How did you get a 30+ score?

[phorun]

I got MCAT books for Christmas so I guess it's time for me to buckle down and start studying. For those of you who got a 30+ on their MCAT, can you answer these?

 

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

3. How did you study for each section?

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

 

Thanks so much!

[BigManOnCampus]

1. ~13-14 weeks while working full time on a summer NSERC, AND with a high maintenance ex-girlfriend

 

2. 11/11/15/R

 

3. I did a Princeton Review course; pre-read the chapters before class, went to the classes I felt were beneficial, skipped the lackluster ones, reviewed the notes, and completed the relevant section questions.

 

4. I was not able to sustain the schedule I outlined above, but my study habits corresponded ~90% with my plan. Given this, I would have benefitted from more concentrated study early on; I hesitate to say I understudied because I put in a lot of hard work and my patience was running thin, but the quality could have been sharper.

 

5. 8-10 for PS, 12-13 for VR, 12-13 for BS, P-Q for WS

 

6. Get the big picture concepts down pat, and develop, stick to, and adapt a strong study schedule for yourself. Read this too: URL="http://www.oberlin.edu/psych/studytech/index.htm"]How to Study[/url]

[imagine]

Studied during summer after I chose to sacrifice full-time research to prepare for the MCAT. I was also took 3 classes to get my US med school pre-req's out of the way.

 

4 weeks: going over the kaplan/TPR/EK materials and making sure I knew EVERYTHING like the back of my hand (make sure you don't tell yourself you know something until you are REALLY sure you know everything about it). I did every single practice question in all of the books, did every practice passage, and every practice essay.

 

Did lots of reading (news, etc.) during my free time to develop mental stamina (it is hard to keep focused on every word, especially after the first couple of sections of the MCAT, so best to develop your ability to stay focused on boring reading material for several hours).

 

3-4 weeks: doing TPR/Kaplan/EK practice tests first, then doing official MCAT practice tests. (Pretty much one each day).

 

Average on sections: usually 9-10 on verbal (got an 11 once), 10-11 on physical and biological during practices.

 

Score I expected after I walked out: 10/10/10/P

 

Actual score: 11 BS / 12 PS / 12 VR / R

 

I'm happy with my score, and I don't regret sacrificing my research to be able to study for the test. The most important thing is to NEVER underestimate any section. Just work hard, focus, and practice: you'll do fine.

[1234]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

Studied 8 weeks while working two jobs: full-time and part-time. Self-study with Princeton books.

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

14/15/10/R - the last ever paper version

 

3. How did you study for each section?

 

Approx. 4 weeks physics, 2 weeks bio, 2 weeks verbal

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

Overstudied for physics, understudied for verbal

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

 

Expected 41+, but meh.

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

 

Don't waste too much time. With the current system, prep 8 wks max - then schedule multiple consecutive tests, and keep writing it till you get a score that you like.

[Jochi1543]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

4 months, while at a PT job. Started with about 4-6 hours a day, 5 days a week. Halfway through it was more like 6-8 hours a day, 6 days a week. I always made sure to take 1 day off.

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

10-12-10 T

 

3. How did you study for each section?

EK theory books and tests, AAMC practice tests, Kaplan book

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

Just enough

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

Going in - 30 S or T (10-10-10). Coming out - 29 T, 9 VR, 9 BS, 11 PS.

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

Budget your time wisely so you spend a lot of time studying consistently with regular time off, as opposed to trying to pull all-nighters in the last week. Also, if you don't like something and don't do well on it, make sure you study it lots. On a related note, just because you THINK you're good at something (i.e. you are a star bio student and think BS will be a piece of cake), don't limit the time you spend studying it.

[aquaman]

I got MCAT books for Christmas

 

Dude you got MCAT books for Christmas? What has this world come to.....

[1234]

Dude you got MCAT books for Christmas? What has this world come to.....

 

HAHA, I would be pretty disappointed with that gift.

 

IMO, if the books aren't the Princeton Review Course books, I would return them. Those are the best and most comprehensive books on the market. Kaplan Course Books are decent if you have been exposed to all the MCAT material. Kaplan books are a more choppy read, though.

 

Oh, and EK verbal stuff is excellent as well.

[Yood]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

1 month during NSERC, roughly 1 hour a day

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

13/14/11, M

 

3. How did you study for each section?

 

AAMC practice exams, practice questions from an MCAT book I was given, old textbooks. I printed that list of topics they have and just went through them methodically by reading through my old textbooks. I jotted down little notes on the printout with facts I didn't think I'd remember.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

Just enough for the multiple choices, for written I should have practiced a bit more

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

 

What I was scoring on practice exams... high 30's

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

 

Don't underestimate the written. Figure out what they want, and then practice practice practice. It didn't matter in the end, as McGill doesn't care about written, but it screwed me over for almost every other medschool.

 

The MCAT is more about logic then about memorizing. Walking in with half a chem degree I found that I didn't have a problem with any of the thinking problems, and studying just helped me brush up a bit on some of the background material required for some of the problems (like Punnet squares for example) and the very small minority of problems that were just fact based. AP english had prepared me superbly for verbal, as it pretty much was exactly like the AP exam.

 

I'd also purchase those old AAMC exams. Try the one free one they have before you start studying to see where you are, and take the additional ones once you've studied the material. They are exactly what you'll see and practicing them will make you more time efficient with the actual exam. This is especially important for verbal as I always found I would finish just in the nick of time.

 

Oh, and do remember to pee before the exam. It hit me during the bio section and that sadistic question series about electrolyte levels in the bladder did little to help.

[phorun]

HAHA, I would be pretty disappointed with that gift.

 

IMO, if the books aren't the Princeton Review Course books, I would return them. Those are the best and most comprehensive books on the market. Kaplan Course Books are decent if you have been exposed to all the MCAT material. Kaplan books are a more choppy read, though.

 

Oh, and EK verbal stuff is excellent as well.

 

Okay seriously... my family isn't completely evil:rolleyes: That was a practical gift... I also got all sorts of goodies...

[astudentis]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

First Summer: NSERC fulltime and took PR review course (relied mostly on the classes, homework questions (skimmed over solutions), and practice tests)--~3.5months (maybe got 10-15hrs of study/week)--note we covered different subjects everyday mostly

 

Second Summer: ~2 months (got around 5hrs of study/day), reviewed the PR textbooks thorough by myself, and actually did most of the questions in the text one subject after another (I did not review anything during the school year after the first summer, just too much other school work with 6-7courses)

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

1st summer: --------------------- 24O

2nd summer: 11+/11+/8 35Q -better but still not satisfied (at least it meets min req for a given subsection for some schools)

 

3. How did you study for each section?

For BS/PS - read theory and practice all questions

For VR - just try to practice as much as you can... dont rely of the fact that "its a section you can not study for"

WS - hehe started to practice a week before the tests, just make sure you have creative examples

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

First time I was nervous, and was writing for "practice" purposes...but still wanted to do well so that i didnt have to write it again

Second time - I felt allot more relaxed, didnt worry as much and took it as if I could write it again later in the summer if I didnt do well in June

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

First time: 10/10/6 26N

Second time: 12/12/7 31Q

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

Practice, practice, and more practice (dont just look at answers)

 

 

Note verbal is not my strongest...clearly; however my writing if pretty decent, and I hope that my "improvement factor" is impressive--though its not going to help for making cut off for making some interviews...oh well

 

As for considering to rewrite: the probability that my score will stay the same, but with more even spread, is high; such that my sciences would decrease and verbal would increase. Hence I decided against writing again (its just too much!!!... already wasted 5.5 months of my life for a stupid standardized test)

[1234]

Okay seriously... my family isn't completely evil:rolleyes: That was a practical gift... I also got all sorts of goodies...

 

hehe, im just jokin around. MCAT books are a decent gift - they are dang expensive lol

[Alastriss]

I got MCAT books for Christmas so I guess it's time for me to buckle down and start studying. For those of you who got a 30+ on their MCAT, can you answer these?

 

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

studied for 17 days exactly so almost 3 weeks, after taking the last two weeks off from my summer job

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

12/11/11 R

 

3. How did you study for each section?

Physics - 6 days, Bio 4, VR throughout but especially hard the last 7 days (reviewed sciences every day while doing VR).

 

Phyics: pulled out my first year textbook and did the hard problems

Bio: not much, just reviewed NMR and key concepts

VR: passages passages passages, especially aamc and examcrackers

WS: 1 essay - I read/study philosophy on my own so this part was a breeze, but I am a special case. I don't recommend prewrites as practice. If you will practice write the entire essay out.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

Under under udner

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

28

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

studying is only half the battle. The other half is your performance on test day. I think i definitely understudied but i was definitely in the zone for VR. I wrote a great test. I was focused, I thought till my brain hurt to pick up every answer, and I fought hard till the clock ran out. This is probably why you hear about people who studied so hard and didn't do well in the end. So its important that you stay in the zone (Sleep well, eat well, and be well hydrates and nutritioned throughout the test).

[1234]

I got MCAT books for Christmas so I guess it's time for me to buckle down and start studying. For those of you who got a 30+ on their MCAT, can you answer these?

 

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

studied for 17 days exactly so almost 3 weeks, after taking the last two weeks off from my summer job

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

12/11/11 R

 

3. How did you study for each section?

Physics - 6 days, Bio 4, VR throughout but especially hard the last 7 days (reviewed sciences every day while doing VR).

 

Phyics: pulled out my first year textbook and did the hard problems

Bio: not much, just reviewed NMR and key concepts

VR: passages passages passages, especially aamc and examcrackers

WS: 1 essay - I read/study philosophy on my own so this part was a breeze, but I am a special case. I don't recommend prewrites as practice. If you will practice write the entire essay out.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

Under under udner

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

28

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

studying is only half the battle. The other half is your performance on test day. I think i definitely understudied but i was definitely in the zone for VR. I wrote a great test. I was focused, I thought till my brain hurt to pick up every answer, and I fought hard till the clock ran out. This is probably why you hear about people who studied so hard and didn't do well in the end. So its important that you stay in the zone (Sleep well, eat well, and be well hydrates and nutritioned throughout the test).

 

 

 

#6 here is so important. When you are practicing the test at home, make sure you complete the entire test as if you were writing the real one. Don't do the first section, take a 2 hour break, then come back and do another. You need to build the stamina to write the test while maintaining peak mental efficiency.

 

Also, give yourself a break. Don't study 4-5 days before the test. You need to clear your brain of the random information. If you know the material, it will come out of storage on the test. This test is about reasoning more than knowledge, so cramming is more a detriment than a benefit. Clarity will allow you to move through the questions quickly.

 

And don't stress - you can write the test again so there is no point is stressing yourself through out the test. Be calm and collected, do your best, and whatever will be will be.

[bigfootspartan]

Just thought I'd let you know what I would do my second time around. (I doubt I'll do it again, got a 11/10/10 Q, which is hopefully good enough).

 

I studied for around 2.5 months. It seemed all right, but I think it may have been too long. If I did it again I would have only studied for around a month or so, to keep me from burning out.

 

Many people have said this, but I'll re-emphasize it. Practice exams (from AAMC) are way more effective than just studying the material. You'll be familiar with the different kinds of questions, and it'll build up your stamina. On test day I found that I could hardly make it through the whole test, even though I had done a few full-length practice exams.

[switcheroo]

Many people have said this, but I'll re-emphasize it. Practice exams (from AAMC) are way more effective than just studying the material. You'll be familiar with the different kinds of questions, and it'll build up your stamina. On test day I found that I could hardly make it through the whole test, even though I had done a few full-length practice exams.

 

Agree totally. I only got a 32Q (10p,11v,11b), so you may want to take my advice with a pinch of salt, but I learned a lot more from doing the AAMC exams than studying itself ever could have taught me.

[xeffect]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

3 months of the summer, but not so much during the first month because I was working full-time in research and helping to write a publication at another place where I was volunteering. I worked full-time for the whole summer and took the Kaplan course in the evenings, but I took 2 weeks off work before the MCAT to study. I kept up with my course but usually didn't study too intensely, and I took days off studying here and there.

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

11/12/9/P

 

3. How did you study for each section?

 

BS and PS: First I reviewed all the concepts, then I did practice tests. After I did a practice test, I would review every single question and figure out where I still had weaknesses. I would then review these areas, and then write another practice test.

 

VR: Unfortunately I didn't really give this section much attention until the last 2 weeks before I wrote the MCAT. In that time, I wrote 1-2 timed practice verbal tests per day (ExamKrackers and AAMC).

 

WS: I did a few practice questions (probably not enough, though) and sent them to my Kaplan instructor for feedback.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

PS: I spent the most time studying this because it was my weakest area, and I hadn't taken chem or physics in a while. I think I studied just the right amount for this section.

 

BS: Under-studied. I'm a biology major, so I thought this section would be a breeze. There were actually a lot of bio concepts on the MCAT that I had never covered in my classes, and I didn't adequately review these. I am actually disappointed with scoring 11; this might sound pathetic, but I screwed up a passage because I forgot the difference between systole and diastole.

 

VR: Under-studied (see above).

 

WS: Under-studied... I thought I was a good writer (I've always done well on essays for English and philosophy courses etc.), so I didn't think I needed to practice much.

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

 

PS: 11

VR: 9-10

BS: 12

WS: S (felt good about my writing but was left disappointed)

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

 

- Don't waste your money on a course if you have the self-discipline to study on your own... you will spend your time more effectively studying on your own than sitting in class

 

- Talk about the MCAT with other people who are writing around the same time as you, and talk to people who have experienced the MCAT (starting this thread was a good idea)... some advice you can find online or from people you know is better than the advice you would get from your prep course instructor who has an agenda to promote his/her prep company.

 

- Exercise regularly while studying for the MCAT. Research shows that exercise improves concentration, attention and mood, and reduces stress levels.

 

- Don't neglect your social life while studying. And time to hang out with your friends is not time to whine about the MCAT... it's time to take your attention off the MCAT.

 

- Start studying VR as early as possible. It's the most difficult section for improving your score.

 

- Don't understudy

 

Good luck

[BrendanJ]

1. All summer long, did research + ex-girlfriend for three-ish months and took a break for the last while.

 

2. 14/14/11, S

 

3. Kaplan course + Kaplan and AAMC practice exams (CRUCIAL!)

 

4. I felt I studied just the right amount, although I didn't improve my VR score from day one, which frustrated me to no end.

 

5. I expected 38-41, as per practices.

 

6. From my experience, I found practice tests to be the most useful study. In addition, it was good to have more than one source because the Kaplan tests were much harder and the AAMC much easier than the actual exam. I attended the Kaplan proctored exams, did extras on my own, and then went to the library everyday for the last stretch and timed myself with the AAMC exams. Going through the motions was the most important part for me.

[fullofoptimism]

I got MCAT books for Christmas so I guess it's time for me to buckle down and start studying. For those of you who got a 30+ on their MCAT, can you answer these?

 

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

I finished the spring semester end of April, took a break for a week, and wrote on May 27, so 3 weeks-ish. I wasn't working or going to school during this time, but I was fundraising for a charity event (3000 dollars for May 31) so that was a bit stressful.

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

 

12/12/10 Q

 

3. How did you study for each section?

 

I pretty much read the Kaplan comprehensive review, and then dug out old notes for concepts I had difficulty with, such as Organic Chem and a few Physics concepts.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

 

Neither- I don't think I had the energy to put any more time into studying, and I definitely needed to study as much as I did.

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

 

I averaged about 30 on the practice mcats posted by aamc towards the end of my studying, so I expected 29-31.

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

 

I would recommend avoiding academic bulimia as much as possible during actual courses, because it makes recalling the material that much easier. I don't think you should stress too much about the exam, it is just that, an exam, and you can definitely tackle it. I think working on test taking technique is very important- learning how to answer questions is just as important as knowing the information required to answer questions, as the MCAT is mostly passage based. I also think that relaxing the day before the exam helps a lot. I worked out, went swimming, watched some TV and just took it really easy, and it definitely allowed me to have a better focus on test day.

[Oly]

What advice do you have regarding memorizing formulas and the like?

Does writing a successful exam actually mean memorizing 50+ formulas per unit? I'm overwhelmed and confused and I just started studying

[ahmedwali]

HI,

You can get 30 + score but u have to study hard .

 

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[imagine]

What advice do you have regarding memorizing formulas and the like?

Does writing a successful exam actually mean memorizing 50+ formulas per unit? I'm overwhelmed and confused and I just started studying

 

The examkrackers audio osmosis are good for memorizing formulas. I just listened to them before going to bed and found it really helpful.

[astudentis]

The examkrackers audio osmosis are good for memorizing formulas. I just listened to them before going to bed and found it really helpful.

 

hehe yea i listed to them in my first try (the day before, and i went to sleep listening to the hormones types the night before the mcat=bad memory)... they just made me more nervous

 

but overall they are a good think to listen to well before hand the actual test

[~me~]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

Part-time job. I think initially I studied abt 4 hrs/day, and as the exam got closer, closer to 10 hrs/day

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

BS: 13, PS: 10, VR: 11, WS: S [34S]

 

3. How did you study for each section?

Studied Princeton books in detail once, and then studied EK books a couple of times to really get the most important concepts.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

Just enough

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

Before I wrote the test:

BS: 11, PS: 13, VR: 12, WS: S

After I wrote the test:

BS: 12, PS: 10, VR: 12, WS: R

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

Study hard

But honestly, the most important thing is to not freak out when you get in the room. PS was easily my best section throughout my study period, but because it was the first section on the MCAT, I panicked when I got in, and my score suffered consequently

Good Luck!

[fumblingcarolyn]

1. How long did you study for? During school, with a job or completely full time?

 

I was working full time on a co-op work term. I studied for 2.5 months, although the first month it was not very intense studying. The last month and a half I studied about 1.5 hours each day on my commute and on weekends. The last two weeks or so I also studied for a few hours at night.

 

2. What was your score breakdown? (BS/PS/VR, WS)

11/11/11 Q

 

3. How did you study for each section?

I had already completed 2.5 years of my biochem degree and found that most of the BS/PS material had already been covered in my uni courses. I used the Kaplan book and self-studied (far cheaper than taking a course) and also the AAMC practice quizzes.

My VR was fairly consistent the entire time, although I didn't work too hard to improve it.

Memorizing formulas for physics was tough as I had always been provided with a formula sheet, although that was achieved by forcing myself to sit down and memorize one afternoon.

Mostly it was just reviewing what I had already learned and being able to retain all of the information. Looking back at all of the courses the MCAT covers, you need to know probably 5-6 full year courses worth of information for one test. I think that's the biggest challenge - you can't simply memorize it all, you need to actually know it.

For the writing sample I used Kaplan's suggested method. I found it to be a good outline for developing an answer.

 

4. Do you feel you over or under studied?

I think I studied the right amount. I wouldn't have been able to study anymore, and I didn't under study.

 

5. What were you honestly expecting your score to be?

12/12/12 Q

 

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

Take the day off before the exam. If you don't know it by then, you won't know it at all. I went to the gym, cooked myself a good meal, watched some TV and went to bed early. I also slept a lot better having set four (!) alarms. On the day of the exam make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get there. There's no point in stressing yourself out trying to get there on time before you've even started the test.

I brought snacks for in between the sections, and I tried not to rush too much on the test. I'm often guilty of not double-checking tests simply to get out earlier, but I made sure to check over my answers, especially those I was confident in (no point in getting a question wrong for something stupid like clicking the wrong button when you definitely know the answer). Also, I knew that after the test my parents were coming to visit and take me out to dinner, which was a nice thing to look forward to.

 

Good luck!

[imagine]

6. Any tips for those of us studying for the test right now?

Take the day off before the exam. If you don't know it by then, you won't know it at all.

 

QFT. This should be a sticky somewhere on this forum, it is probably the best advice anyone could get.