Clueless about MCAT - help!

[FatherTime-PhD]

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Hi all,
I'm a rising Junior, and I'm kind of already starting to panic about the MCAT.
I know there's probably countless posts to answer these questions, but I'm new to SDN so if someone could link me to the best posts that answers the following questions, I would greatly appreciate it!

1. What are the best MCAT prep courses? I know they're expensive, but I'm wondering what's good and what's not. I've heard Kaplan is good for overview, but TPR is better for focusing on specific subjects... is this true? Also, when do people typically sign up for these courses and how long do they take? For example, is it something you sign up for whenever you want and it lasts a certain period? Or are there specific start/end dates, geared towards when you want to take the MCAT?
2. When's the latest one can take the MCAT and still apply for the "normal cycle"... whatever that means. I just want to maximize the amount of time before I actually have to take the MCAT but I still want to apply on time (earlier, better right?) and graduate on time (no gap year pls).
3. How early should I start studying? Should I do one subject at a time and move on or study a chapter from each subject? I have some Kaplan books handed down to me from a previous student who took it I think two years ago, so I'm thinking its a good idea to start looking through them before signing up for the course (again I have no clue when's the best time to sign up for the course)... but I want to know the best way to start "looking through them".

I appreciate all the help!

 

[pms_testosterone]

1. You probably don't need one, unless you tend to procrastinate when left to your own devices or there's some other reason to think you'd need a prep course.
2. June or July is fine; August is late.
3. 3-4 months of study is good, unless you have reason to believe you'll be weak in CARS, in which case you could start doing CARS passages now.
Yes, I think it's easiest to study one subject at a time, but you'll find out what works for you.

 

[rufflev]

1. What are the best MCAT prep courses? I know they're expensive, but I'm wondering what's good and what's not. I've heard Kaplan is good for overview, but TPR is better for focusing on specific subjects... is this true? Also, when do people typically sign up for these courses and how long do they take? For example, is it something you sign up for whenever you want and it lasts a certain period? Or are there specific start/end dates, geared towards when you want to take the MCAT?

I took TPR and found it quite useful - though there are mixed reviews, the general trend I've observed is that TPR does a more in-depth analysis of material than Kaplan (I used a free trial for Kaplan's MCAT course and didn't like it.) Timing depends entirely on your schedule - though I would recommend doing the course 3-4 months prior to your MCAT date, assuming you have few obligations and can undergo extended hours of uninterrupted studying. I also recommend ExamKrackers and NextStep for practice exams.

2. When's the latest one can take the MCAT and still apply for the "normal cycle"... whatever that means. I just want to maximize the amount of time before I actually have to take the MCAT but I still want to apply on time (earlier, better right?) and graduate on time (no gap year pls).

If you're an incoming Junior in college, that means by next summer you should be applying - and assuming that you want to better your chances, you'll submit your application in May/June latest. That means you'll have to have taken an MCAT (and receive the score) by May. However, note that it is recommended that people take the MCAT earlier than that (i.e. January of 2018) so that you can receive your score and if it isn't satisfactory, you'll have time to review material and retake the exam if need be.

3. How early should I start studying? Should I do one subject at a time and move on or study a chapter from each subject? I have some Kaplan books handed down to me from a previous student who took it I think two years ago, so I'm thinking its a good idea to start looking through them before signing up for the course (again I have no clue when's the best time to sign up for the course)... but I want to know the best way to start "looking through them".

This depends on your overall content knowledge, but a safe bet would be 3-4 months of solid studying, where the first half is dedicated towards content and the second is dedicated towards practice questions/exams. There's several study schedules on SDN so you can search it, but I'd recommend doing different subjects at once, and review each subject's respective topic thoroughly prior to moving onto the next topic. I caution on using old material because the AAMC is changing the MCAT every year and these are professionals that research the MCAT in-depth to hopefully determine trends that cater the newest versions of study material.

 

[workaholic181]

1) I didn't use a course so I can't comment, but I had one Kaplan book (bio) which I didn't really like but used and appreciated TPR for everything else, especially gen Chem and o Chem.

2) Once august comes around you're starting to push it a bit. The earlier the better, but take it when you'll be both ready and mentally fresh to do your best.

3) I did one subject at a time for a general content review during the semester, and once classes were over started 5-8 hour study days where I would try to review all the materials I had made in two subject areas. I usually combined bio/bio Chem, the Chems, physics and psych/soc. Flash cards helped me a lot, I highly reccomend them.

It's normal to freak out over McAT! Last thing I'd advise is to use the AAMC practice materials.

Good luck OP.