Question

[chicagodoc]

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Hey,
I am applying for the 2008 cycle. I am taking the MCAT in September and I had a question about my study materials. I have been using Barrons primarily because I like their review section. I have been scoring 28-30 on their practice tests but I got torched by the AAMC practice test. It was really disheartening. I thought that I was in line to do fairly well and now I am questioning it. Do you think that Barrons is a credible source and I should feel confident with my scores on their practice tests? My other question is do some DO schools allow you to take the MCAT in January or is September my only opportunity? thanks for your help

 

[Rikkye]

All of those MCAT preparation books have their own problems. I've never tried Barron, but Princeton has really good Verbal section while their Bio & Phy are slightly easier. I almost double my verbal score, while my bio & phy drop like 1-2 points.

If you plan to take it in January, you are better off applying next year. Why? Let say you get a great score, so they'll invite you to interview, but 90% of the time, you'll be competing for a waitlist spot. I say, work your ass off for the Sept exam

 

[gujusnike]

For me:

Kaplan: Hard PS and BS; Mediocre Verbal

PR: Easy PS and BS; Hard Verbal

Examkrackers: Okay PS and BS; dunno about verbal

Try to mix and match to get a wide spectrum of questions. However, I agree with rikkye that sept is your best bet. And since you've got a little over a month, Id suggest trying to order different books fast and to do as many problems as you can while taking AAMC full-lengths in between.

 

[GreenShirt]

Keep plugging away at those practice tests. That's hand's down the most important part of studying. Don't freak out if your scores fluctuate a bit. If you don't feel that you are making progress with Barron's, I would switch to another test prep source. Check out the MCAT forum for more advice.