Official TPR August 2004 Thread

[JDAD]

I did a search on previous threads like this and it seems like a good idea. Everyone taking the TPR course for the August MCAT or anyone who have experience with TPR please don't be afraid to post. I need all the help I can get. So voice your opinions, concerns or questions regarding TPR for this August MCAT.

I took 4911 today as the first official MCAT Diag. I don't know what I got on it but I will post and let people know. I haven't looked at anything for the last two months. I took the practice MCAT that they offered on April 17 (4902) and scored 12p 8v 8b. This was after attempting to prep for April, but I gave it up two weeks before and just drillied physics. I was thrilled about the PS, it just goes to show you that learning the formulas really helps.

Today I took 4911 and I heard the average is usually around 18. If you have taken it let us know how you did.

Keep this thing going.

JD

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[N-toxicologist]

I prepped for the April MCAT *fingers crossed*. The instructors say that anywhere in double digits is good for the first diag. Our first was 4911 and I got a 22. I agree, learning physics formulas, especially how to manipulate them helps greatly. Good luck!

 

[JDAD]

Thanks good for the first one UNT. Would you be willing to post the rest of your scores so we can see your progress? Good luck on the real thing.

 

[superdevil]

please, please, please listen to me, august TPR students: your score on the first diag will *suck*. period. its all by design. DON'T LET IT BOTHER YOU.

my first score was a 22 (i think, anyway). JDAD asks for progress...

4911: 22
4921: 23
4931: 31
AAMC 5R: 35
AAMC 6R: 34

take-home message...its not where you start, its where you finish.

note: i took the MCAT april '04, and don't know my score on the real thing yet, like UNTlabrat. the real deal seemed like the other AAMC tests, so here's to hoping for no surprises!

 

[MoosePilot]

Ok, took the MCAT in April 94 with no prep past pre-reqs, got 31 (no composite was actually calculated, but bear with me).

Worked very, very briefly for TPR. Tutored an SAT student, trained to teach GMAT, trained very briefly to teach MCAT (but that would have been a disaster). Thinking MCAT training would boost, I took again in April 95 = 32.

This Spring took TPR after 8 years of no school. I put the kind of work ethic the military has taught me into my preparation, which is a completely different level of effort than I've ever put forward before. Many people do worse on 2nd test because they're trying to apply techniques which aren't fully developed, but distract them a little. I was odd.

B/P/V
4911 9/7/10 26
4921 10/9/12 31
4931 11/9/11 31
5R 11/11/12 34
6R 11/13/13 37

I'll let everyone know what I get on the real thing as it becomes available. I really like TPR and if my performance is anything like I expect, it was worth it.

Edit: April 2004 12/11/13 36Q

 

[MoosePilot]

I took 4911 today as the first official MCAT Diag. I don't know what I got on it but I will post and let people know. JD

Did you know you can go online and check your scores as soon as they grade the diags? Usually it's that night or the next morning.

I always liked that, because I had this Orgo teacher that taught on Sunday that wouldn't have our scores and if anybody brought them by she wouldn't give them out until after her class. She said she didn't want us thinking about our scores and not her class. I can't think about anything while I'm waiting to get scores... which is may be why I'm so frazzled now, come to think about it...

 

[JDAD]

Looks like everyone is in pretty good shape. The scores for April 04 are coming soon and I wish everyone luck. Any others out there that are currently in the course?

 

[N-toxicologist]

Thanks good for the first one UNT. Would you be willing to post the rest of your scores so we can see your progress? Good luck on the real thing.

Sure, here they are:

4911: 5/7/10
4921: 6/8/10
4931*: 7/8/8
5R: 8/10/11
6R: 10/12/10

I stayed pretty consistent w/ bio, which I pretty much expected, as I had had almost every core requirement at the point I took these. 4931 was the test given over Spring break, so I had to self-administer later. I believe my lack of a good testing spot accounts for the regression in scores. I am generally pleased with my vast improvements in PS and verbal. I would have liked to see improvement in bio just b/c of learning the techniques, but I really needed to concentrate on PS, especially physics. My essays generally scored about 3's, which I guess translates to M/N. If my numbers resemble anything close to 6R, I"ll be pleased; I think I totally rocked one essay and bombed the other, so I would expect about an M/N there, too. Good or bad, I'll come back and share the real scores. Good luck!

 

[jon0013]

did horrible on..made 7 in bio, 6 in phys sci and 5 on verbal (fell asleep on 2 passages)...what i gathered from this test was that physics formulas are very key and also the test seemed to be very broad and covered everything. i doubt that is the case on the real thing. for writing i got an O and an N.

my study plan
i'm trying to get through reading all the course material before the next diag (June 19th)..however i won't do the homework questions until the subject has been taught in lecture. i also bought EK books but haven't really figured out a way to incorporate those in my studies yet. so far i've read through chapter 3 for physics, chapter 2 of general chem and orgo, Chapter 2 of bio since last monday when my class started. i also want to set aside maybe an hour a day to read. from practice verbal in class it seems like speed is probably everyone's biggest issue. any good reading material someone can recommend?

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

thanks,
Jon

 

[JDAD]

From what i have learned, the first test is pretty rough on everyone. Don't stress. I don't even have my books yet, and the test is two and half months away.

 

[N-toxicologist]

... from practice verbal in class it seems like speed is probably everyone's biggest issue. any good reading material someone can recommend?

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

thanks,
Jon

If you can glean most of the pertinent information from your first read-through on a passage, you can shave some time off your verbal. Make good, short, concise notes in the margins as they come to you, like making note of the main idea, mood, counterarguments, anything that seems like an important fact, especially examples. Think about what works for you. I found that taking a little more time with the passage saved me time, because I could answer the questions w/o having to go back. (I found it was opposite in PS and BS--skimmed the passage and concentrated on questions) Keep practicing verbal passages; you get used to them.

As for reading, this helped me greatly with my verbal skills and my physics-phobia. I started reading "The Universe in a Nutshell" by Stephen Hawking. Reading something that I wouldn't normally be interested in helped me learn to focus and manipulate new information, while seeing some physical science concepts applied in different ways made me more confident in what I DID know about physics. I suggest reading stuff that's boring and slightly above your level. Hopefully, it all works out...

 

[MoosePilot]

did horrible on..made 7 in bio, 6 in phys sci and 5 on verbal (fell asleep on 2 passages)...what i gathered from this test was that physics formulas are very key and also the test seemed to be very broad and covered everything. i doubt that is the case on the real thing. for writing i got an O and an N.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

thanks,
Jon

I always hear people talk about falling asleep during difficult tests. I don't understand that. During the MCAT I was completely focused the entire time. I worked as fast as possible and didn't have quite enough time on anything but bio on the practice tests. The last diag and the real thing I had enough time for each section and a little extra on everything but Physical Sci.

How do you fall asleep? My arousal level (insert dirty interpretation here) is so high that falling asleep is never a possibility, don't you feel excited/focused?

 

[N-toxicologist]

... falling asleep is never a possibility, don't you feel excited/focused?

Excited, yes. Focused, no. My mind was racing so much; I distinctly remember thinking about sex during my 'symbolism in art' passage during verbal. Before, focus had been my key to doing well in verbal. I'm pretty sure I bombed it this time. I mean, the most important test of my life, and I'm in sexual overdrive?

 

[MoosePilot]

Excited, yes. Focused, no. My mind was racing so much; I distinctly remember thinking about sex during my 'symbolism in art' passage during verbal. Before, focus had been my key to doing well in verbal. I'm pretty sure I bombed it this time. I mean, the most important test of my life, and I'm in sexual overdrive?

There are ways of toning that down prior to the test

I bet it will turn out better than you think! Hard to wait, though, isn't it? I'm dying and I already have two sets of scores to reduce my nervousness, the days slow down as we get closer to the big day!

 

[N-toxicologist]

There are ways of toning that down prior to the test

QUOTE]

LOL.

 

[JDAD]

Funny funny. But on a more serious note, how is everyone making out so far with TPR?

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Just started TPR with 'ol 4911. Still don't know how I did but pretty much felt like I got worked, except for bio. I didnt even get to 2 passages in verbal and physical sciences. Here's to working hard through the summer!

Cheers,

Tooth

 

[JDAD]

Tig Tooth,

I feel your pain. They designed that verbal section to screw you. They put four very difficult passages at the begining and then the last five were doable. They did this to backup thier point, which they will teach you later, that you must skip hard passages. If you spent all of your time on the hard ones early on, then you missed the easy ones at the end. It is a cruel trick and not comparable to the real deal. Keep your head up, we have the whole summer.

 

[MoosePilot]

Did you guys get log-ons for TPRs website? Great way to check your scores (unless you had class tonight and found out).

I'm still waiting on my scores for the final diag. They're tricksy - they make you wait 2 months (wait, that wasn't a diag? ARGHHH!)

 

[JDAD]

I should get my score tomorrow. I am guessing around a 23 on the first one. Not great.

 

[N-toxicologist]

I should get my score tomorrow. I am guessing around a 23 on the first one. Not great.

23 on the first diag is great! If you improve the average ten points TPR preaches, you'll be right where you want to be. What do you see as your problem areas? Mine was physics/G-chem, of course. I'm sure you'll be fine, just don't slack off as time gets near. By the way, are you in Texas? Where are you taking classes? PM me.

 

[Scubadoc]

how long have you guys been in classes? we don't start until tomorrow here!

 

[jon0013]

did you take 4911? i agree they do try to screw you like that. when i took the test i had never seen an MCAT passage before and those first few passages threw me off completely. but the passages did progressively get easier. i started TPR last week. so far i've had 2 verbal classes and 1 physics and 1 bio.

 

[JDAD]

I just got back from class. 23 on 4911. Kind of upset, but compared to everyone else it was a good score. It broke down to 7p, 6v, 10b. I will write more later. I have to get to the gym

EDIT

Well, I am back from the gym. Man, that was the first time in about a month I was able to workout. I got my ass kicked. I was just reminded of my weaklingness, (no, that isn't a word, but it should be).

As for the action on this thread, why is it so slow? I thought there would be lots of action as everyclass in the country is know in session. Speak up people!

As I said before, my first diag was 23, nope, that's not going to get me into any medical schools. The good news is that PS can be fixed easily with some studying. When I decided to call it quits in March, I was doing pretty well in PS. Bio needs work, and that will come too.

I am concerend with verbal. I was expecting an 8. 6 was a kick in the dick. I have a lot of work to do. Anyway, the good news is that the class average was so low that he didn't even tell us. I don't feel that bad, but I really want to avoid following the trend of decreasing on the 2nd diag.

Anyway, This post is too long. There will never be another like this. Promise. I just feel lonely, where are all the TPRer's?

 

[HipToBeSquare]

so, i just found this thread.

anyways, i'm in TPR. we started our class on 5/23.

4911 this last saturday. tons of excitement. hah.

btw i took the MCAT in 8/03, but sucked a$$, so i'm taking the class this time around....

got our scores today: 7V, 8B, 6P.

My problem area is physics. also just need to review a bunch of bio. i am in school for another week so i don't anticipate hard core studying until after the 12th of June....

good luck, all.

 

[jon0013]

were you planning on taking the MCAT in april? if so did you take TPR then? 23 isn't bad..its actually quite good for 4911 i hear...friend of mine who took kaplan said after he was making 33's on diags he went back and took a diag along with a friend who was also getting 32's..the diag that he took was one that is administered to students on the first day and he said that both him and his friend got 27's...first one's always killer..

 

[JDAD]

I thought I was going to take the test in april, but I never took any prep course. I bought the big Kaplan book and studied off that for a while, and when I started taking practice tests, I knew I wasn't going to get the job done. (I was anywhere from 23-30) So I aborted around April 1st and 4911 was the first thing I have done mcat wise since. It is amazing how fast you forget everything.

 

[JDAD]

This thread is dead. I guess everyone is studying. I have my first verbal class today. I am going in optomistic, because i need the help, but I think I will be using EK for verbal. Anyway, my first bio class sucked. Those passages in the compendium are hard as shizit. I have a lot of work to do.

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Got my 4911 diagnostic score. 6V 6P 7B...yikes!! Me thinks I have a lot of work ahead of me. The only thing that makes me feel better is that I didnt even touch 3 passages in verbal and 2 in physical sciences. Back to the books.

Tooth

 

[N-toxicologist]

Got my 4911 diagnostic score. 6V 6P 7B...yikes!! Me thinks I have a lot of work ahead of me. The only thing that makes me feel better is that I didnt even touch 3 passages in verbal and 2 in physical sciences. Back to the books.

Tooth

So, you finished bio? How do you think you'll improve there? Use techniques, or learn more bio? Was your timing okay, or did you have too much time left, suggesting you may have rushed? Overall, these scores are good for a first diag. I did this for the April MCAT. Keep it up, and good luck. Hopefully, I will NOT be taking it in August.

 

[HipToBeSquare]

JDAD, I agree those passages in the compendium are really hard....makes me worry.

i'm also still in school and its finals time, so i feel like i can't put in the work (reading, hw passages) for the TPR class that I'd like to until after the 16th of June....which makes me even more anxious...that's less than 8 weeks, right? and I'm 2 weeks into the course already. yikes.

 

[TiggidyTooth]

So, you finished bio? How do you think you'll improve there? Use techniques, or learn more bio? Was your timing okay, or did you have too much time left, suggesting you may have rushed? Overall, these scores are good for a first diag. I did this for the April MCAT. Keep it up, and good luck. Hopefully, I will NOT be taking it in August.

Well, I haven't organic for about 4 years so I knew squat, and some of my basic bio was a little rusty. So, I will likely spend mucho time learning bio and work on timing in the other sections once I feel that I am comfortable with the material. Oh, and verbal passages every day.

Tooth

 

[Scubadoc]

our first lecture was orgo which went pretty well. half our class cancelled though and they're talking about "changing the schedule" whatever that means. we were supposed to get phone calls this week to talk about the schedule but so far nada. kind of worries me a little.

we have our first diagnostic in the morning and i am still on here fighting insomnia. should be fun in 5 hours to do an 8 hour practice test

 

[JoshMCAT]

Hello,

anyone have the solutions for PR 4911... I cant find them on the website.

thanks

Josh

 

[N-toxicologist]

Hello,

anyone have the solutions for PR 4911... I cant find them on the website.

thanks

Josh

Can you score them online? I was able to take my test booklet home, enter my answers online, and get my score and explanations right then. Do you have that option? If not, PM me.

 

[jammin06]

yea, just took teh 4911 today...graded it online tonight. 20 (5v, 8B, 7P). we had the worst test conditions alive. there was a conference goin on in the room next to us and (lucky us), the walls were paper thin. Concentration got thrown off multiple times during the verbal section.

 

[Scubadoc]

Looks like our TPR class is going to be cancelled since some of the students cancelled. Our options given us basically were to drive 2 hours to another TPR site or get our money back and take Kaplan. Great stuff.

 

[MoosePilot]

Looks like our TPR class is going to be cancelled since some of the students cancelled. Our options given us basically were to drive 2 hours to another TPR site or get our money back and take Kaplan. Great stuff.

Crud, that stinks. I'm sorry about that.

See if you can keep the books

 

[Scubadoc]

They said we'd only get a refund if we returned all the books.

 

[MoosePilot]

They said we'd only get a refund if we returned all the books.

I'd definitely discuss that with them. Point out what an inconvenience this whole experience has been and see what they say. Maybe a large partial refund (like 90+%) would convince them...

Hope your backup study plan works out. I would have been ticked if this happened to me, but I definitely like TPR.

 

[N-toxicologist]

Looks like our TPR class is going to be cancelled since some of the students cancelled. Our options given us basically were to drive 2 hours to another TPR site or get our money back and take Kaplan. Great stuff.

That sucks. Same thing happened to me, but my closest alternate location was only 30 min. away. Still, it added another 60 miles total to my daily commute, AND the schedule wasn't exactly the same, so screwed up one my volunteer activities, but the reasons I chose TPR over Kaplan still stood, so I had to suck it up and whine occasionally.

Good luck. If you check around, you may find TPR books cheap.

 

[Scubadoc]

That sucks. Same thing happened to me, but my closest alternate location was only 30 min. away. Still, it added another 60 miles total to my daily commute, AND the schedule wasn't exactly the same, so screwed up one my volunteer activities, but the reasons I chose TPR over Kaplan still stood, so I had to suck it up and whine occasionally.

Good luck. If you check around, you may find TPR books cheap.

yeah, i actually considered making the drive simply because i really did research both kaplan and TPR and decided on TPR for various reasons. i just can't justify 4 hours in the car to go to that class. that's 4 hours i lose of study time, work time, volunteer time, and so on. plus with the class not ending until 9 pm, i wouldn't be home until 11 at the earliest. eek! the director has said for over a week he will be calling each of us individually to talk about the schedule but all i have received is today's grim email so i am guessing i'll just have to get a refund and head over to kaplan .

 

[JDAD]

I just had my class today and that ICC is still kicking my ass. The first two gen chem passages were sick. Anyone else?

 

[MoosePilot]

I just had my class today and that ICC is still kicking my ass. The first two gen chem passages were sick. Anyone else?

Don't worry about the ICC. It doesn't count for anything. I like it because it makes you stretch. Those drills are good for technique and timing, but not much else.

 

[JDAD]

Did you practice those under timed conditions? What I am getting at is the fact that our instructor gave us 11 minutes for them. That is way too long for a real passage, but these had about 700 words and 9 questions. How did your course work?

 

[N-toxicologist]

I just had my class today and that ICC is still kicking my ass. The first two gen chem passages were sick. Anyone else?

Don't sweat it. I NEVER did the ICC very well. I just couldn't get in "passage mode" with only a "you have 11 minutes, go." Even the bio passages sucked for me. I did better sitting at home w/ the workbook. First, I would go through a passage at my own pace and see how long it took. I built up to timing myself to 8-9 min.

 

[MoosePilot]

Did you practice those under timed conditions? What I am getting at is the fact that our instructor gave us 11 minutes for them. That is way too long for a real passage, but these had about 700 words and 9 questions. How did your course work?

Normally the instructors gave a number of minutes based on reading the passage then a number of minutes based on number of questions. Then they trimmed that as we went on in the class. Towards the end, the verbal instructor was calling time three times - once for a 9 passage pace, once for an 8 passage pace, once for a 7 passage pace (I don't remember how many passages are normally in verbal, but you get the drift).

 

[JDAD]

Bump

It seems like the ICC verbal is too easy, but the bio and gen chem are imposible. Any thoughts?

 

[ExplodingBoy]

I'm taking TPR in Ontario (Canada) and just wrote 4911 last Saturday. I got through all the VR section on the test, and didn't think it was that bad, until i got my results back...

P:7 VR:8 BS:9.

I just finished second(sophomore right?) year in a biology-psychology program so it included cell bio, full year of organic chem, biochem and genetics.

So you guys that have taken this before said that these results should improve? Our biological sci teacher said that VR scores usually stay pretty steady, and what I got now is a good indication of later. Comments?

 

[Shrike]

It seems like the ICC verbal is too easy, but the bio and gen chem are imposible. Any thoughts?

The first few verbal passages are quite simple, and in addition the instructor gives you too much time (12 minutes per is the time we're told to do in the syllabus; I cut it to 11 and am thinking of lopping off another minute). They get significantly harder, don't worry.

I don't know why the approach is different form verbal to the sciences. In part, it's probably just a reflection of the different subjects' having been put together by different people.