The Official 5/31/12

[nontrad777]

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[ddc150]

Hang in there kasho.. you did more practice tests than me and spread out the pacing and studying.. I think I overstudied towards the end and gave me test anxiety for some of the passages. Alot of the gchem were usually my strengths but the fact that I focused so much on my weaknesses made me second guess my competency in alot of "pre studying strengths"

Additionally, seems like you are strong in verbal man. I'm sure you'll break 36 easy man

 

[kasho11]

Thanks I appreciate it - this is the only real place I can actually vent about how I feel but I need to stop worrying for now. I don't want to come off as a douche either, I am just very genuinely nervous.

I felt relatively weak in everything so I made a point to constantly go over all the material. Except for optics where I was very weak and had to learn everything from scratch. Did you feel more nervous about PS than BS because of the gen chem?

 

[catzzz88]

“I used to rush into strange dreams at night: dreams many-coloured, agitated, full of the ideal, the stirring, the stormy--dreams where, amidst unusual scenes, charged with adventure, with agitating risk and chance, I still again and again sat for the MCAT, always at some exciting crisis; and then the sense of being at the test center, seeing the timer count endlessly downward, meeting the eyes of other test takers, our fates sealed, equations, solutions, unbearable problems--the fear of failing would be renewed, with all its first force and fire. Then I awoke. Then I recalled where I was, and how situated. Then I rose up on my curtainless bed, trembling and quivering; and then the still, dark night witnessed the convulsion of despair, and heard the burst of passion.” ​

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (tweaked a bit)

Has this been happening to anyone else lately? It seems every night I feel this way. Literally.
​

 

[kasho11]

I thankfully haven't had an mcat dream yet but I keep having distinct flashbacks to questions and knowing that I marked down the wrong answer. For BS I'm pretty sure of 3 I got wrong, 1 I knew but I don't think I marked down correctly for some reason. Riding shotgun on the struggle bus.

 

[Dex87]

[comment removed by user]

 

[mybubbles627]

Personally I wasn't a fan of any of the sections. Maybe cause I'm only remember the hard stuff and forgetting the easy stuff but I am very nervous for scores to come out. Has anyone ever heard of AMCAS releasing scores LATER than the "tentative release date"? I don't get why it takes them over a month to get the scores back. Seems way too long to me.

 

[scruffy821]

Hey all, I'm a 4/28 test taker that's just popping in to say don't stress too much about your exam!

I honestly left the testing center thinking that I had FLUNKED it (I guessed on so much more than usual), freaked out all month, and ended up with a 34R, higher than I had ever done on a practice exam! Honestly, most of you probably did just fine, and even if you didn't, it won't be the end of the world. Plenty of my friends have retaken the exam and done great the second time. Don't lose hope, and good luck!

 

[catzzz88]

Hey all, I'm a 4/28 test taker that's just popping in to say don't stress too much about your exam!

I honestly left the testing center thinking that I had FLUNKED it (I guessed on so much more than usual), freaked out all month, and ended up with a 34R, higher than I had ever done on a practice exam! Honestly, most of you probably did just fine, and even if you didn't, it won't be the end of the world. Plenty of my friends have retaken the exam and done great the second time. Don't lose hope, and good luck!

THANKS! Reassuring... I am sure that we will all either do well or retake. No harm in either...

Best,
C

 

[ddc150]

Hey all, I'm a 4/28 test taker that's just popping in to say don't stress too much about your exam!

I honestly left the testing center thinking that I had FLUNKED it (I guessed on so much more than usual), freaked out all month, and ended up with a 34R, higher than I had ever done on a practice exam! Honestly, most of you probably did just fine, and even if you didn't, it won't be the end of the world. Plenty of my friends have retaken the exam and done great the second time. Don't lose hope, and good luck!

Yea thanks for the encouragement.. I definitely guessed more than usual. I wonder and worry sometimes that my test day pressure/performance anxiety affects only me or me more than everyone else.. lol..but I'm sure everyone's test day performance reflects how much they care about the test. I genuinely believe the people who destroy the mcat are the ones who adequately study for it, but don't care really care that much about the test..lol..

I went into it wishing for a hard test, because it separates the people who actually prepared for it more. Just hard to ascertain with aamc's curve vs kaplan's, etc. That being said, I know some people were saying that they have experimental passages that aren't scored in your grade but just to guage for future test takers. I'm starting to believe there is truth to that, but depending on how some questions are worded ( ambiguous and/or very difficult) that depending on the number of how many people perform on them, is a matter of whether itll be deemed experimental.. idk.. maybe im just overanalyzing haha.

I remember on the aamc 11, on the bio could miss 4 and get a 14. Well, I know i missed prolly atleast that many lol.

kasho, I honestly don't know if I performed better on ps or bs. I marked more on bio, but in my practice tests and with this pharm program I've always kinda done well in the bio sections 13-14 usually..but with the kaplan prep i felt like my PS started to become a strong point.. I just hope they throw out / don't score 3 or 4 q's for each one.. lol

 

[kasho11]

Yea thanks for the encouragement.. I definitely guessed more than usual. I wonder and worry sometimes that my test day pressure/performance anxiety affects only me or me more than everyone else.. lol..but I'm sure everyone's test day performance reflects how much they care about the test. I genuinely believe the people who destroy the mcat are the ones who adequately study for it, but don't care really care that much about the test..lol..

I went into it wishing for a hard test, because it separates the people who actually prepared for it more. Just hard to ascertain with aamc's curve vs kaplan's, etc. That being said, I know some people were saying that they have experimental passages that aren't scored in your grade but just to guage for future test takers. I'm starting to believe there is truth to that, but depending on how some questions are worded ( ambiguous and/or very difficult) that depending on the number of how many people perform on them, is a matter of whether itll be deemed experimental.. idk.. maybe im just overanalyzing haha.

I remember on the aamc 11, on the bio could miss 4 and get a 14. Well, I know i missed prolly atleast that many lol.

kasho, I honestly don't know if I performed better on ps or bs. I marked more on bio, but in my practice tests and with this pharm program I've always kinda done well in the bio sections 13-14 usually..but with the kaplan prep i felt like my PS started to become a strong point.. I just hope they throw out / don't score 3 or 4 q's for each one.. lol

Yeah for sure, I just hope they don't throw out the questions that I guessed right on

I think I'm a pretty good standardized test taker but I felt really nervous taking this test. It did get better once I started but the pressure and anxiety was there the whole time, probably because I've been studying for like 7-8 months and it has been built up so much for me. I feel like I missed several of the discrete ones and got a good amount of the experimental passages correct. Except for dog - I'm starting to second guess that one a lot.

Anyways thanks for the encouragement scruffy, glad to hear you did so well! Hopefully we can all be like you in 28 days BUT WHO'S COUNTING RIGHT?!? (awkward nervous laugh)

 

[jerg]

I had a dream the day after our MCAT, actually.

In the dream I opened an envelope containing the score (yeah, lol), and got a 35! I was ecstatic, but then I did a double-take and the score changed to 25. I don't remember what happened after but I woke up feeling like crap.

 

[AllDay24]

“I used to rush into strange dreams at night: dreams many-coloured, agitated, full of the ideal, the stirring, the stormy--dreams where, amidst unusual scenes, charged with adventure, with agitating risk and chance, I still again and again sat for the MCAT, always at some exciting crisis; and then the sense of being at the test center, seeing the timer count endlessly downward, meeting the eyes of other test takers, our fates sealed, equations, solutions, unbearable problems--the fear of failing would be renewed, with all its first force and fire. Then I awoke. Then I recalled where I was, and how situated. Then I rose up on my curtainless bed, trembling and quivering; and then the still, dark night witnessed the convulsion of despair, and heard the burst of passion.” ​

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (tweaked a bit)

Has this been happening to anyone else lately? It seems every night I feel this way. Literally.
​

lol wasn't this author and character the subject of an AAMC VR passage?

 

[kasho11]

I want to say it was aamc 9? And that dream is funny but sad jerg

 

[catzzz88]

lol wasn't this author and character the subject of an AAMC VR passage?

Hm didn't know that. I only took 6 or 7 of the AAMC tests.

Must've missed that one.

 

[catzzz88]

"Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt? May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to get your MCAT score back!"-Another Jane Eyre quote

Any other good quotes?

<3
C

 

[catzzz88]

"There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the studying I have done and my utter indifference toward the MCAT have now surpassed. My pain now is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a poor score for anyone, in fact I don't want a bad MCAT score to be inflicted on others. I want every one to escape..." -Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho

 

[Fed]

Hey all, new here. Took the 5/31 MCAT. Here's my take.

PS: Seemed like it went okay. It wasn't easy, of course--it is the MCAT, after all. The passage with the dude on the thing was kind of hard. I think this section went "well" overall. My prediction: 3.

VR: I usually dominate VR. I got a 12 on the last AAMC I took. I did seven of the EK 101s and averaged a 10.5 (one 9, a few 10s and 11s each, and one 12). But this section was hard. I understood every passage but I just wasn't able to really get inside the author's head. I got it, but I didn't get it. Oh well. My prediction: 2.

WS: I tend to write short-ish essays. I was able to throw in a few words like "dearth" so hopefully that helps. My prediction: K.

BS: Ugh. There was that passage, of course (I ran out of time and guessed on every single one!). And then there was the other one with the animal. Poor little guy. The remainder of the passages seemed okay. There were a few discretes that were awfully specific and definitional. My prediction: 3.

Composite prediction: 8K

 

[NewYorker9]

I didn't sleep well the days leading up to the test and got a full 8 hours the night before but wasn't "rested" if that makes sense. Right after the test I felt like crap and that I had scored lower than my practices, but now that it's been a few days I can look back and realize my experience on test day wasn't any different than on the practice except that it was the real thing, artificially making it seem different.

My advice to anyone who hasn't taken it yet is that on test day just stick to your training, knowing that if you panic and stop focusing on it your preparation was for nothing.

I finally felt like I had recovered from my MCAT experience and then when I opened this thread all the negative feelings came flooding back. It's fair to say I'm done looking at this part of SDN, good luck to everyone with your scores and applying this cycle!

 

[NewYorker9]

I caved because I have one last question and then I'm done with the MCAT thread until I get my score . . . I thought that the conversion scale from raw to 1-15 was predetermined? Or is it based upon the performace of everyone who took the exam that day? Thanks!

 

[Icy Snow]

I caved because I have one last question and then I'm done with the MCAT thread until I get my score . . . I thought that the conversion scale from raw to 1-15 was predetermined? Or is it based upon the performace of everyone who took the exam that day? Thanks!

From my understanding, the scaled scores are predetermined before anyone takes it. But then again, if everyone believes it was a hard test, then possibly the scaled score will be a little bit more generous.

 

[Raisins4Sunday]

I caved because I have one last question and then I'm done with the MCAT thread until I get my score . . . I thought that the conversion scale from raw to 1-15 was predetermined? Or is it based upon the performace of everyone who took the exam that day? Thanks!

There is no way that they are pre-determined, especially considering the experimentals, which aren't quality-controlled like the rest of the exam (and therefore can be very different from test to test, causing us to waste our time/pull our hair out during the exam). If the test turns out to be easier or harder than AAMC wants, then they will make the curve less or more forgiving.

In other words, they will aim to replicate this curve for every test:
https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85332/data/combined08.pdf

So don't worry guys!

 

[kasho11]

I finally felt like I had recovered from my MCAT experience and then when I opened this thread all the negative feelings came flooding back. It's fair to say I'm done looking at this part of SDN, good luck to everyone with your scores and applying this cycle!

I agree in a way but I feel like this is a great outlet to release those negative feelings. Almost everyone who has scored well says they felt awful afterwards. For me I feel like it's up in the air and like scruffy said, worst case scenario you just retake it, it's not the end of the world by a longshot.

 

[ddc150]

I agree in a way but I feel like this is a great outlet to release those negative feelings. Almost everyone who has scored well says they felt awful afterwards. For me I feel like it's up in the air and like scruffy said, worst case scenario you just retake it, it's not the end of the world by a longshot.

Word. Last time I took mcat was in 2006 (paper version.. yea im old lol) so all my scores expired. Main thing is that I do better (got a 31 O 6 yrs ago) and I definitely think I prepared more than the last time I took it.

I agree, I enjoy this outlet. It's like a band of brothers of mcat o' 5/31.. lol. I hope everyone does well. Now, gotta work on my thesis..sigh.. (not as fun as venting about mcat)

 

[AllDay24]

I agree in a way but I feel like this is a great outlet to release those negative feelings. Almost everyone who has scored well says they felt awful afterwards. For me I feel like it's up in the air and like scruffy said, worst case scenario you just retake it, it's not the end of the world by a longshot.

This thread has definitely only helped me. I feel much better about my test that since I got out of the testing room. I've realized that my minimum score that I could have gotten on this test is still decent enough that I don't have to retake. And the max score I could get...well, that would be amazing.

Retaking for me would have been very inconvenient since my whole summer was based on completely finishing the MCAT in May, because I need to be working this summer. Otherwise, retaking wouldn't be a big deal, and it shouldn't be for you guys. I actually took the test last September for fun and voided it, so I've seen that taking the actual test once really helps the second time around.

 

[Raisins4Sunday]

I also share your feelings about this. Although I only just made an account, I was lurking over the past few days and value the companionship. Haha.

On a side note, I have been curious about something and wanted some input. By the way, AAMC does not forbid us to discuss the generalities that follow:

Here is my argument:
If
1. All non-experimental questions have been field tested before.
and If
2. Questions are used a maximum of twice. That is, they retire after one use as non-experimentals.
Then
3. For AAMC to not run out of questions, every test day must field a number of experimental questions that equals (or is greater than) the number of real questions.
My hypothesis:
4. It isn't likely that every test is going to have 50% experimental and 50% real questions, so the only option for the test makers is to make multiple tests that each contain a different subset of experimental questions.

Mathematically:
NE=R
Where N=number of unique tests
R=number of real questions per test
E=number of experimental questions per test

And finally, since E+R=144, then:
144/(N+1)=E

Now, for the test to be absolutely fair, AAMC must set curves individually for each of the N tests. Otherwise, it would hurt the few unlucky test-takers who are stuck with the toughest E experimental questions. This puts an upper limit on N (ie. a lower limit on E) because AAMC would want large sample sizes for each test in order to have statistical validity. There must also be a lower limit on N (which is equivalent to an upper limit on E) because the test must still have enough real questions to differentiate between the good and bad test-takers.

In reality though, NE must be greater than R because some experimentals are presumably thrown out. This changes the equations a bit, but I thought it would make it needlessly confusing.

Is it reasonably to think that E must be greater than 144/(N+1)? Haha, does this interest anybody beside me?

 

[tvigneau]

Are you a quant if there ever was one! After 3 read throughs, I understand what you are saying. If it is true that every passage / question appears at birth as an experimental and expires after it's realistic appearance, then yes it would seem more likely that there are exams with different experimentals on one day, than having 50% on one exam day be experimental. Anecdotally, though, nobody here seems to be discussing any unheard of or exotic passages, no?

 

[ddc150]

I also share your feelings about this. Although I only just made an account, I was lurking over the past few days and value the companionship. Haha.

On a side note, I have been curious about something and wanted some input. By the way, AAMC does not forbid us to discuss the generalities that follow:

Here is my argument:
If
1. All non-experimental questions have been field tested before.
and If
2. Questions are used a maximum of twice. That is, they retire after one use as non-experimentals.
Then
3. For AAMC to not run out of questions, every test day must field a number of experimental questions that equals (or is greater than) the number of real questions.
My hypothesis:
4. It isn't likely that every test is going to have 50% experimental and 50% real questions, so the only option for the test makers is to make multiple tests that each contain a different subset of experimental questions.

Mathematically:
NE=R
Where N=number of unique tests
R=number of real questions per test
E=number of experimental questions per test

And finally, since E+R=144, then:
144/(N+1)=E

Now, for the test to be absolutely fair, AAMC must set curves individually for each of the N tests. Otherwise, it would hurt the few unlucky test-takers who are stuck with the toughest E experimental questions. This puts an upper limit on N (ie. a lower limit on E) because AAMC would want large sample sizes for each test in order to have statistical validity. There must also be a lower limit on N (which is equivalent to an upper limit on E) because the test must still have enough real questions to differentiate between the good and bad test-takers.

In reality though, NE must be greater than R because some experimentals are presumably thrown out. This changes the equations a bit, but I thought it would make it needlessly confusing.

Is it reasonably to think that E must be greater than 144/(N+1)? Haha, does this interest anybody beside me?

I dig it Raisins. In my books, you are top 1%

 

[catzzz88]

Are you a quant if there ever was one! After 3 read throughs, I understand what you are saying. If it is true that every passage / question appears at birth as an experimental and expires after it's realistic appearance, then yes it would seem more likely that there are exams with different experimentals on one day, than having 50% on one exam day be experimental. Anecdotally, though, nobody here seems to be discussing any unheard of or exotic passages, no?

Or the experimental are not part of our grade... They had that for the SAT two too.

 

[kasho11]

I think there are probably 5 or less experimental questions on each section. I think questions get recycled for a long time, even if they don't show up that often. For example on this test I felt like several questions could have shown up on AAMC 3 or an even older test. In order to accurately grade the test takers and separate them on a 3-45 scale, there needs to be a significant amount of questions to do that. I highly doubt there are more than 10-15 experimentals total. More likely one passage in its entirety and some discretes, or several questions from multiple passages are experimental.

However they do it, I just hope we have a good curve, like 50-52 15, 46-49 14... a boy can dream

 

[Fed]

I think there are probably 5 or less experimental questions on each section. I think questions get recycled for a long time, even if they don't show up that often. For example on this test I felt like several questions could have shown up on AAMC 3 or an even older test. In order to accurately grade the test takers and separate them on a 3-45 scale, there needs to be a significant amount of questions to do that. I highly doubt there are more than 10-15 experimentals total. More likely one passage in its entirety and some discretes, or several questions from multiple passages are experimental.

However they do it, I just hope we have a good curve, like 50-52 15, 46-49 14... a boy can dream

Lol we can only hope. But I just took AAMC3 and I didn't recognize any questions from that test on the real thing. They even could have retained the problems and swapped numbers, but I don't think they did that.

Idk I just hope I break 10. We'll see.

 

[kasho11]

You'll break 20. When I meant I felt like questions could be on AAMC 3 I meant that they seemed like similar questions with similar difficulty level, which seems to me that some of the questions could have been used years ago and are still in circulation in the actual MCAT exams.

 

[Icy Snow]

You'll break 20. When I meant I felt like questions could be on AAMC 3 I meant that they seemed like similar questions with similar difficulty level, which seems to me that some of the questions could have been used years ago and are still in circulation in the actual MCAT exams.

I'd agree with this. Some of the questions on the PS section were very simple like AAMC 3 was.

 

[Fed]

I also wonder how the 5/31 folks stack up against other takers? I'm trying to put together a profile of people who would take it on 5/31.

1. Pretty smart, so didn't need much prep time after the semester ended. But, not smart enough to take it during the semester.

2. Not that smart but an overachiever. Couldn't take it during the semester but still wanted to apply relatively early in the cycle.

Any other ideas?

Oh, and I ask because if most of the 5/31 takers are geniuses, the "curve" might be messed up. Also, it looks like this is one of the less popular test dates, so there won't be as many scores to achieve a normal distribution. Oh well.

 

[kasho11]

Haha I tried to think along those lines too, though I didn't plan my date around it. I was thinking that most people wouldn't be able to focus on mcat studying as intensely if they were taking it in the summer or something so maybe the curve from last year around the same time will be more forgiving, though I doubt on the whole it affects that significantly.


I am an exception, because all I did this semester was study for the mcat and take 3 classes. Those 3 classes probably took up a total of less than 100 hours of my time this semester - including going to class. Every time I went to the library, which was most days, it was to study for the MCAT. But I am a post-bac so probably not the norm.

 

[Raisins4Sunday]

Much appreciated, ddc.

Are you a quant if there ever was one! After 3 read throughs, I understand what you are saying. If it is true that every passage / question appears at birth as an experimental and expires after it's realistic appearance, then yes it would seem more likely that there are exams with different experimentals on one day, than having 50% on one exam day be experimental. Anecdotally, though, nobody here seems to be discussing any unheard of or exotic passages, no?

Hah yep, that's a much more concise explanation. That's the feeling I got too; I can recall all the passages hinted at so far. There are probably just a few experimental discreets, but the passages? Who knows. It could be something like Kasho said w/ recycling questions. Anyway, it's fun to think about.

 

[ddc150]

Much appreciated, ddc.



Hah yep, that's a much more concise explanation. That's the feeling I got too; I can recall all the passages hinted at so far. There are probably just a few experimental discreets, but the passages? Who knows. It could be something like Kasho said w/ recycling questions. Anyway, it's fun to think about.

Lol yea it is. It's encouraging and affirming, even if it shouldn't be

Kasho, I'm hoping for a curve like you described. That would be so awesome. From polls from other threads, it seems like there is a 1/3 chance that you'll get around your average score (+,- 1) and another 1/3 chance you'll get 2+ more on your score from average. 1/3 chance that you'll get 2+ points lower. So I guess I have a 2/3 chance of getting a favorable score.. lol. but then again there were alot of peeps who did alot better on the real thing.. hope im one of those cats

 

[qwerty2012]

Off topic. Did anyone happens to notice that May 31 Mcat has the least amount of posts so far? It looks like most people didn't take on this date, I wonder how the curve will look like.

 

[kasho11]

Off topic. Did anyone happens to notice that May 31 Mcat has the least amount of posts so far? It looks like most people ON SDN didn't take on this date, I wonder how the curve will look like.

Fixed that for you. Yes I was disappointed with the amount of people here taking the 5/31 test, it would have been nice to discuss it with more people. Perhaps overall there are less people taking it on 5/31 but I doubt it is significant.


MCAT dream #2 last night, nothing about my score just that I was planning a retake... foreboding...

 

[AllDay24]

Fixed that for you. Yes I was disappointed with the amount of people here taking the 5/31 test, it would have been nice to discuss it with more people. Perhaps overall there are less people taking it on 5/31 but I doubt it is significant.


MCAT dream #2 last night, nothing about my score just that I was planning a retake... foreboding...

I'll take the slightly more generous curve that comes with fewer SDN overachievers taking the test.

 

[Fed]

I'll take the slightly more generous curve that comes with fewer SDN overachievers taking the test.

AGREED. The more non-gunners, the better.

 

[jerg]

I'll take the slightly more generous curve that comes with fewer SDN overachievers taking the test.

Tou-frickin'-ché.

 

[kasho11]

I've been pretty chill so far (relative to how crazy I have been while studying for the mcat) about waiting for scores... had a 4 second panic attack just now thinking about 'em. I need to stop putting so much emphasis on the numbers I think, 37 would be below my average and I would not be happy with it... but I should be.

Again I promise I am not trying to be a douche, feel good knowing my UG gap is barely 3.0, which is why I want a really high mcat, but 38 seems to be my minimum threshold for "happy", whereas if I get 35-37 I wouldn't be happy, but I also wouldn't be able to retake a score like that. 35 maybe but retaking a 36 or 37 does not seem worth it or advisable.

A 33 I would honestly be happy with because I could retake. I apologize if I sound crazy, I am. Or maybe my mindset is severely skewed because of how many times I have read the MCAT 30+ Habits thread and seen all the people with 40's and 39's and think I want that score.

 

[qwerty2012]

Fixed that for you. Yes I was disappointed with the amount of people here taking the 5/31 test, it would have been nice to discuss it with more people. Perhaps overall there are less people taking it on 5/31 but I doubt it is significant.


MCAT dream #2 last night, nothing about my score just that I was planning a retake... foreboding...

Yea, it seems more ppl took it on the 24th. Never gotten mcat dream before, I've forgotten most of my burden after the exam and ended up wasting 1 week doing nothing..I should've started writing my project that is due. Lol.

 

[ddc150]

I've been pretty chill so far (relative to how crazy I have been while studying for the mcat) about waiting for scores... had a 4 second panic attack just now thinking about 'em. I need to stop putting so much emphasis on the numbers I think, 37 would be below my average and I would not be happy with it... but I should be.

Again I promise I am not trying to be a douche, feel good knowing my UG gap is barely 3.0, which is why I want a really high mcat, but 38 seems to be my minimum threshold for "happy", whereas if I get 35-37 I wouldn't be happy, but I also wouldn't be able to retake a score like that. 35 maybe but retaking a 36 or 37 does not seem worth it or advisable.

A 33 I would honestly be happy with because I could retake. I apologize if I sound crazy, I am. Or maybe my mindset is severely skewed because of how many times I have read the MCAT 30+ Habits thread and seen all the people with 40's and 39's and think I want that score.

I can relate Kasho. I have a 3.2 college gpa and am in an smp for a ms in pharmacology.. Got a 3.84 last semester ( only A in program for med pharm) but my grades are gonna slip this sem to about a 3.6 with all the mcat studying I prioritized. All my coursework ( grad and undergrad) should bring my gpa up to a 3.4, thing is, most adcom's only focus on undergrad gpa with the mcat to ascertain a lizzy score and screen the initial gatekeeping.

My average wasnt as good as yours ( I struggle with verbal and making dumb mistakes), but also reading the 30+ thread I feel like I have the opportunity to make 3+ above my average.. that would be awesome. If not, I'll take what I can get and be thankful. Guess no matter how hard I study, not everyone is 40 worthy.

 

[jerg]

Did you guys with relatively low GPAs take hard (honours perhaps?) majors? If you have the capability to get >35 MCAT scores then it shouldn't make sense for you not to have 3.8+ cGPA unless you really had it rough over the last 3 or 4 years of UG.

I mean, I'm biochem major, been procrastinating more than I could care to admit, but my cGPA is still sitting around 3.85. Not great (some peers have 3.95+ GPAs in my major) but not disappointing either.

I have no clue as to how different / more difficult Grad is compared to UG though, so perhaps that plays a role here.

 

[ddc150]

Did you guys with relatively low GPAs take hard (honours perhaps?) majors? If you have the capability to get >35 MCAT scores then it shouldn't make sense for you not to have 3.8+ cGPA unless you really had it rough over the last 3 or 4 years of UG.

I mean, I'm biochem major, been procrastinating more than I could care to admit, but my cGPA is still sitting around 3.85. Not great (some peers have 3.95+ GPAs in my major) but not disappointing either.

I have no clue as to how different / more difficult Grad is compared to UG though, so perhaps that plays a role here.

I was biochem at penn state, and thought it was quite difficult, although I could have worked harder. I still busted for the 3.2, relatively speaking. I guess its different at different schools, our curriculum required us to take 2 semesters of physical chemistry ( which I made a b- and c ), alot of physics, etc. So I'm hoping this smp and a good mcat score clearly demonstrates competency and drive.

That brings an interesting point, who knows how hard/challenging a specific major would be at this school vs that school. All I know is most of my peers in bmb that got above a 3.6 easily got into good medical schools... 3.2 allows me to be hopeful, God willing..

 

[NewYorker9]

Haha I tried to think along those lines too, though I didn't plan my date around it. I was thinking that most people wouldn't be able to focus on mcat studying as intensely if they were taking it in the summer or something so maybe the curve from last year around the same time will be more forgiving, though I doubt on the whole it affects that significantly.


I am an exception, because all I did this semester was study for the mcat and take 3 classes. Those 3 classes probably took up a total of less than 100 hours of my time this semester - including going to class. Every time I went to the library, which was most days, it was to study for the MCAT. But I am a post-bac so probably not the norm.

I did something similar to that, converted almost all of my spare time into designated MCAT studying. Then I took it the 31st so I would have a few weeks once the semester ended to really polish up my score.

 

[kasho11]

Newyorker I actually would have preferred to take it the 24th just so I could get it over with, I regretted changing it to the 31st.

I had other stuff going on during undergrad but the main issue was I really didn't care. I wasn't pre-med and no one was breathing down my neck telling me to get A's so I didn't try to get them. So I did have a lot of other stuff going on but I also wasn't trying, hopefully adcom's will appreciate my honesty and see everything I've done post-bac and know that I can do well in terms of academics.

 

[BYU2010]

I'be been lurking on this thread for awhile and thought I would add my two cents.

This was a retake (9/2010) and so I found myself having to re-learn a lot of the concepts. I used TBR for my PS and OChem review, and TPR for BIO. I did all of the AAMC and Kaplan practice tests, as well a few Gold Standard and TPR tests.So you know where I am coming from, I averaged around a 37-38 on practice tests

PS: Overall it seemed about what I was used too. I finished about 20 minutes early, and had plenty of time to go over a couple of difficult passages. One discreet and one random passage question that required complete outside knowledge threw me off a little bit.

VR: Honestly seemed like one of the easier VR tests I've taken. I feel really lucky because the more difficult passages were topics that I am oddly really familiar with. On my first test I got an 11 and I've averaged around 11-14 on practice tests.

BS: Definitely the hardest section for me. Nothing in particular seemed difficult, but overall there were some difficult questions. I finished this section with about 15 minutes left ( a little less than my average) and got bogged down going over a couple of passages.

I walked out feeling pretty good about the test, but that could just be the happiness of being finished

 

[kasho11]

Ugh thinking back to PS and I feel like I messed up some more discretes...


25 days starting tomorrow