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<p>Thats what I meant. I am going to do a full-length verbal section test on days when I don’t do full-length practice tests. So I should have roughly 20-21 verbal section tests done and roughly 15-16 practice exams done. The key is going to be reviewing after I am done taking it. If I find taking 3 full-length exams a week to be too much, then I can always just do 2 exams a week. </p>
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<p>Thanks thats what I am going to do with EK and TPR.</p>
<p>Colleges,
“So I should have roughly 20-21 verbal section tests done and roughly 15-16 practice exams done.”</p>
<p>-Way, way too much. My D. has never been burned out by final exams, but she was burned out by prep. to MCAT and taking practice tests, and she did not even need to review some sections like Gen. Chem. at all.<br>
Just a warning. You do whatever is best for you. Make sure you have enough rest all along.</p>
<p>^^ I feel like I have been resting wayyyy too much this past 6 weeks. All that I have done these past 6 weeks is content review. I would read all the chapters in the kaplan book twice and add notes to my kaplan flashcards. That doesn’t take me a long time to do (maybe 3-4 horus a day). I need to really step up my game during these next 6 weeks or else I am going to be forced to do a retake (because I won’t hit my target mcat score) for the mcats during the regular school year. That is going to be hard to do next year with my schedule.</p>
<p>^^^ I have gone through all the kaplan topical/subject tests for units 1 and 2, but none for unit 3, so I have to work on that. I would go completely ape-**** with a 34 on the real mcats. I scored a 26 on my diag, even though that is considered “high” by some standards, I just think I got lucky on it because I was guessing left and right, not to mention that kaplan’s curve on these diagnostic’s are wayyy too lenient…</p>
<p>Whats making me really nervous is that I have read threads on Sdn about kids who were scoring 36’s on their practice exams (aamc) and ended up with scores in the high twenty’s on the real thing (28-29). They ended up doing a lot better the second time around (scored 35-36’s), but I don’t want to screw up like they did the first time around.</p>
<p>I have two friends who are trying Caribbean/US 2+2 programs. There are numerous disadvantages, including the fact that you’re very limited in which programs you can enter, there are a ton of state-by-state restrictions, and it’s not as if folks won’t be able to tell afterwards what you did.</p>
<p>The most important disadvantage (and one that’s rarely talked about by these schools) is that after you do your two years, getting into a U.S. program for the latter two years is actually quite a long shot. One of the two tried for a few years before eventually giving up, and the other is in the middle of trying right now and is very, very nervous about it.</p>
<p>colleges,
Wait, why are doing any MCAT prep. now if you are not taking MCAT any time soon. D. took very long MCAT prep. class by most standards, starting in October of Junior year. She had lighter academic schedule of about 16 hrs, but she had very many EC’s all at her college during academic year. Summer is for Rest and Relaxation and spending time with your friends. Most people last cycle studied much shorter for MCAT than my D. Everybody was advising not to study the summer before, which is very good advice.</p>
<p>^^^ lol, I am taking it in August. I’d rather take it over the summer than during the school year with lots of work.</p>
<p>^Best wishes!
Feel sorry for you though, that you will spend your summer preping for MCAT! Take some days off, enjoy great weather, go swimming, spend time with your friends. I heard, that in Med. School time is cramped much more (will see as D. starts in less than 2 weeks), enjoy freedom while it lasts. I am glad that D. did not do much in her UG summers, looking back, it has worked perfectly in a long run.</p>
<p>^^ Thanks, hopefully it works out this summer, and I don’t have to do a retake. =)</p>
<p>Just to provide some closure -
D started off with a Jan 2011 MCAT of 30 12/10/8 Bio/Phy/Verbal and a 3.6 -3.7 GPA. She took the MCAT again last May and picked up 3 points in Verbal, but dropped one in Bio to get to 32. GPA has been more or less static even till now. </p>
<p>She applied to about a dozen MD and 5 DO schools, mainly in PA. Got five II (Interview Invite for those who haven’t hung around sdn) by year-end, but after she got into what she felt was her best DO school, she declined the other DO II, and withdrew the other three DO applications which were still in process. </p>
<p>Of her three MD interviews, she got two acceptances, of which she’s declined one, and she’s on the waitlist from her very first interview. About 5 out-of-state colleges rejected her outright, and on the rest she’s in a waiting status, realistically probably without much of a chance at this stage since the interview cycle is winding down. </p>
<p>Bottom line - panic till early December and her first acceptance, happy by mid January with an acceptance at a mid-tier school she’s comfortable with, and perhaps another shot later in the season, but not critical.</p>
<p>In retrospect we’re happy she didn’t listen to those such as her guidance counselor who were advocating a gap year and further prep for her MCAT, and the next chapter in her life should commence this fall.</p>
<p>Huge congrats! Good for her. My best friend was in a similar situation–retook the MCAT, improved, decided to apply rather than wait a year–and ended up happy with the results too. Any idea if she’ll choose DO or MD?</p>
<p>^^ My and DW’s PCPs are DOs as is her OB, but for D has some prejudices in the MD vs DO debate. If her consideration was geographic (esply international), I’ll agree with her, but I don’t believe it is. </p>
<p>DO school would have been in the debate if the only other option was Caribbean or perhaps it would have been a factor if her only MD acceptance was the one she declined because it’s new, without placement history and is in financial probation. So she’ll be in four more years of snow instead of enjoying year-around sunshine.</p>
<p>Why are you guys saying preparing early is a bad idea? Should I not review the science classes that pertain to the MCAT, perhaps after the semester is over or during the summer?</p>