bad idea?

[the10isplyr]

I'm a horrible test taker. I got a 1240 on my SATs, so I know I'll need a lot of help with the MCATs...so i'm wondinering..would it be a bad idea to:
1) take a Kaplan year-long classroom course while still doing pre-recs?
2) take a Kaplan course for two years? Or maybe like a year long one and then follow that up with the summer-intensive one?

I'm trying to decide now so I can budget/plan accordingly...thanks

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[doomknight]

if you have that much money, then you might be better off taking like a TPR or something first, then take kaplan, or vice versa, rather than taking kaplan twice.

 

[wizenedone]

SAT, in my opinion, has absolutely no correlation to the MCAT. SAT VR tests vocabulary while MCAT VR tests more of reading comprehension. If I were you, I would devote more time into self-studying with enough focus and determination. You can do it! Think positive and you will absolutely make it happen. Set a goal and go for it. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it.

 

[mterp45]

if you have that much money, then you might be better off taking like a TPR or something first, then take kaplan, or vice versa, rather than taking kaplan twice.

well keep in mind that Kaplan is free the second time provided you do all the HW assigments.

 

[the10isplyr]

well keep in mind that Kaplan is free the second time provided you do all the HW assigments.

hmm I read the policy for that some time ago and it seems that's only true if the test date is within three months or something

 

[BloodySurgeon]

If you have the time I'd say take Kaplan/TPR class a year in advance and then buy BR/EK books (which aren't expensive) as supplementals and constantly do them for a year. If you choose Kaplan, find someone with TPR science workbook and if you do TPR find someone with Kaplan to do the FLT.

I don't recommend you taking a class twice... its a waste of time and you will not learn anything new.

 

[the10isplyr]

would the classes be helpful even if i'm doing the pre-recs at the time of the class?

 

[RSAgator]

would the classes be helpful even if i'm doing the pre-recs at the time of the class?

probably much less helpful. Isn't it obvious that this isn't how it should be done?

 

[bodonid]

1240 isn't all that bad anyway. I had friends in the 1100s that broke 32. But in all seriousness, you could just take the course once and use the rest of the time to read textbooks & work problems.

Doesn't Kaplan give you virtually unlimited resources for MCAT/more questions than you could possibly go through?

 

[bodonid]

would the classes be helpful even if i'm doing the pre-recs at the time of the class?

my sister took physio and physics 2 at the time of the class, and she didn't have any problems, other than missing a lot of physics questions on her 1st diag.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

1240 isn't all that bad anyway. I had friends in the 1100s that broke 32. But in all seriousness, you could just take the course once and use the rest of the time to read textbooks & work problems.

Doesn't Kaplan give you virtually unlimited resources for MCAT/more questions than you could possibly go through?

Yeah, this is what I was thinking. I know the scale has changed since I took back in the dark ages, though. Isn't that still an above average score?

Anyway, I agree with not sitting through two courses. True the learn material as well as you can while taking prereqs, and start reading more complex material now to help with VR.

 

[MossPoh]

I know someone who got an 1100 who wound up with a 34. I had a 1230. Haven't taken the real thing, but I am getting over 35 on my practice exams now.

Two kaplan classes is a waste of money. Hell, 1 kaplan class is ALMOST a waste of money.

 

[physics junkie]

So many questions about study plans that reak of anxiety are posted here. This sounds like it falls into that category. You might be doing yourself a favor by relaxing a bit. It is just a test. Study for it and you'll do well.

Ignore the people that belong to the school of thought that believe someone with a low initial MCAT score can't improve beyond some glass ceiling that they speculate exists. No such ceiling exists. Practice taking the MCAT, learn the material thoroughly, and you will do well.

Some advice: VR is probably the easiest section to improve but takes the longest time to improve. The only way to improve is to do practice tests so unlike BS/PS you don't need to know anything to start practicing this section. I'm confident if you just practiced VR for a year in advance you could get a 13-15...which would put your score in the mid-30s if you are reasonably competent in biology/physical science. If you suck at reading comprehension(to know if you suck try taking the verbal portion of the free mcat(aamc 3) available at www.e-mcat.com) to see what you score. If you need a little VR success story to motivate you if you do poorly on this then here is one: a friend of mine went from a 5-6 average on the AAMC practice tests to a 14 on the real thing after 1077 verbal passages over 3 months. The reason I mention VR is because is it oftentimes a dealbreaker for an otherwise qualified candidate if they can't hit a 30 because their VR score is a 6 or 7...

 

[JA Prufrock]

wow where did you get all those verbal passages?

 

[MossPoh]

verbal passages are easy to come by. Kaplan qbank, kaplan books, examkracker books, princeton review books, 7 real mcats...list goes on. If you did even 1 or 2 passages a day for a year you'd be golden. I guarantee after 3 or 4 months of that it won't matter that you repeat a passage.

 

[bioteach]

I'm a horrible test taker. I got a 1240 on my SATs, so I know I'll need a lot of help with the MCATs...so i'm wondinering..would it be a bad idea to:
1) take a Kaplan year-long classroom course while still doing pre-recs?
2) take a Kaplan course for two years? Or maybe like a year long one and then follow that up with the summer-intensive one?

I'm trying to decide now so I can budget/plan accordingly...thanks

I didn't think a 1240 was a horrible score. I got a 1280, but that was back in good ol' 1994, so the scale may have changed since then. Regardless, I got a 33 on the MCAT. 12 verbal, 13 bio, 8, phys. Only reason it wasn't higher was because I hadn't had physics/gen chem in 10 years.