When youโre just beginning to prep for the MCAT and creating an MCAT study plan, a lot of feelings show up...
On the one hand, itโs kind of exciting to get the only remaining barrier to med-school out of the way. Itโs just one exam โ and youโve written many exams before!
On the other hand, it's also kind of scary! Thereโs a lot riding on this one exam. It holds A LOT of power in whether or not you get called for an interview.
Plus, itโs extremely comprehensive of the sciences, with subjects like CARS and Psych/Soc thrown in there. Not to mention itโs a whopping 7 ยฝ hours longโฆ
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 youโre feeling any of these things, donโt worry, itโs normal and youโre in the right place...
By the time youโve reached the end of this article, you'll know how to create the most optimal MCAT study plan, plus youโll have everything you need to approach this beast of an exam from a place of calm, confidence, and clarity ๐
Don't worry, we gotchu!
More...
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, itโs important for you to be aware of the following three steps that are absolutely necessary to achieve your target MCAT scoreโฆ
Pre-MCAT Study Planning: Know The 3 Steps to Achieving Your Target MCAT Score
First, realize that the MCAT is not like any other exam. Itโs 10x more brutal than most undergrad exams, and the study methods youโre used to for those exams, wonโt cut it here. You need a different, better, more efficient approach.
The sooner you realize this, the better. If youโve already started studying, you know exactly what weโre talking about. If you havenโt started yet, youโll see what we mean after your first practice exam...
Second, realize the only truly reliable and efficient approach you can ever get is from those who have already mastered the MCAT with scores in the 90+ percentiles. An exam like this canโt be mastered with just being โsmartโ or โluckโโฆ
If someone achieved a high MCAT score, they figured out an approach consisting of strategies. That is the approach and those are the strategies you want to copy to near-guarantee your chance of MCAT success and med-school admission. Which is where we come in...
Over the years, weโve researched and interviewed dozens of top MCAT scorers and formulated a system and a roadmap to strategically mastering the MCAT, all based on the most leveraged, most efficient, study and testing strategies of high MCAT scorers.
When you implement this system, youโll be going through MCAT prep with clarity, confidence, and a knowing youโre prepping in a way thatโs designed to get you a 510+ MCAT score.
Consider this article a small piece, or a sample of the Top Scorer MCAT Strategy roadmap that we have for you.
With that said, letโs begin to go over the most optimal way to create your MCAT study plan, the way top scorers do it.
Pay attention, make notes, and read all the way through. There are going to be a lot of action steps for you to take...
If executed correctly, youโll be much closer to capturing med-school attention with a competitive MCAT score...
By the way, if you want to save the stress and time of figuring out how to create your own MCAT study plan and schedule, we can work with you one-on-one to create a customized one for you! So you can use your time doing the most important stuff... like studying!
Click here to learn more or to sign up for a session with one of us ๐
Creating A Top Scorer MCAT Study Plan
PART 1: When To Write The MCAT
When it comes to your MCAT study plan, we need to consider both the US and the Canadian application cycles. Theyโre different. This year, they changed up the dates so theyโre no longer the same for both countries. You can see the dates below.
Canadian schools generally have set deadlines; by which you must get your application in by that particular date. Applications close after that date and thatโs when they start reviewing and sending secondaries and inviting interviews. Make sure to know the exact deadlines if you plan to apply to those schools, and get your MCAT exam done much sooner.
US schools have rolling admissions (first come, first serve), which creates room for a little strategy in terms of when you get your application in. Generally, the earlier you apply, the earlier theyโll look at your application, and the earlier theyโll send you secondaries, interview requests, etc. The key thing to note is that the earlier they interview you, the greater the amount of seats available to fill, the more chances of you being accepted.
May โ Applications Open
June โ Application Submission
Early June โ MD Schools
Mid June โ DO Schools
Keep in mind, you need to get your scores back before the deadlines. Plus it takes approximately a month to get test scores back. So you can see where this is goingโฆ
Ideally, you want to take your MCAT more than a month before the medical schoolโs application deadline.
Again, this is general advice for most medical schools. Be sure to check the details for your own schools.
So we know what youโre thinkingโฆ
If you want to submit applications in June, do you need to be writing your MCAT in early May? During FINALS? If your GPA is going to suffer, weโd advise against it.
Itโs OK if you write in June โ lots of people get in, even though they write in the summer. BUT the key idea to keep in mind is that the earlier you write, the better your chances. Make that insight work for you, however it works for you best.
Also whatever you do, don't make this mistake we see way too often...
SIDE NOTE: A Common Low MCAT Scorer Mindset to Avoid When Creating Your MCAT Study Plan
A lot of students actually plan to take the more than once! The logic is that theyโll test early in the year like in January, and if their score isnโt good enough, then at least they can test again in the summer. This is far from how a top scorer thinks!
Top scorers who get into med-school are aiming to write the MCAT once and ONLY once...
If youโre telling yourself โIโm going to write againโ, or โI can write againโ, on some level youโre telling yourself thereโs a โbackupโ plan. On some level, youโre telling yourself itโs okay to not get your best score. If you have that mentality, you need to drop it right away.
Those who succeed, in every area of life, do so when they burn the bridge behind them. Thereโs no โplan Bโ.
Creating A Top Scorer MCAT Study Plan
PART 2: Establishing & Tracking Milestones
First things first, when creating their MCAT study plan, top scorers create a progress chart for themselves by figuring out the answers to these questions...
Lots of students donโt have target scores surprisingly. You need to know what your MCAT score goal is. Your goal should be dependant on which school youโre aiming to get into. You need a general idea.
Make sure the goal is a tangible number. If your goal is to โscore as high as I canโ. Great, but how will you know when youโre 75% of the way there? You canโt measure that. Your goal needs to be measurable.
After youโve chosen your date and score goal, to determine where you stand, youโll complete a diagnostic practice test.
A diagnostic practice test is a full-length exam you take to find out where you stand. Most people do this. Top scorers however, do this but under REAL testing conditions. Meaning you do it within 7.5 hours, no calculators, no phones, nothing to do on breaks, etc.
If youโve already established where you stand currently, make sure itโs not too old and is relatively recent. You need to be sure it represents where you currently are. So if youโre basing your โcurrent score positionโ on a test you took more than 4 months ago, itโs probably a good idea to test again.
So letโs create a sample scenarioโฆ
I have exactly 14 weeks before my MCAT test date (a little more than 3 months).
My goal score is a 510.
I am currently at a 499.
need an 11 point score increase.
So hereโs what Iโd be aiming to accomplish in terms of my progress (in an ideal scenario)โฆ
The reason we didnโt keep Week 13 and 14 at a goal of 510 and made it 512, is because a lot of top scorers aim higher and create an โidealโ scenario.
On Week 14, youโre going to have to make a decision. Youโre going to have to ask yourself if youโre okay with writing the MCAT and scoring 1 or 2 points lower than what youโre getting on practice tests. Thatโs an important question to ask because you need to be a little โrealisticโ in the sense that there might be a chance that the real MCAT is harder than the practices.
Also, usually the jump from the diagnostic and the first few FLโs in general, are pretty high, so you can space those score goals and score increases closer to each other. Why is this the case? Because youโve learned this stuff before! So once you start studying and doing the questions, you start digging out the stuff thatโs been buried in your mind. Itโll all start coming back to you.
After 505ish, the score increases tend to take a little longer. Top MCAT scorers ENSURE theyโre hitting their target score goals before their test date. This must not be compromised if you want to maximize your chances of achieving a top score and achieving med-school admission.
Weโve seen a lot of students, who are not scoring where they want on the MCAT, but for some reason still take the test โhopingโ theyโll get that few (or more) point score increase on the day itself.
Of course, they donโt hit it and not only are they emotionally distraught, but now they have a low score on their record. You donโt want to be in that scenario.
So back to this example we gave, if by Week 10, youโre at or near a 510, youโre looking good. In fact, by Week 4, youโll know if youโre on track or if you arenโt. If youโre not near a 505 by Week 4 or 5, something needs to change.
Keep in mind, the earlier you recognize youโre off track, the easier it is to fix what youโre doing wrong. This is why making a progress schedule is so important and why so many top scorers do it. The later it gets, the harder it gets to make adjustments.
Most students โrealizeโ theyโre not on track to achieve their goal MCAT score a few weeks before their test date! By that time, itโs gotten really late to make changes. Still possible, but itโs harder. Imagine they had figured out that theyโre not on track just two weeks inโฆ How much more likely would they have been to have made the appropriate adjustments to hit the necessary milestones?
So what do you do if on Week 7, you get a 501, when in Week 4 you were on track with a 505? Consider it an outlier! Maybe it was a weird day. Donโt make any conclusions with outliers.
You have to consider your own personal situation in all this. If youโre not a traditional student, who has perhaps been away from school for a long time, or who hasnโt taken BioChemistry, or Physics, or some other expected classes, itโs probably a good idea to give yourself more time.
Of course, it would be wiser to make conclusions like this after youโve written the first few exams. Who knows โ maybe youโre on track. But if youโre not, donโt worry! You just know that you might need a little more time.
In our experience, the average student needs somewhere between 4-6 months. Again, if youโre not average, thatโs fine. Everyone is different. Some need an entire year to get there score goal โ and thatโs fine. No matter what your situation, weโre here to help you speed this up.
A lot of the MCAT prep strategies we have are from those who achieved high MCAT scores within 3 months. Using those will probably save you A LOT more time than if you tried to figure it out on your own.
Phew - that was a lot! But we're not done. It's time to cover exactly how you're going to go about scheduling your MCAT prep...
The Top Scorer MCAT Study Schedule: Mastering The 3 Stages to a Top MCAT Score
Now that you have an overall idea of how top scorers go about creating their MCAT study plan, the next step is to look at how top scorers create their MCAT study schedules.
With everything we've covered, creating an efficient MCAT study schedule that can result in getting your target score, now becomes a little easier.
Just to clarifyโฆ
Your MCAT study plan is all about your test date, getting your current standing and your baseline, deciding on your goal score, and progress planning. Itโs more-so the HOW of your approach to MCAT prep.
The MCAT study schedule is all about WHAT youโre going to be studying and WHEN. This is where we get to the 'meat' of things.
The key here is creating an MCAT study schedule that is optimized for YOU, which includes your lifestyle, your goals, and your work ethic. That is what will lead to your maximum MCAT score...
A lot of students want to just copy a top MCAT scorer's studying schedule and are out looking for templates. We have those too, however the smartest thing you can do is create your own first, and THEN compare yours to the study schedule templates of top scorers.
Hereโs how top scorers break down the creation of their MCAT study scheduleโฆ
There are three stages to a top MCAT score:
1) Knowledge Acquisition
2) Comprehension
3) Mastery
Let's start with the first stage...
Creating An MCAT Study Schedule
Stage One: Knowledge Acquisition
Here is where youโre going to study and go over content. This is where top scorers create a foundation for whatโs to come in the next two stages.
Your foundation needs to be solid โ so depending on where you are, the amount of time that you devote to this stage can vary from person to person. This is generally what takes up most of the time during MCAT prep.
As an example (these are made-up numbers) of how top scorers strategically calculate how much time is needed to devote to this stageโฆ
Note that this example is assuming youโre going through books, but if youโre going through a video set, use the same strategy.
When you have tangible weekly targets of content that you know you need to cover, now youโre prepping like a top scorer. NOW you know if youโre hitting your targets or not. You can use this to make decisions about how ready you are to take the MCAT, whether you have a chosen date or not.
(These are the two main ways top scorers know if theyโre on track โ this way which is based on how much content youโre covering every week, and the way we discussed before which was based on if your scores were increasing at the right pace)
When you have tracking and measuring systems in place like this, you are able to stay clear and calm. Top scorers know that tracking progress leads to completely eliminating panic attacks and episodes of nervousness and worry. A system like this gives you clarity.
Again, these are hypothetical numbers. Make your targets realistic for you. If you aim to complete several chapters a week for a subject, thatโs probably way too much, even though youโd love to be able to do that. If you donโt keep them realistic, youโll end each week feeling โfailureโ, even IF you had a great week and learned a lot.
Note that you will be doing full-length practices during this stage as well, but knowing when to do them is the key. A lot of students do way too many practice exams during this stage (and essentially WASTE those exams), and others do way too little.
Ideally, during this stage, you want to do somewhere around 3-4 full-length exams, evenly spaced. Itโs your job to space them out evenly. This is NOT counting the diagnostic exam. Thatโs separate.
As for how much you devote to this stage, it varies like we said, but there are two possibilitiesโฆ Either youโre going to know when your test date is, and youโll be able to make a judgement as to how long youโll give yourself. Or you wonโt have a set test date and youโll start studying and make judgements along the way. Both ways are fine.
So letโs say you did your diagnostic, and now you want to give yourself 8 weeks for Stage One. You chose 8 weeks because you know thatโs how much time you need to give this stage, to be ready for your chosen test date. That means at the end of every other week of this stage, youโll want to do a FL (so you end up doing 4 total).
Or letโs say you donโt know how long Stage One will last when you begin and you donโt have a set test date. Thatโs fine too. You can gage your progress as you go along (i.e. could be based on page numbers). As you get through the material, youโll know if youโre 20% of the way through or 30%. When you hit 25-30%, itโs a good idea to do a FL at that time.
Doing FLs at this stage are vital because remember, you want to measure your progress. Also, weโve mentioned this before but remember to do them under realistic test-day conditions.
Keep in mind at this stage, top scorers are not satisfied until they have mastered MINIMUM 90% of the material. That should be your goal too.
For the confident student, if you think you donโt need Stage One, if you think you already have a great foundation on content and want to skip over to Stage Two, thatโs fine BUT confirm your confidence. Spend a week or two in Stage One regardless. Do some review. If youโre skimming and reviewing what you already say you know, you can probably zoom through the content at a rate of 25-50% a week, for example. This might make sense for someone who just took the MCAT and is retaking it soon after.
Creating An MCAT Study Schedule
Stage Two: Comprehension
Once top scorers feel like they have completed Stage One and established a strong foundation for the content, this is where their real MCAT-specific prep begins. If Stage One was about Knowledge Acquisition, Stage Two is about Comprehension. You can know a lot of information, but if you canโt apply it, you donโt REALLY know it. You havenโt completely โcomprehendedโ it.
Which is why in Stage Two, top scorers are really beginning to put their knowledge to the test. This Stage is all about practice passages and more FLs.
As you practice, you discover how much you really know. With that knowledge, you start to understand what are the topics you need to review. In this stage, ever other week, youโll do a FL. If you have a test date set, do it on the day of the week of your test date. For example, if your test date is on a Saturday, only do FLโs on Saturdays. Always do it under realistic conditions.
Generally, top scorers spend AT LEAST two months in this stage. Thatโs 8 weeks and 4 FL exams. When top scorers arenโt doing FLโs at this stage, theyโre doing practice passages. When theyโre not doing practice passages or FLโs, theyโre reviewing all their weaknesses from the FLโs and practice passages, and relearning that content.
Stage three is only one month, always. The last 30 days before the MCAT.
At the end of Stage Two, with whatever score the last FL showed them, is where top scorers ask themselves if theyโre on track. This is where decisions need to be made. If your goal is a 515 and with one month before the exam, youโre scoring a 508, what can you expect in the coming weeks?
Creating An MCAT Study Schedule
Stage Three: Mastery
The last 30 days of MCAT prep. This is the stage where top scorers become top scorers. This is the stage where youโll be doing non-stop full length exams. Content review should mainly be completed by this point.
By this stage, like all top scorers, you need to be โbrushing upโ on your ability to:
These are just SOME of the skills that you need to have developed by the time youโre just a few weeks away for the MCATโฆ
For example, another huge skill is being able to take AND review practice tests efficiently and strategically. There are proven methods top scorers have used to make maximum use of practice exams.
Youโve heard the phrase โpractice makes perfect.โ At MCAT Mastery, we know that a more accurate statement is โperfect practice makes perfect.โ
Knowing the perfect methods to take and review all your MCAT practice exams, is what will lead you to seeing a score improve with every key date on your MCAT study plan.
If you believe and know for a 100% fact that you have what it takes to develop these key skills by the time you have a month or less left before your MCAT, then you have everything you needโฆ
Weโve covered a lot here about how top scorers start planning and scheduling their MCAT prep. You can copy their strategies and youโre good to go! If youโre correct about knowing exactly what you need to do to reach the Mastery Stage, we have no doubt youโll achieve an awesome 510+ MCAT score that will make you competitive for your med-school future ๐
However, if you donโt want to take any chances, if you want to be sure youโre studying for the MCAT in the exact same way that many 90+ percentile MCAT scorers did, so by the time you get to the Mastery Stage youโre naturally thinking like a top scorer, then you can do that tooโฆ
By following the guidance in the Top Scorer MCAT Strategy roadmap.
If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, donโt bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking. - Buckminster Fuller
Weโve created this roadmap in the form of a PDF guide, that you can download instantly and fully absorb in less than a day.
If youโre feeling worried, confused, stressed, or anxious about the MCAT, by the time youโre done going through this, youโll feel a huge surge of confidence in your MCAT prep. How?
This confidence comes from the clarity you feel when you know there canโt be a better way of preparing for the MCAT, because youโll be doing exactly what many top scorers before you have done.
It feels good to have a reliable GPS, to guide you when youโre travelling on a long, confusing journey. Especially when you need to get somewhere on time. Unlike those without a map or guide who are in panic mode, you know youโre not going to get lost because youโre following a proven path!
One test shouldnโt be able to determine if everything youโve worked so hard for, is going to pay off. But if thatโs the reality you have to face, then the only thing you can do is make certain that youโre going to give this your ALL, with no regrets laterโฆ
Your med-school and your dream of becoming a doctor are counting on you.
With this guide as your resource, we have no doubt you can make it happen.
You got this,
The MedLife Mastery Team
Your MCAT Success Mentors