think those of us with "lower" credentials may stand a better shot if our apps are in the early bunch.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
hello all! new to sdn but am also taking my mcat for the first time on the 31st. good luck to you all!!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How long have you guys been studying? I studied minimally for the May 22 test and my score showed it. I will study for the entire five(ish) weeks between now and the test starting with EK content review and moving to AAMC, EK, and Kaplan practice tests. I am already feeling much better about this test :luck:. I have been averaging about 3 hours a day of study so far.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
i am currently registered for july 31st. am thinking of chaging the date to august 5th. time for msybe 2more practice exam.

i practice test so far is 17, 19, 20, 22. i have 4 more weeks left and still alot to do. will see ow it goes. it sucks because verbal is my second language and i keep getting 4 and 5's i really need improvement. i will also be working with the ek 1001 passages for verbal
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Cetsiphon said:
How long have you guys been studying? I studied minimally for the May 22 test and my score showed it. I will study for the entire five(ish) weeks between now and the test starting with EK content review and moving to AAMC, EK, and Kaplan practice tests. I am already feeling much better about this test :luck:. I have been averaging about 3 hours a day of study so far.
Click to expand...

I did not put in a lot of study time for the May 22nd test either. Right now I am focusing on EK Verbal 101 and content review using the Official Guide to the MCAT Exam's outline. I too am doing about 3 hours of studying a day until July 31st. Hopefully it pays off for us both! Good luck!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'll be re-taking the MCAT on July 31st after my first attempt on May 28th.

I received a 27R (10VR/9PS/8BS) the first time, which was inside of my practice range (27-29).

The thing I'm worried about right now is that I won't be able to match or top my PS score of 9. That is the highest PS score I've ever made. But I KNOW I can raise my BS score (I averaged 10 on practice exams), and I'm pretty confident I can raise my VR score at least one point as well.

I waited to start studying again until I got my scores back, so I'll only have 4 weeks to study.

SO the question in this post is - What is the best way to go about RE-studying?? Any ideas?

Thanks so much!

Kelsey
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
krwhite said:
I'll be re-taking the MCAT on July 31st after my first attempt on May 28th.

I received a 27R (10VR/9PS/8BS) the first time, which was inside of my practice range (27-29).

The thing I'm worried about right now is that I won't be able to match or top my PS score of 9. That is the highest PS score I've ever made. But I KNOW I can raise my BS score (I averaged 10 on practice exams), and I'm pretty confident I can raise my VR score at least one point as well.

I waited to start studying again until I got my scores back, so I'll only have 4 weeks to study.

SO the question in this post is - What is the best way to go about RE-studying?? Any ideas?

Thanks so much!

Kelsey
Click to expand...

July 31st is my first time taking it, so you can take my advice for what its worth.

But I don't even know if you should retake. You got just about your average. It would be very risky to retake. If I were an adcom member, and I saw a retake, but the scored did not improve by 3+ points, I would have second thoughts.

But then again, 27 is on the lower end for MD schools, so if you really want an MD, you might have to. Just disregard what I posted above.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Dr. Gerrard,

Thank you for your input. You definitely make a valid point, and I've considered that.

However, I am confident that I can perform better than I did. I think it will help me to be familiar with the situation, so I can relax and think a little more clearly!

Of course, if I'm wrong and my scores don't improve, I could be in trouble. But since I am only applying to MD programs, and my GPA isn't spectacular (3.6), I do think it's important that I raise my MCAT score. I'm just hoping a month is enough time for me to do that!

I'm stuck right now, as far as preparing all over again. It's frustrating, because I did all I knew to do the first time!

Kelsey
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
krwhite said:
I'm stuck right now, as far as preparing all over again. It's frustrating, because I did all I knew to do the first time!

Kelsey
Click to expand...

Same here. I used EVERYTHING.

I now have Audio Osmosis and have been listening to it on my blackberry before bed and I got the 1001 Q books in O-Chem, Physics, and G Chem from a friend so I have been busy with those. Also got a Kaplan book from a friend and will retake the AAMCs. It feels like I am almost wasting my time studying as I already did all of this. I have been reminded again how much I SUCK at torque and ramps, however.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Zona Pellucida,


How is the Audio Osmosis? I was considering getting it, but I don't know how helpful it would be, and I've spent so much money already... What do you think about it?

Kelsey
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
krwhite said:
Zona Pellucida,


How is the Audio Osmosis? I was considering getting it, but I don't know how helpful it would be, and I've spent so much money already... What do you think about it?

Kelsey
Click to expand...
PM me, I can help you with audio osmosis if you like
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
krwhite said:
Zona Pellucida,


How is the Audio Osmosis? I was considering getting it, but I don't know how helpful it would be, and I've spent so much money already... What do you think about it?

Kelsey
Click to expand...

I've only been through Physics so far and I just started Chemistry. Honestly, it has not helped too much. It is good for keeping material and ideas fresh in my mind but not really good as a teaching tool. I've already learned all the content previously anyway so it aids via repetition. I have a feeling Biology and Organic will be more helpful since Physics is hard to really "visualize" by hearing audio.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How's it going everyone? I've finished reviewing physics a few days ago, but I haven't been able to motivate myself to start chemistry.

I feel the pressure now, since there are only a few weeks left.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am finishing Ochem and Biology this week. It really takes all my will to dig into physics and gen chem again. :( I hate them both so much. I hope all this prep is really worth it in a few weeks. A few weeks!!! The build up for this exam is nearly as bad as my first though.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm finishing up Bio and then on to OChem.. the Gold Standard DVDs are my new study tool. Theyre not great but theyre finally helping me to understand basic concepts (I took gen chem 10 years ago).

I really not to start some FLs soon but I did all AMCAs the last time around with the exception of 10 so I'm not sure what to do. And I haven't even focused on VR at all. I hope I still have what it takes to do well in that section.

To top this off I'm getting all my secondaries but holding off on submitting because I know most places won't look at them until the new score is in.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ACE28 said:
Anyone feel ready? How practice tests coming?
Click to expand...

I will never feel ready. I felt ready for 5/22 and obviously wasn't.

I just have to think straight.

As far as practice tests... I've gone through the AAMC Official Guide to the MCAT and did fairly well on the passages in there.

I've already taken all of the AAMC CBT's for round one but am definitely going to retake them for this, even if the results are skewed, to get the "feel" back.

I just took AAMC 3 today and 37'd the retake (13-10-14). A full 10 points higher than my real grade :scared: . Obviously I am not taking these scores at face value as I've seen the material before. It is just helpful in seeing what really didn't stick.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How's everybody holding up? Seems like this test is right around the corner. The June 18th people had some great scores, so I have high hopes for redemption on this exam. I finally got through all my EK books, now I am just practicing and reviewing weaknesses. Stupid PS....
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I know most of the material cold, but I'm having timing issues. Right now I'm just doing AAMC exams (8,9,10 to go) every other day and EK101/reviewing in between.

I'm feeling a very weird vibe as we are closing in on 31st. I feel like I've done all that I can to prepare for this and if it was any other exam I'd go in and annihilate the monsta. But for the MCAT there is this unpredictability of what they are going to throw at you and how you're going to respond to it...which is killing me. I guess thats what you call NERVES before the big showdown. Anyone else on the same frequency or is it just me?

Goodluck to all!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have a couple of tests left to do as well. It's true...the MCAT is definitely unpredictable in terms of what they will throw at you on test day, which can be quite intimidating. I'm just hoping for the best! :xf::luck:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hopefully my nerves will be better this time. I already went in completely freaked out and wasted so much time on PS.. which was shown by my 8 in the section. I'm a lot less nervous this time as I already went through it before. I'm just worried about going down from my (8-9-10). I feel like if I can kill verbal or bio some how, that I can leave a little room for mistakes in PS as it is my weakest section. We'll see... almost there.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Anyone else losing hope here? I took AMCAS 10 as it was my only one left - I rocked the PS section (9 which is incredible for me) but got my worst verbal (7) and medicore bio for a combined score lower than my 5/2 test - same deal I feel like no matter what I do I can't beat this demon. Should I void if I don't feel amazing about the test coming out of it? I'm just not showing improvement....
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
IndigoBoy0 said:
Anyone else losing hope here? I took AMCAS 10 as it was my only one left - I rocked the PS section (9 which is incredible for me) but got my worst verbal (7) and medicore bio for a combined score lower than my 5/2 test - same deal I feel like no matter what I do I can't beat this demon. Should I void if I don't feel amazing about the test coming out of it? I'm just not showing improvement....
Click to expand...

My personal opinion would be to not void the test simply because you feel it didn't go well. There have been numerous instances when people get a good score despite feeling like they haven't done well. Justifiable reasons to void the test, however, may be if you don't complete passages on each section, feel ill during the test, or encounter a similar circumstance that significantly affects your performance.

At this point, since the test is a few days away, I would suggest just going over your test mistakes and sticking to the schedule you had planned for the last few days. I still have to take AAMC 10 myself so I don't know how it will go, but try not to lose hope because of this one set of scores...just try and give it your best on friday! :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
hey all - I too am signed up for July 31 (and planning on utilizing my alcohol dehydrogenase to its full extent starting at about 3 that afternoon). I have been looking for a thread regarding the scoring of the aamc tests compared to the actual mcat score. does anyone have the link? (i am apparently completely incompetent in this right now.)
thanks and good luck all!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks, IDream for the advice and motivation. I'm keeping my fingers and all other appendages crossed......Unless I wait until next application cycle I think this is all I got... I have already submitted primaries and as soon as this beast is over plan on submitting all my secondaries regardless of my score....

Taking work off Thursday and Friday for this... what a "vacation".. at least I'm heading out of town for the weekend once its over.. get to start working on my secondaries after... wohoo!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks.. I like the good luck shamrock. Just made my week. I'm kind of numb this second time around...I'm rooting for us all...:D
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

P
July 28th MCAT okay?
Replies
2
Views
1K
BerkReviewTeach
B
P
July 13th mcat retake okay for 2024-2025 application cycle?
Replies
4
Views
250
gyngyn
gyngyn
agentfaithmd
AAMC MCAT Official Prep Complete Bundle Worth It?
Replies
0
Views
416
agentfaithmd
agentfaithmd
M
Taking the MCAT in July....tips?
Replies
3
Views
1K
MyOdyssey
M
V
July 15 MCAT for this application cycle
Replies
10
Views
2K
gyngyn
gyngyn
Top