Schedule

[Quester]

For those of you who are preparing for the MCAT while taking a full course load in school, how do you manage your time? How many hours are you committing for the MCAT preparation everyday?

I'll be taking my MCAT in late August and I was wondering if it's actually possible to keep up with school work while studying for the MCAT at the same time. If I can't study for all sections, I'm planning on just focusing on the Verbal starting in Jan. Would this be feasible?

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[getright]

I'm planning on taking the test at the end of May, so I'm only taking 11 credits next semester in addition to completing the usual ec's. I'm just planning on preparing for four months, but you should be fine since you have all summer to study (meaning that it's not recommended to begin studying 7 months from your exam date).

 

[Quester]

I'm planning on taking the test at the end of May, so I'm only taking 11 credits next semester in addition to completing the usual ec's. I'm just planning on preparing for four months, but you should be fine since you have all summer to study (meaning that it's not recommended to begin studying 7 months from your exam date).

Not even just the verbal section?

 

[LaurenMCAT]

Hi Quester

An oft-quoted number for MCAT prep is 300. Three hundred hours is a general estimate of the time you'll spend prepping for the test. Depending on your background and target score, that number can fluctuate!

(As a former Kaplan MCAT student, I totally loved my experience and found it really helpful to have the abundance of materials, resources, and direction that they offer. Disclaimer - I teach for them now. If you have the desire and determination, Test Prep Companies can help you immensely!)

Anywho - within that 300 hours, you'll want to complete between 5 and 10 (if not more) practice exams, each taking 5 hours. Plus, you want to review each exam thoroughly and learn from every wrong answer, while looking for patterns between those mistakes that represent faulty thinking or processing overall.

For tackling content areas, check out the following AAMC website: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/85560/test_sections.html
and identify your weaknesses and strengths. For all your weaknesses, make sure you review the content areas only within the scope of the MCAT while practicing relevant questions that test your ability to think critically at an advanced level.

Many students like to think about MCAT prep as if it is a 4-unit semester course. Dedicate 10-20 hours/week if you can and create both short and long term goals for yourself. Make sure you track your progress - take necessary study breaks - and ramp up your efforts if you don't see the results you want or you hit a plateau.

It all comes down to motivation! (and a lot of organization...)

Also - if you're interested in applying to US allopathic (MD) schools THIS summer, the August administration of the MCAT may be a little late and put you near the bottom of the application pile. You want to apply ASAP with an MCAT score that accurately reflects your abilities

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Quester]

Hi Quester

An oft-quoted number for MCAT prep is 300. Three hundred hours is a general estimate of the time you'll spend prepping for the test. Depending on your background and target score, that number can fluctuate!

(As a former Kaplan MCAT student, I totally loved my experience and found it really helpful to have the abundance of materials, resources, and direction that they offer. Disclaimer - I teach for them now. If you have the desire and determination, Test Prep Companies can help you immensely!)

Anywho - within that 300 hours, you'll want to complete between 5 and 10 (if not more) practice exams, each taking 5 hours. Plus, you want to review each exam thoroughly and learn from every wrong answer, while looking for patterns between those mistakes that represent faulty thinking or processing overall.

For tackling content areas, check out the following AAMC website: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/85560/test_sections.html
and identify your weaknesses and strengths. For all your weaknesses, make sure you review the content areas only within the scope of the MCAT while practicing relevant questions that test your ability to think critically at an advanced level.

Many students like to think about MCAT prep as if it is a 4-unit semester course. Dedicate 10-20 hours/week if you can and create both short and long term goals for yourself. Make sure you track your progress - take necessary study breaks - and ramp up your efforts if you don't see the results you want or you hit a plateau.

It all comes down to motivation! (and a lot of organization...)

Also - if you're interested in applying to US allopathic (MD) schools THIS summer, the August administration of the MCAT may be a little late and put you near the bottom of the application pile. You want to apply ASAP with an MCAT score that accurately reflects your abilities

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks Lauren!

Yeah, I'm definitely thinking about taking a prep course over the summer but I was thinking of studying a bit beforehand.

I'm a Junior right now but I won't be applying until after my Senior year, so not a problem for me to take it in late August