Should I postpone?

[Endure]

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Hi guys. I posted in the 4/27 thread already but decided I'd post here for more replies.

I need some advice:

I took AAMC 3 last week and scored 11 PS, 10 VR, 10 BS (31). I just took AAMC 4 and scored 12 PS, 9 VR, and 10 BS (31). On my first Kaplan diagnostic, which I took about a month ago, I scored 11 PS, 7 VR, 12 BS (30).

I'm extremely worried now about the real deal, since I've been doing well on most of my practice passages (12-13 on PS and BS, 10-11 on VR). I have a 4.0 cGPA with ample extracurriculars and research. Do you guys think I should postpone or continue with my plan to do 9-10 practice tests before the 27th? Should I expect an increase in my score as I do more FL's?

I feel that I get fatigued by the time I do the BS section, which I'm certain is the reason my performance is low. So I know that's something I need to work on. With VR, it's hit or miss – I score the same regardless of how well I think I did. PS is my strongest section, but surprisingly I feel more confident with bio material.

What do you guys think? Postpone or continue drilling myself with FL exams?

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Hi guys. I posted in the 3/27 thread already but decided I'd post here for more replies.

I need some advice:

I took AAMC 3 last week and scored 11 PS, 10 VR, 10 BS (31). I just took AAMC 4 and scored 12 PS, 9 VR, and 10 BS (31). On my first Kaplan diagnostic, which I took about a month ago, I scored 11 PS, 7 VR, 12 BS (30).

I'm extremely worried now about the real deal, since I've been doing well on most of my practice passages (12-13 on PS and BS, 10-11 on VR). I have a 4.0 cGPA with ample extracurriculars and research. Do you guys think I should postpone or continue with my plan to do 9-10 practice tests before the 27th? Should I expect an increase in my score as I do more FL's?

I feel that I get fatigued by the time I do the BS section, which I'm certain is the reason my performance is low. So I know that's something I need to work on. With VR, it's hit or miss – I score the same regardless of how well I think I did. PS is my strongest section, but surprisingly I feel more confident with bio material.

What do you guys think? Postpone or continue drilling myself with FL exams?

I'm confused. You're essentially doing just as well on the practice tests as you are on the practice problems. A 30/31 places you in the top 20% of test takers and right about the average score for acceptance. That, combined with a good GPA and your EC's ought to be enough.

 

[Endure]

I'm confused. You're essentially doing just as well on the practice tests as you are on the practice problems. A 30/31 places you in the top 20% of test takers and right about the average score for acceptance. That, combined with a good GPA and your EC's ought to be enough.

The issue is that it appears AAMC 3 and 4 are the easiest of the AAMC exams and I'm not performing as well on them as I should be. Is it realistic to think that my scores will actually improve in the next 27 days as I take more exams?

I've used EK and TBR for my prep and score in the 13-15 range on all TBR physics and chemistry passages (+ or - a few) and 12-14 on EK biology passages. I guess what concerns me is the possibility that these scores have been giving me a false sense of where I'm at.

 

[Like]

At first I was confused because you said that you posted in the 3/27 thread and this date has already passed, but I checked your post history and figured you probably meant 4/27.

If a single acceptance is all that you need, then go for it. You have another month to study anyways and may improve by a couple points, especially in the PS/BS sections. If you look at the all the posts of people scoring 40s and such, it's probably because of really high scores in the science sections and like a 10/11 verbal score. However, to be on the safe side you might as well postpone a month. It won't hurt to take it at the end of May, this way you can be more prepared.

 

[Hemorrage]

If you have your heart set on a top 20 then try and score 34+, however your scores right now are perfectly good to get into MOST schools. So it's really up to you to decide what matters more to you. For most of us we just want one acceptance

 

[eleveneleven]

If you're not scoring what you want on your practice tests, postpone. These are the surest indicators of how you will do on the real deal, and if you feel that you're below where you need to be, then take a bit more time to figure out what's going wrong and make sure to correct it.

 

[Endure]

At first I was confused because you said that you posted in the 3/27 thread and this date has already passed, but I checked your post history and figured you probably meant 4/27.

If a single acceptance is all that you need, then go for it. You have another month to study anyways and may improve by a couple points, especially in the PS/BS sections. If you look at the all the posts of people scoring 40s and such, it's probably because of really high scores in the science sections and like a 10/11 verbal score. However, to be on the safe side you might as well postpone a month. It won't hurt to take it at the end of May, this way you can be more prepared.

Sorry about that – I fixed it in my OP.

Thanks for your advice. As you mentioned, a single acceptance is what I'm striving for. I've never been obsessive about prestige, especially regarding something as competitive as medical school admissions.

I probably should have mentioned that I'm an NJ resident attending school OOS, so my goal is to get into UMDNJ (preferably RWJ).

If you're not scoring what you want on your practice tests, postpone. These are the surest indicators of how you will do on the real deal, and if you feel that you're below where you need to be, then take a bit more time to figure out what's going wrong and make sure to correct it.

That's what I'm trying to gauge. If a score increase is expected given that I thoroughly review my answers and identify weaknesses, then I'm not going to postpone. However, if my scores thus far suggest an upper limit (since future AAMC's will be more challenging), then I need to postpone.

 

[eleveneleven]

Personally, my scores remained fairly consistent from my first to last practice test. Despite them getting harder, I felt more comfortable with the format and was able to handle the increase in difficulty. I would keep up the practice tests if I were you. If you do start to downward trend, postpone and make sure to save the last few tests. This would give you time to identify and improve your weaknesses, while still making sure you had the most important practice tests to use prior to your exam.

 

[Endure]

Personally, my scores remained fairly consistent from my first to last practice test. Despite them getting harder, I felt more comfortable with the format and was able to handle the increase in difficulty. I would keep up the practice tests if I were you. If you do start to downward trend, postpone and make sure to save the last few tests. This would give you time to identify and improve your weaknesses, while still making sure you had the most important practice tests to use prior to your exam.

Yes, but provided your MCAT score it doesn't seem like you had much to improve. In addition to the AAMC exams, I have 4 Kaplan FL's and 1 EK FL. I'm going to do those and AAMC 5 prior to the 13th and see where I'm at. If I don't see an improvement, I'll postpone.

Thoughts?

 

[pre med 2014]

I would postpone, even with an extra month of studying you will still be able to apply on the earliest day.

You're not creating any delay in applying so why not extend your studying? Don't be afraid to postpone

 

[Like]

Seems sound, but make sure to find out what type of questions you're getting wrong. Like what was previously implied in my other post, the science sections are the easiest to improve upon. Thus, if you realize you're getting a lot of content questions wrong, I would recommend going over the content outlines from top to bottom; use google, wikipedia or whatever other source you prefer. The 1001 EK books for the physical sciences are also not bad but they take time. 🙄

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/

 

[BillrothI]

If I was in your shoes, I would not postpone. Provided you have been studying for 2-3 months, you still have a relatively substantial amount of time left to improve your score. Further, if you're not terribly concerned about being accepted into a top 20 medical school, I think your scores should be absolutely fine (taking into account your incredibly impressive GPA).

Still thirty days left with plenty of AAMC practice exams to work with. I think you will be fine.

Good luck.

- Bill R.

 

[Endure]

Seems sound, but make sure to find out what type of questions you're getting wrong. Like what was previously implied in my other post, the science sections are the easiest to improve upon. Thus, if you realize you're getting a lot of content questions wrong, I would recommend going over the content outlines from top to bottom; use google, wikipedia or whatever other source you prefer. The 1001 EK books for the physical sciences are also not bad but they take time. 🙄

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/

The problem is that I don't have any problems understanding the material. Certainly there are things I don't know, but content is not my weakness. On the BS section I lose focus and begin entertaining the "let's just get this over with so that I can get my score" mentality, which I find I can definitely overcome with practice.

In terms of "post-game analysis" (always thought that was a funny term for something like test prep), you're absolutely right. I will be reviewing every question and type of question I get wrong.

I would postpone, even with an extra month of studying you will still be able to apply on the earliest day.

You're not creating any delay in applying so why not extend your studying? Don't be afraid to postpone

The reason I'm hesitant to postpone is because (1) I feel that I'm capable of improving my score in the allotted time, if you guys think practice tests will allow me to do so and (2) my school's final exam week is in the middle of May and I'm putting together a 1st author publication at the end of the month.

 

[Endure]

So after thinking about it, I've decided to postpone until May 18th. This will double the time I have now and will allow me to address my weaknesses with less pressure, do more practice passages, and space out my full lengths.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I realized that this exam is too big a determinant of my application cycle to be hurried. Hopefully I made the right decision.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

So after thinking about it, I've decided to postpone until May 18th. This will double the time I have now and will allow me to address my weaknesses with less pressure, do more practice passages, and space out my full lengths.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I realized that this exam is too big a determinant of my application cycle to be hurried. Hopefully I made the right decision.

You are doing fine on the practice tests, but if you know you can improve a few more points by studying for additional time then postpone for sure.
You want to be doing the best your best on practice tests before you take the real one

 

[Endure]

You are doing fine on the practice tests, but if you know you can improve a few more points by studying for additional time then postpone for sure.
You want to be doing the best your best on practice tests before you take the real one

That's absolutely correct.

Truth be told, I think what I was trying to do was convince myself that I could get this thing over with by the 27th. My BS subscore tells me how flawed this mentality is. Not only do I consider myself better at biology and organic chemistry than physics or inorganic chemistry, I also love it. I've been doing research since the first week of my freshman year because I enjoy the science. So when I start seeing my score in BS decline to the point where I'm getting 39-40/52 of the questions correct, I know I'm screwing up.

 

[Endure]

For anyone still viewing this thread, here's an update:

Kaplan FL: 13 PS, 9 VR, 12 BS (34)
AAMC 5: 13 PS, 10 VR, 13 BS (36)

I'm pumped about AAMC 5! I know it's an older exam and probably won't resemble the actual exam too closely, but it's improved my confidence. That's a big deal for me.

My target score is a 33 (12 PS, 10 VR, 11 BS), so I'm happy with anything at or above that benchmark. If anyone is in a similar position as me and feels as though postponing their exam will alleviate some of the pressure, do it!

 

[johnnyscans]

Hi guys. I posted in the 4/27 thread already but decided I'd post here for more replies.

I need some advice:

I took AAMC 3 last week and scored 11 PS, 10 VR, 10 BS (31). I just took AAMC 4 and scored 12 PS, 9 VR, and 10 BS (31). On my first Kaplan diagnostic, which I took about a month ago, I scored 11 PS, 7 VR, 12 BS (30).

I'm extremely worried now about the real deal, since I've been doing well on most of my practice passages (12-13 on PS and BS, 10-11 on VR). I have a 4.0 cGPA with ample extracurriculars and research. Do you guys think I should postpone or continue with my plan to do 9-10 practice tests before the 27th? Should I expect an increase in my score as I do more FL's?

I feel that I get fatigued by the time I do the BS section, which I'm certain is the reason my performance is low. So I know that's something I need to work on. With VR, it's hit or miss – I score the same regardless of how well I think I did. PS is my strongest section, but surprisingly I feel more confident with bio material.

What do you guys think? Postpone or continue drilling myself with FL exams?

You sound neurotic. Postpone until June, your scores suck.

 

[StudyShy]

For anyone still viewing this thread, here's an update:

Kaplan FL: 13 PS, 9 VR, 12 BS (34)
AAMC 5: 13 PS, 10 VR, 13 BS (36)

I'm pumped about AAMC 5! I know it's an older exam and probably won't resemble the actual exam too closely, but it's improved my confidence. That's a big deal for me.

My target score is a 33 (12 PS, 10 VR, 11 BS), so I'm happy with anything at or above that benchmark. If anyone is in a similar position as me and feels as though postponing their exam will alleviate some of the pressure, do it!

You're doing great! Some times it takes a little self confidence to get feeling good about the MCAT again! 🙂

 

[jeffs office]

For anyone still viewing this thread, here's an update:

Kaplan FL: 13 PS, 9 VR, 12 BS (34)
AAMC 5: 13 PS, 10 VR, 13 BS (36)

I'm pumped about AAMC 5! I know it's an older exam and probably won't resemble the actual exam too closely, but it's improved my confidence. That's a big deal for me.

My target score is a 33 (12 PS, 10 VR, 11 BS), so I'm happy with anything at or above that benchmark. If anyone is in a similar position as me and feels as though postponing their exam will alleviate some of the pressure, do it!

Great job, dude! Keep it up!

You sound neurotic. Postpone until June, your scores suck.

Mean.

 

[johnnyscans]

Great job, dude! Keep it up!


Mean.

4.0 cGPA and scoring 32/33 and he thinks his scores suck. . .

 

[jeffs office]

4.0 cGPA and scoring 32/33 and he thinks his scores suck. . .

No, I thought the OP started off with 31s on easier AAMC FLs, and since his score was below his goal (33), he wanted to postpone to get more time. OP got more time, and improved greatly and now OP is happier with their score. That's how I interpreted that....

 

[Endure]

Great job, dude! Keep it up!

You're doing great! Some times it takes a little self confidence to get feeling good about the MCAT again! 🙂

Thanks! I'm hoping these last couple of exams are not outliers. I have the remaining AAMC's, EK #1H, and a Kaplan FL. If I need more practice, I may order a couple TBR CBTs.

No, I thought the OP started off with 31s on easier AAMC FLs, and since his score was below his goal (33), he wanted to postpone to get more time. OP got more time, and improved greatly and now OP is happier with their score. That's how I interpreted that....

Yep, exactly. I don't think a 31/32 is a bad score by any means, and I'm certainly not gunning for a WashU-level MCAT. I just want to do my best.

 

[MedOldAge]

Thanks! I'm hoping these last couple of exams are not outliers. I have the remaining AAMC's, EK #1H, and a Kaplan FL. If I need more practice, I may order a couple TBR CBTs.

If there is any chance that you are thinking of TBR CBTs, I suggest you jump on it to order the CBTs now as they only accept snail mail and their respond process is very inconsistent..........as you may not be able to start it according to your "planning schedule". Just my two cents 🙂

 

[Endure]

If there is any chance that you are thinking of TBR CBTs, I suggest you jump on it to order the CBTs now as they only accept snail mail and their respond process is very inconsistent..........as you may not be able to start it according to your "planning schedule". Just my two cents 🙂

Thanks for the advice! Do their CBT's usually take as long to get processed as their regular books?

 

[Redpancreas]

I bet you you're score will jump even higher by the time you're done taking these practice exams. You're doing great. Everyone thinks of postponing around this time. DONT! Just keep going and taking liberal break times as necessary. Find something like running or reading that de-stresses you and do it. What I tell people who think about this is to TRUST THE MCAT. I know it sounds weird but it's your friend. It's really good at testing stuff and rewarding you for what you studied. Just trust it. It won't be an impossible exam compared to practice exams. Everyone who says that has probably just come out of the exam. Note, that probably thought all the AAMC exams were hard but didn't have time to stop and mull over it like all the actual test takers have to for a month. They got their scores back instantly and their fear was erased. Now, some words of advice. Make sure you keep reading and don't get rusty on anything especially verbal. As for biological sciences, make sure you're used to doing a lot of reading. The test will now ask things like there's this molecule and that hormone (usually novel unheard of ones) and this happens and this gene controls this. What would happen if an antagonist for this molecule was used or what would happen if this gene was heterozygous (gene dosage) or knocked out. Things like that. Get used to experimentals and reading for the bio section if you haven't already.

 

[MedOldAge]

Thanks for the advice! Do their CBT's usually take as long to get processed as their regular books?

If I recall correctly, it is not because "as long as the books" but the fact that they batch your order with others who may have the same test day (they ask your test day by the top right corner on your order form) and activate the "group" accounts at the same time.

Since BR is small, I suspect they have one person responsible doing that and he/she creates the customer accounts based on his/her schedule and ACCORDING to their 45 days license access policy [counting backward from your test day]. So, if you happened to order their largest package which includes BR1-7 and/or want to start yours, say BR1-3, way earlier based on "your personal schedule" and not their "default schedule", you may end up sending the order very early and "communicate" with them to be sure it is exactly "when" you want and NOT when they put you in and also get caught between batches; and waste your time. Well, you get the idea. It is not clean....a kind of pain in the AXX.
Once you go through that, you will get an email with instruction on accessing your account. 😳

 

[geh926]

I'm also considering postponing from 6/20 to 7/2. I know this seems like a really short amount of time, but it would allow me to do 3 more FL's this way. Do you think it's that big of a detrimant to my application if my scores are received August 6th instead of July 23rd? I've heard it was important to be complete (secondaries included) in August so I'm worried that postponing could prevent that.

Thanks!

 

[HotHamH2O]

I try to relate to these type of questions but all I can say is, I wish I had your problem. I got my first 30 on FL #9 yesterday and I was on cloud 9.

I would just tell you to do what feels right. If you think you have to be in a top 20 school to be happy, than you know what you need to score to get there. If you don't feel confident that you will be ready to post that score come test day and school choice means enough to you to postpone, then do it. Otherwise, to hell with it and if you get a 34+ come test day, awesome! You'll have a great shot at top 20. If you don't get a 34+ and god forbid get a 30-33. Great! You'll still get in somewhere and ultimately become a doctor...that IS the point right?

 

[Endure]

Another update!

AAMC 7: 14 PS, 10 VR, 13 BS (37). I'm pumped! I think it's clear that I need to absolutely kill VR until my test date. Until now, I've done very little prep for the VR section and I'm afraid my score will reflect that come test day (I'm never one to "coast", so if I don't work my ass off on something it almost invariably shows in the end).

I bet you you're score will jump even higher by the time you're done taking these practice exams. You're doing great. Everyone thinks of postponing around this time. DONT! Just keep going and taking liberal break times as necessary. Find something like running or reading that de-stresses you and do it. What I tell people who think about this is to TRUST THE MCAT. I know it sounds weird but it's your friend. It's really good at testing stuff and rewarding you for what you studied. Just trust it. It won't be an impossible exam compared to practice exams. Everyone who says that has probably just come out of the exam. Note, that probably thought all the AAMC exams were hard but didn't have time to stop and mull over it like all the actual test takers have to for a month. They got their scores back instantly and their fear was erased. Now, some words of advice. Make sure you keep reading and don't get rusty on anything especially verbal. As for biological sciences, make sure you're used to doing a lot of reading. The test will now ask things like there's this molecule and that hormone (usually novel unheard of ones) and this happens and this gene controls this. What would happen if an antagonist for this molecule was used or what would happen if this gene was heterozygous (gene dosage) or knocked out. Things like that. Get used to experimentals and reading for the bio section if you haven't already.

Hey there,

Thank you for the advice. I've been able to identify that embyronic development and cell division are my weakest areas, so I need to focus on those sections for now. I've been doing neuroscience research for the last 3 years and it is essential that I extract relevant information from a research article. With that said, the more experimental passages I get in a BS section, the more confident I feel.

Unfortunately, I've already postponed my exam. Pressuring myself to take the exam in April amid two monstrous organic chemistry exams, my research, and other classes would not have been good for my blood pressure. Intense pressure yields poor results. Nevertheless, I totally see what you're saying and I appreciate you stopping by!

If I recall correctly, it is not because "as long as the books" but the fact that they batch your order with others who may have the same test day (they ask your test day by the top right corner on your order form) and activate the "group" accounts at the same time.

Since BR is small, I suspect they have one person responsible doing that and he/she creates the customer accounts based on his/her schedule and ACCORDING to their 45 days license access policy [counting backward from your test day]. So, if you happened to order their largest package which includes BR1-7 and/or want to start yours, say BR1-3, way earlier based on "your personal schedule" and not their "default schedule", you may end up sending the order very early and "communicate" with them to be sure it is exactly "when" you want and NOT when they put you in and also get caught between batches; and waste your time. Well, you get the idea. It is not clean....a kind of pain in the AXX.
Once you go through that, you will get an email with instruction on accessing your account. 😳

Someone needs to smack whoever runs the show over there to get with it. I'm now forced to get TPR exams.

Thanks for the heads up!

I'm also considering postponing from 6/20 to 7/2. I know this seems like a really short amount of time, but it would allow me to do 3 more FL's this way. Do you think it's that big of a detrimant to my application if my scores are received August 6th instead of July 23rd? I've heard it was important to be complete (secondaries included) in August so I'm worried that postponing could prevent that.

Thanks!

If it allows you to get a better score, go for it. I would rather have a better score and get my applications in later than to have applied early with a score I was unhappy with. Since postponing my exams, I have less pressure, more time to hit my weaknesses, and a chance to do more passage-based questions.

Go with your gut and try not to rationalize to yourself.