MCATs

<p>would it be "sane" to at least read through some of the verbal passages as a freshman in college? wouldn't it be more effective than reading articles?</p>

<p>What is Academic Index? I've never heard of it.</p>

<p>Also, could I get some recommendations on best premed books?</p>

<p>I am freaking out. I have been studying like crazy for the past month for the mcat, but I forgot to register. I look at the website, and it says that all the testing centers are full. What the hell? It is almost 2 months before the test (I am hoping to take it on Sep. 8th). Can they really be full this early? My friend took it earlier this year and he said that he registered like 2 and half weeks before the test. Seriously this cannot be happenning. I didnt get any summer internship or anything because I thought I would focus on studying and get a good score. I feel like I am going to kill some one. Ahhhhh!</p>

<p>1.) Every single testing center everywhere in the country is full?</p>

<p>2.) Some test dates are clearly more popular than others.</p>

<p>3.) What's the next test date that does have available slots?</p>

<p>4.)
[quote]
I didnt get any summer internship or anything

[/quote]
I know it's unrelated, but that wasn't a good idea.</p>

<p>Well, I live in California, and the Nevada, Oregon ones are full too. I find it a little difficulut to believe that there are only about 20 tests sites (each which hold 16 people) in CA and only 2 each in Nevada and Oregon. The next available one is Jan. 27th or something, which would make things very difficult. </p>

<p>I am volunteering in a hospital, but only like about 3-5 hours per week. I am taking a mcat prepclass that takes up like 2.5 hrs per day, and with studying and stuff, I thought that I would not be able to handle everything at once. Thats why I didn't get internship.</p>

<p>I called them and they said usually a few seats open up about 2-3 weeks before the exam date. Do you guys know if this is true? or am I the only one who registered late?</p>

<p>well, I just got back my june 15th scores...32 N...not sure about the N
PS - 9 (I knew I didn't do as well since I got caught up on one passage and completely guessed on a whole passage...)
VR - 10
WS - N very low, not sure what to think
BS - 13</p>

<p>the wait for the score was horrible, but at least it is over...good luck to future MCAT'ers!</p>

<p>Corbis, thanks for posting your post-test thoughts as well as your score. I think something valuable is pointed out by this.</p>

<p>1.) Time management really is very important, and it hurt him on the PS section -- not catastrophically, but that did turn out to be his lowest section.
2.) Hard questions tend to be hard for everybody, so a "hard" section may not turn out to be a very low score. Notice his commentary on the BS section compared to how his score ultimately turned out. (Congratulations on the 13, by the way.)</p>

<hr>

<p>Corbis:
Don't worry too much about the writing section. While I happen to think it's very important, medical school admissions committees don't seem to agree with me.</p>

<p>bdm, on what do you base your statement "While I happen to think it's very important, medical school admissions committees don't seem to agree with me."? It would probably be welcome news for my D whose essay writing sections were her lowest (but still very good) sections on both the SAT and ACT but it seems that most all of the top schools have very high essay scores on average. Lot's of "Q's".</p>

<p>


bdm, it seems that the schools in the Top Twenty have writing scores less than 2 standard deviations above the norm, while they have BS and PS scores more than 2 standard deviations above the norm. I am math challenged but does that look right to you? If so, that is good evidence for your position.</p>

<p>1.) Your math does look mostly right to me.</p>

<p>2.) The national average among takers is an O; the national average among applicants is an O; the national average among admitteds is a P, or a one-point difference. Contrast this with other sections, where there is an average of a 2 point difference.</p>

<p>3.) If I remember correctly, you're right that many, many top schools have an average of Q. This is the 75th percentile, which is equivalent to a 30 on the numerical sections. Many top schools seem to have means around the 95th percentile for the numerical sections (a 35), which would have equated to an R or an S.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/examineedata/combined06.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/examineedata/combined06.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Yeah, I just found out I got an N, too and am kind of worried about it (30th percentile looks kind of disgusting). I can imagine the interview Qs "So, can you explain why your writing score is so low?"</p>

<p>Well, the point is that I don't think anybody cares very much. I happen to think it's a pretty valuable section, but medical schools don't seem to.</p>

<p>I think they may ask me about it in an interview since I have mark of a C+ in my english comp. class. However I missed a deadline for the class which dropped my grade from an A- to that C+. But, I did get an A in my second semester english composition and an A in a british literature class. Hopefully they can see through my WS score because of those grades and I also made sure my PS was very good and I'm putting a lot of work into my secondaries.</p>

<p>What books do you guys recommend?
I hear the complete Examkracker's Guide is good: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-Mcat-Complete-Study-Package/dp/1893858499/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7699198-9451016?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185161298&sr=1-1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-Mcat-Complete-Study-Package/dp/1893858499/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7699198-9451016?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185161298&sr=1-1&lt;/a>
Also, i hear Nova Physics is good: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/MCAT-Physics-Book-Garrett-Biehle/dp/1889057339/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7699198-9451016?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185161556&sr=1-1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/MCAT-Physics-Book-Garrett-Biehle/dp/1889057339/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7699198-9451016?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185161556&sr=1-1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Are there any other study guides that are good?</p>

<p>i am a freshmen entering UT w/ hopefully business degree. As i keep reading, it seems everybody is worried/focused on how to get a MCAT scores. and along the post, studying for mcat early before taking the required courses would be futile. And i would just like to ask those ppl about my situation. </p>

<p>I studied for TAKS (texas requiremen to graduate, it suppose to be like 5th grade level) but i didn't get recommended.
I studied for good 6+ AP exams in highschool and didn't pass.
I studied 2 years for SAT and managed 1250+</p>

<p>Now there is whole argument about productivity and efficiency and what you study and how u study and stuff but i hope you guys understand where i am trying to go with this. as i hate this use this as a reason. i am not a good 'test taker'. so i was thinking of studying it as soon as i went to college. I know this might be absolute overdoing it, but it might work for me. or say i need the time. I know some might( majority) might think i should wait for the basic course for mcat before studying for mcat. thats fine,but thats not where iam going. just give me some advice if i want to start from freshmen year. anything will be gratefully considered and any advices will be taken seriously </p>

<p>thank you for your time. </p>

<p>sincerely, a guy who just too ambitious</p>

<p>p.s: and if you still think its a bad idea, just say it.</p>

<p>Just read. Read all you can. Read everything you can get your hands on for two years. Then when the time comes, deal with it then.</p>

<p>After all, you don't seem horribly excited about the results you get when you study for years upon years.</p>

<p>When is the latest date that one should take the mcat if they wanna apply for the 2008-2009 school year? September?</p>

<p>This past May.</p>

<p>I am taking them this August and I am pretty sure it's still ok since I asked my premed advisor. I don't know if I'll be prepared enough because I'm working fulltime right now, but I still have a little less than 3 weeks to study.</p>