Welcome back! I want to talk about one mistake I see over and over, and how it quietly keeps people stuck for months.
This week we will cover MCAT strategy, a quick applications note, and mindset for the week.
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MCAT Madness
Hard truth:
Most MCAT mistakes are not content gaps.
I see students who can explain glycolysis, amino acids, enzyme kinetics, and experimental design perfectly. Then they miss questions they “knew” because they misread what the question was asking, overthought it, or eliminated the right answer too early.
Here are the three most common failure modes:
Misunderstanding the question
You skim the stem and answer a different question than the one on the screen.
Over-inference
You bring in outside knowledge that the question never asked for.
Premature elimination
You cut the correct answer because it feels too simple or unfamiliar.
The MCAT rewards discipline, and you have to realize that correct answers often feel boring. If your scores are hovering in the same range despite studying more, this is likely why.
This is exactly what I am breaking down in the next live session for upgraded students.
Med School Applications
A quick note for anyone working on applications early:
Admissions committees do not need more proof that you are capable. Your GPA and MCAT already show that. They are looking for judgment, reflection, and growth.
When you write about an experience, ask yourself one question before you submit it:
“What changed about how I think, act, or see patients because of this?” If the answer is unclear then rewrite it or do some more reflection.
Productivity and Mindset
Studying harder rarely fixes plateaus. Studying more intelligently does.
A lot changed when, instead of asking myself, “How many hours should I study?” I started asking, “Why did I miss this exact question?”
That mindset shift alone can add points.
Final Words
If you are tired of missing questions you know you should be getting right, do not ignore this.
I am hosting a 30-minute live MCAT session tomorrow, breaking down exactly why this happens and how to stop it with a simple decision framework you can use immediately.
I’m not gonna dump content on you. Instead, I’ll show you the exact framework that has helped me and dozens of my students increase their scores by over 8 points.
If you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting the same score. This is your chance to fix the root problem.
See you there.
Om
Founder and CEO @ MCAT Edge