Don't write words down verbatim, don't copy anything don't abbreviate anything that is just a colossal waste of time.
What you should write down is the result of your thinking. That's the point, paraphrase it, identify where the scope shift is between the evidence to the conclusion. Paraphrase chains of reasoning, with arrows. My rule is commas, keywords conclusions and contrast, these indicate what needs to be road mapped.
And then make sure to paraphrase relevant terms in simple baby language. Think of the passage as hieroglyphics and you're translating it to explain it to a 5 year old.
When you paraphrase it, it's really well worth the time because you are going to be choosing an answer that is also a paraphrase. You'll miss it if you don't do that yourself.
Keep up with the notes. People tend a really overestimate the time for writing, and underestimate the time they are spinning in their head.
So the writing is extremely powerful but you have to make sure you've done the thinking before writing anything down. Think of yourself as a translator.
Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Strategist MBAPrepCoach.com