Need some MCAT studying advice please?!?!?!?

[alanstein92]

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Hi,

I have just started my Junior year of undergrad and I currently have a 3.9 GPA. I have taken Physics, Gen Chem, Orgo and Bio and have gotten A's in all of them. I tutor students in Orgo and Biochem currently and was very shocked at my MCAT score. I decided to take this past summer off from classes and work and spent every day of this summer (3 months) of hard core studying 8-12 hours a day using Exam Krackers and all of my textbooks from my classes as well as Khan Academy videos (very helpful for bio I thought). I think I made a mistake of not take enough practice tests, IDK :/

I finished my in depth content review about 2.5 weeks before my exam (which I took 8/10/12). I took AAMC 3 and got a 27 on it (10 PS 7 VR 10 BS)...I freaked out! I did not do any verbal studying because for some reason I figured it would be similar to the SAT verbal (OH BOY! Was I wrong). So with 2.5 weeks left until the exam I began studying Verbal. I took AAMC 7 a week later (5 days before test day) and got a 31 (11 PS 8 VR 12 BS) and two days later I took AAMC 10 and got a 31 (10 PS 10 VR 11 BS). I figured I would get something around that on the actual MCAT.

I wound up getting a 25 R (9 PS 8 VR 9 BS); I was shocked and very upset. I felt like I wasted my whole summer away. Now, I don't know what to do. It is still early for me to start applying to schools, so I know for sure I am going to retake the MCAT; I definitely want a better score. I just ordered the complete set of TBR books as I have heard very good reviews about them.

My issue is, I don't know where to start now :/ I have a full course load this semester (Biochem, Genetics, Ecology, Medical Terminology) and am in desperate need of advice as to how and what I should do to prepare for my retake of the exam. I am shooting to retake it probably end of January.

I am trying to decide whether I should take a Kaplan On-site Classroom Prep class (it's alot of money to spend so I want to make sure that it truly is helpful, as I have heard many mixed reviews). I have always preferred to study on my own, but maybe I need the classroom setting for this???

If anyone who has already take the exam and has done very well on it has some advice as to what I should do differently this time around or maybe let me know what you did to get the score you got that would be fantastic!!! Also if anyone has taken the Kaplan score and has noticed that it improved their score itd be great to hear about your experience.

Thanks ahead of time!!!

 

[Moosepig]

If you feel that your load is too heavy to study properly during the school year, you may want to consider taking a gap year so you can study this coming summer. Either way 25 with a 3.9 is enough to probably grab you some DO interviews, so all hope is not lost.

Do you think that you perhaps did not refresh on BS and PS enough in those final 2.5 weeks and that caused the drop in those sections? Did you have test anxiety? You seem to grasp the material(being a tutor), so maybe you just didn't take enough AAMCs.

The main thing is to be motivated by this and not in despair. Success that comes on the first try is not as powerful as the success that comes from a concerted determination to improve. You can do this, just act with clarity and a good plan.

 

[jeffs office]

Though I haven't taken the MCAT yet, it sounds to me like you didn't have enough practice. I think it may be beneficial if you spent more time practicing passages and qbank questions, even before the FLs from AAMC. From previous advice, people are always stressing the importance of practice over content review. Considering your schedule, I think trial and error might help.

 

[alanstein92]

I definitely had SEVERE test anxhiety. It got to the point that I was literally a zombie for the 3 days before the exam couldn't even study or review or anything :/

 

[kdavidlee25]

you should def take that kaplan course.

 

[UCSultanPepper]

Are you saying you only took 3 practice tests before the real one? Prior to the MCAT you just got scored that was a big mistake, but now that you're going to take it again, it's good that you still have all of those practice tests for study material left.

Study again, take as many practice tests as you can. If I was you, my study schedule would go something like this: Day 1: practice test Day 2: review everything you got wrong in practice test and write question in notebook, answer, why you got it wrong, and what you need to do to get it right the next time and 4 timed passages of VR, Day 3: Focused content review on the topics you struggled with in the practice test + at least timed 6 passages of VR. Repeat for day 4, 5, and 6. Take day 7 off. I say do this, then after 2 weeks, spend a week doing the AAMC diagnostic tests. Monday do BS, Tuesday do Orgo, Wed Phys, Thurs Chem, and Friday VR. Try to review as much of these and write down the wrong questions in notebook on Saturday, take sunday off.

Once you have taken ~12-15 practice tests, the anxiety really starts to subside, and the test just feels very familiar.

You can do it. You just need to practice as much as possible like it's game day! 👍

 

[MDOnlyWillDo]

I have taken Kaplan and it did improve my score because they teach you how to take the test. You don't have to take the classroom option (I thought it was a waste of time) but the online option is great. I'll bet that you know the material inside and out, but you are faltering on the exam due to anxiety and being too unfamiliar with the mind games the questions play.

I'll bet that if you were to do all the practice exams you could get your hands on, you'd at least get a mid-30's score.