MCAT Reddit: Top 5 Reasons to Avoid It in

Why Do You Need MCAT Prep Help?

The MCAT is one of the most difficult exams you will ever encounter, and it is a common medical school requirement for admission. While there are medical schools that do not require the MCAT, if you are a medical school hopeful, you are likely to encounter this exam on your journey to becoming a doctor. Most medical schools in Canada and medical schools in the US require their applicants to score high on this test to be competitive candidates. Furthermore, many med schools abroad, while they do have their own tests and exams for premeds, will often accept MCAT scores instead. This makes the MCAT a very influential part of your medical school application.

You may have prepared your answer for why you want to be a doctor, or compiled a list of what extracurriculars you are going to include in your AMCAS work and activities, but you cannot anticipate which questions will come up in your MCAT.

In addition to reviewing the necessary content, you are expected to get comfortable with the MCAT format, practice with sample MCAT biology questions, MCAT chemistry questions, MCAT physics equations, go over MCAT CARS passages, and time yourself as you are doing all of this. This is why MCAT prep is such a tremendous undertaking.

Did you know that the average MCAT percentile rank of medical school matriculants is 85%?

Why You Should Avoid MCAT Reddit for Prep Advice

To tackle this significant challenge, many premeds turn to the internet for advice, including the premed forums and MCAT-related forums such as MCAT Reddit. Here, premeds expect to find plenty of free advice on studying for and acing the MCAT.

But should you really be making life decisions based on Reddit? For one of the most important tests you will ever take, there are better places to look for solid, and free, advice and study help. This is why we recommend avoiding MCAT Reddit and taking advantage of the many more useful resources available to premeds.

The MCAT is notorious for its length and difficulty, so part of your prep must include getting to know the structure of the test and procedures of the test day. This means doing many full-length MCAT practice tests, timing yourself as you go through practice questions, and learning how to overcome fatigue in those 7 hours of test-taking. You have probably heard many scary stories about how hard and how long the MCAT is, but don’t trust everything you read or hear.

Particularly, you should not believe everything you read on Premed Reddit threads about the MCAT. While there is certainly some good advice and some really helpful people on the MCAT Reddit forums, you have to be careful. I am here to give you top 5 reasons why you should exercise caution when it comes to using MCAT Reddit as one of your prep sources. 

Here’s why you should avoid MCAT Reddit and other premed forums:

#1: Risk of Trusting MCAT Reddit Users You Do Not Know

This is probably the most obvious reason for avoiding MCAT Reddit as a serious source of information. By entrusting your MCAT test prep strategies to Reddit users, you are taking a huge risk. MCAT scores greatly affect medical school acceptance rates, so you do not want to take preparations for this test lightly.

Firstly, you do not know the people, or users, on Reddit. You have most likely never met them and have only spoken to them in online threads. You do not know whether they have actually taken the MCAT or whether they have really done as well as they say they did. It is simply unreasonable to believe everything you read on Reddit, so do not trust users who boast 528 MCAT scores or know the "secret trick" to acing the MCAT.

Secondly, MCAT prep is a tremendous undertaking. It takes hard work and dedication to ace this test, so relying on questionable and undependable advice is not a good decision. Every hour of MCAT prep is precious, so you do not want to waste your time and energy on dubious advice and information about when to start studying for the MCAT or the best study strategies.

Thirdly, the amount of information on MCAT Reddit is overwhelming. Most students find it difficult to decipher whether the advice they read is genuine. Not to mention, this procedure is also time-consuming. It’s better to save yourself from sifting through endless threads of unverified information looking for golden nuggets and instead rely on proven advice and strategies.

#2: Questionable Information About the MCAT

There are genuine threads on MCAT Reddit that offer tips for MCAT prep, but you should also know that the majority of Reddit threads are not reliable sources of information. Like with most topics, MCAT Reddit boards are filled with threads that aim to mislead and misinform you. Not only are they misguiding, but they are often rude and unsubstantiated.

This phenomenon is present on a variety of Premed forums. Some posts boast about acing the MCAT without any preparation, while some claim that there is only one legitimate MCAT prep company (these are typically posted by the representatives of this prep company). Furthermore, there are posts about the unfairness of the test that dishearten future test-takers.

Firstly, never believe anyone who discourages you from dedicated studying. Anyone who posts dismissive threads about the difficulty of the test or the lack of need for preparation is not your friend. Anyone who tells you that the MCAT is not worth worrying about does not have your interests at heart. This is why MCAT Reddit is dangerous: there is no sense of responsibility or accountability for what is posted. Nobody checks the legitimacy of posts on Reddit, so people can literally post whatever they want. No matter how many stories of getting into medical school with a low MCAT you read on forums, do not let your guard down. If you find that MCAT Reddit threads are creating a false sense of reassurance and dissuade you from studying, consider it a red flag and disregard the thread. 

On the other hand, MCAT Reddit is also filled with posts about the test’s difficulty. The posts you see and the threads you find are often full of intimidating, discouraging information about the how hard the MCAT is. The MCAT is indeed a challenge, but dedicated and catered study tactics have been the key to students’ success for decades. Reading negative, vague information about the difficulty of the MCAT does not help your preparations. These Reddit posts tend to worsen the fears of those who have not taken the MCAT themselves. There is no need to worsen your anxiety! It does not help you prepare mentally and cognitively for the test. The truth is somewhere in the middle. While nobody can deny that the MCAT is a difficult test, thousands of students have successfully written it and went on to achieve their dream of becoming a doctor.

Bottom line is that those who boast about the easiness or the difficulty of the MCAT are probably not the best sources of information and advice. Why? Well, the former are anomalies who do not have to prepare for a 7.5-hour exam, while the latter struggled so much during the test that you probably do not want their advice in the first place.

Learn what makes the MCAT challenging in our infographic:

You should also keep in mind that Reddit is often used by businesses to promote their own hidden agendas. Some are also keen to use Reddit as a defamation platform to attack their competitors. MCAT prep companies use Reddit as a tool against each other, posting dissuading threads to scare students from turning to their competitors for help. It is certainly up to you to choose whether you sign up for a company’s MCAT prep programs, but be wary of posts that are rude, angry, or insulting of other people’s and companies’ prep tactics. Be vigilant of anyone who vehemently dismisses alternative study strategies, MCAT study schedules, or uses rude and contemptuous language towards other Reddit users. These tend to be written by prep agencies who are after your attention and money. 

#3: Unsuitable Advice

Reddit users are not typically a reliable source of information about higher education, especially when it comes to competitive programs like medicine, dentistry, law, and so on. Even when a user posts something true and applicable to their situation, you must be cautious of their advice because it might not fit your situation.

If you are a medical school applicant, you probably already know that the MCAT has different versions of the test in the same year. The test forms are different and the exam administrators try to create equally difficult exam forms in one test cycle. This means, that whatever you hear about the test from test-takers in one cycle does not mean that you will have the same testing experience. Furthermore, test-takers in the same cycle get different questions. So, what can discussion boards really divulge about the questions you will face?

I would like to point out that not all information on MCAT Reddit is false. There are people who genuinely want to share their experience and divulge information about their prep tactics and methods to other Reddit users. While this information is not false, it is often one-sided. This means that while the prep tactics they write about may have worked for their circumstances, they may not always be suitable for you. For instance, a CARS strategy for slow readers will be of no use to a test-taker with high reading comprehension already, or tips on acing the biology questions may not be of interest to someone who is struggling with MCAT physics equations.

You might be wondering why it is dangerous to use Reddit threads that actually share detailed and actionable prep tactics? Because while the person posting may genuinely wish you to succeed, they do not know you, your academic background, or your strengths. They have done their job – they passed their MCAT test. Now they want to share what’s worked for them, but they are not accountable for your success. They simply posted information about what worked for them and now it’s up to you to work hard to ace your test. If you use their advice and do not get the same score, they are not responsible for these complications. They simply shared what worked for them and did not have you in mind when they devised their study schedule. There are Reddit users out there who truly want to share their experience and help you anticipate some of the most challenging aspects of the test. They genuinely want to share what worked for them in preparations for the MCAT. However, it is wise to remember that not all advice can be applied to your circumstances.

While there are generally accepted MCAT prep strategies, everybody’s areas of strength and weakness are different. For example, someone may post that the first section of the MCAT, the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (CPBS), was the most challenging section of the entire exam. It may be true for this particular person, but this might not be true for you. Perhaps this person neglected their review of the most important MCAT physics equations? Or they have always found chemistry a very challenging subject. We simply cannot know this person’s learning style and academic inclinations. While it’s fine to read about other people’s testing experience on Reddit, you should not take it at face value.

Yes, the Reddit users may have taken the MCAT exam, but this does not make them experts. They may have aced the MCAT psychology section in their test, but they cannot prepare you for yours. While they can describe how they studied and what the test day was like, they cannot help you practice your test-taking strategies or learn the content. MCAT prep relies on your personal learning style, your schedule and whether you stick to it, your study habits, and your dedication. No amount of information on Reddit can prepare you for the test.

Do you know the sections that compose the MCAT?

When you are reading discussion threads, you should keep in mind that everybody’s journey to medical school and MCAT are different. The content areas or MCAT sections that a particular Reddit user may find challenging are not challenging for everyone. Do not panic after you read each Reddit post – just because some people find certain content on the test difficult does not mean that you will as well. You must have a clear personalized schedule, which must reflect your needs. If you jump from topic to topic based on MCAT Reddit posts, you will never get ready for the test.

Check out our recap of why you should avoid MCAT Reddit:

#4: Reddit Cannot Help You Develop Lifelong Skills

As I already mentioned, Reddit users cannot really spend their time and efforts to prepare you for the MCAT content or test-taking strategies. All they can do is share with you how they prepared. Their answers to your inquiries about what questions they encountered in their test are also futile - you might get a different test form or write your test months or years later when the test is completely different.

In addition to not being able to prepare you for MCAT content, Reddit cannot prepare you for the test format either. Furthermore, MCAT prep should include more than content revision: it should be about reading, comprehension, analysis, attention to detail, stress management, and so on. All of these skills cannot be developed by reading Reddit posts. They are honed using diligent MCAT prep strategies.

As you know, your MCAT preparation tactics should always include CARS prep. While some students find biochemistry or MCAT physics questions very challenging, this does not apply to everyone. However, CARS is notoriously challenging for most students. This MCAT section is very difficult to prepare for because you cannot simply memorize formulas or terminology to ace it. This is why it is common for Reddit users to share their CARS prep tactics. There is a sort of comradery between MCAT test-takers regarding the difficulty of this MCAT section. More than often, you hear that CARS is impossible to prepare for. Alternatively, students often hear that they must cover as many MCAT CARS practice passages and questions to do well in this section. In truth, this is not enough.

There are methods and strategies you can implement in your study plan that will help you develop the skills necessary for acing this test, such as active reading, communication of concepts and ideas, relating seemingly unconnected concepts with each other, and so on. All these prep tactics help you develop skills and knowledge that will last beyond your MCAT exam. They can last you a lifetime.

For example, your MCAT CARS strategy should involve the development of your reading and comprehension skills. These skills take time to cultivate but they are essential for becoming a successful professional. In some ways, building lifelong skills and knowledge should be the focus of your MCAT prep, not finding quick tricks on Reddit that might help you ace the test.

If you are wondering how you may develop skills like attention to detail and comprehension, there is one simple, reliable, but time-consuming and demanding method: reading and analyzing challenging texts. While it’s important to run through practice questions and passages to get familiar with the format, reading and analysis of literary materials is the only way to habituate yourself to identifying theses and arguments, as well as growing your vocabulary, in other words, skills necessary for acing CARS.

As you can imagine, this takes time, dedication, and hard work. Therefore, no amount of MCAT Reddit tips and tricks for how to choose the right answer can help you ace this section. So don't waste your time reading MCAT Reddit threads, but focus your attention on developing skills and knowledge that will serve you long after you write your MCAT.

Keep in mind: there are no effective “ploys” or “crash courses” that can increase your MCAT prep progress. Development of attention to detail, reading, comprehension, and analytical skills takes commitment.

Want our MCAT prep help? Here's one of our student success stories:

#5: Untested and Impersonal Prep Strategies

As you may have gathered from this article, your success on the MCAT depends on your personal preparations and studying. No amount of advice from your family, friends, classmates, or Reddit users, can instill in you an intrinsic motivation to succeed. Ultimately, your MCAT score will heavily depend on your study habits, how sufficient your study strategies were, and how much time you put into it.

Simply put, you must prepare in a way that is helpful to you and avoid relying on tactics that are untested, unproven to work, or merely allege to work. You cannot risk entrusting your MCAT score to prep methods posted by unfamiliar MCAT Reddit users.

Firstly, the study strategies you read about on Reddit are not designed by professional MCAT tutors, MCAT prep course administrators, or medical school advisors. You may think this is irrelevant but prep techniques and review strategies are most effective when they have been devised by professionals who have previously tested them and proved them to be effective for a variety of students.

The Reddit user who shared their learning strategies may have succeeded, but:

1. We do not know if this person is being earnest. Maybe they are not disclosing some other tactics they used to ace their test or the fact that they used a prep company.
2. Their success does not guarantee that their methods will be effective for your MCAT prep.

There are some sincere students on MCAT Reddit who want you to succeed. They are bright and eager to help; however, your strengths and weaknesses may not be the same as those of MCAT Reddit users you like and respect. Even if a user wishes you well and shares their personal methods of learning, it does not mean that these methods will work in your favor.

Does this mean you cannot get external help? Absolutely not! You are encouraged to use legitimate resources that can help you prepare. There are MCAT prep professionals who can work with your schedule, concentrate on your needs, and customize prep plans for your learning style. Additionally, there are dozens of free MCAT prep sources you can use to organize your own study schedule and increase your chances for success!

If you are looking for an MCAT tutor, check out our infographic for choosing the best MCAT professional:

What Free Resources Are Available to You?

Understandably, you want to compare your study tactics with others’. As I already mentioned, discussion boards and online forums are often a source of companionship for premed students. However, we strongly encourage you to avoid using these threads to build your own MCAT prep strategy for the reasons we listed above. Feeling a sense of belonging during MCAT prep and medical school applications is great – especially if you are a non-traditional applicant who feels lonely in their endeavor. But remember that MCAT Reddit cannot be a serious source of information.

As I have pointed out repeatedly throughout the article, the advice you read on MCAT Reddit is not dependable. No one on Reddit is accountable for your success. What you need are MCAT prep strategies that have been tested and proven to work. Here are some examples of free MCAT prep resources you can check out:

Many of these resources are available to you for free on our website and social media. Whether you are planning your study schedule or looking to figure how to start studying for the MCAT, we have compiled a series of detailed, informative blogs and videos that can help you make sound decisions regarding your MCAT prep methods and schedule the optimal MCAT test date for you.

I want to emphasize that our free resources, such as blogs, webinars, and videos, do not withhold any of the information we use in our one-on-one consultations with students. The difference is that some students are great at incorporating the strategies outlined in our free resources independently, while others may feel that they need a more personalized approach. If you are struggling to apply our MCAT advice to your learning style or schedule, you may find a personal, one-on-one consultation helpful for your MCAT prep. If you are still deciding if BeMo Academic Consulting is worth it, you can always reach out to us for a free initial consultation.

And remember that we are not your only option! There is plenty of other reliable resources that can help you with your MCAT prep. Do your research and choose the help that is right for you.

Whatever your situation is, remember that while MCAT Reddit and other premed discussion boards are there for support and chitchat, they cannot be your primary source of information about the MCAT. The information on MCAT Reddit is not vetted and reliable. Make sure to use the free MCAT resources on our blog and YouTube channel – these are tested and professionally approved prep strategies.

If you ever need a bit more attention, make sure to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our admissions experts. We can help you decide on the best MCAT prep strategies for you moving forward. 

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To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Disclaimer: MCAT is a registered trademark of AAMC. BeMo and AAMC do not endorse or affiliate with one another.

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