Writing Sample Improvement

[PastaInhaler]

Has anyone here written the MCAT more than once, and had improved on the writing sample section? How did you go about improving, and how much did you improve? Do you have tips that you would like to share with future colleagues?

I am assuming here that the most important way to note your improvement is to get feedback from someone, or some credible source. This might be a toughie. I found a website where you can pay an organization $200 to read over 4 essays and give you feedback. I am not sure that I trust this service.

Did you consult anyone? A professor? friend? relative?

[terryann]

Did you take a review course, and did they teach you how to do the essays. I believe that is what saved me. I sent mine into PR after each practice test.

 

If you are going to use a private service, I do not know of any. Check out their testimonials and google them for negative feedback..

[AG22]

I took a PR course, and as the above poster said, it was beneficial for me to send in my essays after ea practice to get some feedback.

 

The first time I wrote, I got a Q on the real deal. The second time I wrote, I got an S on the real deal.

 

I think what improvements occured resulted from me being hyperaware of everything that was going on over the summer. I would constantly watch the news, read the economist and listen to CBC radio one. (Now not so much! hehe.) But this really helps you to come up with good political examples of the numerous political prompts you are likely to receive.

 

And ofcourse, practice makes perfect! I always had three paragraphs to any essay. And this was the PR advice: 1) - thesis, argue why the prompt is true and give an eg 2)- antithesis, argue when the prompt does not hold any water, give an eg 3) - synthesis, distill your ideas into a rule and convey when the prompt is true and when it isn't, and if possible give an example (new) if not, re-state the prior two examples.

 

And definitely, don't pay so much for them reading 4 essays. Especially seeing as MCAT essays are short and sweet and to the point, you shouldn't be spending 100s of dollars. Get your fam jam, or friends to look it over.

 

GL

[shestheman]

I think the poster above gave some really good advice. I wrote the MCAT for the first time and got an S. I acutally know incredibly little about politics, law, etc but I came up with a few core and widely applicable examples. I have a bit of english background so I guess I have some practice with twisting examples to make them work for me .

 

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to look at MCAT Strategy's videos. He has some really really good advice to offer for the WS, and I learned everything for the WS from him. Admittedly, I tried to think of my own examples but I had no sense of direction until I watched his vids. I also got my course instructor to evaluate my essays, but I had only submitted 2 of them to her and got 5/6 on both. And, to be honest, I just wrote a lot (I'm generally quite verbose and detailed as it is) with each of my essays always being really long. Just remember that you really don't have to know much about the topic...all you have to do is pick something relevant and stick to it. Though I did post a couple of my essays in the WS thread and receive some feedback, I honestly didn't change my style too much. I learned from reading what and how others wrote, so I definitely recommend checking that thread out.

 

Oh and one interesting point: I was really afraid about my WS performance because I KNOW that I acutally misinterpreted one of the prompts I had, and thus didn't exactly answer the question asked. In a normal english course, one would expect a REALLY low mark for something like this, so you bet an S really shocked me.

 

Good luck!

[PastaInhaler]

Can someone please describe how to properly address all three tasks required on the MCAT WS with an example?

 

Give us a breakdown of how a good essay should look:

 

1) Thesis

2) Antithesis

3) Criteria

 

If you prefer to PM a sample, please feel free to. It won't be necessary for me to reveal your username.

[PastaInhaler]

Example: (J)

Prompt:

To obey an unjust law is to approve of it.

 

Describe a specific situation in which obeying an unjust law might not necessarily mean approving of it. Discuss what you think determines when disobeying a law is justified.

-----

This ain't right. I disagree, obeying an unjust law doesn't mean I approve of it. It just means the system is messed up, and if I obey it, I won't get punished for breaking it that is all.

 

I don't like driving the speed limit, but I do cause it's the law, not because I approve of it. My aunt Susan one time drove below the speed limit and some cop pulled her over. It says maximum 50km/h and she drove like what 40km/h, so the cop pulled her over. You see, she obeyed the law and still got punished for it. You can't win, the law ain't fair so we don't approve of it.

 

In conclusion, the law ain't always right, we obey it cause we have to.

-----

J

 

How would you properly address the prompt to achieve a P or better?

[sucotai]

i wrote mcat 3 times, first time i got an N w/o investing any time in writing, the 2nd time i still didn't prepare and got an M....the 3rd time i spent roughly a month studying WS and got an R, so it's definitely doable

 

i used princeton's book for WS (can't rmb the exact name), it's very helpful and gives u the breakdown of the three tasks w/ good examples, try to get hold of one copy if u can, and u can try reading the WS ppl have written in this thread, they are very helpful as well

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27004

 

and u can try to start building up a database for examples that can be used towards prompts, and maybe watch/read news to include some of the most current events in ur database, that was wut i spent most time on for studying WS

 

i actually didn't take a course/get a tutor/consult professional to critique on my writing samples cuz i couldn't afford it, i did asked my friends to read them over and give feedbacks, and u can always find other ppl's samples on the same prompt that u write to compare and see wut u have and wut u lack of

 

wish u best of luck~

[PastaInhaler]

i wrote mcat 3 times, first time i got an N w/o investing any time in writing, the 2nd time i still didn't prepare and got an M....the 3rd time i spent roughly a month studying WS and got an R, so it's definitely doable

 

i used princeton's book for WS (can't rmb the exact name), it's very helpful and gives u the breakdown of the three tasks w/ good examples, try to get hold of one copy if u can, and u can try reading the WS ppl have written in this thread, they are very helpful as well

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27004

 

and u can try to start building up a database for examples that can be used towards prompts, and maybe watch/read news to include some of the most current events in ur database, that was wut i spent most time on for studying WS

 

i actually didn't take a course/get a tutor/consult professional to critique on my writing samples cuz i couldn't afford it, i did asked my friends to read them over and give feedbacks, and u can always find other ppl's samples on the same prompt that u write to compare and see wut u have and wut u lack of

 

wish u best of luck~

 

thanks for this. r is fantastic, have you been accepted yet? PM if you wish

[sucotai]

nope, rejected twice and is still trying:D

[PastaInhaler]

nope, rejected twice and is still trying:D

 

Keep at it sucotai, you'll get in this round, I can feel it. Goodluck and see you when you get there.

[sparkles3288]

I took PR and actually found their essay help of very little benefit to myself.

 

I'm ashamed to say this, but I put very little time into WR. I'm a science major by background and am not super good at english. I did the PR essay's and the best my teacher ever gave me was a P.

 

For the real thing, what I did was come up with a few good examples that I literally used for every single prompt (3 good canadian examples) and was able to manipulate each example for what was being asked. Then, made sure to expand on it with some detail and flowy language.

 

I probably did like..4 practice essays. Just wrote the real MCAT and got an S on it.

 

It's really not that hard. Just answer what is being asked and make sure to keep defining whatever you are trying to get at.

[keith_015]

I took a university essay writing course (good to have as a prereq for some schools in CAN and US). I thought it was great to do as it helped you properly organize your thoughts as well as strengthen your grammar, vocabulary and writing style.

 

I wrote 2005 (N). Took the essay course in summer 2006 and MCAT at the end of the summer ®. Did MCAT this year again using same tactics as that course and previous writing, and with less practice than 2006 (Q).

 

Either way, building your writing skills is the number one essential thing to do. Number two is generating a good skeleton structure for your essays. Third is to practice your a$$ off, and get somebody experienced to critique you.