Standardized Tests

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Huskies213

Huskies213
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Hello all,
I will be applying to schools this september, and will be taking the mcat. I have a question as to if people take the GRE's as well, and if have you found the biology or sci specific to be easier than the general exam?

thanks!

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I took the GRE because it was required for OSU's perfusion MS program which I applied to a few years ago. I didn't take any subject tests since it wasn't required and I didn't want to waste the $, but the general GRE was a joke. You can't really study for it since it's so general, but maybe get a $50 Kaplan GRE book just to familiarize yourself with the format and the buzzwords for the Verbal section synonyms/antonyms or basic math formulas (shape area/length forumula, triangle angle rules, etc) if you're rusty.

During the test, I felt like I was taking the ACT or SAT again. The math is nothing but general algebra and geometry. The test is computerized, and questions are supposed to get harder or easier based on how you are performing. The questions were all so basic (triangle geometry, "solve for x," etc); I thought I must be doing horrible because they weren't getting any harder lol. It turned out that I scored perfect on the quant section, but 5% of all science and engineering students do (many top engineering programs expect their applicants get an 800 in quant). The Logic is pretty easy also... I think I got 90th+ percentile (720). Verbal threw me a bit of a curveball, and I only scored mediocre (580... a bit above where average science majors land and roughly where the average English major would sit). Then again, I only scored about average on MCAT Verbal (8), so maybe it was an indicator.

From talking friends from undergrad who have taken the exam more recently for engineering, nursing, neurobiology, etc grad school apps, I think the GRE has changed since I took it and scrapped the Logic section in favor of a writing evaluation. However, the bottom line is that the test is nothing compared to the MCAT. Even if the science subject-specific tests are harder, I still wouldn't expect too much of a challenge.

Have you already taken the GRE or are you signing up for the GRE because your "backup" grad schools require it? If you haven't taken it yet, I'd consider saving your money and just taking the MCAT; any science grad program (Bio or Physio MS, SMP, PhD, etc) should know how to evaluate MCAT scores and may be willing to accept you based on that exam alone.

If you are looking for a prognostic indicator of how you will do on the MCAT, you will have a pretty darn good idea once you do enough practice tests. The old ones from the AAMC are great (expensive, but well worth the $), and Kaplan practice tests from the book or course are solid also. If you are consistently scoring, say, 24-26 on the recent AAMC practice tests during the month before your testing, I'd expect very minor, if any, variation on the real exam.
 
Hello all,
I will be applying to schools this september, and will be taking the mcat. I have a question as to if people take the GRE's as well, and if have you found the biology or sci specific to be easier than the general exam?

thanks!

I took the GRE's when I was planning to go to Grad school. I found them almost as easy as Feli, and agree that I s_ck at verbal a 420 on the GRE but a 9 V on the MCAT. I also took it when there was an analytical (logic) part which was my favorite. It is just like SAT math and the verbal is similar.

I took the GRE General Chemistry exam as well. This was much harder than the GRE. This was mainly due to the time limits than the difficulty of the questions. Many of the chem questions are word problems and not theory so it takes time to work thru the problem. I also took the exam cold a year before graduating college. I barely studied - not a good idea.

I would not take the GREs unless they are required for something that you are applying to.

Also, the Kaplan course is good for MCATs. I got 4 points higher on the actual test than I did on any practice tests. In addition to kaplan, read the newspaper and apply the kaplan techniques for reading passages to the newspaper articles. Then when it comes to test day you will be proficient in the skill.
 
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think all of the Podiatry schools are phasing out the GREs. I know for a fact that Temple phased the GREs this year and will be accepting only the MCATs.
 
When I took the GRE for my masters program I studied lightly for 2 weeks and got a 420 on verbal and 720 on the math. In my opinion, it's a bogus test that really doesnt test aptitude or knowledge. Its more of a weeder test for grad school. The verbal is a joke because most the words they use no one has ever heard of or maybe just me.
 
...The verbal is a joke because most the words they use no one has ever heard of or maybe just me.
I sorta thought the same thing, but keep in mind that pre-pods and pre-meds are (mostly) science majors who probably took only a few lit/comp classes in undergrad.

While studying for the GRE, I was talking to my mom on the telephone and was quizzing her as a joke (she has BA, MA in English and taught comp). She was seriously going about 80% on defining the GRE buzzwords while I barely even knew 10%, but that's just a difference in education specialty. I agree with you that the words are absurd and very rarely used in everyday English, definetly not in most people's verbal vocab and very seldom even in someone's written vocab.
 
Does anyone know which schools will ONLY accept the MCAT for the students applying in next years cycle? I read that Scholl and Temple fit into that catagory. What about other schools?
 
Arizona, Des Moines, California, Scholl, and Barry will ONLY take the MCAT this upcoming cycle.

Temple states they take the MCAT, DAT, and GRE on the website but I heard from some students that the interviewers grill you if you did not take the MCAT.

NYCPM will take the DAT and MCAT. I asked the admissions people it was going to become MCAT only but they didn't seem to think it was going to change in the near future. I receive newsletters from NYCPM every month and a recent one said that the DAT is a fine test for some applicants. The admissions staff also said they don't really look at the PAT portion of the test.

and Ohio...one can take the MCAT, GRE, GRE subject tests, DAT, PCAT, or OAT for admission into the podiatry program. The recruiters also said this was not going to change relatively soon. They are looking for at least a 19 on the MCAT and I believe at least 70th percentile on these other tests.

These are what I have gained from researching online and talking to some admissions departments. If you have any questions, send me a PM.
 
Arizona, Des Moines, California, Scholl, and Barry will ONLY take the MCAT this upcoming cycle.

If by upcoming cycle you mean this sept, then I have been told different from you. Other than arizona and california (didnt talk to cali) ALL of the other schools told me they will accept GRE or DAT.
 
If by upcoming cycle you mean this sept, then I have been told different from you. Other than arizona and california (didnt talk to cali) ALL of the other schools told me they will accept GRE or DAT.

Scholl told you that also? I was under a different impression. The faculty DPM that interviewed me told me that MCAT only was the plan for next cycle.
 
Hello,
I mean the next application cycle which opens up early September. This would be students applying for the class of 2012...beginning pod med school in the summer/Fall of 2008.
 
ahhh, perhaps you are right for the class of 2012. I am only providing info that i was given for my app cycle (class of 2011).
 
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