The Official 5/26/11 MCAT Club!

[thomasfx10]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to start the "Official" 5/26/11 MCAT Club. I saw an early post over a month ago, but it did not say official and has appeared to have died.

So here we go ....

It is just about three months out from the MCAT. How many hours are people putting in? Anyone taking the Kaplan course or SN2ed's 3 Month Study?

I started with the Kaplan class room course and have mixed feeling about it.

The Good: Free access to all the AAMC exams and Kaplan's full length. They have great website for quizes, exam stats ... it also helps me stay focused. They show some tips and hints but I have found that on this site too ...

The Bad: Cost ($1699). When in class, the teacher slams through everything so quick. Not really anytime for questions ... I think I study better on my own, at my pace.

This brings me to SN2ed's 3 month study guide. (Check out the sticky link for more info). I ordered the books from BR (Plan two weeks, they have an archaic ordering system - mail in forms) ... Anyway, that should be in Tuesday. I plan on doing both ... the Kaplan class, and the 3 month study ... I will let you all know how it goes ...

P.S. I do have a long way to go ... I got a 16 on the Kaplan Diagnostic. Which I heard is much harder than the real one, however that is still at least 15 points under what I want to be at ...

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[ridethecliche]

10/10/10-aamc 3

Well done!

I'm testing on the 20th. Just took AAMC 5 and got a 31. I actually had a 30, but one of my clicks in PS didn't register. I had the answer circled in my scrap paper so I clicked it in and got a 10/11/10.

nah AAMC only, I think there are only so many practice tests you can take before you hit a diminishing return IMO

I think this is true to a point. However, you have to learn to take the tests. It takes some people more time than others. I'm still not where I want to be because I misread questions, misread answer choices, and that kind of stuff.

I looked over my exam yesterday and realized that I would have scored 2 pts higher in PS and 1 pt higher in BS had I just read the questions and answer choices more carefully.

I mixed up things like translation/transcription, RNA/DNA, etc. Clearly, I know what those are (biochem major) but when I'm speedreading and only look at parts of the answers then it's easy to miss that.

I think at a certain point, you know what you know, and your time is better spent trying to minimize errors than it is to stuff more content in close to your exams because then you risk forgetting what you know well and the burnout.

Also, I like taking the exams too. It's actually fun for me

 

[ridethecliche]

Anybody else feel like they've had enough of studying at this point? I've been prepping for about three months now and I want to get this damn thing out of my mind haha. Been at it while taking 16 cred/hours, research, and volunteering and trying to fit in 4 hours of studying a day. Can't wait to have somewhat of a life back after this exam!

If you've had enough of the studying, take the time to just practice.

I feel like it's less boring than content review and it's a good way to actually learn something!

You can do it. Managing burnout now is the most important thing you can do. Take a day off if you need, but DONT BURN OUT

 

[thomasfx10]

Guys I am switching clubs ... I rescheduled for June 16th ... I need more time and my classes are not allowing me the time that I need ... I just hope that it does not hinder me by applying late ... The MCAT scores will be released July 19th ...

I am jumping over to the Official MCAT 06/16/11 Club. Looks like most of you all are scoring well ... I would say Good Luck but I do not believe in Luck so Godspeed ...
Cheers!

 

[xlcooplx]

thanks man. i was signed up for 4/29 but decided i needed extra time so i signed up for 5/26 instead. i still don't feel like i'm where I need to be but i think i'm going to feel like that until i take the test regardless if i put it off another two weeks or not. with that said, i intend on starting my FLs thursday. i guess we'll see how it turns out.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

i really wanna push back since I havent studied in about 3wks and won't be able to until after finals next week, I got a 30 on AAMC 3....i'll take another as soon as finals are over and see how I do I guess

 

[WhatMD88]

Hey Guys,

I'm in the midst of finishing up the EK101s and I feel that the last 3-4 tests are much harder than first 10 sections. Did anyone feel that way too? Also, would the last 4 VR sections from EK101 match the difficulty (passage/questions) that I would expect on AAMC 8, 10, 11?

or maybe I'm just stressing too much on this exam. Damn you AAMC.

 

[xlcooplx]

eek! i've been considering moving my test date forward to june depending on how i scored on my AAMCs. i just took AAMC 4 and wow, i scored a 23! ROFL...i ended up scoring a 6/9/8. Normally the physical sciences are my best score. I am glad to see that my VR is improving (up from a 7). I just checked about moving my exam forward BUT the next test that I can get into is in July. I guess that I've REALLY gotta buckle down these next two and a half weeks and see if I can't improve some of my weaknesses. Funny thing is I took AAMC 3 almost a month ago when I was only half-way through with my content review and got a 8/8/8. I guess #4 just happens to contain more of my weaknesses in PS. Oh well, not stressing about it.

 

[Rose Croix]

Wow everyone's pushing back. I guess when scores come out I'll share them with....myself.


Good luck to those of you that are pushing the test back.

 

[scorpiobeauty6]

Good luck 2 everyone!

I just cancelled my registration...totally not ready But I will be the next go round

 

[raltima07]

Wow everyone's pushing back. I guess when scores come out I'll share them with....myself.


Good luck to those of you that are pushing the test back.

Nope I am here with you! How are you doing?

 

[MalibuPreMD]

I'm committed to the 26th. Just took AAMC #3 and got a 36! B14/P12/V10. Still have EK101 #'s 8,9,10,11,12,13 to make it through so verbal should go up as I build more stamina in the last few weeks.

This has been a looooooooooooong time coming. Scheduled first MCAT 2 years ago, watched friends matriculate, scheduled last summer (post graduation), watched those friends matriculate... Nothin' better than averaging 10 pages of BR a week and taking the class twice before taking the MCAT.

 

[blackandgold1]

im writing this date too! can i just express HOW MUCH i hate this test? like ALOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

 

[Big Papa Puff]

It seems that the exam taken today (5/6/11) was pretty easy. Lets hope for the same on the 26th. Is anybody else worried about the longer verbal passages (longer than those on the AAMCs)?

 

[raltima07]

It seems that the exam taken today (5/6/11) was pretty easy. Lets hope for the same on the 26th. Is anybody else worried about the longer verbal passages (longer than those on the AAMCs)?

I love verbal so not really lol

 

[light786]

It seems that the exam taken today (5/6/11) was pretty easy. Lets hope for the same on the 26th. Is anybody else worried about the longer verbal passages (longer than those on the AAMCs)?

i dont think it was easy but it was ok. i think for most people the ps seemed pretty good but the verbal and biological science were difficult sections. good luck to you all on 5/26! have alot of prayer and hard work!

 

[raltima07]

AAMC is in the books:

PS: 10 (really happy!)
VS: 11 (Ew, I had a headache)
BS: 11 (Very nice)

Total: 32 - I can live with that

 

[Big Papa Puff]

good job man! keep it up and your scores will go higher...which AAMC was it?

 

[raltima07]

good job man! Keep it up and your scores will go higher...which aamc was it?

aamc 5

 

[Glazebrook]

It seems that the exam taken today (5/6/11) was pretty easy. Lets hope for the same on the 26th. Is anybody else worried about the longer verbal passages (longer than those on the AAMCs)?

The Verbals were longer but not too much longer. Nothing to really worry about (given everything else you're probably worrying about already)

Still had 3 minutes to spare on this past Saturday's exam.

 

[cylondoctor]

1st post on SDN. Taking the exam on the 26th.

 

[sweetness34]

i was thinking about taking it in may 26th, but im probably thinking about changing it. it seems pretty close and i could use the extra time to study... anyone else thinking the same??

 

[sunlight22]

hows studying going for you all? down with school and am currently im signed for 5/26 but i think i could go for the june date too...

 

[zoner]

1st post on SDN. Taking the exam on the 26th.

i love your avatar

 

[light786]

my best advice to you all is that when you feel good like taking it, then take it. no matter when you take it, just feel like you are ready to take it. even if it means taking those extra weeks to study then do it. originally i was planning to take it in april, but i felt like i needed those extra weeks to study. so i rescheduled my exam in May. i felt with the extra study it really helped out alot with this exam. let me tell you that if you can use extra days to study then do it. dont rush in taking the exam, but be prepared with good study in doing really well. and with MCAT i really mean when i say expect some things unexpected for each section! good luck guys!

 

[xlcooplx]

i was thinking about taking it in may 26th, but im probably thinking about changing it. it seems pretty close and i could use the extra time to study... anyone else thinking the same??

i was intending on doing the same until i realized that the next available test date here was in July. I'm just going to take it and see where I stand. Worst that can happen is that I have to retake it. Oh well...

 

[cylondoctor]

my best advice to you all is that when you feel good like taking it, then take it. no matter when you take it, just feel like you are ready to take it. even if it means taking those extra weeks to study then do it. originally i was planning to take it in april, but i felt like i needed those extra weeks to study. so i rescheduled my exam in May. i felt with the extra study it really helped out alot with this exam. let me tell you that if you can use extra days to study then do it. dont rush in taking the exam, but be prepared with good study in doing really well. and with MCAT i really mean when i say expect some things unexpected for each section! good luck guys!

Question: so the days are winding down towards the 26th, at this point, when people say "study" do they mean hardcore review of material or practice problems? or both, with review on last few confusing concepts.

 

[sweetness34]

hmmm this is something to really think about.... i am surprised to see how booked it is. when are there going to be openings you think for jun??

 

[blazer123]

............

 

[WhatMD88]

AAMC 8: 13/9/12

-satisfied with my sciences scores; oddly enough, I changed the wrong answer to the right answer twice and I changed the right answer to wrong answer three times when reviewing. Too bad my verbal score isn't where I want it to be. I really want to postpone this exam, but I am already at a disadvantage with my scores being released at the end of June. Any thoughts?

Also, there is the verbal strategy where you do 6 passages and choose all Cs on the last one--giving more time to work on the first 6. Is that legit strategy or a foolish one?

 

[Big Papa Puff]

who else is going to play "call of duty" all day, the day before the MCAT?

 

[Big Papa Puff]

I had the same exact scores...damn verbal!!....I really don't think you should postpone. Whose are actually pretty good scores. also, i agree with what you said before, the last couple of EK 101's passages seemed harder....I am starting to burn out...can not study anymore!!!!

AAMC 8: 13/9/12

-satisfied with my sciences scores; oddly enough, I changed the wrong answer to the right answer twice and I changed the right answer to wrong answer three times when reviewing. Too bad my verbal score isn't where I want it to be. I really want to postpone this exam, but I am already at a disadvantage with my scores being released at the end of June. Any thoughts?

Also, there is the verbal strategy where you do 6 passages and choose all Cs on the last one--giving more time to work on the first 6. Is that legit strategy or a foolish one?

 

[cylondoctor]

who else is going to play "call of duty" all day, the day before the MCAT?

I plan on playing FIFA as FC Barcelona against the Chicago Fire on the easiest setting, then playing madden with Green Bay against Carolina on the easiest settings. Puts me into the winning attitude.

 

[WhatMD88]

I plan on playing FIFA as FC Barcelona against the Chicago Fire on the easiest setting, then playing madden with Green Bay against Carolina on the easiest settings. Puts me into the winning attitude.

Speaking for which, the showdown between ManU and Barcelona is two days after we take this exam.

 

[xlcooplx]

who else is going to play "call of duty" all day, the day before the MCAT?

not i! i have every intention of going to the river that day and kicking back.

 

[Big Papa Puff]

2 more weeks!!

 

[raltima07]

Aamc 7
ps: 10
vs: 10
bs: 11

 

[ridethecliche]

AAMC 8: 13/9/12

-satisfied with my sciences scores; oddly enough, I changed the wrong answer to the right answer twice and I changed the right answer to wrong answer three times when reviewing. Too bad my verbal score isn't where I want it to be. I really want to postpone this exam, but I am already at a disadvantage with my scores being released at the end of June. Any thoughts?

Also, there is the verbal strategy where you do 6 passages and choose all Cs on the last one--giving more time to work on the first 6. Is that legit strategy or a foolish one?

Good job on the science sections. I need to start getting my act together in PS. Ugh.

The VR strategy sounds pretty dumb. 8 mins a passage is pretty good. You can probably do the passages that have 5 questions a hair faster.

 

[Amrazzz]

Took AAMC7 today.

13PS, XVR, 13BS
Was so pissed I didn't finish verbal. I took the test in the library computer lab, where generally people mind their own business. But of all days, this idiot from my classes had to bother me 3 times when I was doing verbal which threw me completely of track leaving me raging! I ended up skipping VR ,reviewed the first 3 passages and did terrible hah.

I really hope the real MCAT sciences are as easy as this.

 

[Amrazzz]

2 more weeks!!

I want it over already. Seriously losing motivation lol.

 

[raltima07]

Took AAMC7 today.

13PS, XVR, 13BS
Was so pissed I didn't finish verbal. I took the test in the library computer lab, where generally people mind their own business. But of all days, this idiot from my classes had to bother me 3 times when I was doing verbal which threw me completely of track leaving me raging! I ended up skipping VR ,reviewed the first 3 passages and did terrible hah.

I really hope the real MCAT sciences are as easy as this.

I just took AAMC 7 Today too, and I didn't do too great on the science...

 

[ridethecliche]

Took AAMC7 today.

13PS, XVR, 13BS
Was so pissed I didn't finish verbal. I took the test in the library computer lab, where generally people mind their own business. But of all days, this idiot from my classes had to bother me 3 times when I was doing verbal which threw me completely of track leaving me raging! I ended up skipping VR ,reviewed the first 3 passages and did terrible hah.

I really hope the real MCAT sciences are as easy as this.

I just took AAMC 7 Today too, and I didn't do too great on the science...

Yeah, I've never seen numbers like that for the AAMC's yet. Oy.

 

[aburnet2]

I am about to take aamc 9 and see where I stand. Last two weeks have been pretty much all PS because I pretty much suck at physics and chem but I think I am coming around. I took TPR 9 last friday and got 8/8/8 which is pretty crappy but those are pretty damn detail oriented. Plus I would have gotten about 5-7 more right in PS and BS each if I had just read more carefully. But still, I picked the wrong ones for a reason so I guess I just need to keep trucking. Last aamc (#7) I took I got 8/8/11 which was about two and half weeks ago. Anyway here I go with aamc 9, so wish me luck!

 

[Amrazzz]

I am about to take aamc 9 and see where I stand. Last two weeks have been pretty much all PS because I pretty much suck at physics and chem but I think I am coming around. I took TPR 9 last friday and got 8/8/8 which is pretty crappy but those are pretty damn detail oriented. Plus I would have gotten about 5-7 more right in PS and BS each if I had just read more carefully. But still, I picked the wrong ones for a reason so I guess I just need to keep trucking. Last aamc (#7) I took I got 8/8/11 which was about two and half weeks ago. Anyway here I go with aamc 9, so wish me luck!

Good luck man! BTW I feel you on TPR, they're way harder! Don't get discouraged.

 

[WhatMD88]

Good luck man! BTW I feel you on TPR, they're way harder! Don't get discouraged.

I am losing motivation by the day when it comes to verbal. I took EK101 exam12 and scored a 7!! I was rendered speechless and kept thinking that either these last 4 EK101 exams are really hard/ambiguous or I;m losing my touch. But then I took a TPR verbal test today and scored a 10.

If I do terrible on verbal, I'm just going to tell the admissons committee: "Look guys, I'm sure being a doctor doesn't involve extracting inferences and assumptions from patients."

 

[Amrazzz]

I am losing motivation by the day when it comes to verbal. I took EK101 exam12 and scored a 7!! I was rendered speechless and kept thinking that either these last 4 EK101 exams are really hard/ambiguous or I;m losing my touch. But then I took a TPR verbal test today and scored a 10.

If I do terrible on verbal, I'm just going to tell the admissons committee: "Look guys, I'm sure being a doctor doesn't involve extracting inferences and assumptions from patients."

Bro, those last 4 101s really are tough. I was going from a solid 10 from 4-10, took 11 and went down 2 points, then I look at the AAMC FL passages and I feel a little better . At this point, I've come to the point where I cannot improve my verbal score so I'm just drilling down the sciences to maximize my score.

 

[cylondoctor]

I am losing motivation by the day when it comes to verbal. I took EK101 exam12 and scored a 7!! I was rendered speechless and kept thinking that either these last 4 EK101 exams are really hard/ambiguous or I;m losing my touch. But then I took a TPR verbal test today and scored a 10.

If I do terrible on verbal, I'm just going to tell the admissons committee: "Look guys, I'm sure being a doctor doesn't involve extracting inferences and assumptions from patients."

Lol, or what can the patient say that will weaken his argument about Ballets, Freud, or the Dada movement.

 

[blazer123]

.........

 

[WhatMD88]

Bro, those last 4 101s really are tough. I was going from a solid 10 from 4-10, took 11 and went down 2 points, then I look at the AAMC FL passages and I feel a little better . At this point, I've come to the point where I cannot improve my verbal score so I'm just drilling down the sciences to maximize my score.

I hear ya about the sciences. I plan on finish the TBR passages before Dday. I am saving CBT 10 and 11 for next week after I finish up my review. For verbal, I still have access to my kaplan account and been doing those extra help workshops in my spare time. Its kinda helping me out, but time consuming tho.



Blazer,

For me, I have about 10 or so minutes left after each science section and I use that time to go over the marked questions. I usually mark questions where I have the slightest doubt, even if I made an educated guess. So I end up with 7-10 questions where I look over them and I have caught silly mistakes before time expired--especially on questions that are passage related. Also, that pS was hard for me as well (especially that B1/B2/B3 magnetic field passage if you what I mean). Hope that helps.

 

[aburnet2]

THANK GOD!!!! that is all I have to say!!! I have been studying for the last 4-5 months and until today the highest I have gotten was a 27 on aamc 7. Just finished aamc 9 and got (PS 12/BS 11/ VR 9) 32C. You have no idea how relieved and completely stunned I am. PS has been a hugh struggle for me along with VR. But the verbal is verbal and practice is all that helps there but for the sciences it takes a good in depth understanding. For the last 4 months I have felt completely helpless in physics and chemistry. Phew finally got a score that shows some progress!!!!! All that being said, I am tremendously scared it was a fluke since I marked 13 out of 52 in PS because I was unsure of the answer. I felt like I got killed in that section and still feel like i did not know as much as I should. I am going to hammer the books and take four more aamc until D-day. I cannot start going back down now so its hammer time lol! Anybody else feel like it might have just been good guessing as opposed to actual knowledge-based answers after a section?

 

[xlcooplx]

Lets hope for your sake that it wasn't a fluke!

They are adding a new information commons directly infront of the library at school. All I heard ALL day was them busting concrete out front with a back-hoe. It definitely is not conducive to a good study environment. Oh well, I'm hoping that it will only help me focus better on the day of the test.

With that said, I took AAMC 5 today. Got a 7/10/8 on it. I'm okay with my VR score but I'm not making much progress with PS and BS. I really need to buckle down these next two weeks and see if I can't pull up my sciences. Its weird bc I truly thought that VR was going to be my weakness but its what I have done best with. If the Bio sections of the new exam are more VR-like, maybe I have some hope...haha!