I am considering taking a couple of English composition/literature classes as my undergrad is from a foreign country. I have had several English classes throughout but it was taught as a foreign language.
I am not sure if this will help with the writing section of the MCAT. Can any one help me with what level of writing skills are needed for MCAT and if you think taking the classes would help. I probably will end up taking them anyway but I am trying to figure out if I should take them before or after MCAT. I am still a year away from actually taking the MCAT as I have to get the pre-reqs done.
Thanks a bunch!
They certainly can’t hurt you, but the main focus of the writing sample is on following directions, not on your writing prowes. You do not get graded much on your writing itself as long as the reader can follow your train of thought. Basically, every MCAT essay starts with a prompt. You are then asked to do three things:
1) Explain what you think the statement means. In other words, describe your understanding of what the statement is saying.
2) Give an example where the statement does not hold true. This example should be specific and should be integrated with the rest of your essay in order to get maximum credit.
3) Give criteria for determining when you think the statement does or does not apply. Again, these criteria should be specific and should relate to the rest of your essay.
People who score poorly on the essay generally do so because they don’t follow the directions, not because they are unable to write well. This is why you will find a sizeable number of people who score highly on VR, for example, but do not score well on WS. Conversely, it is also possible for non-native speakers of English to score well on the essay section in spite of having grammatical mistakes in their writing if they do a thorough job of completing the three tasks.