MCAT Dropping the Writing Section in 2013
It appears that since the GMAT and GRE have undergone a major overhaul in the last two years, that the MCAT is also looking to freshen up a bit. If you're starting your MCAT preparation to take the exam in either 2013 (or 2014 if you're a little bit test prep crazy), you'd better put a halt on the MCAT Writing portion. It's going away as of 2013.
In it's place, the AAMC will be adding a voluntary, unscored section that will reflect an additional content area to be tested in 2015, including psychology, biochemistry, and sociology. Oh! And the bonus: if you sincerely try on this voluntary portion, you'll be compensated for it! Yay for extra cash!
MCAT Scores Are In!
Did you take the MCAT on April 13? Good news (or bad, depending on your MCAT prep): your MCAT scores are in!
Here are some of the facts:
- You can go to the AAMC website to pick up your scores.
- Find out what accepted students from the best schools in the country are earning on their MCAT exams, here!
- Average 2011 MCAT scores, including a breakdown of most popular scores, highest overall achieved scores, lowest scores and more.
- Didn't like your scores? Here's the cost of a retake.
What's New in Test Prep?
This Week in Test Dates
What's going on this week, May 13 - May 19?
Sunday, May 13
- Happy Mother's Day!
Tuesday, May 15
- MCAT Scores released for the April 13 exam
- What's a Good MCAT Score?
Thursday, May 17
- Regular registration ends for the May 31 MCAT
- MCAT Test Dates
Friday, May 18
- Late registration ends for the June 9 ACT Test
- ACT Test Dates
- Improve your ACT score with these 21 Strategies
Saturday, May 12
Test Prep Tasty Tidbit: Cram Tips for Procrastinators
Here's your latest test prep snack to nibble on before school!
If You're Cramming Before the Test, Ask the Smart Kid To Quiz You:
Listen. We all know you should have studied a week ago for this test. But you didn't. And now, you're stuck cramming in the meager 20 minutes you have before first period. A word of advice, especially if you can't find your study guide: Find the smartest kid in the class and ask him or her to quiz you. This is a win-win situation in a number of ways. First, smart kids love to show off their brains. If you get questions wrong, they revel in helping you find the real answer. Second, it actually reinforces the smart kid's own knowledge to help you learn it. Repetition aids memory. Third, you get the benefit of studying with the person who probably understands the material second only to the teacher. He or she is definitely going to remember stuff that you've missed, and chances are good, those bits of information will be on the test. Bonus!
Need more cramming tips? Check out How to Cram, here!
More Classroom Skills of Savvy Students:
Professor of the Month: Denis Auroux - UC Berkeley
Recently, The Princeton Review published a book entitled, The Best 300 Professors, which provides profiles of inspirational and challenging professors and students' quotes about the way these professors changed their lives.
I decided to start a series called "Professor of the Month" since many of you out there are interested in attending the schools listed in the book, and it would be nice for you to get a peek at one of the professors from whom you may be learning. Plus, it's valuable to understand the SAT or ACT test scores that will get you into these schools!
From The Best 300 Professors about Professor of Mathematics at UC Berkeley, Denis Auroux:
"His understanding of the challenges of large lecture courses such as Multi-variable Calculus helps him effectively approach speaking to several hundreds of students at once, and he always maintains the appropriate levels of energy and organization. Multiple students cite him as being otherworldly; 'Auroux is a GOD! He is the most awesome professor you will ever have!' says one." Another student says, "He's the nicest guy and amazing at explaining one-on-one." Other students say that Professor Auroux is "extremely thorough, never leaving a stone unturned," and makes classes fun "by adding a bit of his own humor."
If you think you may be heading to UC Berekely to sit under Professor Auroux's instruction, check out these facts:
Scores for UC Berekely:
Interested in a math major or minor at this prestigious school? You'd better consider taking the SAT Mathematics I or Mathematics II Subject Tests to prove your competence, and plan to knock your SAT Mathematics or ACT Mathematics score out of the park, too. Entering freshmen in the 75th percentile are scoring in the high 700's for the SAT and the mid 30's for the ACT!
This Week in Test Dates
What's going on this week, May 6 - May 12?
Tuesday, May 8
- MCAT scores released for the April 5 exam
- What's a Good MCAT Score?
- Regular registration closes for the June 2 SAT
- Top 8 SAT Registration Questions
Thursday, May 10
- Regular registration ends for the May 24 MCAT
- MCAT Test Dates
Saturday, May 12
Big GRE News: Choose Which Scores To Report!
There's big GRE news, testers! If you're planning to take the GRE anytime after July 2012, there's a new option for you!
The GRE Revised General Test will include the new ScoreSelect option, which means that you'll be able to decide which test scores to send to universities in a couple of ways. On test day, you can choose either the "Most Recent" option - sending in the scores from the test you just took - or you can choose the "All" option, which sends scores from every test you've taken in the past five years. Each of those options are free for up to four universities.
After test day, you can pay a fee, and select the "Most Recent" score, "All" scores, or, another option: "Any." Here, you'll get to choose one or more of your scores to send to the universities of your choice.
James Wimbush, the GRE Board Chair and Dean of the University Grad school and Professor of Business Administration at Indiana University, had this to say about the change:
"The GRE Board puts great emphasis on expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion so that more people can pursue higher education. The ScoreSelect option focuses on helping test takers succeed on the road to an advanced degree because they can approach test day with more confidence. It's good news."
Do you agree? Is it good news? Leave me a comment below!
More Revised GRE Information:
Test Prep Tasty Tidbit: Use Spaces To Aid Memory
Here's your latest test prep snack to nibble on before school!
Use Spaces to Aid Memory:
It's easy to remember the bones of the body because each bone has a place - a physical place you can point to in order to associate the word. It would be much more difficult to learn the bones as a list of items. Spatial learning is one of our simplest, easiest mnemonic devices to use - babies can even use it. They can point to a spoken body part very early, before they can even talk!
If you have a long list of information to learn, try assigning an item to a body part, or a location you're very familiar with. If you're memorizing the presidents, maybe Washington goes on your forehead, Adams on your nose, Jefferson on your chin, etc. Or, you could put them in your kitchen. Washington leaning against the pantry door, Adams sitting at the table eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Jefferson raiding the cookie jar, etc.
If you arrange things spatially, you can visualize the space in your head on test day, and you'll remember more, guaranteed.
Need more mnemonic devices? Check 'em out, here!
More Classroom Skills of Savvy Students:
This Week in Test Dates
What's going on this week, April 29 - May 5?
Monday, April 30
- Scores available via Internet for the April 14 ACT Test
- What's a Good ACT Score?
Friday, May 4
- Regular registration ends for the June 9 ACT Test
- ACT Test Dates
Saturday, May 5
- Regular registration ends for the May 19 MCAT
- SAT and Subject Test Administration
- SAT Test Dates
- SAT Subject Tests
What's the Good Word? The Daily Word!
Need a quick, easy way to learn some vocabulary for the SAT? Check out The Daily Word, a new app for your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. Although I'm not a huge fan of memorizing vocabulary just for the sake of the test, this app is a great option for students who are challenged in the vocab department.
What I like:
- You can create notecards that aren't already in the system. (i.e. - You're shopping for gizmos at Target and hear someone use a vocab word you don't know. You load it into your phone right there.)
- You get one word to learn per day, so you're not overwhelmed. (No more cramming 195 vocab words into your brain a week before the test.)
- The sentences that go along with the vocabulary words are snarky, reducing the "I-wanna-throw-myself-from-a-bridge" factor.
- It's $1.99, the exact price of that gizmo you bought at Target you didn't need.