Should I push bak my MCAT date?

[vitanuova]

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Yesterday I took the free MCAT AAMC diagnostic exam online under timed conditions with no notes or formulas.
I scored a 25 (PS 7, V 10, BS 8). I ran out of time on the PS and guessed randomly on the last 20% of the section. I also ran out of time on the last verbal passage.

I'm currently signed up to take the May 18 MCAT and would very much like to get above a 30 with at least 10's in both BS and PS.
I've been casually reviewing content for about a month but I clearly need to figure out timing, fill in gaps in content, and do practice passages etc...
I'll be using TPR hyperlearning and EK bio 1001

I'm currently taking 3 classes (including Organic 2 which is sucking up a lot of my time) as well as volunteering and shadowing. I doubt I will be able to spend more than 20hr/week on the MCAT.

Is it realistic that I could pull up my sciences to 10's before May 15?

I will be taking summer classes and the next date that I would be able to take the MCAT is mid July. I'll have labs on every Tuesday and Thursday and July 13 is the next Saturday date available.

Is mid July too late? If I push it back that far I won't be applying until mid August.
Should I work to improve my scores for another month and then decide?
How can I maximize my study time? Advice?

I really want to apply this cycle and I do not want to wait another year.

*Just noticed my typo in title.. I do know how to spell back

 

[Renaissance Man]

It sounds like you need more content review. If you think an extra couple of weeks would make the difference between a sub-30 and a 30+, than definitely do it. Applying a couple of weeks later than you planned isn't a big deal when compared to your MCAT score. Prepare like crazy in the coming weeks.

 

[MD Odyssey]

Scoring below a 10 on the science sections indicates that you don't know the underlying science very well. I wound up postponing my MCAT a year because I realized I didn't understand second semester biology too well. It set my application back a year, but it was completely worth it. It seems to me that, if you are considering pushing it back and studying longer, you probably already know the answer.

I just read your post again. Not finishing the coursework before you start studying for the MCAT is a huge mistake. Trying to study while taking a full load and other things is another. You should finish your coursework, write out a plan to study for 3-4 months that you can stick to, and then take the exam in September. It means pushing back your application by a year, but it's probably the best thing for you.

 

[NontradCA]

Another option is to maybe try EK books for content review and exams? They're useful if you have a good understanding of your pre-req course materials. If your weekends are free I don't see why you wouldn't be able to complete a book each weekend. For instance, I did 2 sections of the Physics in ~ 3 hours and there are 8.

 

[vitanuova]

Perhaps I should have clarified, but the only coursework that I haven't finished is Orgo 2 and a bunch of labs. I'm not trying to study for the mcat without having taken bio/chem/physics/organic chem.

Another question: Do people that get 30+ scores start out with a diagnostic close to 30? Does a 25 on my diagnostic mean that I'm considerably behind where I ought to be?

 

[shoehornlettuce]

If you aren't going into the test 100% confident that you are going to rock it, you aren't ready.

 

[MD Odyssey]

If you aren't going into the test 100% confident that you are going to rock it, you aren't ready.

100% agree. The easiest day out of your entire study plan should be the day of the real thing. I looked around the room and literally felt sorry for everyone else that was there.