Anyone use EK and Kaplan?

[cashmoney805]

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Hello everyone. I'm going to start studying for the MCATs very soon, but I'm not sure what books I want to use. I know there are threads out there dealing with what books are the best to use, but a lot of people haven't dabbled in more than one company's books. I have the complete EK package as well as the Kaplan package they give out for their class. The EK books seem a lot smaller and also just seem more appealing and easier to understand. Has anyone used either the EK or Kaplan books, then switched to the other for some reason?

 

[cher25]

Hello everyone. I'm going to start studying for the MCATs very soon, but I'm not sure what books I want to use. I know there are threads out there dealing with what books are the best to use, but a lot of people haven't dabbled in more than one company's books. I have the complete EK package as well as the Kaplan package they give out for their class. The EK books seem a lot smaller and also just seem more appealing and easier to understand. Has anyone used either the EK or Kaplan books, then switched to the other for some reason?

I started with EK for the same 'appealing' reason. But I switched to Kaplan. I'm not knocking EK at all... I just needed more in depth review, which for the most part Kaplan gives. I'm a non-trad and I had to do too much supplementing with EK in order to understand concepts that I was rusty on.

 

[Cjc555777]

I'm actually using both. For the PS and BS section I'm relying on the Kaplan material because it is more comprehensive and from what I've heard, generally better. I am using EK for the verbal because I've heard that from a dramatic number of people that the Kaplan stuff (and other companies) just isn't like the real thing. So I'm going to us EK, especially there VR 101 passages. I will use Kaplan's verbal passages, but that's just because practice is practice, I just want as many VR sections to do as possible. I don't know, anyone maybe fix my methods also?

 

[grotto]

I disagree with Kaplan being more in depth for PS. The MCAT isn't about memorizing formulae, and EK's books, if read deeply (this includes doing the problems) are much better than Kaplan. Kaplan throws a bunch of formulas into the book and gives you straight physics and chem problems of the type you will not see on the MCAT. EK goes into depth explaining the concept and tells you the formulas you need to know and what they mean, their questions are more theoretical with the right amount of plug and chug.

On the other hand, a book I definitely recommend is the Kaplan High Yield problem solving guide... this book is very good, especially for dimensional analysis and your basic chem and physics plug and chug.

EK verbal is also much better, but not by the margin that a lot of people say on here - Kaplan verbal is okay but you start to recognize patterns in the material and start to get outlandish scores on their verbal sections because all of them follow the same pattern.

For bio, I would recommend checking out a biochem textbook from the library. Focusing on biology at a molecular level will get you pretty far.

This is coming from the perspective of someone who has both and is also a non-trad.

 

[FIREitUP]

I think if you're weak in your BS, EK will be a problem without supplementation. Furthermore, both Kaplan and EK have AWFUL PS in my opinion. PS is all about application; neither company does it well.