The OFFICIAL 7/29/10 MCAT Club!

[ballinplayer03]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey Everyone,

I was searching through the threads to see if one has been created for this test date yet, but I could not find it so I thought I would create it. I am waiting for finals to finish up and then going to hit practice tests for the next three months!

 

[noobslikeboobs]

^it's no wonder I'm a noob. ****.

 

[G1SG2]

Er...guys...no details/specifics regarding questions lol...better erase those posts.

 

[LaZigeuner]

...

Starting tomorrow, I'm beginning to study for the Sept 3 or Sept 11 MCAT, gotta make the cut for this cycle, awesome summer huh? NOT

If you don't mind my asking:

• What did you do differently between studying for your earlier MCAT and for today's?
• What will you do for the September?

I already thinking about it as well, but giving myself the weekend before I make a decision (can't schedule another until Monday anyway).

Thanks

 

[09grad]

come on nobody's figuring out what the questions are from this thread. ppl should calm down

 

[noobslikeboobs]

If you don't mind my asking:

• What did you do differently between studying for your earlier MCAT and for today's?
• What will you do for the September?

I already thinking about it as well, but giving myself the weekend before I make a decision (can't schedule another until Monday anyway).

Thanks

Good Q LaZigeuner: well for the april 21R score, I did jacksquat, pretty much showed up, wasted my parents money, their time in raising me, and my time in being a complete slacker at life. Then I woke up from this nightmare. I actually hit the books, all the EK review notes, like rote memorization of everything. and the EK 101 passages in MCAT Verbal REasoning, awesome book but to no avail (apparently, after today's lackluster performancE), oh and CBT 3-10 paper based version.

As for the sept 11 exam prep, I'm gonna buy all the Verbal passages I haven't hit yet, like TPR passages and berk review and whatever else I can find in the market. Oh, and am going to review BS and PS like hell everyday to maybe raise those scores a point or two. Yup.

Oh and if it's any inspiration, I raised my SAT score 310 points back in the good ole days...like from 2040 to 2350. But oh we were young...stupid MCAT.

 

[MizuNoHane]

Is it possible to be crossing my fingers harder than they are right now? No, no it is not.

 

[TheBob]

I just made the mistake of trying to recall questions and now I'm second-guessing myself like crazy. I thought tonight was going to be more relaxing, but there's nothing worth watching on the damn TV.

 

[Honze55]

That test was rough. I NEVER have had time problems on ANY of my practice tests, and I a was struggling for time on all 3 sections.

PS: was way harder than practice tests. No simple circuits. Lots of hard gchem.

VR: I thought was okay. I hate hum passages, and I didn't see any of those!

BS: Usually my strongest section. I feel I bombed this. As a physiology major, I feel AAMC practice tests harped on physio, which came easy to me. This test was all genetics.

I don't understand why we can't discuss specific questions with others that took the test today. I understand not posting them on the forum, but we should be able to PM each other. (I'm not saying I want people to do this, as I don't want to get banned for a week, I'm just saying I don't understand why we can't)

I'm going to be signing up for the 9/11 test as soon as we can (monday I believe) and pray that my score is good enough for me to not show up. It will be $250 I'd be glad to throw away.

 

[mooyoung]

PS- Wow, I had difficulty with this section. It was all of the gay/hard/tricky questions that I honestly didn't study really hard for.

Really? Come on.

 

[starbaduk]

PS: Significantly more difficult than AAMC. First one or two passages were easy, but the rate law passage killed me. I think I spent about 20 minutes on that passage... There were a couple of questions there that (I think) required really in-depth knowledge... And then there were some tricky questions, e.g. the rope/friction question, that seemed easy at first but required more thought process.

VS: Similar to AAMC practice exams.

BS: Kinda hard. I know I missed at least one question... free standing genetics question... Unless I remember the question incorrectly, I think this question was bad... bad as in they should throw it out. Probably missed around 4-5...

 

[stingray072]

Oh man....realized I got the orgo nomenclature one wrong. Damn

 

[mtbtx]

Are you talking about the "Pro" one or the "opening" one (these were one after the other). <---- sufficiently vague that unless you took the exam theres no way you know what i'm talking about

I took it and have no idea what you're talking about lol

 

[mtbtx]

Oh man....realized I got the orgo nomenclature one wrong. Damn

And I now remember this one too... Geez that was nitpicky. I probably couldn't find the answer right now with all my books...

Just looked it up and lol'd... That's not even how I was taught it in o-Chem class so the answer looked totally unfamiliar, oh well.

 

[stingray072]

Are you talking about the "Pro" one or the "opening" one (these were one after the other). <---- sufficiently vague that unless you took the exam theres no way you know what i'm talking about

The opening one. Wow that was impressively vague 🙂 I knew how many there were but my method of nomenclature for those structures was just totally flawed. Sigh. Not covered in any review books I looked at, and I ranked in the 93rd percentile nationwide on the full ACS exam last year. Guess it was too long ago.

 

[millee3]

So I took this exam as well....and compared to the 5/22 exam...this was amazingggg!

PS-In the middle, but compared to 5/22 (got a 9 even thou i felt like i got a 5) I feel like I did much better...hopefully at least a 10

VR- easier than i expected.... humanity passages are my weakness....I got a 7 last time...and I felt much more confident after this VR section.

WS- its the writing sample...not much to say....it was fine

BS- First few passages were rough, but I came back to them after i finished and they didn't seem too bad. The endo passage was ridiculously easy and the 2nd o-chem passage was amazing....the carbo one.

I feel like I did much better than my 27 on the 5/22 but there will no doubt be a harder curve on this test...so trying not to get too excited about it.

 

[Cramster]

So I took this exam as well....and compared to the 5/22 exam...this was amazingggg!

PS-In the middle, but compared to 5/22 (got a 9 even thou i felt like i got a 5) I feel like I did much better...hopefully at least a 10

VR- easier than i expected.... humanity passages are my weakness....I got a 7 last time...and I felt much more confident after this VR section.

WS- its the writing sample...not much to say....it was fine

BS- First few passages were rough, but I came back to them after i finished and they didn't seem too bad. The endo passage was ridiculously easy and the 2nd o-chem passage was amazing....the carbo one.

I feel like I did much better than my 27 on the 5/22 but there will no doubt be a harder curve on this test...so trying not to get too excited about it.

I hope you're wrong!!!

 

[ready2rumble10]

How soon can one register for a retake? 🙁 I just tried to, and the system wouldn't let me.

I'm starting to feel like this just isn't for me.

 

[mtbtx]

How soon can one register for a retake? 🙁 I just tried to, and the system wouldn't let me.

I'm starting to feel like this just isn't for me.

How many times have you taken the test already? If less than three then you should be able to sign up starting now. Maybe the system is overloaded by people registering

 

[Cramster]

How many times have you taken the test already? If less than three then you should be able to sign up starting now. Maybe the system is overloaded by people registering

Assuming you haven't taken the test 3 times [this year] already, you should be able to register by monday.

 

[ready2rumble10]

This was my second CBT and third time overall.

 

[Cramster]

So who's starting to study for sept?

 

[starbaduk]

Oh man....realized I got the orgo nomenclature one wrong. Damn

dang it i got it wrong too... but i actually didn't know this one. 🙁

 

[REOTBGBT]

I'm really annoying everyone I know by obsessing over and picking through half remembered questions so I'll post here 🙂

The Test:

PS: I didn't think the material was too bad. It was similar to AAMC tests. However, I was so nervous and flustered going into it that I think I may have really screwed it up. I usually had 10 mins leftover in the practice tests to go over problems but I had no time to do so on this test. More calculations than on AAMC and less of the big picture/conceptual ones that I usually speed through. I was in a bit of a nervous haze for the first 20mins or so. Didn't have any rope questions as mentioned. Didn't much like that optics passage but the questions weren't too terrible. The gchem could go either way. Averaged a 12 on the practice tests and hoping, praying for a 10 now.

VS: Picked myself up from the floor after that PS and tried to stay motivated through the verbal. The passages were surprisingly straightforward. The questions however were not that straightforward and many of them required lifting details from the passage which is time consuming! Some passages like the diversity passage required you keep track of several connecting ideas. Not like the AAMC tests to me. Didn't like that photography passage. Didn't have the swimming passage, had a map passage instead. Liked the simplicity of the Newton passage. Theme of this verbal seemed to be detail. VS is a crapshoot.

WS: Whatever, got through it 🙂

BS: I liked this section. Little memorization was necessary. If you could concentrate on the passage material you could get through really well. Very Bio heavy, specifically genetics. People with only basic bio could get through most of it as long as they weren't frightened by unfamiliar material....though taking genetics certainly came in handy! Some left field questions regarding nomenclature and anatomy. I still don't know the right answer to that nomenclature problem.

For me this test was more a test of keeping your cool and not a test of your ability to understand challenging material.

I have a pit in my stomach over this one. 🙁
Anyone thinking of retaking before they even know their score?

 

[starbaduk]

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

I just registered for Aug 13th Exam.

Anyone else?

 

[pollux12]

This was my 2nd time. The first time, I was a lot less confident after the test and got an acceptable score, but I wasn't happy with it so I tried it again.

PS: I had an easier time than my last test. I stressed calculations in my study and feel I did well on these questions. One of the questions I noticed was identical to a question I did the night before from a practice exam. I had to look twice to make sure it was really the same. It was.

VR: I did terrible last time. I spent a lot of time working on my verbal this time. I don't know if it helped. I am hoping for at least an 8, but actually found a few of the passages interesting. I liked the guitar passage and my wife is a photographer. It cost me time since I went into leisure reading mode a few times. I barely finished. I had to refer back to the passage a lot more than I am used to.

WR: I was hoping for govt related questions. glad we got two.

BS: This is what I have my degree in. I did very well in this section the last time I took it. This time, I felt I would have plenty of time. It seemed too passage based for me. I noticed halfway through I was taking too long figuring out the passages. It cause me to rush through the last half of the test. I wasn't expecting the anatomy question, but I saw it as a gimme. I didn't like the lac passage. I know all about the lac for this test, but the questions seemed too passage based and I didn't have time to read the entire passage. I felt I gave good answer in BS, but if there were any leading questions to a wrong answer, I probably fell for it.

I'm guessing the scale will be favorable in Bio and not so much in PS from what I have been reading from people's summaries on here.

Just like last time, I feel my range should be between 27-34. I am hoping for the higher end of that range this time. An 8 or better in VR, and I will be happy. I know I had to get at least that this time. My concentration was much better this time around.

 

[nicemsp]

I want to register for September, but when I log in it still says i'm signed up for July 29, 10 and doesn't give me an option of registering.

 

[starbaduk]

I want to register for September, but when I log in it still says i'm signed up for July 29, 10 and doesn't give me an option of registering.

really? mine's working fine... why don't you want to take it sooner and get it over with again 😀

Can I use September MCAT score to apply for this cycle? I already submitted my primaries, and was going to submit the secondaries with June 29th MCAT score next month... if I retake it in August 13th, and if I score higher, I can send in the new score separately? If I get a lower score and decide not to submit it, would med schools know about it?

 

[REOTBGBT]

I think you have to wait 48 hrs

 

[nicemsp]

really? mine's working fine... why don't you want to take it sooner and get it over with again 😀

Can I use September MCAT score to apply for this cycle? I already submitted my primaries, and was going to submit the secondaries with June 29th MCAT score next month... if I retake it in August 13th, and if I score higher, I can send in the new score separately? If I get a lower score and decide not to submit it, would med schools know about it?

Because I want to see my score before I write it. I know I did bad in verbal, but still want to have the option of seeing the score before.

 

[starbaduk]

I think you have to wait 48 hrs

I think you are right... but for some reason mine is working now...

 

[REOTBGBT]

I'm guessing the scale will be favorable in Bio and not so much in PS from what I have been reading from people's summaries on here.

I don't know about the curve. Maybe those who are confident are more likely to post and those not so confident don't post as much....so it gives a false impression of the actual stats. I thought AAMC 8 was really easy but it had the best curve. But you're probably right...I'm still desperately holding out hope for a 34 🙂

I also recognized a question from a practice test in PS!

 

[nicemsp]

Is there a max number of times we can write the mcat per year?

 

[canadadoc]

Does anyone remember the passage topics for Verbal? Most people are saying they got roughly the same ones with the exception of a swimming passage and a map passage. I don't remember getting either of those.

 

[TLL]

My verbal passages are:

Darwin
Newton
Cartography
Adolescence
Photography
Workplace
Guitar

 

[nicemsp]

Does anyone remember the passage topics for Verbal? Most people are saying they got roughly the same ones with the exception of a swimming passage and a map passage. I don't remember getting either of those.

I had the map passage instead of swimming. Does that mean these two passages are experimental?

 

[Assmosis]

I pretty much agree with what most people have been saying.

Physical sciences: my strongest section and I usually score (10-13) but this test I felt awful after. I felt like I was going to lose my mentality afterwards. I filled up 3 sheets with equations and such. A few questions I would calculate and come up with something not even in the answer choices. But looking back there were only a few passages that threw me for a loop, one being the kinetic one, and silver chloride one. I probably had done a lot better than I thought but when it's the real test, emotions run a lot stronger during. A few passages had a lot more dense text you'd have to dig through than AAMC practice tests. I'm hoping for a 10 on this
Verbal: This is usually me weakest section and I have been averaging 6-8 on practice tests. Strangely, I felt this verbal section was not that bad. A lot more detail oriented questions than I would have thought, but no passages seemed way out in left field. I'm hoping for a 9 on this.
Biological Sciences: This might have been my worst section and I usually average (9-10) on these. A few of the passages were simple (blood, endocrine, roosters) Even the stand alone questions I wasn't entirely certain on. The more difficult passages (operon, NAD) had more dense text, tons of abbreviations, and topics hardly ever tested on the AAMC practice tests. There was one organic passage and I was hoping for more because MCAT organic are usually easy points. It seems like the bio passages are turning into half bio/half verbal, by testing reading comprehension more than biology.

Overall I'm glad I got through the entire test, answered every question and hoping for a 27 or above. I don't feel the greatest about it but who does.

 

[Cramster]

really? mine's working fine... why don't you want to take it sooner and get it over with again 😀

Can I use September MCAT score to apply for this cycle? I already submitted my primaries, and was going to submit the secondaries with June 29th MCAT score next month... if I retake it in August 13th, and if I score higher, I can send in the new score separately? If I get a lower score and decide not to submit it, would med schools know about it?

Yes they will know

 

[Linette]

WOW OK McGill Univ. is not requiring MCAT for Canadians anymore.......officially started this application season :O how I wish I were Canadian now....lol

 

[kawalac]

WOW OK McGill Univ. is not requiring MCAT for Canadians anymore.......officially started this application season :O how I wish I were Canadian now....lol

I am Canadian, but I'd still rather have the opportunity of going to school in the states. 44% of US applicants get in, compared to only 15% of Canadian applicants. Be careful what you wish for.

On another note, I also wrote the MCAT yesterday in Livonia. Personally, I thought the physical sciences were pretty straightforward. Verbal, I really have no idea how I did, but that's usual for me. Biological sciences was ok. I'm happy that the most difficult passage only had 4 questions. For the writing sample, the first prompt was ok, but for the second prompt, I was having some difficulty coming up with a good example for the antithesis. Also, my syntheses were pretty generic and I'm worried I won't score better than a P because of it. I guess time will tell.

 

[Cramster]

On another note. Does anyone remember whether the option to have the exam scored was the top bubble or the bottom bubble?

 

[Cramster]

Top.



Haha, that's smart! Man, I'm so worried about my verbal score. Think I messed up BIG time on the photography and guitar passages arghh, God please do not give me anything less than an 8 or I will cry myself a river lol.

Top Bubble, Thank god!!!

Oh and we're in the same boat regarding verbal. I could never break 10 on practice exams and had an average of 9.75. If I get an 8 it will be a miracle.

 

[Cramster]

I got a 5 in verbal when I took the exam exactly 1 year ago. I studied hard for a year and started getting 11s in verbal. I will seriously just break if I only improved 1-2 points on the real deal.

I'm nervous to ask. How were you doing on your practice exams in VR back then?

 

[Freakfarm0]

Guys, do NOT let AAMC scare you into buying another test date right now. This is the main reason they wait a month to release the scores. Wait for your scores to come back, and if need be buy another date.

One month of waiting won't affect availability THAT much.

That being said, I found verbal to be very ambiguous. That, however, is the nature of the verbal beast. Verbal is my best, most consistent section, but somehow I managed to skip over two of the questions and never return to answer them 🙁 .

PS was pretty straight forward.

BS was pretty straight forward besides that damned anatomy question. I had no idea MCAT could test on that.

 

[REOTBGBT]

Unfortunately I'm applying this cycle. So if I wait for my score, I won't be able to register for the last test date that will be accepted for this application cycle. Sept 11, 2010

Lol I already secured a testdate on Sept 9th anyways lol.

I'm in the same boat. I wanted a Sept date but the only available date was Aug 13th. At least it's in the afternoon 🙂

I figure if you score pretty consistently in your target range on the practice tests it won't hurt to take it again since you're unlikely to bomb it.

I'm actually hoping for a difficult test. I seem to score better with tough material.

Also just to let people know, while aamc says you have to wait 48hrs to reregister they let you register sooner than that. If I had waited the full 48hrs to check if I could register, all the dates remaining this year would have filled up.

 

[Honze55]

I'm sorry 7/29 MCAT club. You've been good to me, but I've left you for another club. the 9/2 MCAT club. It's been real...

On a side note, if my scores come in and they are 26 or above, I will have made a $230 donation to AAMC and will be a lifetime member of the 7/29 club.

represent!

 

[Cramster]

I'm sorry 7/29 MCAT club. You've been good to me, but I've left you for another club. the 9/2 MCAT club. It's been real...

On a side note, if my scores come in and they are 26 or above, I will have made a $230 donation to AAMC and will be a lifetime member of the 7/29 club.

represent!

Vaya Con Dios

Sayonara

 

[pollux12]

Did anyone have anything else besides swimming or cartography on the VR?

I had a passage about making arrowheads in kind of a "mythbusters" type of fashion instead.

 

[sankara]

WOW OK McGill Univ. is not requiring MCAT for Canadians anymore.......officially started this application season :O how I wish I were Canadian now....lol

uuuh not quite....McGill doesn't require the MCAT for Quebequois who did their ug in Quebec. If you hold a QC residency and did your ug outside of QC or outside of Canada, you will have to provide your MCAT scores.

 

[Honze55]

Did anyone have anything else besides swimming or cartography on the VR?

I had a passage about making arrowheads in kind of a "mythbusters" type of fashion instead.

I had this arrowhead passage! Hopefully that means our experimental passage was in bio (the hardest section of that damn test)

 

[Cramster]

I need to stop coming on SDN for a while. Can one of the mods please ban me temporarily, lol.

Know what you mean. Reading how everyone says VR was easy is making me depressed. Yet I'm going to start studying for a potential retake tomorrow 🙁