MCAT study suggestions

[ambitiousMED]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi,
I am actually new to this. I don't know if I am posting this in the right thread. Anyways, I am a ChE major (junior). I was thinking of taking the MCAT on August 3rd. Would 5 weeks of intense studying be enough? I know people usually say you need to study for at least 3 months. Can someone tell me where I can get free/cheap practice exams? I know AAMC has $35 exams but they seem expensive. I have Kaplan review books. I am actually not good at standardized exams. I made a 24 on the ACT but I work really hard and have a good GPA. Would 5 weeks of studying be enough to get a score around 30?

 

[Lya]

Are you applying this summer? If not, I would consider giving yourself at least 3 months or more. Of course, there are students who score high in 4-6 weeks. In general, they already have strong science backgrounds.

With that said, you have two choices: (1) review as much as you can for several weeks, try the free AAMC 3 full length, and see how you do. If you don't think you will reach an appropriate score on time, you can postpone your test date. (2) Or you can readjust your schedule now and see if you can take the MCAT with at least 3 months of studying.

Yes, $35 might seem expensive. But they are the best practice exams you can get. Even then, many people complain this year that their level of difficulty is not even close to the real exam and they tend to be easier. I think it's worthwhile to invest on those practice full lengths =). Check out the MCAT forum for more details!

 

[gettheleadout]

Hi,
I am actually new to this. I don't know if I am posting this in the right thread. Anyways, I am a ChE major (junior). I was thinking of taking the MCAT on August 3rd. Would 5 weeks of intense studying be enough? I know people usually say you need to study for at least 3 months. Can someone tell me where I can get free/cheap practice exams? I know AAMC has $35 exams but they seem expensive. I have Kaplan review books. I am actually not good at standardized exams. I made a 24 on the ACT but I work really hard and have a good GPA. Would 5 weeks of studying be enough to get a score around 30?

Blunt honest advice:

Expect to spend several hundred dollars, and spent several months studying with no other responsibilities, or several more months with less study time per day.

 

[ambitiousMED]

I will be applying next summer, so I still have time. Next 2 years are supposed to be really difficult for ChE's at my school, and therefore I was planning of taking it as soon as possible so I won't forget all the pre-reqs I have completed last semester. I purchased 101 Verbal Reasoning and the 1001 Biology examkrackers. Do you recommend any other books that will be similar to those so I can practice passage by passage instead of the entire full length exam?

 

[PanRoasted]

Really, go to the MCAT forum. The information there is great, borderline exhaustive.

A good plan is to study all this summer, doing NOTHING else (really, nothing), and taking the exam at the end of the summer before your regular semester begins. This is the hands down best way to do it if you're applying without a gap year.