Best method for home study: Prinston Books, Kaplan Books, or exam krackers?

[trauma_junky]

Which is the best?

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[OZ2003]

I wish I had known this the first time around, the secret is that Kaplan's classroom course is awful. It is taught by pre-meds and other unqualified people with minimal training. Basically the class was a huge waste of time. However, Kaplan's testing materials are good. The trick is to study with Examkrackers at home (their books and Audio Osmosis) and then to enroll in Kaplan, skip the classes and just use their library for their practice materials. EK is really good for teaching you the material, but does not provide a sufficient challenge in terms of testing. I can only speak from my own experience.

 

[trauma_junky]

Ya, I've done PR, but they have a laborious amout of material, most of it never even seen on the MCAT. I know the quirks of the exam, I just need a great review. I plan on using the AAMC test to prep as well.

 

[Childe]

EK by far.
gig em

 

[deleted21595]

Originally posted by OZ2003
I wish I had known this the first time around, the secret is that Kaplan's classroom course is awful. It is taught by pre-meds and other unqualified people with minimal training. Basically the class was a huge waste of time. However, Kaplan's testing materials are good. The trick is to study with Examkrackers at home (their books and Audio Osmosis) and then to enroll in Kaplan, skip the classes and just use their library for their practice materials. EK is really good for teaching you the material, but does not provide a sufficient challenge in terms of testing. I can only speak from my own experience.

Funny lots of people mentioned that as their sole problem, but if you look at Mudd's post about chosing a prep course, one of the things that he mentions is to make sure you're getting a good teacher. I agree with that assertion, so make sure you're getting a good teacher before jumping in. How do you do it?

First make sure you have options, if you don't like one teacher can you switch to another?

Secondly make sure you're getting your money's worth. many courses allow you to get in touch with your teacher in office hours and through email. Take full advantage of this. If you did it in college then you know how large the benefits of this can be.

 

[gary5]

You buy the actual Kaplan *lecture* books and flash cards used on EBay. I did that.

 

[trauma_junky]

Bizump!

 

[thackl]

I went to TPR and had an 18 on TPR test1 and a 32 on the real thing. I believe their informal claim that anyone who does all the work will get 10 pts higher. At the same time, I think I would have done better on my own. Honestly, I took the course to make sure I would have the time to study. As a class, I didn't have to fight with my wife about finding 15hrs a week to study. Trying to do that on my own might have been a struggle.

 

[MrTee]

Originally posted by OZ2003
I wish I had known this the first time around, the secret is that Kaplan's classroom course is awful. It is taught by pre-meds and other unqualified people with minimal training. Basically the class was a huge waste of time. However, Kaplan's testing materials are good. The trick is to study with Examkrackers at home (their books and Audio Osmosis) and then to enroll in Kaplan, skip the classes and just use their library for their practice materials. EK is really good for teaching you the material, but does not provide a sufficient challenge in terms of testing. I can only speak from my own experience.

I have to agree with this technique, which is what I did, except I didn't have the CDs. What I would suggest now, if I had to go back and do it all over again is to use the EK books as the primary study materials, and get a hold of Kaplan's review notes/practice materials to fill in gaps that EK has. PR's book of practice passages was also very good to reinforce learning basic concepts in a way that was more interesting than straight memorization.

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

Just got my scores back, didnt take a prep course, but i definitely studied my textbooks before the test. My advice is this:

take a hellfire and brimstone schedule your first two years. Take the hardest classes you can take, and take a large load. When mcat time rolls around (3rd or 4th year) you're essentailly pre-prepped

in the words of my friend who is a mechanic, "go for quality. cry once."

ryan


ps- call me what ya want, but for the original poster's information, i got a 43S and im damn proud of it

 

[Edge]

I really do not understand why people use review books except for the part of verbal reasoning. People, just use your textbooks on the parts the kaplan book emphasizes on and you will be fine!!!

 

[hamhamfan]

Originally posted by OZ2003
I wish I had known this the first time around, the secret is that Kaplan's classroom course is awful. It is taught by pre-meds and other unqualified people with minimal training. Basically the class was a huge waste of time. However, Kaplan's testing materials are good. The trick is to study with Examkrackers at home (their books and Audio Osmosis) and then to enroll in Kaplan, skip the classes and just use their library for their practice materials. EK is really good for teaching you the material, but does not provide a sufficient challenge in terms of testing. I can only speak from my own experience.

The teachers on tape can be pretty good though. I occasionally had an inspiring teacher in class.

 

[Childe]

Originally posted by Edge
I really do not understand why people use review books except for the part of verbal reasoning. People, just use your textbooks on the parts the kaplan book emphasizes on and you will be fine!!!

Do not listen to this. Trust in examkrackers.
39Q using only home study EK and aamc tests.

 

[deleted21595]

Originally posted by ihdihd
Funny lots of people mentioned that as their sole problem, but if you look at Mudd's post about chosing a prep course, one of the things that he mentions is to make sure you're getting a good teacher. I agree with that assertion, so make sure you're getting a good teacher before jumping in. How do you do it?

First make sure you have options, if you don't like one teacher can you switch to another?

Secondly make sure you're getting your money's worth. many courses allow you to get in touch with your teacher in office hours and through email. Take full advantage of this. If you did it in college then you know how large the benefits of this can be.

Here's a little secret for you guys. You say Kaplan's teachers suck (it pains me because I'm a kaplan instructor), and aparently people at Kaplan's corporate offices have listened. Every student that enroll's in Kaplan's classroom course gets MCAT Online for free. What's MCAT Online? Its the same classroom course, taught online with animations, graphics, and full streaming audio, in addition to interactive exercises and quizzes.

Check it out here:

http://www.kaptest.com/repository/t...rvices/Online_Options/PM_mcat_mcatonline.html

No more excuses for bad teachers. Now every student will be comparing his local teachers to the some of best instructor's Kaplan has.

 

[JimFang]

come on everyone, VOTE

 

[trauma_junky]

bump

 

[VFrank]

I really do not understand why people use review books except for the part of verbal reasoning. People, just use your textbooks on the parts the kaplan book emphasizes on and you will be fine!!!

This is a bad idea. Your college textbooks give you WAY more information than you need to do well on the MCAT. Don't waste time studying unimportant things -- the review books give you what you need to know and nothing more. Use them.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

Kaplan Fatty Book.

 

[milliardo_L]

Good to know that I made a good choice with EK, that is, if the mayority is right

 

[EvoDevo]

EK all the way!

32S April '04