The Official 01/28/2012 MCAT Club

[Sutton]

.Test Date.: Saturday, January 28, 2012
.Exam Start Time.: 1 p.m.
.Registration Opens.: October 12, 2011
...Tentative.. Score Release Date.: February 28, 2012
.After 5 p.m. ET.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[HopesandDreams]

38p on 1/27 (13vr/12ps/13bs)

studied approx 7-10 days few hours a day reviewing equations and concepts. took 2 practice tests night before and scored 32 on both (the only two practice tests i took, aamc 3& 7) but with lots of distractions/ running through them as fast as possible to see answers and logic behind solutions. wish i had done a little more now. percentile score is 98.4-99.0. i couldve been a 1%er. well i guess if im the 99.0 im still in the 1% right?

hehe jk

 

[Hazel Briscoe]

Literally the same score as my TPR diagnostic. How does that happen?

Plus side: refund!

 

[passerine]

AAMC Average: 32-33
Predicted: 30
Actual: 34Q!!

So happy! Congratulations, everyone... Even those of you who aren't 100% thrilled with your scores, it's such an accomplishment to have gotten as far as we have!

 

[TheBoss88]

As usual, many members posting a humblebrag... If you receive above a 37 and post with anything but exuberance, you probably have a bad personality and will be eliminated come interview time

 

[CoolioMD]

..

 

[TheBoss88]

Aamc avg: 34
Kap diagnostic: 21
Predicted: 30
1/28 Mcat: 30P (9/11/P/10)

Will probably retake in early June, studying in the future with Berkeley Review. Congrats everyone!!

 

[TheBoss88]

And here come the stereotypes.

Not saying that if you did well them you have a bad personality. I know many people that got incredible scores. Saying something like "I studied for 1 hour total and got a 39, so disappointed in myself, will prob retake". Especially because it's statistically unlikely to score that high consistently.

 

[CoolioMD]

..

 

[yuphoria]

Real MCAT- 32L (12 PS / 10V / 10 BS)
AAMC practice average - 33 (11/11/11)

 

[heliscomo]

to follow up:
my kaplan diagnostic was a 19 and my first full length was a 27
from then on i was stuck at a plateau in the 27-29 range and my last practice test was AAMC 11 with a 29
i was expecting to get in the high 20's, hopefully a 29 or so on the real thing.
i felt very good coming out of the 1/28 exam though, and thought MAYBE i broke a 30
my score today was 31S (PS: 11, VR: 10, BS: 10)
i am SO happy that I did better than i ever performed on practices AND that i got a good distribution
i'm just writing all this to prove that you can score beyond your expectations and better than any practice test and SO much of it has to do with attitude. i was calm and confident going in, and i guarantee that helped me get a score i'm happy with
congrats to ALL of us! even if you didn't get what you wanted, we all deserve to celebrate our accomplishments with this damn test

 

[Tanstripe]

Expected: 13 PS, 10 VR, 12 BS
Actual: 12 PS, 8 VR, 13 BS. Writing: R

Cumulative: 33R

 

[Maxine450]

I feel really deceived by those practice AAMC scores.

 

[GrabSlamBoot]

Us 1/28'ers really kicked some ass. Im proud of all you guys that this test is finally behind us. Hope application season goes just as well!

For what its worth:
Kaplan Diagnostic was an 18 so 18-->33 for all those guys who are worried what diagnostics mean.

 

[Acoustica]

AAMC Range: 30-32
Actual: 34Q (11/12/11) and I thought Physics was a killer.

I'll take a 34 haha

 

[caps1219]

Just got my score:

26M back in May 2011

31Q 1/28/2012 =) I'll take it

 

[Acoustica]

OMGAAHH this is so much more dramatic than SATs haahah I'm just so excited to be done!

I admit it, I was all ready to submit for a test date in January.

 

[anguisette]

Does anybody know what's considered a "bad" distribution? I'm more than happy with my overall score, but the difference between my lowest and highest section is 4 points... Is that a flag by any chance?

 

[Late Bloomer]

Just to make others who didn't do so well feel like they're not alone....I made a 20Q last Sept and I felt so much more confident this time. I'd taken more science classes and felt pretty good during the test. Wrong. I got a 20R. Hey, at least they know I can write! Oh well, now I have another year to get my house sold and take some extras like Genetics and Biochemistry.

 

[runnergirl6]

AAMC average: 37
Actual score: 39R (12VR, 14PS, 13BS)

I am sooo excited! and i wanted to say thank you to SDN in general because I never would have heard about berkeley review otherwise and I am sure those books were part of the reason i did so well YAY and congrats everyone!

 

[Mountaineer12]

Does anybody know what's considered a "bad" distribution? I'm more than happy with my overall score, but the difference between my lowest and highest section is 4 points... Is that a flag by any chance?

I don't know if the number of points between the scores matter, but I think anything below a 7 will get screened out at most MD schools. As long as you got an 8 or above in all sections you should be okay. I'm not 100% positive though, maybe ask in the What Are My Chances section.

 

[IrishCogs]

AAMC average: 37
Actual score: 39R (12VR, 14PS, 13BS)

I am sooo excited! and i wanted to say thank you to SDN in general because I never would have heard about berkeley review otherwise and I am sure those books were part of the reason i did so well YAY and congrats everyone!

wow! congrats! I got a 34 but a 39 is CRAZY!! You must have known the material like the back of your hand!! haha

congrats to everyone though! it's over!

 

[Jay4188]

Hey guys I need some advice.This is my first time taking the MCAT and i ended up getting a 27.Im my practice exams I was averaging a 6 on verbal and ended up getting a 9 on the real thing.I was averaging 10's on physical section and ended up getting an 8.I dont know if I should retake because Im not sure if my score can go up by that much and im scared my verbal will go down.What do you recommend?
8PS,9VR,10BS

 

[WorldChanger36]

Got off of work and looked.... 32Q finally no more MCAT forever and ever amen... Good luck to those retaking but keep at it eventually you will hit.... Good job to everybody

 

[Mces97]

Congratulations to everyone who did well and to those who even got better then their diagnostic tests. I did receive my score back today, and I am not too proud of it. I am taking the test again on April 5th. I knew coming out of the test that I would probably get about the score that I did get. I won't say what I got on the test, although it was above 20. The only good thing I can say about that is I know I can only do better. I used TBR as well as examkrackers, and I felt very prepared for the test. What always seems to get me are careless mistakes, minor details, and the timing, oh the timing. On each section I was not able to finish at least 10 questions, and I budgeted my time so poorly by the time I saw I would not be able to finish, I did not even have time to guess. I truly believe that if I keep up with my studying, continue working on my timing, I can break the 30 barrier by April. Best of luck to anyone who is planning on taking the test again.

 

[fas376]

Congratulations to everyone who did well and to those who even got better then their diagnostic tests. I did receive my score back today, and I am not too proud of it. I am taking the test again on April 5th. I knew coming out of the test that I would probably get about the score that I did get. I won't say what I got on the test, although it was above 20. The only good thing I can say about that is I know I can only do better. I used TBR as well as examkrackers, and I felt very prepared for the test. What always seems to get me are careless mistakes, minor details, and the timing, oh the timing. On each section I was not able to finish at least 10 questions, and I budgeted my time so poorly by the time I saw I would not be able to finish, I did not even have time to guess. I truly believe that if I keep up with my studying, continue working on my timing, I can break the 30 barrier by April. Best of luck to anyone who is planning on taking the test again.

You have awesome attitude. You have a month to get your timing down. You can do it!

 

[mariambaby3]

AAMC: 34-36
Actual: 38

Used exclusively Berkeley Review + EK verbal and EK Bio. No courses took. Thanks guys for all the help!

 

[smhammer]

Kaplan diagnostic: 24
AAMC range: 30-33
Predicted: 30
Actual: 32P (12 on PS, 10 on VR, 10 on BS)

Do you think I should do a retake? The BS score is pretty low so I could bring that up. However, I always suck at VR.

 

[ridethecliche]

Kaplan diagnostic: 24
AAMC range: 30-33
Predicted: 30
Actual: 32P (12 on PS, 10 on VR, 10 on BS)

Do you think I should do a retake? The BS score is pretty low so I could bring that up. However, I always suck at VR.

If you have screws loose then sure...

You did in your range and above your predicted...

 

[cbsld24]

Got scores back: 6PS 11VR 9BS (26Q)
So upset! I really didn't want to have to take it again. I've always had trouble with the sciences but I didn't expect this. I averaged 7 on TPR and 9 on AAMC tests for PS and 10 for BS. I guess I need to regroup and maybe study with TBR for the next one.

 

[paul411]

I've done these practice tests so many times they're useless now. What other practice tests can I use? FML

If you've used up the AAMC's, try using EK, TBR, and the old paper AAMC's for extra practice passages. Other than that, I think Kaplan has FL's (that aren't as good as AAMC, but will do).

I feel really deceived by those practice AAMC scores.

IMO, those AAMC's are the closest thing to the real MCAT that are available for practice. If you're going to take a few months (3+) off before studying for the MCAT again, consider reusing the AAMC's under strict testing conditions.

As usual, many members posting a humblebrag... If you receive above a 37 and post with anything but exuberance, you probably have a bad personality and will be eliminated come interview time

You'd be surprised at how many d-bags make it into med school.

 

[RvP90]

just posted in the 'should i retake?' thread

32S - 11 VR, 10 PS, 11 BS

im glad i got over a 30, but to be honest i'm kinda sad too. i was aiming for a 34-35 because my cumulative gpa and science gpa are only both around a 3.5.

feelin pretty bummed. i feel im in that limbo range. don't know if i should retake.

EDIT: some advice would be appreciated. i really don't know what to do.

 

[Woland]

Hey guys I need some advice.This is my first time taking the MCAT and i ended up getting a 27.Im my practice exams I was averaging a 6 on verbal and ended up getting a 9 on the real thing.I was averaging 10's on physical section and ended up getting an 8.I dont know if I should retake because Im not sure if my score can go up by that much and im scared my verbal will go down.What do you recommend?
8PS,9VR,10BS

This looks like a balanced MCAT with all points above 8. If you are not averse to DO schools I would wait a year and apply this cycle in-state and DO (widely, since DO scores have been rising closer and closer to MD for years)

 

[yellowfish]

Finally got a chance to get on my computer and post my scores (was volunteering all day!)

In chronological order:

10/28/11 Kaplan Diagnostic- 34 (Was satisfied considering this was before I had begun to study)
12/5/11 AAMC 3- 38 (Was happy with my first FL)
12/10/11 AAMC 11- 39
12/26/11 AAMC 10- 38
1/8/12 AAMC 8- 40 (Nice, reached my target!)
1/16/12 AAMC 9- 40
1/21/12 AAMC 7- 41
1/22/12 AAMC 5- 40 (Looks like 40 is about my limit; would be fine with getting this score on the real thing)
1/26/12 Retake AAMC 11- 45 (Only missed a single question, for those of you wondering if retaking a test is meaningful or not… It's probably not)
1/27/12 AAMC 4- Incomplete, 14 PS 13 VR (Began taking this guy, then went to bed)

Average Score, First Take AAMC FLs 5 through 11: 39.4

Expected/Goal- 40R
1/28/12 Real MCAT- 41S (15 PS, 14 BS, 12 VR) !!!

The 38 on the first diagnostic kind of killed my motivation. I had my eyes set on a 40 from the beginning, but getting a 38 with almost 2 months left of time to prepare took some gas out of my study habits over winter break. (No, the difference between a 38, 40, 42, or even a 44 is not a deal-breaker, but I think everyone should have a target number in mind). Even as my scores in PS/BS improved, I slid a bit in the VR section. When I started scoring in the 40s, I had consistent 14/15 science scores while my VR was lagging behind at around 11/12, which worried me. I used the last week of studying almost exclusively for VR, and hopefully it paid off on the real thing. I didn't have nearly as much trouble focusing on the real MCAT, which partly compensated for the increased difficulty of the real deal. My impression after leaving the test was that I had (surprisingly) done very well on the verbal but not so well ~13 on each of the sciences. Of course, the OPPOSITE actually happened and I did well on the sciences but poorly on the VR. That's how it goes I guess!

All in all, I studied for an average of 2 hours a day for about 3 months, which comes out to just under 200 hours of time investment… Imagine that, working full time for almost 5 weeks!

I used EK, TPR, AAMC FLs, and some MCAT study sheets off the internet. I found this to be a pretty good system, and there's really nothing that can compare to how useful the AAMC-provided practice tests are. It's costly, but it's worth dishing out the money if you're serious about performing well on the test. I did NOT take a prep course and would strongly discourage anyone from taking one unless they know exactly why it would help them - i.e. they cannot stick to a schedule without a structured arrangement like a prep course.

If you have any other questions, just shoot me a PM, I'd be happy to help you out as much as possible!

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

just posted in the 'should i retake?' thread

32S - 11 VR, 10 PS, 11 BS

im glad i got over a 30, but to be honest i'm kinda sad too. i was aiming for a 34-35 because my cumulative gpa and science gpa are only both around a 3.5.

feelin pretty bummed. i feel im in that limbo range. don't know if i should retake.

EDIT: some advice would be appreciated. i really don't know what to do.

I can't give you any advice, but I wanted to say that I am in the same boat as you are. Same gpa and an MCAT score that was below my goal of 34. For what it's worth, I'm going to give it a shot this next cycle and if worst comes to worst, I'll retake. Good luck!

 

[chewy88]

27P (8,9,10) in summer 2010

26O (10,6,10) in summer 2011.

LAST AND FINAL SCORE: 30M (10,9,11). My AAMC avg was a 34ish. Was definitely hoping for a 32 or so, but i'll take it! I'm glad I broke the 30 mark, and hopefully it's good enough to get into some schools

 

[Dante13]

I was hoping I wouldn't have to post a possible retake question but here it goes...
32Q PS11, V9, BS12
AAMC average: 35 (31-37)
Last practice exam score 37
The lowest verbal score I got on practice exams were 10 so this is really surprising...
Took a prep course and studied intensively for the 3 weeks before test date.
Should I retake? My GPA is around 3.75 with sGPA around 3.6 and I was really hoping that the MCAT would help my application to "stand-out".

 

[IncognitoGuy]

Finally got a chance to get on my computer and post my scores (was volunteering all day!)

In chronological order:

10/28/11 Kaplan Diagnostic- 34 (Was satisfied considering this was before I had begun to study)
12/5/11 AAMC 3- 38 (Was happy with my first FL)
12/10/11 AAMC 11- 39
12/26/11 AAMC 10- 38
1/8/12 AAMC 8- 40 (Nice, reached my target!)
1/16/12 AAMC 9- 40
1/21/12 AAMC 7- 41
1/22/12 AAMC 5- 40 (Looks like 40 is about my limit; would be fine with getting this score on the real thing)
1/26/12 Retake AAMC 11- 45 (Only missed a single question, for those of you wondering if retaking a test is meaningful or not… It's probably not)
1/27/12 AAMC 4- Incomplete, 14 PS 13 VR (Began taking this guy, then went to bed)

Average Score, First Take AAMC FLs 5 through 11: 39.4

Expected/Goal- 40R
1/28/12 Real MCAT- 41S (15 PS, 14 BS, 12 VR) !!!

The 38 on the first diagnostic kind of killed my motivation. I had my eyes set on a 40 from the beginning, but getting a 38 with almost 2 months left of time to prepare took some gas out of my study habits over winter break. (No, the difference between a 38, 40, 42, or even a 44 is not a deal-breaker, but I think everyone should have a target number in mind). Even as my scores in PS/BS improved, I slid a bit in the VR section. When I started scoring in the 40s, I had consistent 14/15 science scores while my VR was lagging behind at around 11/12, which worried me. I used the last week of studying almost exclusively for VR, and hopefully it paid off on the real thing. I didn't have nearly as much trouble focusing on the real MCAT, which partly compensated for the increased difficulty of the real deal. My impression after leaving the test was that I had (surprisingly) done very well on the verbal but not so well ~13 on each of the sciences. Of course, the OPPOSITE actually happened and I did well on the sciences but poorly on the VR. That's how it goes I guess!

All in all, I studied for an average of 2 hours a day for about 3 months, which comes out to just under 200 hours of time investment… Imagine that, working full time for almost 5 weeks!

I used EK, TPR, AAMC FLs, and some MCAT study sheets off the internet. I found this to be a pretty good system, and there's really nothing that can compare to how useful the AAMC-provided practice tests are. It's costly, but it's worth dishing out the money if you're serious about performing well on the test. I did NOT take a prep course and would strongly discourage anyone from taking one unless they know exactly why it would help them - i.e. they cannot stick to a schedule without a structured arrangement like a prep course.

If you have any other questions, just shoot me a PM, I'd be happy to help you out as much as possible!

That's absolutely disgusting . Well done! Not many people set a goal that high and feasibly reach it - you must have a very lucky combination of test-taking ability and smarts. Again, congratulations!

 

[TheBoss88]

I was hoping I wouldn't have to post a possible retake question but here it goes...
32Q PS11, V9, BS12
AAMC average: 35 (31-37)
Last practice exam score 37
The lowest verbal score I got on practice exams were 10 so this is really surprising...
Took a prep course and studied intensively for the 3 weeks before test date.
Should I retake? My GPA is around 3.75 with sGPA around 3.6 and I was really hoping that the MCAT would help my application to "stand-out".

With those metrics, you are competitive at most mid-tier med schools. Apply to a broad range of schools 15+ and you will definitely land somewhere.

 

[MedOldAge]

Finally got a chance to get on my computer and post my scores (was volunteering all day!)

In chronological order:

10/28/11 Kaplan Diagnostic- 34 (Was satisfied considering this was before I had begun to study)
12/5/11 AAMC 3- 38 (Was happy with my first FL)
12/10/11 AAMC 11- 39
12/26/11 AAMC 10- 38
1/8/12 AAMC 8- 40 (Nice, reached my target!)
1/16/12 AAMC 9- 40
1/21/12 AAMC 7- 41
1/22/12 AAMC 5- 40 (Looks like 40 is about my limit; would be fine with getting this score on the real thing)
1/26/12 Retake AAMC 11- 45 (Only missed a single question, for those of you wondering if retaking a test is meaningful or not… It's probably not)
1/27/12 AAMC 4- Incomplete, 14 PS 13 VR (Began taking this guy, then went to bed)

Average Score, First Take AAMC FLs 5 through 11: 39.4

Expected/Goal- 40R
1/28/12 Real MCAT- 41S (15 PS, 14 BS, 12 VR) !!!

The 38 on the first diagnostic kind of killed my motivation. I had my eyes set on a 40 from the beginning, but getting a 38 with almost 2 months left of time to prepare took some gas out of my study habits over winter break. (No, the difference between a 38, 40, 42, or even a 44 is not a deal-breaker, but I think everyone should have a target number in mind). Even as my scores in PS/BS improved, I slid a bit in the VR section. When I started scoring in the 40s, I had consistent 14/15 science scores while my VR was lagging behind at around 11/12, which worried me. I used the last week of studying almost exclusively for VR, and hopefully it paid off on the real thing. I didn't have nearly as much trouble focusing on the real MCAT, which partly compensated for the increased difficulty of the real deal. My impression after leaving the test was that I had (surprisingly) done very well on the verbal but not so well ~13 on each of the sciences. Of course, the OPPOSITE actually happened and I did well on the sciences but poorly on the VR. That's how it goes I guess!

All in all, I studied for an average of 2 hours a day for about 3 months, which comes out to just under 200 hours of time investment… Imagine that, working full time for almost 5 weeks!

I used EK, TPR, AAMC FLs, and some MCAT study sheets off the internet. I found this to be a pretty good system, and there's really nothing that can compare to how useful the AAMC-provided practice tests are. It's costly, but it's worth dishing out the money if you're serious about performing well on the test. I did NOT take a prep course and would strongly discourage anyone from taking one unless they know exactly why it would help them - i.e. they cannot stick to a schedule without a structured arrangement like a prep course.

If you have any other questions, just shoot me a PM, I'd be happy to help you out as much as possible!

Congra

Very impressive

Best wishes to you on your upcoming phase 2 - applying schools

 

[yellowfish]

Congra

Very impressive

Best wishes to you on your upcoming phase 2 - applying schools

Thank you!!! And same to your son and his friends!

 

[mtkidon]

Hey guys,

First time posting but was wondering how to go about applying for this next cycle. I didn't get the greatest score and feel compelled to retake at the end of August. For the application process, do I just update my submitted application with the *hopefully improved* MCAT score around the end of September? In this, my application would be finalized right before the earliest medical school deadline on October 1st.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks all!

 

[RvP90]

I can't give you any advice, but I wanted to say that I am in the same boat as you are. Same gpa and an MCAT score that was below my goal of 34. For what it's worth, I'm going to give it a shot this next cycle and if worst comes to worst, I'll retake. Good luck!

thanks brotha, u too. it's a really mind-grappling spot to be in. ill be gunning for you during your app process, wish u nthing but success

 

[JRTennis19]

AAMC Average: 32.75
Predicted: 29
Actual: 14PS, 8VR, 10BS = 32R

Congrats to everyone.

 

[Amba]

Congrats again everyone. We made it through studying, the test, and the month of waiting. Treat yourself a little regardless of how it went. I just enjoyed a celebratory cigar; life is good.

 

[premedicine555]

Acoustica - what was your method of studying? How many passages a day did you guys do?

 

[Gregwaymer]

Hey everyone- congrats to all of you that achieved your desired scores!

I was not so fortunate, however. Both my PS and BS scores were almost exactly on par with my practice tests but my VR was horrendous. Going into the test, I felt confident with the VR (was consistently getting 10-11s on the aamc practice tests), but my actual score was far from the practice ones. I want to say that it was because I found the actual test's passages to be much longer than the practice ones and, for the first time, had to guess for most of the last passage in the section.

For people who have taken the test multiple times- did you find that the passages were consistently longer on the real tests? If so, do you have any suggestions in how I might be able to learn how to get better at speed reading in a month (I signed up for the 4/5 test so that the science material is still relatively fresh in my mind)? If the passages were just a little shorter I think I would be fine on the next test, but I don't like leaving this up to chance...

 

[Freeinfinity]

i'm the same as you....no worries, you are not alone

 

[da3pointplaya]

I raised my score 7 points from a 30 to a 37, and I couldn't be happier! I just wanted to post to thank The Berkeley Review. Hands down, no questions asked, the best material on the MCAT and you haven't achieved your best score until you've used their materials. Congrats everybody and good luck in the future!

 

[MedOldAge]

to follow up:
my kaplan diagnostic was a 19 and my first full length was a 27
from then on i was stuck at a plateau in the 27-29 range and my last practice test was AAMC 11 with a 29
i was expecting to get in the high 20's, hopefully a 29 or so on the real thing.
i felt very good coming out of the 1/28 exam though, and thought MAYBE i broke a 30
my score today was 31S (PS: 11, VR: 10, BS: 10)
i am SO happy that I did better than i ever performed on practices AND that i got a good distribution
i'm just writing all this to prove that you can score beyond your expectations and better than any practice test and SO much of it has to do with attitude. i was calm and confident going in, and i guarantee that helped me get a score i'm happy with
congrats to ALL of us! even if you didn't get what you wanted, we all deserve to celebrate our accomplishments with this damn test

Congra

Best wishes to you

 

[Arizona2012]

Hey Guys! I need some advice! I took the MCAT without really studying and without taking a course, as my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months before, and the princeton review course I signed up for was cancelled! I did well enough to get into some DO Schools and programs abroad, but my dream is to go where my mother went, University of Arizona, so I certainly need to raise my score!

When is the last date that we can take the MCAT to still apply for fall of 2013?
When are application usually due? I know they start accepting them early- I am just not sure how it works with re-taking the MCAT?
Are there normally classes that start AFTER June 10th (When I will be moving back home after graduating college) that will still allow me to take the MCAT early enough?
Do you guys have any reccomendations on which classes to take? I already have the Princeton Review books so I would love it if I didn't have to buy new ones/waste!

Thank you all so much for help/advice! I just 3 more points to be confident with my score!