When to Start MCAT prep course

[MCAT1982]

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Hi all,

I am non trad student - had done all my pre med coursework 11 years back - but could nt pursue at that time. So I started with my premed prereqs this Summer. I am somehow trying to finish everything off by next summer (so in 1 year - hope I can provided I am working full time as well 🙂 )

I want to take my MCAT also next year - So what would be your suggestion on when I can/should be taking the MCAT for applying for next/or the year after (I mean 2014? )

Also..provided my plans to complete my prereqs, when would be the best time to attend the MCAT coaching or so offered by different companies (PR..etc etc) ? Was thinking of taking it simultaneously with my Premed coursework (during my last sem ...thats Summer 2013)...does that sound like a good plan?

In that case..I will be writing MCAT only by end of Summer - so Aug 2013...is that too late for admissions for 2014 ? if so, I might have to start the MCAT preps way before Summer 2013, so that i can get it done by Summer 2013 ...

Anyways..looking forward for your suggestions/guidance...

Thanks always.....

 

[Tummytroubles]

Hi all,

I am non trad student - had done all my pre med coursework 11 years back - but could nt pursue at that time. So I started with my premed prereqs this Summer. I am somehow trying to finish everything off by next summer (so in 1 year - hope I can provided I am working full time as well 🙂 )

I want to take my MCAT also next year - So what would be your suggestion on when I can/should be taking the MCAT for applying for next/or the year after (I mean 2014? )

Also..provided my plans to complete my prereqs, when would be the best time to attend the MCAT coaching or so offered by different companies (PR..etc etc) ? Was thinking of taking it simultaneously with my Premed coursework (during my last sem ...thats Summer 2013)...does that sound like a good plan?

In that case..I will be writing MCAT only by end of Summer - so Aug 2013...is that too late for admissions for 2014 ? if so, I might have to start the MCAT preps way before Summer 2013, so that i can get it done by Summer 2013 ...

Anyways..looking forward for your suggestions/guidance...

Thanks always.....

Start studying chemistry, physics, and organic now. Bio you will just forget so wait to cover that until you are closer to the test. Learn concepts at this point and don't worry about the details and remember when you look at something to look at it again within 24 hours and again in another 24 hours. When you are at work and are staring into space will your co-worker looks for some paperwork or are stopped at a stop light, do some quick metal review.

It's hard to know what to study and how in depth to go. Try getting used kaplan's course books (you can buy used ones on this forum). They are kind of helpful but more importantly tell you exactly which topics to study. Even more helpful are the exam crackers 1001 books (soooo helpful).

It sounds stupid but this stuff works.

 

[MedPR]

Start studying chemistry, physics, and organic now. Bio you will just forget so wait to cover that until you are closer to the test. Learn concepts at this point and don't worry about the details and remember when you look at something to look at it again within 24 hours and again in another 24 hours. When you are at work and are staring into space will your co-worker looks for some paperwork or are stopped at a stop light, do some quick metal review.

It's hard to know what to study and how in depth to go. Try getting used kaplan's course books (you can buy used ones on this forum). They are kind of helpful but more importantly tell you exactly which topics to study. Even more helpful are the exam crackers 1001 books (soooo helpful).

It sounds stupid but this stuff works.

Really can't tell if you're trolling or not.

Starting to study for the MCAT now is pointless. Focus on learning and mastering every concept in your pre-reqs. Doing well in pre-reqs is more useful than any MCAT prep course.

 

[Tummytroubles]

Really can't tell if you're trolling or not.

Starting to study for the MCAT now is pointless. Focus on learning and mastering every concept in your pre-reqs. Doing well in pre-reqs is more useful than any MCAT prep course.

Brush up on your physical sciences now. That stuff is very hard to forget as it not memorization. Study kinematics, magnetism, optics. Concepts are harder to forget than equations, don't bother memorizing those now.

For organic brush up on the terminology. This sounds crazy but I forgot what substituted meant and it took 15 seconds to look it up and the memories came rushing back.

 

[MCAT1982]

Can someone tell me the best time to appear for MCAT - my friends gave me some conflicting responses on the same, and was wondering whether you guys can help me with the same ?

This would definitely help me to plan my prereq completion - I am thinking of getting my MCAT done in 2013 - so which month would be good if I am targeting on 2014 admissions ?

Looking to hearing from you....

Thanks a ton for all your responses.

 

[ShoTyme]

Spring so you will have your score back and be able to apply as early as possible.

 

[ghostman]

Spring so you will have your score back and be able to apply as early as possible.

Definitely spring. I think April is good. I took mine in late May, two weeks after my Orgo and Bio finals. Results take 1 month to come back, so the application submission process was already open by then. If I had done poorly on the MCATs and needed a re-take, I probably wouldn't have had enough time for that cycle. It was a lot of pressure to worry about finals in May and also worry about doing well on the MCATs in one shot.

I took Kaplan at the end of January, which gave me four months to study.

 

[Back 5]

I will be finishing up a years worth of pre-reqs for the MCAT. These courses served a dual purpose as I was retaking poorer grades from UG 10+ years ago as well as all the required courses for the MCAT itself.

My question: When I finish Phys 2 and OChem 1 in the Fall, should I adopt the SDN MCAT plan or should I look into a Princeton Review course etc? I feel like I have learned the material well, but I can't be certain until I start my content review, which won't happen until I finish my classes in December.

I am working full-time, taking 1-2 courses a semester and plan on utilizing the time I gain from not having classes any longer for MCAT. I don't know if an organized MCAT course will be more advantageous than a self-directed course of study.

I am a bit worried about the "new" MCAT and all the horror stories from the MCAT forum of people saying the test itself is different from the practice exams they are taking.