Timing or better score

[Guest Gem2005]

Hi everyone,

 

I need some advice about taking the MCAT this year vs the next. I have four weeks left, and I dont feel very confident!

 

I have completed 2 full lenght tests with low scores, and right now I am reviewing the basic concepts. Also my VR needs improvement. I dont know if I can pull it off but I am willing to try. But I dont think it would be a good thing for me to miss it the first time, b/c some of the prereq's like physics, chem, that I did long ago, I didin't do very well, so I dont want the schools to think there is a negative weakness trend going on!

 

The only problem is that if I write the MCAT next year for 1 st time, it will delay my application and entrance for two years. So should I still go try the MCAT this Aug or go the next year?

 

Can someone offer any advice or experiences they had with a similar situation (people telling me to go at it vs my fear not to do well this time vs the delay in years)

 

Thanks a lot!

[Guest UTMed07]

...my VR needs improvement.

I'd suggest reading some speed reading books.

 

Two books I used:

1. Sharkey, John, "Your guide to--speed reading: read faster, improve comprehension, find what you need to know - fast," Coles Publishing, Toronto, 1999. ISBN: 0-7740-0580-7

 

2. Stephen, Berg, "Super Reading Secrets," Warner Books, 1992. ISBN: 0-446-36299-9

 

Of the two... I liked #1 best.

 

So should I still go try the MCAT this Aug or go the next year?

That is a tough one and I'm afraid no one can really answer that question for you.

 

But I dont think it would be a good thing for me to miss it the first time, b/c some of the prereq's like physics, chem, that I did long ago, I didin't do very well, so I dont want the schools to think there is a negative weakness trend going on!

If you walk in afraid of failure, you're probably not going to be focused and as a result not perform at your max potential. That said, as far as I know, most schools look at the best scores. If you guff up in round one, but shine later it won't be held against you; a significant number of people in med school have two MCATs under their belt.

[Guest Never2Late]

I haven't yet written the MCAT however one thing strikes me as I read your post. ANXIETY.

 

It just seems to me that one of your biggest hurdles right now is your apprehension. And if you wait until next year to write you will feel not only the same way as you do now - but that the level of anxiety will be intensified.

 

I think you should write it this August and even if you do not score as well as you would have liked you will not only know what to expect (as compared to the practice exams) but where exactly more focused studying might be required. I would suspect that by writing it this time around you would naturally do better a second time if it were necessary to re-write for the simple fact of having a prior run at it.

 

Why possibly delay your application and acceptance for two years? If the price of writing the exam isn't an issue - do it now and see how you do. You have been practicing/studying already and even if it doesn't seem like it all of this effort is helping - it is. And, you currently know where your weaknesses are... so work on those areas during the next several weeks. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results. HOWEVER, if you find that you've not done as nicely as you would have liked... THEN you can re-write next year.

 

Like I said, I'm certainly not an expert on this subject, but having had the opportunity to write some pretty hefty exams in the past I know that anxiety can wreak havoc on a person's ability to excel. And I also know that procrastinating (ie: leaving it til next year) isn't all that likely to soothe matters. We are given the opportunity to write the MCAT several times... why not make use of it.

 

Perhaps I'm off track here... and jumping to conclusions about the anxiety thing... but I truly hope my two bits here offers some help. Good luck to you... and study!!!

[Guest fox]

Based on my experience with the MCAT I would suggest you write it this summer. Four weeks is a long time to study, if you've already started. If you do well enough to meet the minimums at some schools, then apply to those schools. Some schools don't even have minimum MCAT scores that you must meet (I think U of A's only criteria is you can't have less than 7, but I would check out their webpage because I can't remember for sure). A LOT of people write the MCAT more than once, so even if you don't do that well this time, it is an experience and I guarantee going through the whole day and the studying process etc will make the second time around easier. I barely had to study the second time since I had really learned the science concepts well when I studied the first time.

 

Verbal reasoning is very difficult, mostly because of the time limit. The first time I wrote it I ended up guessing on 15 questions because I ran out of time (they took our watches away and I couldn't see a clock). I ended up with great marks in 3 sections, and a 7 in VR, so I had to re-write. But, that was definitely something that only writing the MCAT in a controlled setting could have prepared me for. Practicing at home just isn't the same.

 

As for how you score on the practice tests, unless you are really strict with yourself and don't rush through anything and don't look at any answers, I wouldn't really think they're a great predictor of your score. What I found was that I would read more quickly and rush through the questions at home and make dumb mistakes that I would never had made on test day. I think just getting yourself into the right frame of mind to answer the questions as they are formatted on the exam is important. Don't forget that many of the answers are actually in the passages, you just have to read carefully and look for them.

 

All of this is just my opinion and is based on what I learned from my experience with the MCAT, but I hope it helps. Good luck.

[Guest Lactic Folly]

They took your watches away?! Eesh, that's bad.

[Guest Gem2005]

Hi to all of you,

 

I just wanted to thank you for all your advice, and for taking the time to give me a few shots of reality and encouragement!

 

I really appreciate this site and find that all the people participating are ALWAYS positive, helpfull and have a warm personnality, I hope to be able to help others the same way, and appreciate it a lot!

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

I had a very similar 1st MCAT experience to that of fox at the University of Waterloo- no watches allowed (I thought that my sitting was the only sitting in the world that banned watches from peoples' desktops). Without a clock in easy sight, (I had to look behind me to see it, which made it look like I was cheating off someone else) I ran out of time on VR, had 3 passages left with only 10 minutes left to do them, and got a sucky VR score of 6. Torpedoed my score for that sitting, but the 2nd time I wrote it (at UWO) they were much more lenient, allowing beeping watches (normally verboten), water during the exam and a lot of other stuff that the proctors of my 1st MCAT exam at UW probably would have booted people for. So be prepared to write without a watch on your desk, as that may be the case, but from what I gather, it is generally unlikely.

 

Best of luck!

Timmy

[Guest Yacek]

Hello everybody!

 

Gem2005 is not the only one who's feeling anxious. I'm writing my MCAT at University of Waterloo, so... I thought that we were guaranteed the right to bring our own non-electronic watch

Fox and TimmyMax - did you guys try to complain about your VR scores to AAMC?

[Guest Lactic Folly]

I'd think that access to some sort of time-keeping device would be essential.. I had my non-beeping watch on my wrist the whole time.

[Guest Never2Late]

Did they take only digital watches away (which could have calculating functions on them) or analogs as well?

 

I can see not having access to something that MIGHT be able to help formulate an answer but otherwise can't understand the rationale of a 'no watch' rule.

[Guest michca]

Yikes! No watches allowed??? I'm currently registered to write the MCAT at Waterloo...this whole "no watches allowed" rule that TimmyMax experienced there has me a little bit worried.

More like panicking.....8o

TimmyMax, did they give a reason for not allowing watches?

It's strange that they restrict you from a having a watch, considering that in the MCAT 2003 Booklet, they suggest bringing a watch with you.

Fox, and TimmyMax, like Yacek said, I hope you guys complained to the AAMC.

BTW, I asked this in a different post, but does anyone (aka TimmyMax) have general comments about what it was like to write the MCAT at Waterloo? I.e. How many people were writing there, whether the room was comfortable, whether you were in one big room or separate rooms, how long registration took etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated

Also, do proctors always work at the same location for each MCAT test date? Maybe there's a slim chance then that the super strict proctors will have gone to another location- far far away from Waterloo.:rolleyes

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

Wow, you're asking a lot there- this is going to be a real test of the memory. Let's see- I wrote in the Math (or Computing?) building, that big ugly square thing with the moat around it. The room was big enough- I guess about 40 people in my section and registration took about 15-20 minutes to file through everyone. The room was comfortable enough, I guess (I liked UWO better), but don't be expecting La-Z-Boy recliners! The proctors I had were super-strict- did everything to the letter- only two pencils an eraser, and a pen were allowed on your desk (or whatever the book says- I don't think that they allow watches on your desk, or at least it doesn't say that in the book, the proctors' reason for turfing watches from the exam, BTW). In retrospect, I guess that you could have worn one on your wrist, but I remember that it couldn't make a sound- one person's watch beeped during the exam- the proctors looked daggers at that person and threatened to kick the next person whose watch beeped out the door! Anyway, it was a bit of a frightening experience, but judging from everyone else's experience (and my own 2nd sitting) I can say that it was probably atypical.

The moral of the story is to be ready for proctors who do everything by the book- if you are someone (like myself) who likes to have a lot of stuff on your desk, you may be in for a bit of a shock.

 

Best of luck!

Timmy

[Guest michca]

TimmyMax: thanks for your help with my endless number of questions! Your answers gave me a better idea of what I might be in for, in about three weeks from now.

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

No problem! Glad to lend a hand! Like I said, the purpose isn't to scare everyone, rather to give a heads-up in case you run into some hyper-vigilant exam proctors like I did (and so did fox). So long as you know what's coming, you'll be fine and it will help minimize the shock if you should run into such a situation on exam day. Best of luck in your quest!

 

Best of luck!

Timmy