Deciding whether to take MCAT course

[danceamber]

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Hey guys,

My friend and I are trying to decide whether to take an MCAT course. I keep going back in fourth about this and it's approaching quickly. I was previously under the impression that our generation HAS to take an MCAT course in order to even get an average score. We will be taking our MCAT in June and currently go to Pepperdine University. Our pre-med adviser pushes us to take the Berkeley Review by Todd. However, it's a lot of money and they don't offer any payment plans. So here's some info about me that could maybe help you in answering me:
1. I'm broke and so is my family, so I would hope to take a course that offers a waiver, a discount, or payment plan options
2. I have test anxiety, which is why I think an MCAT course would help me in that way.
3. I'm a visual learner
4. I'm not great at science and it's difficult for me, however I work my butt off.

Also, if I decide to take the MCAT, I would like to take one that has good reviews1

THANKS GUYS!

-Amber 🙂

 

[Blakeb_212]

Hey guys,

My friend and I are trying to decide whether to take an MCAT course. I keep going back in fourth about this and it's approaching quickly. I was previously under the impression that our generation HAS to take an MCAT course in order to even get an average score. We will be taking our MCAT in June and currently go to Pepperdine University. Our pre-med adviser pushes us to take the Berkeley Review by Todd. However, it's a lot of money and they don't offer any payment plans. So here's some info about me that could maybe help you in answering me:
1. I'm broke and so is my family, so I would hope to take a course that offers a waiver, a discount, or payment plan options
2. I have test anxiety, which is why I think an MCAT course would help me in that way.
3. I'm a visual learner
4. I'm not great at science and it's difficult for me, however I work my butt off.

Also, if I decide to take the MCAT, I would like to take one that has good reviews1

THANKS GUYS!

-Amber 🙂

I was in the same boat. Due to financial constraints I was unable to pay for a course. I ended up taking the Gold Standard course online which was like $100 and it helped me improve by 8 points. With that being said, my score was not anything that would blow schools out of the water. So, if I could do it all over again I would recommend taking the course. Even if it will hurt your wallet, it will pay off in the future. Some universities also offer an actual course for credits that is MCAT prep., so see if a nearby university has one and if they accept guest students.

 

[Zenabi90]

Hey guys,

My friend and I are trying to decide whether to take an MCAT course. I keep going back in fourth about this and it's approaching quickly. I was previously under the impression that our generation HAS to take an MCAT course in order to even get an average score. We will be taking our MCAT in June and currently go to Pepperdine University. Our pre-med adviser pushes us to take the Berkeley Review by Todd. However, it's a lot of money and they don't offer any payment plans. So here's some info about me that could maybe help you in answering me:
1. I'm broke and so is my family, so I would hope to take a course that offers a waiver, a discount, or payment plan options
2. I have test anxiety, which is why I think an MCAT course would help me in that way.
3. I'm a visual learner
4. I'm not great at science and it's difficult for me, however I work my butt off.

Also, if I decide to take the MCAT, I would like to take one that has good reviews1

THANKS GUYS!

-Amber 🙂

There's a lot to consider in your post! I'm glad you've taken the time to try to analyze your particular situation and maximize your potential.

I would just like to dispel a few things. 10 years ago, 5 years ago, even now: there is ZERO requirement to take an MCAT course to succeed on the MCAT. Plenty of students have self-studied and managed to attain a score they were proud of. I myself am one of them. 5 years after college, with just 4 weeks of dedicated, disciplined self-study, I raised my score from 56th percentile to 95th. It can be done on your own! You just have to be open to believing that.

My personal opinion in your case (and remember, everyone here on this forum is just another anonymous voice on the internet!):

1, 2, and 3. That is understandable. Many of us have financial constraints, test anxiety, and specific learning requirements. In your case, I would buy used books on the forums, and choose a series that relies heavily on diagrams and pictures. In your case, TBR's books may seem to not be the best choice because they are text-heavy and while they have a few practice problems that have diagrams, they don't explain concepts visually. However, to me, they remain one of the best sources of practice passages on the market.

Considering your concerns on money, and visual learning tendencies, I highly recommend turning to free Khan Academy videos and YouTube based lectures, rather than a specific course. I would suggest that you (re)learn the concepts initially via Khan Academy videos, then solidify the concepts with TBR, and drill thoroughly using the provided practice passages in TBR. If you really want help with test anxiety, spend your money on a licensed mental health professional who specializes in things like test and performance anxiety, rather than throw money at a course. My SO took a summer course (the one named after Ivy league) and the pace was so ridiculous that there was barely any time to complete the concept work, let alone tackle things like test anxiety and teaching to specific learning styles. Remember that these teachers are paid to teach from the books they are affiliated with, you will rarely get anything that isn't already covered in the books themselves.

Especially considering your large time frame (Jan to June, five months!), with the right work ethic and discipline, I think you could come up with a well-spaced schedule that will serve you far better than some cookie-cutter prep course.

4. This is HUGE. I will tell you that 9 times out of 10, HARD WORK BEATS TALENT. That 1 time out of 10 is when the talent also works hard 😉 While the MCAT does require a knowledge base, it is MUCH SHALLOWER than the information taught in your undergraduate courses! The MCAT tests your critical and lateral thinking skills much more heavily than your knowledge of minute details.

All in all, I think you would be better off skipping the course, no matter how much your adviser pushes you to take it, especially if money is tight. Spend your money instead on a good psychologist who specializes in test and performance anxiety, and set up a personalized schedule that works proper for you.

 

[Blakeb_212]

There's a lot to consider in your post! I'm glad you've taken the time to try to analyze your particular situation and maximize your potential.

I would just like to dispel a few things. 10 years ago, 5 years ago, even now: there is ZERO requirement to take an MCAT course to succeed on the MCAT. Plenty of students have self-studied and managed to attain a score they were proud of. I myself am one of them. 5 years after college, with just 4 weeks of dedicated, disciplined self-study, I raised my score from 56th percentile to 95th. It can be done on your own! You just have to be open to believing that.

My personal opinion in your case (and remember, everyone here on this forum is just another anonymous voice on the internet!):

1, 2, and 3. That is understandable. Many of us have financial constraints, test anxiety, and specific learning requirements. In your case, I would buy used books on the forums, and choose a series that relies heavily on diagrams and pictures. In your case, TBR's books may seem to not be the best choice because they are text-heavy and while they have a few practice problems that have diagrams, they don't explain concepts visually. However, to me, they remain one of the best sources of practice passages on the market.

Considering your concerns on money, and visual learning tendencies, I highly recommend turning to free Khan Academy videos and YouTube based lectures, rather than a specific course. I would suggest that you (re)learn the concepts initially via Khan Academy videos, then solidify the concepts with TBR, and drill thoroughly using the provided practice passages in TBR. If you really want help with test anxiety, spend your money on a licensed mental health professional who specializes in things like test and performance anxiety, rather than throw money at a course. My SO took a summer course (the one named after Ivy league) and the pace was so ridiculous that there was barely any time to complete the concept work, let alone tackle things like test anxiety and teaching to specific learning styles. Remember that these teachers are paid to teach from the books they are affiliated with, you will rarely get anything that isn't already covered in the books themselves.

Especially considering your large time frame (Jan to June, five months!), with the right work ethic and discipline, I think you could come up with a well-spaced schedule that will serve you far better than some cookie-cutter prep course.

4. This is HUGE. I will tell you that 9 times out of 10, HARD WORK BEATS TALENT. That 1 time out of 10 is when the talent also works hard 😉 While the MCAT does require a knowledge base, it is MUCH SHALLOWER than the information taught in your undergraduate courses! The MCAT tests your critical and lateral thinking skills much more heavily than your knowledge of minute details.

All in all, I think you would be better off skipping the course, no matter how much your adviser pushes you to take it, especially if money is tight. Spend your money instead on a good psychologist who specializes in test and performance anxiety, and set up a personalized schedule that works proper for you.

Do you mind sharing what resources you used to review?

 

[STcmOCSD]

I used Kaplan for mine. I was in the same boat where I simply could not afford it out of pocket and my parents could afford even less than I could. I used a loan refund to pay for the course. While it is a huge chunk of money it was the best choice for me.

 

[Zenabi90]

Do you mind sharing what resources you used to review?

More or less what I outlined in that post. I have a more detailed post in the 509+ Study Habits thread.

I cannot stress enough that the resources used matters far less than the student using them. There are students at every strata of scores (<500, 500-505, 505-510, 510-515, 515-520, 520+) that have used each of the different material (Kaplan, EK, TPR, TBR, Khan Academy, free resources, etc). Success is achievable with ANY of the major test prep companies. As far as I'm concerned, if it's from one of the major companies, and if you like it, that's where you'll get the best results. More important than the materials is the type and amount of work you put in.

I primarily used TBR, supplementing with TPR for Sociology and Khan Academy/YouTube videos for specific concepts I couldn't quite get, like the concept of how a refrigerator works. If we look past the materials, I prefer to talk about what I did to choose my materials. I bought them all! And I took advantage of Amazon's amazing return policy. I bought EK, Kaplan, and TPR off of Amazon using my credit card, and I also bought TBR direct. I didn't worry about reselling TBR because they generally hold their value on resale to other students. I sat down, compared them all side by side, and TBR was perfect for me. I loved the dorky humor, the creative explanations and strategies, and the high quality of their practice passages (which were very similar in style, length, and difficulty to the passages I encountered on 9/2 MCAT). Then I sent EK, Kaplan, and TPR all back to Amazon and got full refunds with no issue, but with the peace of mind that I picked the right material for myself.

The most important part of my studying process was the dedication and ethic. It sounds really corny, but you literally will get out what you put in. I deactivated social media (which 2 months after my exam, I still have no reason to reactivate), I put away my phone during study hours, ate clean for the first time in months, exercised regularly, and made sure to really engage DEEPLY with the material with as little distractions as possible using a self-researched, self-made strict schedule to maximize my time and minimize burnout. I felt clueless 4 weeks away from the exam, even worse 2 weeks out, great 2 days prior to the exam, extremely nervous 1 day prior to the exam, felt like voiding my score on exam day, and was elated when I received my score.

My point is this:
1. Only you can know the best materials for you
2. Only you can know the best schedule for you
and most importantly
3. Only you can believe you are capable of success, and only you can enable yourself to achieve that success.

 

[Coltuna]

The biggest question of prep course vs no prep course is if you're a self started or need some guidance.

 

[Blakeb_212]

More or less what I outlined in that post. I have a more detailed post in the 509+ Study Habits thread.

I cannot stress enough that the resources used matters far less than the student using them. There are students at every strata of scores (<500, 500-505, 505-510, 510-515, 515-520, 520+) that have used each of the different material (Kaplan, EK, TPR, TBR, Khan Academy, free resources, etc). Success is achievable with ANY of the major test prep companies. As far as I'm concerned, if it's from one of the major companies, and if you like it, that's where you'll get the best results. More important than the materials is the type and amount of work you put in.

I primarily used TBR, supplementing with TPR for Sociology and Khan Academy/YouTube videos for specific concepts I couldn't quite get, like the concept of how a refrigerator works. If we look past the materials, I prefer to talk about what I did to choose my materials. I bought them all! And I took advantage of Amazon's amazing return policy. I bought EK, Kaplan, and TPR off of Amazon using my credit card, and I also bought TBR direct. I didn't worry about reselling TBR because they generally hold their value on resale to other students. I sat down, compared them all side by side, and TBR was perfect for me. I loved the dorky humor, the creative explanations and strategies, and the high quality of their practice passages (which were very similar in style, length, and difficulty to the passages I encountered on 9/2 MCAT). Then I sent EK, Kaplan, and TPR all back to Amazon and got full refunds with no issue, but with the peace of mind that I picked the right material for myself.

The most important part of my studying process was the dedication and ethic. It sounds really corny, but you literally will get out what you put in. I deactivated social media (which 2 months after my exam, I still have no reason to reactivate), I put away my phone during study hours, ate clean for the first time in months, exercised regularly, and made sure to really engage DEEPLY with the material with as little distractions as possible using a self-researched, self-made strict schedule to maximize my time and minimize burnout. I felt clueless 4 weeks away from the exam, even worse 2 weeks out, great 2 days prior to the exam, extremely nervous 1 day prior to the exam, felt like voiding my score on exam day, and was elated when I received my score.

My point is this:
1. Only you can know the best materials for you
2. Only you can know the best schedule for you
and most importantly
3. Only you can believe you are capable of success, and only you can enable yourself to achieve that success.

Thanks for the insight! If there was no CARS section I would have been sitting much better off but such is life.

 

[Zenabi90]

Thanks for the insight! If there was no CARS section I would have been sitting much better off but such is life.

That is a common issue unfortunately. CARS is a section best tackled from Day 1 of Freshman year, and at the minimum, 6-12 mos out.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

The most important part of my studying process was the dedication and ethic. It sounds really corny, but you literally will get out what you put in. I deactivated social media (which 2 months after my exam, I still have no reason to reactivate), I put away my phone during study hours, ate clean for the first time in months, exercised regularly, and made sure to really engage DEEPLY with the material with as little distractions as possible using a self-researched, self-made strict schedule to maximize my time and minimize burnout. I felt clueless 4 weeks away from the exam, even worse 2 weeks out, great 2 days prior to the exam, extremely nervous 1 day prior to the exam, felt like voiding my score on exam day, and was elated when I received my score.

This is one of the best paragraphs ever written at SDN!!! Thank you so much for posting this!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

As always Zenabi, you have posted a wonderfully thorough and insightful reply. Thank you for taking such care and time to write the responses you do. I do want to comment on one line from your post above.

Remember that these teachers are paid to teach from the books they are affiliated with, you will rarely get anything that isn't already covered in the books themselves.

I can 100% say that this is NOT the case where I teach. In fact, we are encouraged to go beyond the book as much as possible. We are welcome to use some examples, but they encourage us to present different examples so that students get more out of their classroom experience. Even classes taught by the actual authors do this. It's a highly rewarding place to teach because of the support from senior teachers and the flexibility in the curriculum. After all, most of the teaching is test skills applied to a subject, as opposed to the nuts and bolts of the subject.

 

[danceamber]

I was in the same boat. Due to financial constraints I was unable to pay for a course. I ended up taking the Gold Standard course online which was like $100 and it helped me improve by 8 points. With that being said, my score was not anything that would blow schools out of the water. So, if I could do it all over again I would recommend taking the course. Even if it will hurt your wallet, it will pay off in the future. Some universities also offer an actual course for credits that is MCAT prep., so see if a nearby university has one and if they accept guest students.

Hey there! Wow thank you so much! Yeah I completely understand! The issue is definitely even having money to pay for a down payment. It's a "Will a pay rent and eat" or "make this down payment sort of thing!" haha. But thanks for your response!

 

[Altius Premier Tutor]

Just do a thorough job of reasearching all your options and you'll be fine. There are more affordable options available, and not all mcat courses are the same. For example, for good or bad, I've been commenting on SDN for 2+ years now and I've certainly seen that advice from @BerkReviewTeach >> advice from most other posters. Just as he/she has pointed out that BerkReview may hold him/her to a higher standard, I'm confident in saying almost NOTHING said on SDN about MCAT prep companies generally is true of the experience I had with the Altius course as a student, or what I strive to deliver for my students. I'm not saying Altius or BerkReview are good or bad, or that Kaplan or Princeton are good or bad, I'm just saying that you should do your own research before trusting anonymous internet posters (myself included 😉)...

 

[Medical Muse]

In deciding whether to take a course, buy a set of books, or devise your own plan, you have to know you. What is the best way that you learn material? Do you have the discipline to create a study plan and stick to it without the framework of a class? Are you able to tune out all the other distractions? The reality is that no course or set of books is going to get you a great score without effort on your part. I've seen students do really well and really poorly studying on their own, using prep books, and taking courses. So ask yourself, what support do you need to push yourself to master the MCAT?

When I was preparing for the MCAT, I knew I lacked the discipline to study on my own, so I signed up for the TBR classes. My roommate took TPR and we shared tips we learned in class. Even though I had some phenomenal teachers, my score didn't improve much until the last month of my preparation when I started putting in the work. Once I started delving deeper into the concepts and not just memorizing formulas, I was able to extract so much more from my earlier lecture notes. What also helped me was taking tests with my peers and learning that I wasn't doing as well as I hoped. You might not need that same motivation, but it played on my competitive nature. For a person like me, I highly recommend the structure and social interaction of a course, but they aren't for all students.

If you do decide that taking a course is best for you, go ahead and email them and ask about payment plans, reduced rates, or scholarships. There is absolutely no shame in asking and I personally view it as a testament to your desire to become a physician. The worst that could happen is they say "no."