There are so many prep clases and books which should I do for the summer to prepare for the aug mcat take a class or study on my own?
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Depends on what you think you need to work on. I would suggest buying the real past given MCAT from AAMC first. Do one and see what you get. Make sure you do it when and where you won't be interupted. See what you are needing to work on. They also offer a full length practice test for free, which you could do as well. For $80 you have access to all their tests and that is the best way to go.
https://services.aamc.org/Publicati...EN=407ae-f1c5423b-3761-4e69-b69c-b452d9b03921
http://www.e-mcat.com/mcat2/login.asp
If you have no idea how to start studying or are horrible at standardized test, then Kaplan or Princeton Review classes are for you and would be worth the $1300.
If on the other hand you do well on tests then I would suggest buying the Kaplan big comprehensive book and the princeton reivew books from any book store or amazon.com and working your way through both books and tests and practice quizzes.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...002-0907223-5630465?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_2/002-0907223-5630465?v=glance&s=books
Then I would suggest you complete another one of the AAMC tests online again and see if you have improved from the first one you took. If you have, then you know your studying is working.
Good luck.
https://services.aamc.org/Publicati...EN=407ae-f1c5423b-3761-4e69-b69c-b452d9b03921
http://www.e-mcat.com/mcat2/login.asp
If you have no idea how to start studying or are horrible at standardized test, then Kaplan or Princeton Review classes are for you and would be worth the $1300.
If on the other hand you do well on tests then I would suggest buying the Kaplan big comprehensive book and the princeton reivew books from any book store or amazon.com and working your way through both books and tests and practice quizzes.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...002-0907223-5630465?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_2/002-0907223-5630465?v=glance&s=books
Then I would suggest you complete another one of the AAMC tests online again and see if you have improved from the first one you took. If you have, then you know your studying is working.
Good luck.
In all honesty, those courses really are a waste of money. $1500 for teaching you what you've already been taught? That's insane. Just get the Kaplan review book (the BIG one) and start studying. Buy the old MCATs, they're only $80. Take as many practice tests as possible. If you start studying at the end of this semester, that will leave you plenty of time before August to figure out where your weaknesses are, and concentrate on them. If you have one huge pitfall, say organic, take a summer class to freshen up on it at a state university or comm. college. That's much cheaper than the Kaplan or Princeton Review course.
bigbassinbob said:
Yes, it is. And you will learn a lot more organic chemistry. And a lot less about how to do well on the organic chemistry questions on the MCAT. The MCAT does not test knowledge, it tests ability to use a little knowledge to answer a particular type of question. At the time of the MCAT, which would you rather have, if it comes down to a choice?
A prep course may not be right for you, but it shouldn't be dismissed on irrelevant bases such as your having had the material before or the material being available elsewhere.
(And by the way, if [yes, big if] the prep course gets you even one more point, and that point has a reasonable chance of getting you the interview you want, what is its long-term expected value?)