Mcat

[dookbloo]

hey guys,
i took this test in august and was not happy with how i did. i usually did pretty well on the practice tests, but i choked on the real thing. verbal was, and always has been, my biggest problem. not only is it hard for me to finish, i just dont get how they get some of the answers. does anyone have any suggestions for verbal? what is the most effective strategy that you guys have used? also, what did you use to practice?

for biology, does anyone know of a good textbook that would cover all of the information we need to know without going into too much detail? my main weaknesses are genetics and physiology.

im fine on physical sciences. last thing: i took princeton review already. im wondering what i should do for april. is it worth it to take kaplan? would it be a better idea just to sign up to be able to go to the kaplan center and use their materials? what are the best practice materials and where can i get a lot of them?

thank you guys for your help and good luck.
go duke football.

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[Camden772]

There are several other threads that should address many of your questions. In particular, check out the ones on 10+ verbal study habits, 30+ study habits, 5 point improvements. There are also many threads that debate the various review courses. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the following: Kaplan, Princeton Review, Examkrackers, Berkeley Review, Columbia Review. Some of these are regional courses, so you may not be able to take them. Also, I don't think you need to take a course at all. The second time I took the MCAT I did not take a course and I improved my score by 10 points.

 

[Mike59]

Camden,
For most of us, it's not nearly as simple as getting advice from SDN posts and reading some commercial test prep book tips. I studied my ass off for the MCAT and came out with a measley 8V.
I feel your pain dookbloo. Even after close to 6 months of prep work, I still could never get higher than a 9 on any practice test verbal. This is after reading newspapers daily and using TPR, Kaplan and EK methods.

The verbal is truly an enigma. As stated in an earlier post, I made an S in the writing and have all A's in hard senior level english courses. To be frank, I don't think there is a solution to the problem. Just hope your score is good enough to get you in somewhere, which is all I'm asking for.

The biggest problem I see with retaking is the risk of a decrease in some sections (unless one's score is really unbalanced to begin with, or is less than say, 24).

 

[qweewq11]

I think the real problem was going to Duke. Had you gone to Cornell, things might have worked out better

Go Big Red!

 

[shamthis]

yeah red

 

[dookbloo]

or i might have frozen my a$$ off and been part of the highest suicide rate in the country....

 

[shamthis]

...hmm what's more important: chilly winters or medical school...

 

[dookbloo]

fine, you win.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php

 

[shamthis]

Doctoral my ass

 

[qweewq11]

We got owned this year for some reason We were #6 a couple of years ago. Where's the Ivy league love?


But my 37 will compensate!

 

[limit]

Originally posted by dookbloo
fine, you win.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php

Is it possible to browse USNEWS for free these days anymore? Looks like they require an account, I remember it was free once upon a time