Should I cancel my MCAT (Lose 300$$$) HELPPPP!!

[Dr.Narcos]

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[DubbiDoctor]

300$ is nothing in the grand scheme of medical school related costs. For that matter, you'll waste for more than 300$ on application costs if you get around a 493 on the MCAT. Postpone your exam to give yourself time to prepare so that you can earn a score that is competitive for medical school. If you're not willing to invest in your education, medical school isn't the right path for you.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

300$ is nothing in the grand scheme of medical school related costs. For that matter, you'll waste for more than 300$ on application costs if you get around a 493 on the MCAT. Postpone your exam to give yourself time to prepare so that you can earn a score that is competitive for medical school. If you're not willing to invest in your education, medical school isn't the right path for you.

Completely agree but Im just torn.
Will applying in July be considered "late". Doesn't that practically kill any shot of being accepted or even getting a secondary for that matter.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

I would probably keep to the May 5th date if you study hard the next two weeks considering you’re most likely missing rudimentary, fundamental information

What I just don't want to happen is to take it...bomb it and then retake it.
I would prefer to just reschedule from now

Is it possible to make that much improvement in 12 days

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

I'm always of the notion of not taking your MCAT until you are ready. Meaning you should be scoring on your FLs in the range of your desired score.

This is not only important for actually making sure you're capable of achieving your desired score but also so you go into your test day with the confidence that you can achieve your desired score. If you're not ready, and you don't feel ready when you walk into the exam, your score will suffer.

A sub-500 AAMC FL means you still have some major content gaps and it's more than just prepping for taking the exam effectively. I would push back the exam so you have time to both focus on your content gaps and have more time to practice.

Also, what do you mean by:

I need a minimum of a 502 for the program at my undergrad. univers.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

I'm always of the notion of not taking your MCAT until you are ready. Meaning you should be scoring on your FLs in the range of your desired score.

This is not only important for actually making sure you're capable of achieving your desired score but also so you go into your test day with the confidence that you can achieve your desired score. If you're not ready, and you don't feel ready when you walk into the exam, your score will suffer.

A sub-500 AAMC FL means you still have some content gaps and it's more than just prepping for taking the exam effectively. I would push back the exam so you have time to both focus on your content gaps and have more time to practice.

Also, what do you mean by "I need a minimum of a 502 for the program at my undergrad"

Thanks for the advice. I am in a combined 4+4 program at my university. Long story short coming from high school the gave me a guaranteed spot into their medical school as long as I get a total of 502 on my MCAT. If I don't get the score Im kicked out of the program.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

Thanks for the advice. I am in a combined 4+4 program at my university. Long story short coming from high school the gave me a guaranteed spot into their medical school as long as I get a total of 502 on my MCAT. If I don't get the score Im kicked out of the program.

What's the MCAT deadline for this program? If the deadline is still a bit off and allows you more study time then 100% take that extra time. There's no point in potentially squandering a guaranteed medical school acceptance.

Good luck! PM if you ever have any questions.

 

[maplecookie]

Completely agree but Im just torn.
Will applying in July be considered "late". Doesn't that practically kill any shot of being accepted or even getting a secondary for that matter.

Wait so are you taking this MCAT primarily for the DO combined program or are you wanting to apply to other schools as well?

I agree that you should push off your date-if you've taken that many practice exams and your highest was only a 500 that's pretty significant and as mentioned before you probably have some pretty serious content gaps you should address

 

[Isoval]

Postpone.

It's apparent that you'll only be shooting yourself in the foot if you take the exam in a week. Take the exam when you're ready and not a day before.

 

[mybluedog]

The AAMC FLs are pretty predictive of your real MCAT scores. Here is what I'd do:

-reschedule the MCAT
-hit the areas you have been struggling with
-Schedule your MCAT date based on when you can at least hit a 500 on NS exams and 505 on the other AAMC FLs. The qpanks helped a lot too to predict my score. You should be at least scoring 85% in those qpacks.
And no, applying in July is not late. You can still submit your application and wait for schools to read your app when your MCAT score comes out (this is if you are pretty sure you are going to hit your target, 502.)

GL

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Wait so are you taking this MCAT primarily for the DO combined program or are you wanting to apply to other schools as well?

I agree that you should push off your date-if you've taken that many practice exams and your highest was only a 500 that's pretty significant and as mentioned before you probably have some pretty serious content gaps you should address

I would like to apply to other schools. I know Iv taken 11 exams total. Good point^ I just am confused. I could basically be throwing my any hope of getting accepted to any other school.

If I were to reschedule I would probably give myself 1-2 months so I would take it about June 15 Results come on July 15 so Im basically applying in august.

 

[mybluedog]

I would like to apply to other schools. I know Iv taken 11 exams total. Good point^ I just am confused. I could basically be throwing my any hope of getting accepted to any other school.

If I were to reschedule I would probably give myself 1-2 months so I would take it about June 15 Results come on July 15 so Im basically applying in august.

People have definitely applied later in the cycle and gotten in. Your issue may have been you took exams too early without a solid foundation review? You know yourself best. You'll also have to be studying pretty religiously for that 1-2 months. Are the other parts of your app pretty solid?

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

I would like to apply to other schools. I know Iv taken 11 exams total. Good point^ I just am confused. I could basically be throwing my any hope of getting accepted to any other school.

If I were to reschedule I would probably give myself 1-2 months so I would take it about June 15 Results come on July 15 so Im basically applying in august.

As has been stressed in this thread, push it back and honestly ignore any advice that says otherwise.

The reason your scores haven't been improving is because you most likely have some serious content gaps. You cannot cover your content gaps in 12 days, regardless of how hard you study. And lets face it, what's going to make the next 12 days different than the last 12 days? Spend the extra time to focus on content before you move back on to practice questions and FLs.

Again, good luck!

 

[Dr.Narcos]

How have you studied? I’m a little dumbfounded honestly, while a major part of the MCAT is understanding the passage, I would say half of the science sections is straight up knowing basic material (stuff you can study for). It’s definitely possible if you are highly motivated, otherwise it’s pretty difficult

I am pretty motivated but I am also a realist. I don't want to give myself false hope lol. I basically took notes on NS books for 2.5-3 months. Then did a practice test a week and toward the end did 2 a week. Obviously reviewing the test. As you can imagine taking that many exams and then getting ****ty results is pretty discouraging but I'm still pumping.

 

[Nathan17182]

I would like to apply to other schools. I know Iv taken 11 exams total. Good point^ I just am confused. I could basically be throwing my any hope of getting accepted to any other school.

If I were to reschedule I would probably give myself 1-2 months so I would take it about June 15 Results come on July 15 so Im basically applying in august.

I took my MCAT June 17th and got 6 acceptances and 1 waitlist. Only take it when you know you can do well. I also didn't submit my application for verification until June 30th.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

I am pretty motivated but I am also a realist. I don't want to give myself false hope lol. I basically took notes on NS books for 2.5-3 months. Then did a practice test a week and toward the end did 2 a week. Obviously reviewing the test. As you can imagine taking that many exams and then getting ****ty results is pretty discouraging but I'm still pumping.

We're moving into the territory of the MCAT forum and not the pre-med but I'll ask - what kind of questions are you getting wrong? You say you focused on content for 2.5 to 3 months which is a load of time, how many hours would you say you studied during this time period?

 

[Dr.Narcos]

People have definitely applied later in the cycle and gotten in. Your issue may have been you took exams too early without a solid foundation review? You know yourself best. You'll also have to be studying pretty religiously for that 1-2 months. Are the other parts of your app pretty solid?

Yes the rest of my application is solid.
1000hrs of volunteering
300 hrs of shadowing on 10 specialties
GPA 3.7-8
I have a non-profit too.

I just cant punch out this MCAT

 

[maplecookie]

I would like to apply to other schools. I know Iv taken 11 exams total. Good point^ I just am confused. I could basically be throwing my any hope of getting accepted to any other school.

If I were to reschedule I would probably give myself 1-2 months so I would take it about June 15 Results come on July 15 so Im basically applying in august.

I would like to apply to other schools. I know Iv taken 11 exams total. Good point^ I just am confused. I could basically be throwing my any hope of getting accepted to any other school.

If I were to reschedule I would probably give myself 1-2 months so I would take it about June 15 Results come on July 15 so Im basically applying in august.

Yeah I'm not as sure about DO stats, but <500 MCAT is really going to hurt you in all MD schools. And while August isn't the earliest it's still a doable date and meanwhile you can still submit your primaries and prewrite secondaries.

Just keep in mind those 1-2 months you push back your MCAT date you need to be hitting the books hard and probably from a different angle from what you've been doing so far.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

We're moving into the territory of the MCAT forum and not the pre-med but I'll ask - what kind of questions are you getting wrong? You say you focused on content for 2.5 to 3 months which is a load of time, how many hours would you say you studied during this time period?

About 5 hours a day. So I would say all in all 375-400hrs

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

About 5 hours a day. So I would say all in all 375-400hrs

Then as an above poster mentioned you'll need to approach studying differently. If you spent upward 400hrs studying and still have major content gaps it's prudent for you to approach this differently. You mind going into depth on how you approached your studies?

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Despite what everyone else is saying, scoring a 502 is (relatively) not hard at all and can be obtained through simple studying of the facts. In your case, this would require a lot of dedication, but again I think it’s still reasonably possible. If you were like all other premeds and scoring for at least a 508 I would tell you to hold your horses but I think a 502 is very attainable

Yeah I'm not as sure about DO stats, but <500 MCAT is really going to hurt you in all MD schools. And while August isn't the earliest it's still a doable date and meanwhile you can still submit your primaries and prewrite secondaries.

Just keep in mind those 1-2 months you push back your MCAT date you need to be hitting the books hard and probably from a different angle from what you've been doing so far.

Any suggestions of "different angles"?

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

Despite what everyone else is saying, scoring a 502 is (relatively) not hard at all and can be obtained through simple studying of the facts. In your case, this would require a lot of dedication, but again I think it’s still reasonably possible. If you were like all other premeds and scoring for at least a 508 I would tell you to hold your horses but I think a 502 is very attainable

While a 502 in 12 days is attainable for some, either based off their previous content knowledge or their ability to take standardized tests if our friend here spent 400 hours on content and didn't see improvement in his scores betting on 12 days is a heavy risk. Is it possible? Sure, but we're still human and the chances of us making the appropriate changes needed and doing it right the first time in less than 2 weeks is very low.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

Any suggestions of "different angles"?

I need to first know how you studied originally.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Then as an above poster mentioned you'll need to approach studying differently. If you spent upward 400hrs studying and still have major content gaps it's prudent for you to approach this differently. You mind going into depth on how you approached your studies?

I would read 2-3 chapters a day. Take notes on them and supplement with KA videos. I was/currently am taking biochem so that definitely was a reason why I was scoring low in the beginning (on NS 490). But now the class is basically over and I learned the content for it

 

[Dr.Narcos]

I would think that you have a pretty good understanding of the material considering that you have a 3.8 (assuming you’re a science major). If you’re just aiming for a 502, consider anki notes

Yes I am a science major. I never used Anki but I will for sure now. I used quizlet a little.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

True but given that his NS were roughly 500, I would say that there was a confounding variable involved during those 2 AAMC tests given that NS is deflated

I'd have to disagree. NS seems by and large to be deflated at the higher end, but the low end (less than ~508) it tends to be more accurate to how people score on the actual. Still not worth it if his goal is a 502. You want to be confident of being able to reach your desired score before sitting the exam. I would say you should be confident of being able to reach your desired score 2-3 weeks before the actual exam even.

I would read 2-3 chapters a day. Take notes on them and supplement with KA videos. I was/currently am taking biochem so that definitely was a reason why I was scoring low in the beginning (on NS 490). But now the class is basically over and I learned the content for it

What resources did you use, and which do you have access to? How did you feel about the content after each chapter? Are you taking way too many notes and focusing on the nitty gritty, essentially spending a lot of your time shadowing text from the book to paper without internalizing? What kind of questions do you find yourself getting wrong the most on the FLs?

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Which resources were you using for content review, and which resources do you have access to? What kind of questions do you get wrong most of the time on your full lengths?

Well I have
All AAMC material
NS content books
EK 101 books
Berkley flash cards

I would say 75% passage bases and thinking outside of the passage
25% would be content questions

Except for P/S
I would say 50% / 50% of missed questions between content and analyzing

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

Well I have
All AAMC material
NS content books
EK 101 books
Berkley flash cards

I would say 75% passage bases and thinking outside of the passage
25% would be content questions

Except for P/S
I would say 50% / 50% of missed questions between content and analyzing

Have you done the question banks and section banks for AAMC yet? If not I would definitely save the SB until after you've redone your content review, they're the best source of questions outside of the AAMC FLs in my opinion.

Since you've done a lot of content review already, and seem to have most issue with interpreting the passages, I would say you need a deeper understanding of the actual content. I've seen this issue a lot in people who take too many notes (weird, I know). Main reason is they spend a lot of time shadowing information from their text to their paper without integrating it that or they're reading without being attentive to what's being read. This may help them remember some factoids, but they waste a lot of precious time that could be used to fully grasping the concept. Really try and understand what you're learning.

I would recommend the EK content books if you had access to them, they're all you'd need for a basic understanding to score a 502+

For P/S I would recommend the Khan Academy word document, I do not have the link but there's an 86 page one that allowed me to score a 131 on the actual with very minimal review of it.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

I'd have to disagree. NS seems by and large to be deflated at the higher end, but the low end (less than ~508) it tends to be more accurate to how people score on the actual. Still not worth it if his goal is a 502. You want to be confident of being able to reach your desired score before sitting the exam. I would say you should be confident of being able to reach your desired score 2-3 weeks before the actual exam even.




What resources did you use, and which do you have access to? How did you feel about the content after each chapter? Are you taking way too many notes and focusing on the nitty gritty, essentially spending a lot of your time shadowing text from the book to paper without internalizing? What kind of questions do you find yourself getting wrong the most on the FLs?

I would keep my notes to 1 page front and back. That way I didn't end up with 500 pages of notes. I would focus on main points. Not too much nitty gritty.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

We're moving into the territory of the MCAT forum and not the pre-med but I'll ask - what kind of questions are you getting wrong? You say you focused on content for 2.5 to 3 months which is a load of time, how many hours would you say you studied during this time period?

I mean... this is EXACTLY MCAT forum territory.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

I mean... this is EXACTLY MCAT forum territory.

You're correct, and I should've stopped the conversation here and PM'd him but I did not want him to get the wrong idea from another poster who hasn't even taken the MCAT yet that he still has time (12 days) to bump his score.

@Dr.Narcos feel free to continue this conversation in PM, or ask formally in the MCAT forum about how to approach studying for the MCAT with a pushed back test date.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Have you done the question banks and section banks for AAMC yet?

Since you've done a lot of content review already, and seem to have most issue with interpreting the passages, I would say you need a deeper understanding of the actual content. I've seen this issue a lot in people who take too many notes (weird, I know). Main reason is they spend a lot of time shadowing information from their text to their paper without integrating it that or they're reading without being attentive to what's being read. This may help them remember some factoids, but they waste a lot of precious time that could be used to fully grasping the concept. Really try and understand what you're learning.

I would recommend the EK content books if you had access to them, they're all you'd need for a basic understanding to score a 502+

For P/S I would recommend the Khan Academy word document, I do not have the link but there's an 86 page one that allowed me to score a 131 on the actual with very minimal review of it.

Iv heard of it but I haven't used it. Will do on both things.
I did the qbanks about 2 months ago not the section banks

 

[Chlorophyll Oracle]

I really hate to say this but I would cancel the test and reschedule. From your scores, it does not appear that you will get the score you need. My n=1 experience was that my AAMC FL scores were actually higher than my actual score. Once you take that test, the score sticks with you and can really impede your future application.

 

[maplecookie]

Well I have
All AAMC material
NS content books
EK 101 books
Berkley flash cards

I would say 75% passage bases and thinking outside of the passage
25% would be content questions

Except for P/S
I would say 50% / 50% of missed questions between content and analyzing

A couple of things:

When you review your exams and resolve them, do you go “oh I was thinking this way and took a left turn somewhere” or do you go “I didn’t know what to do for this question at all”. The former suggests you have the background knowledge but are weak at applying them while the latter suggests you are weak in both.

Another factor: do you have testing anxiety/stamina problems?

 

[Deleted member 737595]

???? Really? That’s like saying I have to wear a dress to have an idea of how a dress feels like. While I still have not yet taken the MCAT, I would argue taking 2 FL AAMC simulates the actual test pretty damn well. And buddy, he asked for opinions, I was just stating mine in that getting a 502 is not difficult at all. He’s clearly lacking in strategy or content, both of which do not take more than a week of rigorous studying to fix

Actually you got a point here...

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

???? Really? That’s like saying I have to wear a dress to have an idea of how a dress feels like. While I still have not yet taken the MCAT, I would argue taking 2 FL AAMC simulates the actual test pretty damn well. And buddy, he asked for opinions, I was just stating mine in that getting a 502 is not difficult at all. He’s clearly lacking in strategy or content, both of which do not take more than a week of rigorous studying to fix

My comment wasn't meant to offend, but you have not sat the actual. Which is my point here, how you perform on the actual is based off how confident you are you can achieve your desired score. If you aren't prepared, you are not confident, your score drops.

You stated your opinion, I stated mine. I believe your advice is misguided and a little too hopeful. A 502 grants him an automatic acceptance, he should do everything in his power to make SURE he scores that 502.

Their scores have not improved, they needs to approach the exam differently, 12 days is not a guarantee they can do that. I do not even believe the MCAT requires rigorous studying, but it does require identifying an appropriate strategy which can take trial and error for some people. Rescheduling is in the best interest for the OP.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

A couple of things:

When you review your exams and resolve them, do you go “oh I was thinking this way and took a left turn somewhere” or do you go “I didn’t know what to do for this question at all”. The former suggests you have the background knowledge but are weak at applying them while the latter suggests you are weak in both.

Another factor: do you have testing anxiety/stamina problems?

Sometimes I do the ohh I should have known that. Most of the time I write out the answer options and review them. I don't have stamina issues anymore. after a few I got the idea. Once and a while I get stuck on a passage and that kills my time. But Iv learned not to do that.

 

[maplecookie]

???? Really? That’s like saying I have to wear a dress to have an idea of how a dress feels like. While I still have not yet taken the MCAT, I would argue taking 2 FL AAMC simulates the actual test pretty damn well. And buddy, he asked for opinions, I was just stating mine in that getting a 502 is not difficult at all. He’s clearly lacking in strategy or content, both of which do not take more than a week of rigorous studying to fix

I agree with most of what you’re saying but if this boils down to strategy and approach issues rather than content, I personally think it would take more than a week. He would need to identify his strategy problems, find out what works for him, and implement it enough it becomes second nature to turn to rather than the bad habits that have probably already formed, all of which which takes time to develop

 

[dark_knight]

If you reschedule your MCAT you don't lose the complete $300. I think you end up paying around a $100ish fee.

You need to reassess the way you'e been studying. No way someone who's been studying for 4 months should be scoring sub-502. It would be foolish to continue the same study habits. Maybe look into a prep course or a different content review series.

 

[LizzyM]

You can replace the money, you can never replace the MCAT score and it will follow you for a long time. You cannot afford to have a <500 score hanging around your neck.

 

[FriedLemon]

Hey guys,

Iv been studying for my MCAT for about 4 months now. Im in a little situation. I took all the NS FL (1-10 )and did their content. Anyways, I just took a AAMC Fl exam and got a 493. I know I made mistakes and some due to time constraints. I need a minimum of a 502 for the program at my undergrad. univers. I'm in and I am way off from that number. I took NS Exams and for the most part was averaging around a (498-499) I figured that the AAMC would be a little easier then NS but I guess thats not the case.

AAMC FL2 124/121/124/124
My highest NS 125/123/126/126

I really think that I messed up on this AAMC Fl 2 but I don't know if its worth it for me to take my scheduled MCAT MAY 5, <12 days or push it back another month or 2. Whats your guys take. I see on the score that I basically needed to get 5-10 more questions right in each category to get a 503. Is it possible that I somehow get that score. I have 12 days. I don't want to go in there banking on the fact that I have a big curve or something like that.

2 options:

- Take the MCAT May 5th and hope for the best (and apply to other schools early in the application cycle with my best MCAT score for a open seat)
- Reschedule for a month or 2 and apply late in the application cycle. (Lose 300+ apply late in the cycle)

Again I need a 502 for the school that I am at. Its a combined BS/DO 4+4 program the latest I can submit my scores to them is August 31.


Any suggestions

I am in the same position as you. I canceled my May 5 exam last night because I didn’t feel I was ready. I lost the $300, but I’d honesty rather be PREPARED... I’m going to take another practice exam in the next few days to gauge how much time I’ll need before I take the exam. I am guessing I will need until July. I’ll be late into the cycle, but that’s still fine with me... even if I miss this cycle, I want to make sure I do amazingly well on my MCAT.

 

[kb1900]

Tbh I would find a tutor to 1 on 1 coach you for the mcat. There’s a strategic problem if after 11 exams you are not breaking 500. I find it hard to believe given your gpa.

Also a late July app is not dead. I applied late August (with a strong June mcat) and got 7 Acceptances

 

[FriedLemon]

If you reschedule your MCAT you don't lose the complete $300. I think you end up paying around a $100ish fee.

You need to reassess the way you'e been studying. No way someone who's been studying for 4 months should be scoring sub-502. It would be foolish to continue the same study habits. Maybe look into a prep course or a different content review series.

For the May 5 exam, the last day to receive a partial refund was, I think, April 20th or something. We are now in the bronze zone where you will get nothing back and you must cancel before April 27 if you want to. But either way, the $300 should not be OP’s focus here.

 

[FriedLemon]

Tbh I would find a tutor to 1 on 1 coach you for the mcat. There’s a strategic problem if after 11 exams you are not breaking 500. I find it hard to believe given your gpa.

Also a late July app is not dead. I applied late August (with a strong June mcat) and got 7 Acceptances

If you don’t mind sharing, what were your other stats? That’s pretty amazing!

 

[kb1900]

If you don’t mind sharing, what were your other stats? That’s pretty amazing!

I think my LM was 77 or something around there. It’s funny how fast you forget less than a year later...

 

[The Unburnt]

Hi OP,

I think you should definitely reschedule and take the extra time to focus on weak areas in terms of content and some test strategies. I would go through all of your review books again and write down any information/concepts you don't know well on a piece of paper for each content book. This is what I did a few weeks before my exam and it allowed me to have a small "review" document to look over everyday to shrink those knowledge gaps. I would also recommend the Khan academy document for psych/soc since you mentioned it's 50/50 content/not applying info on that section. Khan academy in general is a great resource as they have videos for almost every topic on the MCAT which are very helpful if you are a visual or auditory learner.

I took my exam June 16, and took the next month while my score came out to write/perfect my PS and the rest of my AMCAS app. I was done with all of it by the time by score came out and was able to submit the app the same day. I took the next 2 weeks to write all of my secondaries (16) and was complete at all the schools I applied to by late July which is still pretty early in the cycle, so I would not worry that pushing your exam back will cause you to be late to applying. I will say those 2 weeks of writing secondaries were hell but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I don't think most people ever feel "ready" to take the MCAT, so your practice exam scores are the best way to judge where you're at in terms of readiness in my opinion. Therefore, I do not recommend taking the exam until your practice exam scores are in the range you want to score in. Good luck and feel free to message me if you want

 

[rathoarder]

Any suggestions of "different angles"?

Hey man, I just wanted to let you know that you're not in this alone! I took the MCAT three times before finally getting it... and ultimately I've been accepted to a 2 MD schools and wait listed at several tier 1 schools. You'll get through this. At this time, I do recommend that you cancel your May 5th date for the June deadline. You don't want to end up like me, having spent $900 on the MCAT because I was too stubborn to cancel the $300 exam. At the time, I was a broke college student and $300 was a lot to me and my family...just know that in the end, this whole process ended up costing over 5 grand. Lol.

From what you've written, you've been studying passively (reading chapters, taking notes, doing some questions). This is what I did to study for my MCAT the first time and it did not go well. As others have mentioned, what ended up getting me to where I wanted to be was ACTIVE studying. Basically, I did endless practice questions and when there was content I didn't know in the question, I would then review that. I did spend some special focus on what I knew where my problem areas (discrete things like electrochemistry). Also, somebody already mentioned this but ANKI!!! There are pre-made decks you can download, and I think these are super useful for the psych/sociology (seriously don't waste your time with the science ones...there's too many and memorization won't help you there). I think for the psych/soc especially, knowing strict definitions is the most helpful.

Edit: Also you're not SCREWED!! You've recognized the problem before it became a problem and now you have a chance to do something about it You're in a much better spot right now than you were yesterday.

 

[FriedLemon]

Hey man, I just wanted to let you know that you're not in this alone! I took the MCAT three times before finally getting it... and ultimately I've been accepted to a 2 MD schools and wait listed at several tier 1 schools. You'll get through this. At this time, I do recommend that you cancel your May 5th date for the June deadline. You don't want to end up like me, having spent $900 on the MCAT because I was too stubborn to cancel the $300 exam. Lol.

From what you've written, you've been studying passively (reading chapters, taking notes, doing some questions). This is what I did to study for my MCAT the first time and it did not go well. As others have mentioned, what ended up getting me to where I wanted to be was ACTIVE studying. Basically, I did endless practice questions and when there was content I didn't know in the question, I would then review that. I did spend some special focus on what I knew where my problem areas (discrete things like electrochemistry). Also, somebody already mentioned this but ANKI!!! There are pre-made decks you can download, and I think these are super useful for the psych/sociology (seriously don't waste your time with the science ones...there's too many and memorization won't help you there). I think for the psych/soc especially, knowing strict definitions is the most helpful.

That’s also advice I would agree with. I had to reschedule because I put a lot of emphasis on just blind content review at the beginning with little practice. I made 6,000+ flashcards on Quizlet. Lol, now I realize, that doesn’t help as much as I thought it would.

 

[Goro]

Hey guys,

Iv been studying for my MCAT for about 4 months now. Im in a little situation. I took all the NS FL (1-10 )and did their content. Anyways, I just took a AAMC Fl exam and got a 493. I know I made mistakes and some due to time constraints. I need a minimum of a 502 for the program at my undergrad. univers. I'm in and I am way off from that number. I took NS Exams and for the most part was averaging around a (498-499) I figured that the AAMC would be a little easier then NS but I guess thats not the case.

AAMC FL2 124/121/124/124
My highest NS 125/123/126/126

I really think that I messed up on this AAMC Fl 2 but I don't know if its worth it for me to take my scheduled MCAT MAY 5, <12 days or push it back another month or 2. Whats your guys take. I see on the score that I basically needed to get 5-10 more questions right in each category to get a 503. Is it possible that I somehow get that score. I have 12 days. I don't want to go in there banking on the fact that I have a big curve or something like that.

2 options:

- Take the MCAT May 5th and hope for the best (and apply to other schools early in the application cycle with my best MCAT score for a open seat)
- Reschedule for a month or 2 and apply late in the application cycle. (Lose 300+ apply late in the cycle)

Again I need a 502 for the school that I am at. Its a combined BS/DO 4+4 program the latest I can submit my scores to them is August 31.


Any suggestions

Quoting the wise Homeskool: Taking the MCAT is like getting married: ideally you only do it once, and the more times you do it the worse you start looking to suitors with good judgment.

Do not fall for the sunk cost fallacy. Take the MCAT only when you are 100% ready for it....even if it means losing $300 and skipping an app cycle.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

I am in the same position as you. I canceled my May 5 exam last night because I didn’t feel I was ready. I lost the $300, but I’d honesty rather be PREPARED... I’m going to take another practice exam in the next few days to gauge how much time I’ll need before I take the exam. I am guessing I will need until July. I’ll be late into the cycle, but that’s still fine with me... even if I miss this cycle, I want to make sure I do amazingly well on my MCAT.

I am just curious how were you scoring. How did you prep and how long did you prep?