“Q:A” Coming up with Examples for the MCAT WS and PCAT Essay

lorelei: To prepare for these essays, you probably want mostly examples. (As Q and Shrike point out, you don’t have to be a fantastic writer, but you do have to follow the directions, and having a mental library of examples makes it easier to do that.) For that, just following the newspaper can be fine. You can also make examples up, of course, and history or any other area you’re familiar with works just as well as (or better than) news.

QofQuimica: Good examples can come from several sources. Obvious places to get examples are from history and current events, but you can also use biographies, science, politics, literature, modern fiction, movies, personal anecdotes, and even hypothetical examples to help you illustrate your assertions. The most important things to keep in mind are that your examples should be relevant to the topic, and they should be specific and well-explained. This point may seem obvious, but it is worth reiterating: The source of your examples is not nearly as important as your ability to relate those examples to the topic, and your ability to explain the examples in a specific, unified, and clear manner.