The Official 5/12/2012 MCAT Thread

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merde

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Hello fellow May 12ers! I didn't see a thread for our test day and considering we are 5 weeks away, I decided to make one! I hope everyone's preparation is going well!
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2NiceNos said:
I still don't see why you wouldn't apply to every school even without MCAT score knowledge. Is it for monetary reasons? It's true you may not be competitive everywhere, but wouldn't you still want to give it a go anyways?
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Let's say you somehow got a drastic score like 15 total. All the schools have your app at this point and your score gets automatically loaded. You will be considered a reapplicant for next cycle. Just an example of the logic/reasoning behind the strategy. If you apply to 1, it's all you need to get the VERIFICATION process completed, which AMCAS says can take up to 6 weeks. Add the schools once you have your score, it doesn't affect the verification time. While they are verifying, schools don't get the application yet anyway. They only get it when verification is complete.
 
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cinamin said:
Let's say you somehow got a drastic score like 15 total. All the schools have your app at this point and your score gets automatically loaded. You will be considered a reapplicant for next cycle. Just an example of the logic/reasoning behind the strategy. If you apply to 1, it's all you need to get the VERIFICATION process completed, which AMCAS says can take up to 6 weeks. Add the schools once you have your score, it doesn't affect the verification time. While they are verifying, schools don't get the application yet anyway. They only get it when verification is complete.
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Ah, makes total sense. Wow I'm glad I asked about that
 
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I'm kind of glad that I get my OChem ACS exam done the morning of June 12. Studying distracts me from the MCAT, but the MCAT won't distract me till I'm done studying.
 
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Does anyone else hate the number 1325 yet? My goodness, fine tuning my W/A descriptions is tough with that limit! I always seem to be able to say what I want to say with exactly 300 more characters than they allow... what are the chances they change it within the next couple days? :laugh:
 
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cinamin said:
about 2 more weeks left
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I'll check this thread before I check my score on jun 12 to see how people react to the curve. If its nice, it makes me feel better; if not, well, I'll have my tissue box ready. Anyone else? :)
 
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EnginrTheFuture said:
Does anyone else hate the number 1325 yet? My goodness, fine tuning my W/A descriptions is tough with that limit! I always seem to be able to say what I want to say with exactly 300 more characters than they allow... what are the chances they change it within the next couple days? :laugh:
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Just some advice I got from my friend who applied last year and got in: he said do NOT use the full character limit for the sake of using it all. Take out all the fluff and only say what's needed to be said. Med schools have limited time to read all this crap and if you ad too much to your app that's fluff they'll get sick of reading it and won't even read the whole thing. Say only what you need to say and nothing more. Short and to the point is what he told me
 
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Caitlin0206 said:
Just some advice I got from my friend who applied last year and got in: he said do NOT use the full character limit for the sake of using it all. Take out all the fluff and only say what's needed to be said. Med schools have limited time to read all this crap and if you ad too much to your app that's fluff they'll get sick of reading it and won't even read the whole thing. Say only what you need to say and nothing more. Short and to the point is what he told me
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Great point, and to go off that make sure on the activities to describe what you learned from it rather than all what it entailed.
 
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mmckuin said:
Great point, and to go off that make sure on the activities to describe what you learned from it rather than all what it entailed.
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well in the first essay you want to describe what you did, not what you learned from it. the second (if you chose it for your top 3) is where you describe how it impacted you. i was told to stick to strictly what you did and what the job entailed for the first essay
 
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Thanks for the advice. Yeah, it's about 210 words to describe and explain a transformative experience so I haven't had what I would consider fluff in it. I'm just trying to add a before, transformation, then after otherwise it sounds strange or doesn't make sense. That's where the problem lies for me, it's trying to fit in a transformation.
 
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I used bullet points for my W/A section and took a lot of info off of my resume. There were a couple of jobs I held with my business degree that was pretty extensive but of course boring. Just responsibilities and business stuff. I wonder if I should cut out some bullet points just to make it shorter and sweeter, though they were important responsibilities.

Also, are you guys all adding a what I have learned comment?? I wasn't planning on that maybe except for my most meaningful three.
 
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MzAries said:
I used bullet points for my W/A section and took a lot of info off of my resume. There were a couple of jobs I held with my business degree that was pretty extensive but of course boring. Just responsibilities and business stuff. I wonder if I should cut out some bullet points just to make it shorter and sweeter, though they were important responsibilities.

Also, are you guys all adding a what I have learned comment?? I wasn't planning on that maybe except for my most meaningful three.
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I only added the meaningful/learning comment for the most meaningful three. Some people out there say to do it in all but there's just not enough space IMO. I think it's better to stick with the format they give you like someone posted above.
 
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cinamin said:
I only added the meaningful/learning comment for the most meaningful three. Some people out there say to do it in all but there's just not enough space IMO. I think it's better to stick with the format they give you like someone posted above.
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I'm definitely sticking to the most meaningful 3... almost went with 2 but then decided that to stick with the theme of my app, the third made sense.
 
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Don't know how I'm feeling about the 4/28 scores today...one minute I'm feeling hopeful the next I'm thinking I will not be nearly as lucky...

I WANT MY GOD DAMN SCORE ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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MzAries said:
Don't know how I'm feeling about the 4/28 scores today...one minute I'm feeling hopeful the next I'm thinking I will not be nearly as lucky...

I WANT MY GOD DAMN SCORE ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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There was quite a mix of happy, sad and neutral stories in there.. That will be us in about 12 days. Hope for the best. Anyone want to make a countdown page?
 
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I'm just nervous about verbal because that is truly the section that AAMC averages seem to mean close to nothing. Bio, Physics... I have never gotten a 10 or lower on these and if I get below that then the scale was probably really harsh, but verbal... who the heck knows. Just hoping for a balanced 30 or higher. 7.5 points per month of work should be analogous to minimum wage for the MCAT :laugh:

Hoping for a: 11/9/11 PS/VR/BS
 
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Here is to my desperate hope of a 11/8/11 (30). Both science sections are about where I was with my practice AAMC's, and verbal was usually a 6-7 but did score an 8 once. Just being optimistic and if I need to retake....oh well.

EDIT: Then again there is a worst case scenario for me as well...8/6/8 (22). WHO KNOWS...can it be june 12 already?
 
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I want the score I got on my first practice AAMC: 10/11/12. I don't think I can hope for more than a 10 on the PS. I've never managed higher than 11. Maybe I'll magically pull out a 15 on verbal to make up :)
 
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It's official... I have everything in except my personal statement and MCAT. I somehow have to cut 550 characters out of my personal statement, so not sure if June 5th will be possible. Might just turn the thing in on June 13th to all my schools.
 
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EnginrTheFuture said:
It's official... I have everything in except my personal statement and MCAT. I somehow have to cut 550 characters out of my personal statement, so not sure if June 5th will be possible. Might just turn the thing in on June 13th to all my schools.
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My PS was ripped apart and since then I've had no motivation to rework it. Bahh. 10 more days everyone.
 
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9 more days :scared:. I'm going to have a big problem if I have to retake because I'm pretty sure I already forgot everything! The whole thing feels like an eternity ago. Other than a transcript still lost in the mail, my app is almost done.
 
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anyone advise eliminating the space between the the period and the next sentence on the PS to get more space? thanks
 
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You definitely need at least one space. You do not have to and should not double space in your PS if you need the characters.
 
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Lol.Youshouldjustcutoutallofthespacessothatyouhavemoreroomtowriteexactlywhatyouwanttowrite.Ihighlysuggestthisasthereisnotreallyadifferenceinthewayitlooksanyways.
 
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Just submitted DO/MD apps.

Here's to hoping the scores we get in a week are good enough!

Does anyone else have a minimum score they've set before a retake?

For me, 27 and up and I'm good. Obviously, I'll be a little disappointed with anything lower than a 30, but 27 is my number. Avg was ~32
 
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KinesStudent said:
Just submitted DO/MD apps.

Here's to hoping the scores we get in a week are good enough!

Does anyone else have a minimum score they've set before a retake?

For me, 27 and up and I'm good. Obviously, I'll be a little disappointed with anything lower than a 30, but 27 is my number. Avg was ~32
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For me, anything 32 and below, I'll be probably keen for a retake. 33-34 I'll be iffy since I won't be applying this cycle and can just study my ass off over the summer. 35+ I'll be golden. I wish I didn't have such high expectations ... T.T

And one week ..... aghhhhhh ...
 
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One week until I learn whether I can celebrate, or if I'm putting off my application and spending all summer studying trig, classical mechanics, and electric circuits. In other words, precisely the skills I need to be a family med doc.
 
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ok, i'm def getting a bit excited for the score-1 week. I mean I'm looking to apply regardless of the situation, so it doesn't change much but it will be good to know.
 
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sakhiyat37 said:
Hahaha not in the least bit. It has been such a lovely MCAT break. Productive, too, because I just submitted my application for review. Can't believe how fast time flies! :eek:
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mad props. I'm still working on mine. I've about finished my PS statement and will start completely re-working my work & activities sections essays. Nothing to keep one's mind off the score like finishing Amcas...
 
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I just wanted to throw my name in this thread. I took this MCAT as well and have been following for a while. All my apps are as ready as they are going to be and I am losing my mind waiting for this score. It seems like compared to the 4/28 test we had a much smaller turn out. Oh well good luck to everyone!
 
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I think I might have a heart attack even before Tuesday, lol. Anyone else keeps thinking about the mistakes made on the exam and thinks that even the curve won't help?... Im just afraid that I'll get below my aamc average... :(
 
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I don't remember any mistakes but like 2, not because I felt confident during the exam but because everything's a blur now. Makes me very nervous.
 
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Good luck 5/12!!! Just a few more days left before you know if you'll be saving lives or cleaning bathrooms. :)

-a 5/31er
 
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i ain't gonna lie--i barely thought about the mcat since last month. But now that's it's so close (4 days!) it's a recurring thought. I've never hoped for a weekend to pass so quickly lol..
 
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I used to find it strange when I see people posting about repeated MCAT nightmares. Now that score release is drawing near, I had MCAT nightmares 2 nights in a row!

I'm both anticipating and dreading it...it's going to be absolutely nerve-wrecking when I get ready to click login to check my score!!!!!
 
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The last few days are tough....the morning of is awful....and the 2-3pm EST is flat out torture.

Then the bubble bursts.

Don't forget...the average SDN score is about a ("disappointing") 36.5.

Good luck.
 
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Haven't been on much. Took whichever version had the 'easy' physics section (I knock on wood for that; physics is my absolute worst subject) and the 'ohmigod wtf IS this BS?!?!' biology section (if you took it, you all know that one experimental passage that was just...oh.my.god.what.the.heck). Verbal was about average I feel like.

Score release is going to be painful for me. I'm an ROTC student, so I have to report for summer training Monday by noon. They take my phone and all electronics away within the first few days (usually day two). I'm like 'you can't, you can't, you can't nooooooo....' I want to hide a pay-by-the-minute phone in a pair of socks. XD

90 more hours...
 
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I still don't know how many different versions of exams there were on may 12. I thought everyone takes the same exam on a given day?

Btw, is it still possible to get 15 on PS with 1 question wrong? Aamc curves pretty much all said 52/52 for a 15...

And I know I already got 4 wrong, 3 unsure and many blur on BS... Just hope for a 12. And verbal... Well anywhere from a 6 to a 12? VR is just VR...
 
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