Should I even bother completing secondary if my VR score is below their minimum?

[BerlinDude]

has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

I read about this. Wernicke's aphasia.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BerlinDude]

has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

OH! OF COURSE! I’ve been further even more decided to use even go need to do look more as anyone can. Can you really be far even as decided half as much to use go wish for that? My guess is that when one really been far even as decided once to use even go want, it is then that he has really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like. It’s just common sense

 

[kobebryant]

OH! OF COURSE! I’ve been further even more decided to use even go need to do look more as anyone can. Can you really be far even as decided half as much to use go wish for that? My guess is that when one really been far even as decided once to use even go want, it is then that he has really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like. It’s just common sense

 

[Podalarius]

It is my native language...hence my Q on the WS. Verbal is the hardest to improve...I don't know what to do, really. If I was to take it again I would predict maybe a 6 or 7.

Obviously, this will vary from person to person, but verbal is actually probably the easiest to improve, as long as you remember that you're taking a standardized test (and English is your native language). There are always three wrong answers and one right answer, and since the test is standardized, the wrong answers fit a pattern (beyond the scope of the passage, misrepresenting a detail from the passage). Identify the three wrong answers, recognize why they are wrong, and then pick the right one. Unlike PS or BS, where there is actual material to master, you should be able to practice and learn the patterns of VR questions relatively quickly, if you practice them enough. Mapping the passage is also helpful (i.e. make a brief outline, don't try to cram the whole thing into your head), and the best way to learn to pick out the useful information is to map articles from magazines like the Economist. The outline should give you a map of where to refer to in the document to answer any question you might have that is relevant to the scope of the article. Practice, practice, practice. There's no point in limiting what is otherwise a reasonably competitive application with a score that will automatically put you at a disadvantage.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Um...last I checked, it was generally accepted that VR is the hardest section to improve on, not the easiest. If you're bad at reading comprehension, something you're (hopefully) drilled in during all of grade school and high school, you're going to have a hell of time getting better at it by the next test date.

 

[StPlayrXtreme]

You keep emphasizing that you're never going to get above a 7....Stop the self-handicapping! English is your first language, you did well on the other sections with a good GPA so you're definitely smart enough.

If you've taken lots of practice tests and consistently scoring 6-7, then you should try a new approach. Try to pinpoint why you aren't doing well.

You can change a lot of things about the way you approach the section.

Reading Style: Are you reading too much into details and running out of time? Could you focus more globally on overall concepts, thought progression, and tone of the passage?

Time Strategy: It is better for you to get the conceptually harder passages out of the way first or save them for last?

Note taking: Are you taking helpful notes? Maybe you need to change your layout? Do your notes generally hone in on the question types the MCAT asks, or are they bogged down with details?

Psychological: Are you buckling under the pressure and freaking out if you don't understand absolutely everything? Are you spending too much time if you get stuck on a question?

You just need to experiment and find a strategy that works for you. I took a kaplan course, and my instructor taught us how to take notes a particular way....I tried it for a couple weeks, but eventually came up with my own style and I started scoring a lot better.

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't get frustrated trying exactly the same approach over and over....take some practice tests, don't be afraid to mix up your strategy, and figure out the way that feels most comfortable. In my opinion, you really should retake the test.

 

[BerlinDude]

Um...last I checked, it was generally accepted that VR is the hardest section to improve on, not the easiest. If you're bad at reading comprehension, something you're (hopefully) drilled in during all of grade school and high school, you're going to have a hell of time getting better at it by the next test date.

The verbal section isn't the hardest to improve upon, it's genetic. It's a part of who you are, like your gender or race. I think medical schools should outlaw discrimination based on MCAT verbal scores.

 

[Substance P]

This table shows matriculates with specific subscores and their standard deviations.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/2008mcatgpa.htm


I know some people who ended up with DO acceptances with 25's, but I don't believe they had any subsections below a 7.

I think the general consensus is the best advice. Use the $100 for the secondary and apply it towards a retake. With a 5 in VR you might even want to put your MCAT off until January or March. That will give you time to work on the skills needed for the VR section. Either way, good luck.

 

[Podalarius]

Um...last I checked, it was generally accepted that VR is the hardest section to improve on, not the easiest. If you're bad at reading comprehension, something you're (hopefully) drilled in during all of grade school and high school, you're going to have a hell of time getting better at it by the next test date.

That's often said on these boards, but I'm not sure that's the case. Reading comprehension (as you learned it in school) is not what the VR section tests. It tests something similar to that, but the way I read and the way I worked on the VR section are completely different - most people I know don't map a passage, then go back and pick out the relevant points when they read for understanding. The MCAT only gives you points for the specific details it is testing you on, and with time constraints, the optimal strategy is to outline, eliminate wrong answers, and pick up some points.

 

[MilkmanAl]

It's been awhile since I looked at anything related to the VR section, but I recall it testing reading comprehension in its purest form. If you're the type of person who reads "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" and wonders why Juliet's talking about flowers, then yeah, I can see how VR would be a nightmare for you. Even still, there are plenty of "Which of these statements is in the passage verbatim?" questions to buoy your score - at least there were on my test.

In any event, for help with VR, just about everyone suggests the ExamKrackers book, so I'd give that a look. There's also a load of useful info in the MCAT forum. Check that out, fo sho.

 

[Looking Glass]

The verbal section isn't the hardest to improve upon, it's genetic. It's a part of who you are, like your gender or race. I think medical schools should outlaw discrimination based on MCAT verbal scores.

Goodluck with that. But then the non-math people will complain that the Physical Science section discriminates against them.

 

[Looking Glass]

For example,

According to the 2008-2009 MSAR, the minimum VR score of Tufts University School of Medicine is a 6 (where the shaded bar extended left-most). I got a 5 in VR.

...

Are you sure? The last time that I checked, the 10th percentile for Verbal at Tufts was a 9. I don't think there are any schools on the continental US that have a 5 as a 10th percentile.

 

[premedmind]

^^It's verbatim from the MSAR book...


And I thought a January/March MCAT retake would be farr too late for 2010 admission? I might give that a go if it's not...because I'm thinking a September MCAT is too soon.

 

[Substance P]

^^It's verbatim from the MSAR book...


And I thought a January/March MCAT retake would be farr too late for 2010 admission? I might give that a go if it's not...because I'm thinking a September MCAT is too soon.

Nan/March is too late for the 2010 cycle, but it's better to wait than blow another verbal section. Verbal takes some time to master. It's not standard reading comprehension. It's assimilation, application, recall, and big picture ideas. I know it sucks, but honestly, if I were you I would wait until next year. You might throw in a secondary at your state school since you've already submitted, but that's as far as I go. I've set myself up to do exactly the same thing if my scores aren't where I want them on the 18th, so it's not like I'm giving you advice to do something I wouldn't do myself.

 

[Substance P]

Are you sure? The last time that I checked, the 10th percentile for Verbal at Tufts was a 9. I don't think there are any schools on the continental US that have a 5 as a 10th percentile.

That's what mine says as well. I don't have the most current MSAR though, but I'm guessing if someone got in with a 4 or 5 in VR they built Tufts a new wing or a new technology center.