<p>Sorry, another question: are all the MCAT writing samples selected from the over 300 topics posted on the official website?</p>
<p>Although it's said that "Topics selected for use in MCATs will be similar or identical to those in this list," I just want to make sure.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your advice!</p>
<p>don't really know about your question, but the writing sample is really the least concern you should have. I think it would be an utter waste of time to try to prepare for different prompts, as every prompt will ask you to do the exact same things. Most importantly though, schools seems like they could not care less what you get on the writing sample (I imagine a J/K/L would look pretty bad, but you only get those if you don't follow the instructions at all), and practicing more than a couple prompts is really just going to distract from the rest of your (much more important) prep time.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>But I am an international student who will arrive in US for the first time this August. For me, the constant mental gear-changing in language is indeed counterproductive at times even though I have waded through the SAT Writing.</p>
<p>I really appreciate your advice, anyway...</p>
<p>hey,
just wondering if med schools know if which schools students have been accepted to.</p>
<p>i've heard all different things about this. supposedly, something in late march or april, schools know where you have been accepted (I have heard that this only schools that offer you an acceptance are able to see this information, which would make sense but I am unsure). After May 15, schools that offer you an acceptance are DEFINITELY able to see where else you've been accepted at some point, but I believe only after they have listed you as being 'enrolled' in their class for AMCAS.</p>
<p>this may be a little of-topic, but what books are supposed to be the best for MCAT self-study? I've heard ExamKrackers, but how about Kaplan and Princeton Review? Also if anyone knows of any others?</p>
<p>for the biology section of the mcat, I was looking at the AAMC's list of biological sciences topics for the mcat, and I noticed that they mentioned nothing about plant biology (photosynthesis, plant cells, plant organs, plant reproduction, etc.). Does this mean that plants in general are just not covered on the mcat?</p>
<p>Well, maybe not in extreme detail but they could include a passage on plants that incorporates other basic knowledge of the biological sciences... the MCAT, at least since 2007, is more of a thinking test than a test of discrete knowledge...</p>
<p>Plant bio is not covered on the MCAT. There will be no discrete questions on plant biology. There might be a passage about plants, but there won't be plant-specific questions - the questions will be general.</p>
<p>Hi all, I need some advice. I currently have 60+ credits at a CC and am planning on transferring to a state U next January (I'll have my bachelor's before moving on to med school, hopefully :) ). I've already taken general chem, bio, physics, physiology this past year and will be taking genetics, microbio, and Ochem I in the fall. I plan on taking the MCAT in January so that I can apply timely. My question is that, will it be feasible to take the MCAT after only taking Ochem I and perhaps the Kaplan prep course this summer? Do I really need the second semester of Ochem to do well on it (I'm aiming for 32+)? Can I self study the rest of the Ochem that I'll need given that I'm pretty good at self studying? Lastly, will it be a waste of money/time to take the Kaplan prep this summer before I've actually taken any Ochem?</p>
<p>Any input will be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!</p>
<p>Wait, so I should spend as little time as possible preparing for the Writing section? Is it true that medical schools could care less about the Writing Part?</p>
<p>in a word: yes</p>
<p>It's not quite true. A J or a K will pose a problem. But almost.</p>
<p>BDM,
I've got in my files your recommendation that after animal phys, molecular and cell bio are helpful for the MCATs. My Ds school offers separate classes in mol and cell bio, which would be better if she can only take one before the test? I'm also a little confused about genetics--a good course to take before the test, or is it alright not to take it if she's planning on a couple of months of prep during summer and will be taking the Kaplan review course? Thanks!</p>
<p>It's all right to skip all of those, honestly. None of them are by any means required. Tell you the truth, I don't remember the MCAT well enough to recommend cell over molecular or vice versa. Maybe somebody more recent can speak to that. Genetics is also a little helpful, but by all means no sense putting off the MCAT to wait for it.</p>
<p>I would lean towards going with cell bio, simply because I have no idea what a molecular bio course would entail if it's separate from cell bio and genetics. I thought genetics and cell bio were both useful to have, though each of those to classes also had a lot of molecular bio and biochem, respectively, which was useful. I feel like the amount of genetics on the MCAT has increased with the redesigning of the test (Kaplan could verify this), but as BDM said, none are terribly important to take before the MCAT.</p>
<p>I agree, I'm having some difficulty with what a singular molecular bio course would cover separate from genetics or biochem...so commonly it's with one or the other.</p>
<p>It is true, there are increasing amounts of molecular bio and genetics as the MCAT evolves to cover topics that are more relevant to medicine...The test is not a static entity and has changed quite a bit over the years - even before going to CBT (This evolution is one of the reasons people shouldn't put too much stock in the scores they get from the low numbered AAMC practice tests).</p>
<p>Thanks BRM & philly! </p>
<p>There's not a problem with delaying taking the MCAT, she will be starting her sop year in the fall and is in the process of working through a couple of premed courses per semester (as she's a non-science major) and will test next summer. </p>
<p>She's completed her math and will be taking second semester of OChem this fall. Since (for better or worse) she took AP credits for Chem and Bio, she still has one year of each to take. So, she's trying to figure out which other 3 courses would be most helpful to take pre-MCATs. Looks like phys for sure; but since she would only need one other bio course, either cell bio or genetics. Plus biochem which I'm assuming will count as a chem course.</p>
<p>also bear in mind that she needs to take bio classes with labs to meet the laboratory requirement of most med schools; this is not satisfied by th AP.</p>
<p>Right, she's planning to do that...but that brings up a related question. Since physio and cell bio don't have labs with them at her school, she'll take other stand alone bio labs to meet the requirement, is there any problem with that?</p>