MCAT blues

[wingy]

Okay, so this is kind of sad and depresssing and I think I am the only one experiencing this, but here goes... I have been studying every day and taking the a practice test once a week every Saturday since I ended finals in mid June. I have also been taking Princeton Review everyday and I am caught up with my homework and I am currently practicing on passages constantly and I do go over every answer to see what I missed, but my scores have not been improving. I have taken 5 diag tests and I consistently get no higher than 20. Verbal is my weakest and Bio and Physical are not that great either. So anyone out there with some suggestions on how to help me? Any word of advice or words of wisdom?

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[Bikini Princess]

Did you do relatively well on SAT/ACT? It sounds like your test-taking abilities are the problem..maybe you are mis-gridding? If you did ok on the SAT/ACT verbal, it seems strange that you'd be doing poorly on the mcat one..

 

[wingy]

I did alright on the SAT/ACT, although I do have to admit I do believe a good portion of why my score is not rising is because of my test taking ability. Any suggestions or tips on some strategies?

 

[missbonnie]

Hi Wingy-
What diags are you taking, TPR? You should be using AAMC tests as your yardstick, no test prep exams. Test prep exams should be used for practice only in my opinion.

-bonnie

 

[SuzyQ]

Wingy, I sent you a PM.

 

[showeeeeeeeee]

Hi Wingy,

Sounds like you're working your tush off! I'm taking TPR too. I took the mcat 2 years ago and got a 27. I want to get a couple points higher at least. On the first diag 481, I got a whopping 20! On 482, I got a 17!

I guess what I want to tell you is that they make them hard so that you freak out and study your butt off, but also they can say, "we make people improve X points!".

Are you finishing the passages? Which practice tests have you taken? In tpr we take aamc 5 and 6, which are going to be good for us. But if you haven't already, take 3 and 4.

What is your mentality during the test? Are you stressed? Maybe try to tell yourself "I am badass and I know this stuff!"

I'm working on psyching myself up. One of the things I discussed with our verbal instructor was doing a warmup passage before the test. I'm strong in verbal, but still, the first few passages seem a little rusty for me.

Lastly, get a massage the day before the test!!!

Good luck!!!

 

[wingy]

Whats a PM and how can I access my PM?

As far as the tests, I have taken 480, 481 and 482. I have taken AAMC 3 and 4, but I took that early on, like right after my first diag, so I don't think I was quite ready for those tests when I took it. But as far as the recent ones, I still couldn't break the 20. I guess all I have to do is practice, but I am afraid that I am practicing using wrong techniqes or something else and thats why my scores are not improving.

 

[SuzyQ]

A. PM is a personal message. Press on the ?ser cp button on the top of the screen and it should bring up any PM's that have been sent to you.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

Hey Wingy,
Don't freak..!! I'm in TPR too. I just finished taken AAMC IV and I only got a 23. I started out with 481 17 and 482 16!! Ha! Just keep being persistant and practice verbal passages like crazy. Verbal's my hardest too and the more I read passages, the better I get at finding which answers are wrong ones! As for the sciences just keep studying. I noticed that my score went up when I reviewed really hard the day or two before the practice test. Best of luck.!

 

[CoffeeCat]

We CAN do it, I'm sure of it. I recently did very poorly on AAMC III, but I'm not going to give up. Well, I think that's the reason I did poorly, just like DrLady I gave up in the middle of the physical sciences part. I FINISHED it, but missed a bunch of easy ones that were given in the passage. I did okay on verbal & bio but got a 6 in physical. I looked at the ones that were given in the passages and if I'd just paid a little more attention, I would've gotten a nine in that section. Not a wonderful score, but I think that attitude is 50% of the test.

Let's not be intimidated!!

 

[blkdawn]

I'm in a similar boat as you - the only difference is that I'm scoring 11 and 12s on the verbal section and a whopping 6 or 7 in the PS and BS sections.

In April, I got a 22 (9,6,7). I'm not feeling thrilled about taking the August exam. The worst part is, I have both the Kaplan and TPR review materials and except for my verbal score going up, my score is pretty consistent. At this point, I don't know what the best way is to bring up these scores!!

Any advice for me as well?
Thanks.

 

[Mudd]

Studying does NOT equate to improved scores! Changing your thought process to be in line with the test writers improves your score. This is done by doing and analyzing passages, escpecially AAMC materials. It is hard work, but it's the best path to MCAT success. Some people just get it from the start, and they don't need to study. For others, they study all sorts of materials, and never get it. Learning more information is not the path to getting it. Analyze your mistakes and see how many are dumb mistakes. It's probably most of them. Reduce the dumb mistakes and your score will soar!

Also, pcik your tests wisely in this three week home stretch.

I am so sick of hearing about prep companies and their make it hard so people study more bull crud (insert stronger word here). A good practice exam is one that either gives you a realistic expectation of the MCAT or a great set of answer explanations that detail how to pick the right answer AND eliminate the wrong answers.

The more I read here, the more I think... why do students put up with the crud test prep companies toss at them? I'm sorry, it's late and I may be losing it, but it makes me so mad.

 

[Lavndrrose]

Originally posted by Mudd

Also, pcik your tests wisely in this three week home stretch.

I am so sick of hearing about prep companies and their make it hard so people study more bull crud (insert stronger word here). A good practice exam is one that either gives you a realistic expectation of the MCAT or a great set of answer explanations that detail how to pick the right answer AND eliminate the wrong answers.

The more I read here, the more I think... why do students put up with the crud test prep companies toss at them? I'm sorry, it's late and I may be losing it, but it makes me so mad.

Amen!