The Official 3/23/13 MCAT Thread

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Redpancreas

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Figured I'd start this one out. I'll be registering for the MCAT first thing tomorrow. Who else is taking it on this date? How do you all plan on studying over the school year?
 
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NuttyEngDude said:
Interesting, do you do them timed?
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Yes. When I review I basically rework the passage untimed, but it's quicker because I recall the material and questions, so I'm basically running through my thought process again to see if it still makes sense to me. Then I see if it was in fact the correct thought process.


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Babysitting your 3 year old TWIN cousins and studying for the biggest test of your life...do not mix =____=

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NuttyEngDude said:
chemistry today, ochem tomorrow.......... hope everyone's enjoying their "break" before school starts
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Haha..some break right...🙁 I feel like I've been in school all of 2012...no breaks cause I did summer school and SMDEP in the summer...:/

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As far as checking passages goes..

I used to check them the next day, but I often found that I would forget what the passage was about, especially for Bio. So now I check the PS and Ochem the next day, and check the Bio and Verbal passages after I complete them.
 
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Jr MD said:
Haha..some break right...🙁 I feel like I've been in school all of 2012...no breaks cause I did summer school and SMDEP in the summer...:/

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I studied for the MCAT the night I got back from college in May. Studied all summer and took MCAT on 9/1, 2 days before the start of school. Then started studying night after I got back from school for winter break for my MCAT re-take, either 3/23 or the first test date in April. And the worst part is I actually did very well in my sciences but I'm retaking because of a bad verbal... sigh
 
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Does anyone have any ideas for doing the tbr content review faster? I struggle to finish a chapter a day especially for PS. I did well in my PS courses. I think maybe the details are bogging me down. Should I skip some of the in-text examples and go straight to the passages?
 
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Dark Ace said:
Does anyone have any ideas for doing the tbr content review faster? I struggle to finish a chapter a day especially for PS. I did well in my PS courses. I think maybe the details are bogging me down. Should I skip some of the in-text examples and go straight to the passages?
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Personally I find the TBR in-text examples really helpful, but if you don't then I don't see why you shouldn't skip them!


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gettheleadout said:
Personally I find the TBR in-text examples really helpful, but if you don't then I don't see why you shouldn't skip them!


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I actually find them helpful too, but I'm having to deal w/ time constraints. This problem is somewhat manageable right now, but I'm afraid it will blow up when school starts. 😱 If anyone has any way around this, please let me know!
 
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Dark Ace said:
I actually find them helpful too, but I'm having to deal w/ time constraints. This problem is somewhat manageable right now, but I'm afraid it will blow up when school starts. 😱 If anyone has any way around this, please let me know!
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I feel you...


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Dark Ace said:
I actually find them helpful too, but I'm having to deal w/ time constraints. This problem is somewhat manageable right now, but I'm afraid it will blow up when school starts. 😱 If anyone has any way around this, please let me know!
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For the topics i know really well i just read EK for that section...TBR is excessively long...i just.cut the reading days for really long chapters into two days

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Thanks Jr!! That's a great idea. Did that affect the way you did your passages? Did you still do all 1/3 passages in 1 day?
 
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There's two ways I go about this:

The EK books have everything you need to know for the MCAT but its too general...so I use it as a sort of skeleton and go into TBR for detail about a subject I didn't quite understand.

If you have the EK 1001 or TPRH science workbooks like I do you can just do passages in them for the topics you covered if you read half a chapter a day. Then on the second day just do the BR passages...I'm really stressing doing passages...but id like some feedback on whether this is a good idea guys!!

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I am no expert but I feel that for the physical sciences, i would stick to TBR verbatim and not stray. i think it's too good to not milk for what it's worth. For BS and Verbal i think everyone's school of thought is TPR and EK101.

is it possible to finish up the TBR physical sciences before school starts?
 
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Is anyone going to be doing extra FLs in addition to the AAMC ones?

I'm trying to decide between Kaplan 1-6 and TBR. Anyone have any thoughts?
 
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mr chievous said:
Is anyone going to be doing extra FLs in addition to the AAMC ones?

I'm trying to decide between Kaplan 1-6 and TBR. Anyone have any thoughts?
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Yep, I have Kaplan FL's. I did one already. I think their PS is harder (though the curve makes up for it) so I am hoping to really challenge myself with them. There verbal is not very good though. I don't own any TBR FL's so thats not an option lol.
 
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sorry scooby, my response was to dark ace. if he is finding problems with TBR length, he could just focus on getting the physical sciences (chem and phys) done before school starts, then cut back on the other subjects (ochem and bio and skip TBR verbal entirely) since people do that anyways.
 
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kimicurtis said:
Yep, I have Kaplan FL's. I did one already. I think their PS is harder (though the curve makes up for it) so I am hoping to really challenge myself with them. There verbal is not very good though. I don't own any TBR FL's so thats not an option lol.
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I made a poll a few weeks ago. The results are
Kaplan: 45%
TBR: 38%
TPR: 13%
GS: 4% (lol)

I guess I'll stick with Kaplan's 1-6.
 
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So i just did a late night verbal passage...im consistently getting 5/7 on TPRH oassages (idk if that's good) but I'm sucking at the EK ones...i still don't have a fool proof VR plan...if any one has one that has been working for them please share!!!

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NuttyEngDude said:
They are indeed poor quality. I will still do them but I wont put much weight on them.
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I am doing them too but they annoy me because there questions are not similar. I really don't have much verbal prep except then though because I did all my EK 101 and TPRH verbal beside 2 tests in each (4) about 6 months ago when I thought I was going to take my test but I wasn't ready. So I postponed. When I take my old EK verbal, I miss 1 question or get all right. I know that is because I am comfortable with these passages because I have seen them before.

Damn, well I guess I can use those 4 tests+2 from the TPR FL's I have then just practice when I take my AAMC FL's. I mean, I have a ton of Kaplan sectional VR's but there questions are not representative.
 
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kimicurtis said:
Damn, well I guess I can use those 4 tests+2 from the TPR FL's I have then just practice when I take my AAMC FL's. I mean, I have a ton of Kaplan sectional VR's but there questions are not representative.
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dont forget the aamc VR assessment, lots of passages there, and they are the REAL DEAL 🙂 There's also TBR verbal which is only a little better than kaplan but still better (IMO), but YMMV with them, to me kaplan verbal is the worst.
 
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I had been putting it off, but yesterday I finally took my first diagnostic FL 🙂 I used a free PR online one.

14p/10v/12b 😀 I'm so happy since that's my best bio score ever (I'm a re-taker trying to improve BS)

I'm happy that I haven't forgotten all of my physics, and the verbal score doesn't worry me since my first diagnostic in 2010 was 13p/7v/10b

My goal score for March is now 14p/13v/14b, 40+

Have fun all :luck:
 
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Entadus said:
I had been putting it off, but yesterday I finally took my first diagnostic FL 🙂 I used a free PR online one.

14p/10v/12b 😀 I'm so happy since that's my best bio score ever (I'm a re-taker trying to improve BS)

I'm happy that I haven't forgotten all of my physics, and the verbal score doesn't worry me since my first diagnostic in 2010 was 13p/7v/10b

My goal score for March is now 14p/13v/14b, 40+

Have fun all :luck:
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You think it was your 34 that held you back this past cycle? Because if you want my totally unsolicited opinion, you have strong stats with a 3.8+/34, you just only applied to Cali schools that are already super competitive. What do you hope to gain with a higher MCAT?
 
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No, I honestly think 34 wasn't holding me back. That's why I applied. Realistically, though, my score was below average at UCSF (36), UCLA (35), and UCSD (37). My score was right around the average at the others. My score was borderline at best

It's becoming an old score, now. I took it in 2010 and I'm thinking now about matriculating in 2014... and I don't think it is an accurate representation of my ability. True, this time around I will apply more broadly and smartly. But a new MCAT won't hurt (assuming I make the sort of significant improvement I'm counting on)

Getting rejected really sucks, man. I'm not taking any chances this time...

EDIT: This time I want to apply to Columbia 🙂 A 34 just isn't getting me in there. My Bio was 60th percentile! These top MD programs only take the best...
 
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NuttyEngDude said:
dont forget the aamc VR assessment, lots of passages there, and they are the REAL DEAL 🙂 There's also TBR verbal which is only a little better than kaplan but still better (IMO), but YMMV with them, to me kaplan verbal is the worst.
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Ah yes! I forgot the AMMC verbal assessment. *rummages in pocket*

MCAT trying to take my last dollar lol
 
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please share any and all tips particularly for BS.

love,
NED
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My best tip for Bio is study like crazy!!! And I really enjoyed the Princeton Review Bio book (pretty cheap on Amazon...)

There really is no way around it. I wasn't a bio major, so I have to put in lots of time working on it. There's so much crap to remember :scared:
 
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Hey y'all need an opinion. since I'm taking Ochem 2 and physics 2 in the spring should i go ahead and read up on those chapters now or when I'm in school taking them? Figured i should look at them while i have a whole day to study. What do y'all think?

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Jr MD said:
Hey y'all need an opinion. since I'm taking Ochem 2 and physics 2 in the spring should i go ahead and read up on those chapters now or when I'm in school taking them? Figured i should look at them while i have a whole day to study. What do y'all think?

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I'll be in Physics II this semester, and I'm just gonna stick with the SN2ed schedule, putting me covering the physics II chapters while I'm actually in school and in the course. I considered reading ahead but figured it wouldn't matter too much.


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