Prereq Sequence to Avoid 2015 MCAT

[kflow]

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I'm finally getting released from active duty Army next month. I have a non-science B.S. degree and I've completed the following prereqs: BIO 1 & 2, Gen Chem 1 & 2. I want to take the MCAT before the change in 2015, but this will require me to take Ochem 1 and Physics 1 during this summer and Ochem 2 and Physics 2 in the fall along with test prep. A local college offers a 10 week summer session for Ochem 1 and Physics 1. If I did this I would be able to make the last sitting of the current MCAT for January 2015. Do you guys think this is a good idea? I won't be working so school will be my life until my prereqs are complete. Thanks

 

[tripl3s3v3n]

Most would probably advise against taking the MCAT until your prereqs are complete. Ochem isn't heavily tested on in the exam but Physics 1&2 will be. You could probably could get away with taking it in December if those are the only classes you will taking.

 

[Chillywilly]

Yeah orgo is a joke on the Mcat.
You can know everything with a good review book like PR.

 

[crazy87]

I have no regrets not having taken Orgo 2 before the MCAT. that's just me though.... I just feel like if you have Orgo 1 and you have a review book for the MCAT organic chem that should be enough. just my opinion.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Yeah orgo is a joke on the Mcat.
You can know everything with a good review book like PR.

I feel like it's almost always physical principles of organic molecules. Like boiling point changes in reference to lab techniques or inference.

But many people aren't really good at inference I guess..

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Just wait and take the MCAT. I know everyone thinks that the sky is falling and its going to be overly challenging or is going to be weird. But think of it this way. The bar will be reset.... Right now the MCAT has so many people that have trained to perfection for it that it is getting harder and harder to compete against your fellow test takers (this is how the curve is set). But with a new MCAT everyone will be just as lost as you, at least for the first year or so. I do not necessarily think that it will be easier, I just think that it will not have people who have been studying with the same methods for years and have courses that were honed to perfection for years.

 

[Telekinesis]

Just wait and take the MCAT. I know everyone thinks that the sky is falling and its going to be overly challenging or is going to be weird. But think of it this way. The bar will be reset.... Right now the MCAT has so many people that have trained to perfection for it that it is getting harder and harder to compete against your fellow test takers (this is how the curve is set). But with a new MCAT everyone will be just as lost as you, at least for the first year or so. I do not necessarily think that it will be easier, I just think that it will not have people who have been studying with the same methods for years and have courses that were honed to perfection for years.

This is my reasoning…also the fact that there is psych on it and I'm a psych major

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Right I don't know why people are worried about the new Mcat tbh. It's kinda nice because most schools will generally have no clue what the scores mean.

 

[Telekinesis]

Right I don't know why people are worried about the new Mcat tbh. It's kinda nice because most schools will generally have no clue what the scores mean.

Exactly. You can take it before gunners come in and make the average a 30 lol

 

[premed1001]

Right I don't know why people are worried about the new Mcat tbh. It's kinda nice because most schools will generally have no clue what the scores mean.

wont the scores mean the same as they did before since the test is percentile based?

 

[Telekinesis]

I wonder what the cutoffs will be for the new MCAT and how AAs will perform on it.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

wont the scores mean the same as they did before since the test is percentile based?

The test is precurved which means that the score won't mean much.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Exactly. You can take it before gunners come in and make the average a 30 lol

this right here... Seriously. Even prep course companies aren't going to exactly know what to do for those first few months. I think it is so good that the new test is coming, even with having already taken the mcat with a decent score





Sent from my Nokia 421

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

The test is precurved which means that the score won't mean much.

you sure about that? Could've sworn it was post-curved... One of the reasons it takes a month to get back... Thought the score was 100% based on how well you and your peers across the nation performed as a group that day on that particular test





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[premed1001]

it is percentile based

you sure about that? Could've sworn it was post-curved... One of the reasons it takes a month to get back... Thought the score was 100% based on how well you and your peers across the nation performed as a group that day on that particular test





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this was my understanding as well, purely based on how you perform against your peers

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

it is percentile based

this was my understanding as well, purely based on how you perform against your peers

The test is curved already before the test is given. They have question banks that have difficult and hard questions and they create tests on set percentiles. So in the end it balances around a 24-25 for all tests that year.

 

[premed1001]

The test is curved already before the test is given. They have question banks that have difficult and hard questions and they create tests on set percentiles. So in the end it balances around a 24-25 for all tests that year.

do they state this anywhere?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

do they state this anywhere?

Yes. They say it on their website under what does your score mean.

 

[tripl3s3v3n]

The test is curved already before the test is given. They have question banks that have difficult and hard questions and they create tests on set percentiles. So in the end it balances around a 24-25 for all tests that year.

I cant find the source but I had previously read that the questions are pre-curved individually, and are tested in previous MCAT examinations before they are counted. In that case the level of difficulty is well understood from a large sample size beforehand. I think the 30 day weight is there because nervous pre-meds will register for another test before they get the results, and thus make them more money.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Hahaha that's definitely a possible theory!

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