MCAT scores

[McGillGrad]

Most people tend to look at the most recent scores because they reflect what you are doing now, not what you did in the past (in terms of MCAT and GPA).

So, even though the 27 should be fine, it could never hurt to get a 30+ in April.

[nismo]

Originally Posted by LastDance

Thanks a lot for the reply it was very helpful... i actually heard about these 1001 question books from Exam Kracker... how well do you think those books have prepared you for the exam?? in other words are they worth the time to go through them if i start going through them now for the august exam?? also.. which prep course do you think or have heard is better to prepare for the mcat... princeton review or kaplan..... and 4 months should be enough time to prepare for the exam right?? thanks a bunch!!

I think the 1001 books are only helpful for content review. They will not improve your critical reading and thinking skills (except the bio book with the questions because it's passage based). I was enrolled in kaplan's prep course, so I can't really comment on princeton review. I thought kaplan was very good. The best part is the amount of review material they have available. If you use all of their review material and develop critical reading and thinking skills (attend every lecture and follow their passage reading mapping), there should be no reason why you won't be able to score at least a 35. I think four months should be enough time to study for the mcat if you take it seriously, and approach it like it's a part time job (at least 20 hours a week). My advice to you: use kaplan. For the first 2 - 2 1/2 months study the review books (if you don't understand something or need something explained in more detail, use outside sources like a textbook/search online), do all of the practice material (topicals, qbank questions, all of the subject practice tests), and then in the last 6 weeks do all of the practice tests (kaplan full length and aamc full length). Each test will take you an entire day to do. It will probably take you around 5 hours to complete all the sections, and then an additional 2-3 hours to read the explanations to each question. Reading the explanations to every question will be a good content review, as well as understanding how to better do the passage type questions.

And like I said, every one has a different study method. For me, this is something that worked out best. I just finished another practice test this morning and scored a 40 (B 15 P 13 V 12). I hope that I can get a score very similar to this on the real exam, and maybe this will help me gain admission into a u.s. school. Whether you are hoping to get admitted to a u.s. school or a foreign school, studying hard for the mcat will make you a better student and help you out in medical school. If I can sit down and study physics and chemistry for 6 hours a day, I think when it comes time to studying for 6-10 hours a day for the usmle will not be such a big problem for me (especially since I enjoy biology a lot more).

[enigma00183]

I think if you get above a 30, you should definitely do a post-bacc and get into a US school. But anyway, these are great tips prepping for the MCAT. G'Luck and I wish you the best of luck.

[jameslynton]

Originally Posted by nismo

I took the MCAT last April and scored a 19....to a 27 (B 11 P 9 V7). If I score a 35 on this upcoming test, will ross/sgu/auc hold it against me that I took the test three times? Also, has there been anyone that did not get into ross/sgu/auc with a 30+ MCAT and a GPA <2.5?

Hey, I hate to break it to you - you need to look at your MCAT and GPA like how an admission committee will look at it. Way back in my past - I got my first master's in Education Foundations Statistics. What admissions folks know is the #1 predictor for grad school is your undergrad GPA in core courses - These are your advance science classes, these being your organic chem. and advanced Bio classes. All your MCAT test shows is that you are getting test wise now - just like a rat gets maze wise. Your true MCAT score is the 19 when you took it cold. That is what the admissions people will look at not the 27 and possible 35 you may get. If you have incongruent GPA with a MCAT score they are going to figure either 1. You goofed off in school, 2. Were lazy in school, 3. Figured you would spend money, time and effort to become test wise to prove you can do medical school work.
All things being equal with other canidates, you have some serious strikes against you with the low undergrad GPA. You would actaully do better not to take the MCAT a thrid time now, take the GRE, get in a grad Bio program do all A's then apply to a US school after taking the MCAT after the two year program with a 4.0 average (since you are now test wise). Also having two years of volunteer work and maybe a research paper or two on the Vita would help your cause. This is just my .02's That two years spent in grad school could save you a tons of issues you are going to get by going to an island school. I am only going to an island school because I am old. Far older than any mainland school will accept. Best wishes.

[nismo]

Originally Posted by jameslynton

Hey, I hate to break it to you - you need to look at your MCAT and GPA like how an admission committee will look at it. Way back in my past - I got my first master's in Education Foundations Statistics. What admissions folks know is the #1 predictor for grad school is your undergrad GPA in core courses - These are your advance science classes, these being your organic chem. and advanced Bio classes. All your MCAT test shows is that you are getting test wise now - just like a rat gets maze wise. Your true MCAT score is the 19 when you took it cold. That is what the admissions people will look at not the 27 and possible 35 you may get. If you have incongruent GPA with a MCAT score they are going to figure either 1. You goofed off in school, 2. Were lazy in school, 3. Figured you would spend money, time and effort to become test wise to prove you can do medical school work.
All things being equal with other canidates, you have some serious strikes against you with the low undergrad GPA. You would actaully do better not to take the MCAT a thrid time now, take the GRE, get in a grad Bio program do all A's then apply to a US school after taking the MCAT after the two year program with a 4.0 average (since you are now test wise). Also having two years of volunteer work and maybe a research paper or two on the Vita would help your cause. This is just my .02's That two years spent in grad school could save you a tons of issues you are going to get by going to an island school. I am only going to an island school because I am old. Far older than any mainland school will accept. Best wishes.

I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate your post, because I value people's opinions. However, I think you are completely wrong on this issue. If you have ever taken the MCAT you shoud know that unless you are highly gifted at guessing, it is very unlikely that you will score above a 30 if you don't have the basic knowledge from the pre-reqs science courses. If you don't understand what insulin does, it's basic mechanism of glucose uptake by the cells, the body's reaction to high or low insulin/insulin receptors, and homeostasis...how will you be able to answer several questions based on a passage that is describing some experiment that you have never heard about involving insulin/diabetes/structure of some receptors/etc.? I will agree with you that I am more test wise, but without a solid knowledge of the science pre-reqs I don't think being test wise alone will help me get a 35+ score.

And the reason for my low gpa is because I goofed off, I was lazy, but mostly I was not ready for college when I graduated h.s. I failed a lot of classes because I didn't care, didn't think that it's such a big deal, and because it was more important to go home with a cheerleader than study for the midterm that I had at 8 am. But once I got serious about school I have been improving my study skills each semester, and becoming a much better student. Last year I was probably an average student in the science courses (B student), but now I am in the top 15%. I have made many mistakes in the past, but because I have such a horrible transcript I might not even be given a chance to demonstrate that I am not the same person/student as I was three years ago.

Regardless of what happens, I will do a special post-bacc program and try to get accepted into a u.s. school in a year or two. And even though I think you are wrong on your comments, I appreciate you taking the time to respond with your oppinions.

[ashif_ny]

sure you will get in but thing is that will you be able to get 35 in real exam.......its tough to do well ....8 hrs exam. anything can go wrong ..good luck

[RavenFighter04]

Don't worry about your MCAT. It's your GPA that's a problem. Bring it up with post bacc or whatever, but focus on that.

[jameslynton]

Bring up the GPA - Just remember you are out numbered by people who have no blemishes on their GPA. You will need to explain that in your essay. You are not in denial. I have taken the MCAT - it is a content based test and you can improve on it with retests. Admin people know about Kaplin and are aware of that. Use your number of tests wisely is all I was saying..
best wishes

[tRmedic21]

Easy admission to a Carib school. 3x on the MCAT is nothing, they won't bat an eye at it. I know people who took it 5, 6, even 7 or 8 times, and still got into Carib schools. They know people will wait years and do anything to get into med school. They are there to give people a 2nd chance who are willing to make sacrifices to make up for earlier mistakes.

If you've got the loan money to pay your tuition, with your CURRENT stats you'll get in. If you truly DO make a 35, then I'd also suggest a post-bacc program and re-applying next year or the year after. I think there are probably other issues going on here, too, but the bottom line is, yeah, you can get in with those numbers.

[kevin86]

how did you do nismo