trymeover Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 ________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syr2008 Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I don't fully understand your question(s) but I have one of my own and I think it might be similar to one of yours. I took Princeton review last summer. I skipped more than half of the classes and didn't study at all. Now for this summer I want to study. I can access my online stuff, but can I go to classes too? Notice that I skipped many classes last summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I would love to help and answer, but your font is too small to read what your question is.... haha.... search the forums.... review courses are for some and not for others. Most people will give you advice depending on the way they did it. Me I took princeton with nearly no science background got an unbalanced 31.... so took it again for free just to use the new materials and got a balanced 32. I was impressed with the course (minus their verbal strategy) and impressed by their customer service. However, a lot rides on the quality of instructors you get. My chem instructor was better than some university professors I have had, but the Verbal guy was a loon that didn't know what he was talking about. He was an English major that never took the MCAT but wrote a qualifying test for princeton and hence didn't really understand how to apply his admittedly strong language comprehension to MCAT relevant strategies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcwxyz Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Just do it over your second year summer. This is what everyone does. I know several people with 40+ MCATs who have done this. Studying for a year and a summer and studying for a summer won't make a difference. This refers to studying for the MCAT in general, which would encompass taking courses or even thinking about it. IMO taking a course is a big waste of money and time, but that's just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrugby Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I don't think studying an extra summer before hand is going to change your score significantly. If you're going to take the princeton course and study, you might as well also take the MCAT (I mean, even if you don't do well, you can always retake it the following year... but you might as well give it a shot imo) I took the MCAT after 1st year (also a biology major), and I thought everything was okay except orgo (since I had not taken it before). I also don't think taking the course is worth it... well maybe except for the writing sample. I got the same writing sample scores on the real thing as on my princeton practice tests, so they're good for that. But I found the classes super boring, and not very useful unless you have no prior background in the sciences or haven't taken them recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syr2008 Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I would love to help and answer, but your font is too small to read what your question is.... haha.... search the forums.... review courses are for some and not for others. Most people will give you advice depending on the way they did it. Me I took princeton with nearly no science background got an unbalanced 31.... so took it again for free just to use the new materials and got a balanced 32. I was impressed with the course (minus their verbal strategy) and impressed by their customer service. However, a lot rides on the quality of instructors you get. My chem instructor was better than some university professors I have had, but the Verbal guy was a loon that didn't know what he was talking about. He was an English major that never took the MCAT but wrote a qualifying test for princeton and hence didn't really understand how to apply his admittedly strong language comprehension to MCAT relevant strategies. I took Princeton review last summer. I skipped more than half of the classes and didn't study at all. Now for this summer I want to study. I can access my online stuff, but can I go to classes too? Notice that I skipped many classes last summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboard_fanatic Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I took the Princeton Review last year. I agree that the programme depends upon the instructor you get. The biology instructor I got was some bio sciences grad student that had a major French accent and kept saying some tech terms in French. Not that I have anything against those with accents (my husband is French), but you know what I mean. Also, I didn't like the fact that they try to make it "interactive" (i.e. they point at students they want to answer their questions). If you're like me, I'm the quiet student that likes to listen and study on his own. So, it felt little highschool to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManU Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I don't fully understand your question(s) but I have one of my own and I think it might be similar to one of yours. I took Princeton review last summer. I skipped more than half of the classes and didn't study at all. Now for this summer I want to study. I can access my online stuff, but can I go to classes too? Notice that I skipped many classes last summer. I work for PR, just send an email to head office and tell them you want to take the course again. They will send you the updated books (new 2009 version, much better, lots of diagrams) and enroll you in whatever course you want. If you have any questions, PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rpuff Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Honestly ruining your first year summer just to get a "head start" sounds like a waste to me. I wrote mine after second year, got a 35+ balanced score and since i wrote in July I still had a life ( o and I took a Kaplan classroom program ). The reason why people wait is because then you will have taken all the relevant courses like Ochem, physics, bio and gchem by then. I took Ochem, gchem and cell bio in first year then physics and an honors physiology class in second year. You can get ready for the MCAT in two or three months if you have a good background. Don't start worrying so early! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamer Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Might want to start by working on that M in the RS you're going to get (I'm sorry, that was mean, but seriously) Edit: lol@studying a summer in advance. That would be a huge waste IMO. The MCAT is 65% natural intelligence, 25% hard work and 10% luck anyway IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymeover Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Honestly ruining your first year summer just to get a "head start" sounds like a waste to me. I wrote mine after second year, got a 35+ balanced score and since i wrote in July I still had a life ( o and I took a Kaplan classroom program ). The reason why people wait is because then you will have taken all the relevant courses like Ochem, physics, bio and gchem by then. I took Ochem, gchem and cell bio in first year then physics and an honors physiology class in second year. You can get ready for the MCAT in two or three months if you have a good background. Don't start worrying so early! Yeah, but the thing is. I've taken all but one of the relevant courses to the MCAT already. I've taken Cell Bio, Gen-Chem, Physics, and I've yet to take O-Chem next year. So I was like, O-chem is like 25% of the bio section, which is like 30% of the entire test, so it can't hurt me so bad. Or am I wrong? 'Cause I heard knowing your O-Chem and not knowing it can be the difference between a 10 and a 12. eek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Yeah, but the thing is. I've taken all but one of the relevant courses to the MCAT already. I've taken Cell Bio, Gen-Chem, Physics, and I've yet to take O-Chem next year. So I was like, O-chem is like 25% of the bio section, which is like 30% of the entire test, so it can't hurt me so bad. Or am I wrong? 'Cause I heard knowing your O-Chem and not knowing it can be the difference between a 10 and a 12. eek. Well I only had one OCHEM passage on my Bio section... but still... even if there is only 10 ochem questions on the entire section the difference between a 10 and 12 can be a matter of 3 or 4 questions.... So while I wouldn't make ochem a big focus, you can't be throwing away marks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrugby Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Yeah, but the thing is. I've taken all but one of the relevant courses to the MCAT already. I've taken Cell Bio, Gen-Chem, Physics, and I've yet to take O-Chem next year. So I was like, O-chem is like 25% of the bio section, which is like 30% of the entire test, so it can't hurt me so bad. Or am I wrong? 'Cause I heard knowing your O-Chem and not knowing it can be the difference between a 10 and a 12. eek. I got a 10 on bio without having taken o-chem yet, and I definitely think I could've gotten 12+ had I taken o-chem first. I pretty much "educationally guessed" on all of the o-chem related questions on the real thing. Take that fwiw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymeover Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I got a 10 on bio without having taken o-chem yet, and I definitely think I could've gotten 12+ had I taken o-chem first. I pretty much "educationally guessed" on all of the o-chem related questions on the real thing. Take that fwiw. Then why do people keep stressing this is a 'reading test' and you can do well without having the background.. As in, if I didn't do well in Cell Bio for the course, will it affect me the same on the MCAT? Because isn't it supposed to be focused on how you answer questions based on the information they give you and not what you know beforehand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rpuff Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 then write the MCAT this summer, don't study for it and study again to write it next summer. in all honesty 2 months (if you're not working full time) is all you need to get prepared. i'd highly recommend taking a physiology course as well....cell bio is only a small part of BS. They say the relevant prereqs are ochem, gchem, phys and cell bio but i would include in that list an intro biochem (although my protein catalysis and cartbohydrate biochemistry came in handy) genetics and physiology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrugby Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Then why do people keep stressing this is a 'reading test' and you can do well without having the background.. As in, if I didn't do well in Cell Bio for the course, will it affect me the same on the MCAT? Because isn't it supposed to be focused on how you answer questions based on the information they give you and not what you know beforehand? I'm not sure how much the MCAT changes from year to year, but I took it in summer of 2007 and while I found that I didn't have to know much biology knowledge, I definitely needed to have had prior knowledge in orgo, physics, and chemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymeover Posted March 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 then write the MCAT this summer, don't study for it and study again to write it next summer. in all honesty 2 months (if you're not working full time) is all you need to get prepared. i'd highly recommend taking a physiology course as well....cell bio is only a small part of BS. They say the relevant prereqs are ochem, gchem, phys and cell bio but i would include in that list an intro biochem (although my protein catalysis and cartbohydrate biochemistry came in handy) genetics and physiology. I don't get it... From what I make of all the stuff I've read so far, it seems to me that all the people who get 35+ on the MCATs are basically so damn good at their 2nd and 3rd year courses, that they really don't have to pay attention to the reading that much as a 1st year kid would have to. So you mean, either one has to be a reading and critical thinking genius or a deep bio-chem-phy genius to score 35+... or that's how it seems to me as of now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champion_forever Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I don't get it... From what I make of all the stuff I've read so far, it seems to me that all the people who get 35+ on the MCATs are basically so damn good at their 2nd and 3rd year courses, that they really don't have to pay attention to the reading that much as a 1st year kid would have to. So you mean, either one has to be a reading and critical thinking genius or a deep bio-chem-phy genius to score 35+... or that's how it seems to me as of now. You need to have a strong background in the subjects being tested and then apply your reading/critical skills to do well. Possessing either one on its own won't get you too far. Things like orgo-chem and some bch stuff can take a while to get the hang of and you might have a hard time if you depend on the review course to teach it all you. I think the review course should mainly be used to 'review' what you've already learnt in university and better your testing skills, not to learn new subject material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldnk Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 It depends on a lot of things. If you learned your course material instead of just exam-prepped your 1st and 2nd year courses you probably don't have a lot of work to do. If you are trying to learn all of the material at once, it can be daunting, but if you think about it, there are maybe 15 general topics per subject and 4 course related subjects: Bio, Orgo, Chem, and Physics. So there are about 60 individual topics to learn. If you did a topic a day which is a reasonable goal, that takes about 2 months. Add on the odd day or two for some tougher subjects + a month of verbal and you get around 3 months or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syr2008 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 I work for PR, just send an email to head office and tell them you want to take the course again. They will send you the updated books (new 2009 version, much better, lots of diagrams) and enroll you in whatever course you want. If you have any questions, PM me. Thank you for your advice. I did what you said and they enrolled me with no problem at all. Thanks again or your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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