Princeton Review Free MCAT

[willy]

For those who don't know, the Princeton Review offers a free online MCAT. It is a full-length test, and their questions supposedly model those found on the actual test. However, I found that test markedly more challenging than practice AAMC tests. Is today a bad day for me, or do you think perhaps TPR uses that test to attract new customers. If I hadn't taken practice tests elsewhere, and recieved the score I did at TPR today, I would feel an urge to subscribe/enroll. But it's weird; upon further reflection, the more I think about it, the questions were not necessarily harder. Many of them were pathetically easy, actually. Thing is, there were many curveballs, the diagrams were awful, each question was on it's own page (you have to hit "next" all the time), and maybe I was just tired. Anybody else agree? Anyone do markedly better on alternative practice tests?

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[none]

OF COURSE the TPR test is harder than the real thing! How would they benefit if you were scoring 36's on the practice tests? The only tests you can trust are those from AAMC. You're going to have to take the test from them regardless.

 

[willy]

...how scandalous

 

[Doctora Foxy]

but I also heard that the aamc tests were a little easier than the real thing....

I did worse on kaplan tests (and the princeton free mcat) but much better on the aamc tests compared to the real thing, but that's only my experience :wink:

 

[willy]

devil in disguise... you're supposed to say, "oh golly gosh, the Kaplan and TPR tests are MUCH harder than the real thing, and the AAMC is on par." And you're supposed to say, "People who retake the MCAT tend to improve significantly the second time." Honestly, you can't tell us you didn't retake the exam because the statistics. Be honest. You were either lazy or you couldn't do better than a 30- or whatever you got. DF, you are swell, but your ideals always, and I mean ALWAYS go against what I want to hear. Stuff like, apply everywhere, or retakers do poorly. No, no, NO! DF, you're the best, but you're awfully biased.

 

[Kry]

I think you just posted in the wrong thread, or am I missing something Willy?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

you're right willy, I'm sorry I'm not saying what you want to hear.

I didn't retake the mcat because I was lazy. But I studied my a$$ off for that sub-30 score and I knew I couldn't improve in 2 months. Then I saw the stats and it scared me when I called up my advisor and he said, "if you go down or stay the same, med schools will think you're incapable of improvement." That scared the crap out of me, so I just applied to all of the schools with the lowest averages I could find, and i got lucky.

If you study hard, you can improve, but after a semester of 2 writing intensive classes and spending all my time studying for the mcats for a crappy score, I knew I needed a break and didn't have it in me to give it my all in a retake.

I wish you good luck this August. Study hard and you'll improve.

 

[willy]

"Study hard and you'll improve." Thanks, DF, you just redeemed yourself. That's all I wanted to hear. For those of us who were not accepted ot medical school, it is sometimes daunting to hear that no matter how hard we work, statistics favor an MCAT drop.

And for those of us who want to get into certain schools, we don't want other people to apply everywhere. By doing that, just as many acceptances will be offered, just not to those of us who really want to go- instead, they'll be offered to other people who applied just to "apply everywhere". Get it? I was very disconcerted by everyone's advice to apply to over twenty schools. I applied to 13 last time, and got no acceptances. So in one sense, it's vaild. This time, I took your advice and applied to 18, but half those schools I don't really really want to attend. I think ideally, the applicant would apply to 10 schools. That way, acceptances would be distributed more evenly and fairly, and to those who really want to attend a particular institution. ANd I don't know what you recieved on your last test- and frankly, it doesn't concern me. I got a 30, and for you to say most people with 9s and 10s in all their sections usually go down, really hurts. Okay? Truce?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

oh yeah I remember your poll now about whether or not you should retake...guess what I voted :wink:

I'm looking for those stats now but the aamc site is really slow.

You just didn't apply to enough schools....if you had a 30, that wasn't the reason you didn't get in.

I had all 9's and I applied to 22 schools and sent back 18 secondaries, btw. I would have been content going anywhere in the US.

p.s. editing: if you got a 30 last time, i think you'll be able to improve.....once you hit that 30-mark it means you can handle it :wink:

 

[willy]

you just made a new friend

thanks for responding well to a (harsh) reply.
i feel really bad for being an a$$ in the first place. i hope- and think- you understand.

i will be retaking my mcat in august for sure. I was not accepted because I could not explain my true motivation for becoming a doctor, because I am arrogant, and because I have a tendency to be tactless- as you might have discovered just now.

I promise, I am working to change my evil ways.