Writing Sample

[Premed315U]

Does anyone have any tips for the writing sample? What are the test scorers looking for? Do you have any practice advice?

Thank you.

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[gower]

You can't do any better than purchasing the following:

Scoring the Writing Sample. $10+$6 shipping. From AAMC.

AAMC, Dept 66, Washington, DC 2005
Fax: 202 828 1123
202 828 0416

There are three questions to be answered for each writing sample. You MUST address all three if you expect a high score. Omit one and you are already starting from behind!

READ THE PUBLICATION!!!

It's the straight poop, what the scorers are instructed to look for, not what some testees imagine they are looking for.

 

[jdub]

hey,
are we talking about the mcat. i am pretty sure that there are only two, two essays to do and a half hour to do each one.

the jist for the scoring is that there are two grader who grade it from 0-6, if a person gets all threes they are going to be about average with a P. the scoring range is from J(junk) to T(terrific). i imagine that one would really not have a problem as long as they had at least a M or a N. The format is the same for each question, one just has to answer the question logically and complete all of the requirements for the essay, if that is done, a 3 from the graders is very likely. once you take a look at a couple of the samples you will understand how it goes. it really is an easy section, if you have had to write any essays in highschool or college, you should be pretty well prepared.

 

[Dylann FMD]

Here's a hint I found helpful. Try to find small little facts that no one else would know that you can inject into the essay as examples or criticisms. Your specialized knowledge will help a lot when scored. For example, it helped me a lot to know the difference between a "democracy" and a "republic" on the April MCAT (this may come into play again, since a lot of questions contain democracy). I basically said the one statement made no sense because they talked about a democracy and elected officials voting for constituents, and I wrote myself right into a very high score. Just a hint I found useful.

 

[Scooby Doo]

I basically just had fun with it. The first time I took it I talked about wrestling and jesse ventura..then I talked about Jeniffer Aniston and Brad Pitt. I always tell action stories on them. They seem to like that
If you talk about current event different things like that it should work. i got an S on the writing. My friend is Indian and he basically wrote about some stuff in the history of India and got a T. HOWEVER, he made it ALL UP! He just made up names as he went and fitted the stories to what he needed. Now if you think that is unfair, I challenge you to do that yourself. It takes some skill.

 

[synite]

that's funny....i too made up history on the writing sample, and had a really fun time with it. something about the invention of toothpaste...cant even remember anymore!

not only did it make the process less painful, it sort of recharged me for the Bio section. i would recommend you use any strategy you want. they dont care whether its true or not, they just want to see your thought process. and since every topic requires the same format, the writing simply becomes a formula.

 

[Premed315U]

Thanks everyone.

Does everyone think the AMCAS writing sample book is worth getting?

Thank you.

 

[applicant2002]

if you want a list of all the possible writing sample topics that could appear on the real MCAT, check out AAMC's mcat websiteAll Possible MCAT Writing Sample topics

hope this helps

 

[Premed315U]

Thanks bunches.

Do they always post the list of possibilities for each MCAT? I'll be taking it in April.

Thanks.

 

[Dylann FMD]

Originally posted by Premed315U:
•Thanks bunches.

Do they always post the list of possibilities for each MCAT? I'll be taking it in April.

Thanks.•

Yeah, they always post them, but there are hundreds and hundreds of them. When I went through them, it was more of a practice to help me start thinking in that manner. When you see the list, you'll know its doubtful you will see or plan the exact topic you'll get. Still, its nice they give the list.

 

[goldie]

My advice is to become as radical as possible in your answers to the passages. It's much easier to be a communist or reactionary when answering philosophical questions...it helps you avoid wishy-washiness that plagues moderate thought.

 

[grasshopper]

Really? I agree that it's easier to come up with something to say for half an hour if it's radical, but I've been told not to do it under any circumstances. You start to sound preachy, overconfident, etc., and you take the chance of majorly offending one of your readers. I wouldn't do it, but I'm not too brave.

 

[goldie]

I'm not saying recite Marx, but I took the April MCAT and got a "T" on the writing sample with essays that were extreme in tone. It's just a lot easier when you see the world in black and white!

 

[mtritt2]

I'm pissed that I didn't think to make up stuff and just have fun with it. That's a great idea. The writing sample's kinda like a break anyway, nobody cares.