Get A Higher MCAT Score: The Mad Scientist Strategy Used By 510+ Scorers
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. - Jimmy Johnson
Doctors all over the world believed, for decades, that stomach ulcers and stomach cancers were the result of spicy foods, a lot of acid, and too much stress.
Barry Marshall however, had different beliefs. As an Australian physician, and microbiology researcher, he believed that ulcers were in fact, triggered by bacteria; Helicobacter Pylori.
To most, this idea seemed crazy.
But to Marshall and his lab partner, this was the truth.
Unfortunately for both of them, they had been unable to provide evidence for how bacteria and ulcers are linked. They had conducted numerous lab experiments on pigs and now, his grant money was almost finished.
Disheartened, Marshall gained his confidence when he saw that thousands of people were dying from stomach cancer every year.
The cure, he believed, was easily available: antibiotics. But mainstream gastroenterologists dismissed his conclusions, as they held on to the old beliefs that ulcers were caused by stress.
Not being able to make his case in studies with lab mice since H. pylori only affects primates, Marshall grew desperate.
To make matters worse, he was unable to experiment on people which was the only way he could prove what he already knew, and save thousands of lives.
It was July 1984, when Marshall did the unthinkable.
He experimented on the only human patient he could be allowed to experiment on...
Himself.
MCAT Retake Success: How She Retook The MCAT and Scored 510
Hey Future Doctor,
If you're retaking the MCAT, this post was written for you. In fact, even if you aren't retaking the MCAT and this is your first time writing, you're going to get some great insights from a real 510 scorer!
Let's begin...
Some students feel like retaking the MCAT is harder than taking it the first time because the pressure to succeed becomes greater...
However we'd argue it's easier.
If you can get beyond the disappointment and the negative emotions, and take the time to reflect, you can learn a lot about yourself from the 'first-time' experience.
The insights you get from reflection, can lead to a much more strategic MCAT prep study plan to make sure you dominate your next MCAT exam.
In this article, we'd like to introduce you to someone who retook the MCAT and scored a 510 the second time around...
Her name is Oleksandra Kaskun and here's her inspiring MCAT success story...
How To Increase Your MCAT Score By 10 Points Within 30 Days
Is your MCAT score not increasing fast enough?
Throughout our research, we’ve seen premeds who have improved their MCAT scores from 499 to 512, from 507 to 521, from 500 to 521, from 505 to 517, from 50th percentiles to 90th percentiles…. And the list goes on.
A lot were able to do it in a matter of weeks. 18 days to get to a 100th percentile score is the record so far.
We've even seen someone achieve a 6 point score increase in the last 7 days before the MCAT!
Clearly, something "clicks" for these top scorers that enables them to skyrocket their MCAT score FAST. There comes a moment where they just 'get it'.
By the time you're done reading this article, you'll have the key insights and the formula you need to make it 'click' for you too. How do we know all this? We've been studying top MCAT scorers for years (we'll talk more about that below).
"Success leaves clues. Go figure out what someone who was successful did and model it. Improve it, but learn their steps. They have knowledge." - Tony Robbins
The fact is that when you’re constantly getting MCAT score results that aren’t what you expect, that aren’t where you need them to be competitive for med-school, you can’t help but feel defeated.
It’s discouraging when you can’t get over the 500 mark. It’s frustrating when your score isn’t increasing. Worst of all, it’s scary not knowing if you’ll increase your MCAT score enough when the MCAT date much closer than you’d like.
You wonder if you should push your MCAT date a little further. You wonder if you’ll have to retake the MCAT. Your confidence diminishes and you start searching for answers...
Your search for answers may have brought you here and it is our intention that after you read this article, you won’t have to look anywhere else.
From 489 To 509: How Miriam Improved Her MCAT Score By 20 Points
Have you ever wondered how some students increase their MCAT score in such huge jumps?
We're talking 20 point score increases! We're talking 20 point score increases WHILE managing full course loads and a job!
Well in today's case study, you're about to hear from someone who did just that...
We'd like to introduce you to Miriam Alghothani, a 509 scorer:
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Her Motivational MCAT Success Story: From 499 To 511 In 3 Weeks?!
It's easy to get overwhelmed when studying for the MCAT. In fact, overwhelm can be one of your biggest hurdles on this journey...
Especially when there is so much to learn and remember. Especially if you keep getting lower scores than you want on your practice exams.
In this MCAT success story, you'll hear how a fellow MCAT Mastery Community member dealt with and overcame many of these challenges.
At the end of it all, she achieved an impressive, balanced MCAT score that is sure to open doors to some of her top picks in med-school...
We'd like to introduce you to Jenny Paul, a 511 scorer:
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How Fear Is Holding You Back From Succeeding On The MCAT
Most students feel like the MCAT and fear go hand in hand. If you're writing the MCAT, you may have just accepted fear as part of your daily life, dealing with it until test day is over.
That's an unfortunate but common situation; premeds are spending months chasing a higher MCAT score, but struggle to reach it because of one thing that they refuse to let go of... fear.
MCAT Study Plan of 90+ Percentile Scorers: How Top Scorers Schedule MCAT Prep
When you’re just beginning to prep for the MCAT and creating an MCAT study plan , a lot of feelings show up...
On the one hand, it’s kind of exciting to get the only remaining barrier to med-school out of the way. It’s just one exam – and you’ve written many exams before!
On the other hand, it's also kind of scary! There’s a lot riding on this one exam. It holds A LOT of power in whether or not you get called for an interview. Plus, it’s extremely comprehensive of the sciences, with subjects like CARS and Psych/Soc thrown in there. Not to mention it’s a whopping 7 ½ hours long…
So we can understand why so many students come to us feeling stressed, worried, frustrated, confused and lacking in confidence, when it comes to preparing for the MCAT. If you’re feeling any of these things, don’t worry, it’s normal and you’re in the right place...
By the time you’ve reached the end of this article, you’ll have everything you need to approach this beast of an exam from a place of calm, confidence, and clarity.
Our goal at MCAT Mastery to make sure you prep for the MCAT in the smartest, smoothest and most strategic way possible, so you can stay on track to achieve your target score goal without any roadblocks or stress.
The basis for all the guidance we provide is from our research of the MCAT prep strategies and approaches used only by top MCAT scorers.
Most top scorers are strategic in their approach to MCAT prep, which is why they get high scores. That strategic mindset also translates to med-school admission strategy, for which the foundation lies in creating the most optimal MCAT study plan...
Which is exactly what this post is designed to help you create. However, before we discuss how top scorers create their optimal MCAT study plan, it’s important for you to be aware of the three steps that are absolutely necessary to achieve your target MCAT score…
How To Increase Your Psych/Soc (P/S) Score on the MCAT
[Description] In this article, you’ll learn P/S strategies and tips from two 131 P/S Scorers and how they increased their Psych/Soc score on the MCAT incredibly fast!
Hey Future Doctor!
Most students know the importance of achieving a balanced MCAT score. You don’t want there to be one ‘problem’ section that sticks out. If Psych/Soc is a problem section for you, you’re in the right place…
Over the years, we’ve seen how brutal the MCAT struggle can be. First, there’s so much content and it sometimes feels like you can never relearn it all! There’s a constant fear of being unprepared when test day arrives.
Also it can get frustrating when you’ve studied for weeks, then do practice tests and see that a score has barely improved, not improved at all, or worse - has decreased!
How To Score Over 130 In Psych/Soc on the MCAT (MCAT Case Study)
This top scorer MCAT case study is jam packed with a lot of valuable information, so we highly suggest you read it all the way through to the end.
You'll very likely pick up on one or two golden nuggets of information that will help you in your MCAT prep.
With that said, in this article we'd like to introduce you to Kayla S., a 511 scorer...
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How Troy Increased His MCAT Score By 13 Points In 3.5 Weeks (From 499 to 512)
Hey Future Doctor!
In today's feature MCAT success story, you're going to get the MCAT prep insights of someone who skyrocketed his MCAT score in less than a month!
If you've taken a practice exam or even began contemplating MCAT prep, we're certain by now you've realized the MCAT is not like any other exam that you're used to...
It needs to be approached with a plan and with strategy.
How To Deal With MCAT Struggles, Disappointments, and Failures
Throughout MCAT prep, you’re likely going to come across several disappointments. How do we know? Because everyone does. We’ve seen it over the years. Even those who end up scoring 520+...
Maybe you’ll write a practice test and won’t see your score increase. Maybe you’ll see it decrease! Maybe you just can’t seem to get your score up in a certain section. Maybe you forget key pieces of information during the exam, that you remember easily when not writing the test. Maybe you wrote the MCAT, and scored way lower than you expected. The list of MCAT failures and disappointments are endless…
But here’s the key: the way you deal with these struggles, plays a critical role in you eventually scoring 510+ on the MCAT, and eventually getting into med-school. So how do you deal with them? How do top scorers deal with them?
The way a scientist would.
How Morgan Improved Her MCAT Score From 498 to 511 In Just 10 Weeks While Working 30 Hrs/Week
We've come across a lot of MCAT test takers who struggle to know for sure if they can achieve a competitive MCAT score while maintaining a part time or full time job during their MCAT prep...
Some people quit their jobs and don't want to risk it. Others don't have a choice and have to keep their jobs.
In this MCAT success case study article, you'll hear from a top scorer who not only worked for an average of 30 hours a week during her MCAT prep, but also managed to increase her MCAT score by 12 points...
All in the same amount of prep time that it generally takes the average student studying full time for the MCAT!
With that, we'd like to introduce you to Morgan Saiko, a 511 scorer...
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How To Increase Your Bio/Biochem (B/B) Score on the MCAT: 4 Top Scorer B/B Strategies
Is your Bio/Biochem score suffering on the MCAT? Did you recently do a practice exam and were surprised at how low your Bio/Biochem score was? Do you need to increase it as soon as possible?
If so, you're in the right place...
Maybe you know all amino acids and most of the content, but you feel like something isn't connecting. Maybe you've asked people for advice and all you hear is "just do more practice passages". Maybe you're worried that you haven't taken a biochem course and won't know how to do well in this section.
We've heard it all and we have your solution...
What you need are PROVEN tips, strategies, and thought processes on how to approach B/B passages.
Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of MCAT test takers increase their scores to competitive levels. As we research and interview 510+ scorers and their strategies they use to dominate the MCAT, we also single out those who score over 130 (we usually single out 132 scorers) in particular sections and try to drill down on the most powerful strategies they used for those specific sections.
In this post, we’re going to provide you with some of the most effective 130+ Bio/Biochem MCAT scorer strategies which you can apply right away to increase your B/B score fast and get over that 130 level yourself.
2019 MCAT Dates: How To Pick Your Test Day To Guarantee Med-School Admission
2019 MCAT test dates (list below) are out!
It's time to decide on the best and smartest testing date for YOU.
It's time to make an optimal study and testing plan based on your unique situation.
And it's time to figure out your overall strategic approach that will put you ahead of everyone going for your spot in the med-school of your dreams!
We'll cover all of that and more in this post! So we hope you're ready 🙂
CARS Success Story: How She Scored 131 On CARS (511 Overall MCAT)
As we continue to research and interview 90+ percentile MCAT scorers, in order to bring you the best and the most proven MCAT prep strategies in the world, here's one of the biggest insights we've had...
When 510+ scorers first take the MCAT and get a disappointing score, there are two main benefits that they usually gain from it...
Perspective and motivation.
This MCAT success story will show you how a 510+ scorer we interviewed, leveraged those two benefits to transform her MCAT prep mindset and strategy, to gain a 12 point score increase in just 6 weeks.
In this article, we'd like to introduce you to Taylor Evangelisti, a 511 scorer:
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MCAT Timing Strategies: Boost Your Answering Speed & MCAT Score Within 30 Days
Recently, one of our MCAT Mastery Community members wrote in to us and expressed their biggest frustration with the MCAT...
My biggest challenge is timing. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get it down and that is when my anxiety kicks in, and it all goes downhill from there. My biggest fear is that this will be the one obstacle that will keep me from going to medical school. I am hoping to increase by around 25 points.
Someone else wrote in and said...
I am a slow test taker so timing on the exam is what really stresses me. I have a very competitive GPA and resume but I fear that my MCAT score will hold me back in the admissions process. I need about a 10 point score increase.
Timing is one of the biggest frustrations of students writing the MCAT and we completely get it.
Nothing can be worse than not being able to finish passages or having to guess on answer choices that you intuitively know you can answer correctly.
After years of researching the MCAT prep strategies of top MCAT scorers, we've discovered the solutions to the 'MCAT timing' problem.
It takes a little practice, but you can get to the point where you finish the MCAT with extra time left over to double check all your flagged answers.
So let's begin...
MCAT Retake Success Story: How She Scored Over 510 The Second Time
One of the most common, most painful experiences for MCAT test-takers everywhere is taking the MCAT and receiving a disappointing MCAT score...
Knowing you'll have re-test.
It can be discouraging and we hope this MCAT success story inspires you.
We want this to be the last time you ever write the MCAT.
We hope these MCAT success stories give you the confidence you need to know that you CAN get a significant increase in your MCAT score that makes you competitive for med-school.
We also hope you use these case studies to not only use the top scorer tips recommended, but also to learn from their mistakes so you don't make similar ones.
With that said, in this article, we'd like to introduce you to Suman Ali, a top scorer at MCAT Mastery.
When Suman first wrote the MCAT, she scored a 503:
How To Increase Your Chem/Phys (C/P) Score on the MCAT Fast
Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of MCAT test takers increase their scores to competitive levels and it’s obvious that Chem/Phys and CARS are two of the most challenging sections for most.
As we research and interview 510+ scorers and their strategies they use to dominate the MCAT, we also single out those who score over 130 (we usually single out 132 scorers) in particular sections and try to drill down on the most powerful strategies they used for those specific sections.
In this post, we’re going to provide you with some of the most effective 130+ C/P scorer strategies which you can apply right away to increase your C/P score fast and get over that 130 level yourself.
So let’s begin…
130+ CARS Scorer AAMC Passage Dissection: Step-By-Step Breakdown of How Top Scorers Walkthrough CARS Passages
In this article, we've done a full step-by-step demonstration for you of how a 130+ CARS scorer would go through all the paragraphs of an AAMC CARS passage, analyze all the questions and all the answer choices, and consistently identify the right answer choice.
It's our hope that with this and the many other CARS passage dissections we have for you, you are able to get a better understanding of how all the strategies we talk about, are applied in different scenarios.
Before going through this, it would be helpful if you're already familiar with a lot of the top scorer CARS strategies we mention throughout our blog and emails. But if not, you'll still find this valuable (you might just miss a few things here and there).
In order to follow along you’ll need to have access to the AAMC CARS Question Packs (Volumes 1 and 2).
Here we’ll be covering Passage 15 from Question Pack 1. Before moving on, make sure you have it open.
How She Increased Her MCAT Score From 502 to 508 in the Last Week Before the MCAT
Over the last few months, we've received a lot of positive feedback about our emails with MCAT success stories and real MCAT Master case studies.
We hear you and we're happy to send you more as we continue to interview and hear back from top scorers in the community...
In today's MCAT success story, we'd like to introduce you to Rachel Stevenson:
"I am 34 years old, changing careers from business/finance to medicine. I went back to school to complete a Post-Bacc Cert and put myself on a pretty brutal schedule in order to get everything done in time to apply for medical school in the 2019 cycle, or about 2 years total.
I had a lot of anxiety about the MCAT, knowing that I had to "get it right" the first time in order to keep on track. About a week before the test, I started to panic. I was only getting 502s on the practice exams and the week before the test I was panicking and considering voiding my score..."
Imagine that it's a week before your MCAT test date and you're not anywhere near your target MCAT score! That definitely calls for a lot of anxiety and panic...
How 130+ CARS Scorers Analyze Sentences To Increase CARS Score
Did you know that 130+ scorers actually know and label the different types of sentences they come across in a typical CARS passage?
They know that if they can identify which type of sentence they’re reading, they’ll be able to gain a much better understanding of the passage, and pinpoint more correct answer choices.
This strategy is especially helpful for breaking down and understanding the messaging of the most difficult CARS passages.
How She Increased Her MCAT Score By 12 Points (From 505 to 517)
Hey Future Doctor,
We have a question for you...
What's better than getting a jolt of inspiration from the success of someone who was once where you are now (struggling with the MCAT) but is now where you hope to be soon (with an amazing MCAT score)?
A: Discovering exactly what steps they took to get there!
In this post, you're going to get both: the inspiration + the steps 😉
How To Study For The MCAT and Score 510+ Within 3 Months
Top MCAT scorers know a cold truth about the MCAT that most average scorers don’t (and they use this to their advantage)...
They know that the MCAT was designed, as it’s main purpose, to identify the most viable med-school candidates; those who are most likely to succeed in med-schools.
They want to identify the outliers – those who clearly stand out from the average applicants.
So how do they ensure that only the outliers reveal themselves?
130+ Scorer MCAT CARS Strategies: How To Approach Passages To Improve Your CARS Score
We know for a lot of premeds, CARS is one of the biggest hurdles in getting a BALANCED, competitive score.
It’s frustrating to have one section holding you back from seeing the score improvement you need to hit your target score goal.
We completely get it and that’s why we decided to put some extra focus on CARS by recently releasing more articles and resources showing you exactly how 130+ scorers increased their CARS score and ended up dominating this section.
Plus, a lot of CARS strategies are also transferrable to other sections of the MCAT as well…
Which is why many top scorers have found that once they get a handle on CARS, everything else becomes easier.
5 Simple MCAT Strategies To Instantly Increase Your MCAT Score
Do you want to get the highest MCAT score that is within your capabilities?
Do you want to know the smartest, fastest, and simplest formula to make that happen?
In this article we'll cover 5 effective yet easy-to-apply MCAT strategies that can lead to a very quick score increase.
But first, understand that anyone who achieved a competitive MCAT score, did it by applying strategy to their MCAT prep.
The biggest reason most premeds end up writing the MCAT more than once is because they didn't understand that they need to study for the MCAT differently and a lot more strategically than how they've been studying for exams all their life.
They usually realize this after they bomb the first (or second) MCAT.
Next, realize that most of the MCAT strategies and 'studying tips' that are out there are useless. They're made by people who don't have any evidence to back up their claims.
The evidence we focus on is the only one that matters; the MCAT score.
If I'm going to spend my valuable time and energy applying someone's MCAT study strategy or tip, I need to be sure it works. I need to know what their MCAT score is and how many other high scorers have applied the same strategy.
KEEP IN MIND
The key to achieving a competitive MCAT score is using the same strategies top scorers have used to master the MCAT and get into med-school.
Without a high MCAT score, med-schools don't even bother looking at any other aspect of your application. The MCAT score is how they filter out who's application they're going to spend time looking at.
If you understand that one simple insight, you're already ahead of most MCAT writers and med-school applicants. Now, your level of success on the MCAT depends solely on what you do with this knowledge and if you actually apply it.
At MCAT Mastery, we're the intermediaries between MCAT writers like you and top MCAT scorers.
We do the research, we run paid interviews, and we bring top-scorer strategies directly to you for you to apply and skyrocket your MCAT score...
So you can achieve a competitive MCAT score and greatly increase your chances of getting admitted into your choice of med-school.
Here we've compiled 5 simple 'quick application' top-scorer MCAT strategies you can start using during your MCAT prep right away.
We recommend you take the time to read through and actually try out each one because most of the tips here can lead to an almost immediate increase in your next practice test score.
So let's begin...
Continue reading
How To Cross The 500 Mark On The MCAT
Are you frustrated with not being able to consistently get over the 500 hump on your MCAT practice exams?
Or maybe you've already written the MCAT before and couldn't seem to break that 500 barrier?
You're not alone. We've come across many MCAT writers in our community who faced the same frustrations...
But managed to successfully overcome it.
In this post, we'll discuss exactly how they do just that.
MCAT CARS Strategy: How 130+ Scorers Master CARS on the MCAT
We were surprised to find out how underrated and often ignored CARS strategy (and CARS overall) is by premeds studying for the MCAT.
130+ CARS scorers on the other hand, take this section very seriously (sometimes even more than other sections).
The problem is most premeds view it as having a familiar format of passages and questions, and assume it's going to be easy.
As you've probably seen during practice exams, it's not. In fact, AAMC themselves tell you how complex this section is on their website...
"Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills passages are relatively short, typically between 500 and 600 words, but they are complex, often thought-provoking pieces of writing with sophisticated vocabulary and at times, intricate writing styles." - AAMC
Our focus at MCAT Mastery is to help you dominate the MCAT using the only method that has been proven to work over and over again…
Using strategy. Proven top MCAT scorer strategies.
In this case, in order to help you dominate CARS, we're going to focus on proven strategies from 130+ CARS scorers.
MCAT Study Tips: How 510+ Scorers Master MCAT Concepts In Just 4 Steps
One of the biggest causes of disappointing MCAT scores is premeds not knowing how to deeply learn the vast amount of information the MCAT covers.
As we're sure you've already seen by now if you've started your MCAT prep, the MCAT covers a massive amount of information that you're expected to know.
This is information that you can't get away with just simply reading once or twice or simply just 'memorizing' either. You need to understand it all on an in-depth level.
How To Score 130+ On the CARS Section of the MCAT
Have you ever wondered how some premeds just simply ‘get’ the CARS section? How they easily master CARS with scores over 129?
Don't you wonder what they're doing differently than others who can’t stop scoring in the low 120s?
We wondered it too...
So we did some research on strictly 130+ CARS scorers (several 132 scorers). If they didn’t score 130 or more, we weren’t listening. We kept it exclusive.
We heard what these CARS Masters had to say and we discovered A LOT of powerful CARS strategies that most premeds don’t know about and aren’t applying.
And of course, we did this so we can share their secrets with you.
Retaking the MCAT? Here’s Everything You Need To Know
So you’ve decided to retake the MCAT…
We’re here to help you do this properly.
Perhaps you didn’t hit your target score the first time. Perhaps you’re worried your score isn’t good enough to get into your dream med school…
Regardless, you’ve made a bold decision and we’re here to support it.
How 510+ Scorers Master MCAT Productivity, Focus & Information Retention
If your MCAT is coming up, you know that studying for the MCAT is really stressful. Personally, we all hate the stress. We hate the anxiety.
Once it's there, especially when it's regarding something important, it just sits there in the pit of the stomach. It's the same for everyone....
And what happens when we're feeling that stress? We try relieve it by doing the only thing that we think will help...
Studying more. Studying harder. Locking ourselves in our room or in the library for hours on end, thinking we're being productive.
It's like the anxiety forces us to keep studying. It puts our mind and our body into 'hyper-drive', releasing tons of cortisol, as we attempt to ease ourselves by (ironically) stressing ourselves more.
If you're writing the MCAT, you'll likely experience this as the date gets closer and closer...
In this article, we want to show you: