Does Kaplan really help?

[FizbanZymogen]

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hello all,

I have been reading these forums for some time now and finally decided to post a question that has been a difficult one for me to find the answer to. Any help would be appreciated on this one. Should I fork out the $1,400 for the Kaplan online course? Does it really help that much? My resources are very limited so this is a paramount desicion for me. I've heard such mixed statements about the kaplan courses. My brother-in-law took it and said it really helped. However, I hear things from other that make me think those who score well on the MCAT (above 30 is what I would consider well) are going to score well anyway without the help of Kaplan. Please, your advice on this issue is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[sanford_w/o_son]

hello all,

I have been reading these forums for some time now and finally decided to post a question that has been a difficult one for me to find the answer to. Any help would be appreciated on this one. Should I fork out the $1,400 for the Kaplan online course? Does it really help that much? My resources are very limited so this is a paramount desicion for me. I've heard such mixed statements about the kaplan courses. My brother-in-law took it and said it really helped. However, I hear things from other that make me think those who score well on the MCAT (above 30 is what I would consider well) are going to score well anyway without the help of Kaplan. Please, your advice on this issue is greatly appreciated! Thanks

To me it definitely wasn't worth the money, and I did well enough without it (Right now I wouldn't pay $1400 to get an extra two points on the MCAT). You just have to be motivated and disciplined enough to structure some serious MCAT study time, which is what I imagine med students would say about studying for med school tests. So start acquiring med school habits early and ditch Kaplan!!! I used a bit of their material, and I really found their approach of making practice material harder than the real thing to not be the best for me--it gave me a misleading expectation of test content, which can also lead to a bad sense of how to pace yourself on the real thing. But I thought their Comprehensive Review book is great (I didn't compare it to others). If I had to do it over again, I would use Comprehensive Review with ALL AAMCAS (sic) practice exams, and spend more than two months.

Also, I just hate the idea of these companies profiting off of, and even furthering (e.g., very, very hard "free" diagnostic exams to scare people into the course), pre-med anxiety. Boycott!!!

 

[blee]

The answer: "It depends."

I do not believe that everyone is capable of getting a 45 on the MCAT. However, just about anyone who is preparing to take the test for the first time has a potential score somewhat higher than their current score. The idea is to do what's necessary to realize your full potential on the test, whatever that may be.

In order to maximize your score, you need to study. You can do this on your own or through a structured class. If you need the structure of classes, homework, and practice tests, then the $1500 is money well spent ***IF*** you do the work outside of class. If you pay your money, show up for lectures, and somehow expect to gain 10 points, you're likely to be disappointed. If you have the discipline to go about this yourself, or if you think that the prep courses will review material with which you're already very familiar, then self-study is less costly.

The AAMC, biased as they may be, repeatedly state that their stats do not show a difference when comparing students who take a prep course to those who don't. I tend to think this is correct; you'll only get out of a course what you put into it, and paying the big bucks won't absolve you of doing the legwork yourself.

 

[QofQuimica]

I teach for Kaplan, and what blee said is absolutely correct. You get out of a course what you put into it. Paying the $1400 in and of itself isn't going to buy you a good score. Conversely, studying hard on your own won't preclude you earning one. People can do well either way if they put in the time and effort needed to become proficient at the test-taking skills.

I've taken the MCAT twice. The first time, I scored 34, but I didn't take a course and I didn't study much beyond basic science review. The second time, I scored 43, and I used the Kaplan materials to prepare, including taking half a dozen practice tests. My case was unique, b/c I didn't have to pay for the course since I was an instructor. But I managed to improve 9 points by studying my butt off and by really learning/teaching the Kaplan techniques. So Kaplan CAN work, at least for some people. We've posted more about this issue in the General Questions thread in the MCAT study questions subforum. Feel free to take a look if you haven't already.

 

[USAFdoc2be]

hello all,

I have been reading these forums for some time now and finally decided to post a question that has been a difficult one for me to find the answer to. Any help would be appreciated on this one. Should I fork out the $1,400 for the Kaplan online course? Does it really help that much? My resources are very limited so this is a paramount desicion for me. I've heard such mixed statements about the kaplan courses. My brother-in-law took it and said it really helped. However, I hear things from other that make me think those who score well on the MCAT (above 30 is what I would consider well) are going to score well anyway without the help of Kaplan. Please, your advice on this issue is greatly appreciated! Thanks

I'll agree that taking the class works well as long as you put in the outside effort. I knew an online class wouldn't be disciplined enough for me, so I took a classroom based class and studied every other night at Starbucks. I worked 40+ hours a week and studied nights and weekends from Jan-April, but I got the score I wanted plus a point and got my acceptance to my #1 school, so for me it was worth it! I think one of the biggest helps though I griped about it at first, was giving up 5 of the 6 saturdays leading up to the test to take practice tests. Being in that environment surrounded by others taking the test helped a ton! By test day I saw people I knew and it felt like any other sat so my stress level wasn't as bad and when I was done I felt like it was time to go to Starbucks 🙂 .........I miss Starbucks 🙂

 

[Twitch]

... very, very hard "free" diagnostic exams to scare people into the course), pre-med anxiety. Boycott!!!

The questions aren't too terrible for taking it cold, it's their scaling that seems rather bizarre. If you can overlook the scale issue, the diagnostic value of the test where they provide you with a list of topics and show your strenght/weekness is of some marginal value.

 

[njbmd]

hello all,

I have been reading these forums for some time now and finally decided to post a question that has been a difficult one for me to find the answer to. Any help would be appreciated on this one. Should I fork out the $1,400 for the Kaplan online course? Does it really help that much? My resources are very limited so this is a paramount desicion for me. I've heard such mixed statements about the kaplan courses. My brother-in-law took it and said it really helped. However, I hear things from other that make me think those who score well on the MCAT (above 30 is what I would consider well) are going to score well anyway without the help of Kaplan. Please, your advice on this issue is greatly appreciated! Thanks

Hi there,
I did not take the Kaplan course and I scored above 35 on the MCAT taking it only once. I had a solid fund of knowledge and I was adept at applying that knowledge. I also did plenty of practice tests and I did a systematic review of the subjects that I felt I needed refreshment.

If you need the course to make you systematically cover and review materials, then Kaplan may be worth the money. If you need to take plenty of practice tests then Kaplan may be worth the money. Again, what you get out of any prep course is what you put into it and what you define as your deficiencies. A review course should NOT be a substitute for learning the knowledge in the first place. A review course should be a review.

Figure out what you need and weigh your options. You may not need Kaplan and may do just as well on your own. Only you can decide for yourself.

Good luck!
njbmd 🙂

 

[cosmo]

I took the online course and it was absolutely worth it to me. I don't have a strong science background, and regardless of what AAMC tells you, you need more than just Bio 1 and Bio 2. I took the MCAT in April with disastrous results (misbubbled) and then again in August with the Kaplan class under my belt. I scored 9 points higher. Sure, my April school wasn't accurate because of my misbubble, but I found some of their test-taking strategies helpful, and especially their bio section. I'm very weak in Bio. So if you're a self-started, I would recommend it. You know how you study best.

 

[blee]

I took the online course and it was absolutely worth it to me. I don't have a strong science background, and regardless of what AAMC tells you, you need more than just Bio 1 and Bio 2. I took the MCAT in April with disastrous results (misbubbled) and then again in August with the Kaplan class under my belt. I scored 9 points higher. Sure, my April school wasn't accurate because of my misbubble, but I found some of their test-taking strategies helpful, and especially their bio section. I'm very weak in Bio. So if you're a self-started, I would recommend it. You know how you study best.

I disagree that the MCAT requires any more science knowledge than what is offered in the introductory courses. A general scientific background -- reasoning, logic, critical reading, etc. -- would probably make a difference, but not because of the extra knowledge.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

I teach for Kaplan, and what blee said is absolutely correct. You get out of a course what you put into it. Paying the $1400 in and of itself isn't going to buy you a good score. Conversely, studying hard on your own won't preclude you earning one. People can do well either way if they put in the time and effort needed to become proficient at the test-taking skills.

I've taken the MCAT twice. The first time, I scored 34, but I didn't take a course and I didn't study much beyond basic science review. The second time, I scored 43, and I used the Kaplan materials to prepare, including taking half a dozen practice tests. My case was unique, b/c I didn't have to pay for the course since I was an instructor. But I managed to improve 9 points by studying my butt off and by really learning/teaching the Kaplan techniques. So Kaplan CAN work, at least for some people. We've posted more about this issue in the General Questions thread in the MCAT study questions subforum. Feel free to take a look if you haven't already.

As you can see, their teachers are questionable at best. Twice? For shame. 😉

 

[QofQuimica]

As you can see, their teachers are questionable at best. Twice? For shame. 😉

😛 You're right. lorelei only had to take it once.... 🙁

 

[Doctor Bagel]

The answer: "It depends."


In order to maximize your score, you need to study. You can do this on your own or through a structured class. If you need the structure of classes, homework, and practice tests, then the $1500 is money well spent ***IF*** you do the work outside of class. If you pay your money, show up for lectures, and somehow expect to gain 10 points, you're likely to be disappointed. If you have the discipline to go about this yourself, or if you think that the prep courses will review material with which you're already very familiar, then self-study is less costly.

This is actually what I would consider the biggest negative of Kaplan -- it actually limited my individual study time. Kaplan is probably great if you can spend all day studying, go to their class at night and take their practice tests each weekend. However, when you work fulltime, spending four nights a week in class and spending all Saturday or Sunday taking a practice test, really limits your time. Of course, the online class doesn't have that downside.

If the money is a really big issue, I don't think Kaplan is necessary. Getting Kaplan materials would probably be really helpful, though. I liked their books a lot.

 

[supersash]

Q-

What Kaplan do you teach at, or in what state if you don't mind sharing.

I too am back in forth with whether or not to take a Kaplan class. I am leaning towards yes though, because I am not a science major, and had some family problems the year i took bio 1&2 and chem 1&2 so i feel the brush up is definitly needed!

Ok thanks all for your input!

 

[atrovariousg]

I teach for Kaplan, and what blee said is absolutely correct. You get out of a course what you put into it. Paying the $1400 in and of itself isn't going to buy you a good score. Conversely, studying hard on your own won't preclude you earning one. People can do well either way if they put in the time and effort needed to become proficient at the test-taking skills.

I've taken the MCAT twice. The first time, I scored 34, but I didn't take a course and I didn't study much beyond basic science review. The second time, I scored 43, and I used the Kaplan materials to prepare, including taking half a dozen practice tests. My case was unique, b/c I didn't have to pay for the course since I was an instructor. But I managed to improve 9 points by studying my butt off and by really learning/teaching the Kaplan techniques. So Kaplan CAN work, at least for some people. We've posted more about this issue in the General Questions thread in the MCAT study questions subforum. Feel free to take a look if you haven't already.

You mean the 1400 bones alone don't factor into a better score?????????? 😕
I thought that anything could be bought?????????
Just being sarcastic. 😉

 

[dr.z]

I think it helped me.

 

[jbone]

The actual test taking of Kaplan is good to improve your stamina etc. But I don't think it helped me 👎 . At least not enough to justify $1,400. The books, I felt, were excellent study manuals. So if I were you, I would buy the books, study them all, drop $80 on the AAMC practice tests and time yourself in a quiet place. I took 5 of them (8 hrs each) and felt it helped me far more than KAPLAN. Besides these tests are ACTUAL MCATs written by the actual test makers, not a test Kaplan attempts to formulate. I felt the Kaplan exams were easier than the actual test (maybe because I was stressed out). Good luck and I don't envy you one bit. Just take the score you get and go with it. Good luck.

 

[QofQuimica]

You mean the 1400 bones alone don't factor into a better score?????????? 😕
I thought that anything could be bought?????????

You'd be surprised at how many students seem to think so. 😛

supersash, check your PM box.

 

[MeowMix]

The value of any prep course depends a lot on the teacher, as well as the factors mentioned above.

Some teachers are fantastic, and their tips and strategies for organizing and remembering material will help you immensely. On the other hand, some of the teachers may never have taken the MCAT and are GRE specialists (totally different verbal style); some are just plain crappy teachers (I had a guy driving 30 miles to my classes because his bio teacher was so miserable); most of the prep companies will contort the language to make it sound like every teacher has scored fantastically well on the real MCAT, when that is not at all true.

A superb teacher also can give you personalized advice, suggestions, and tips for addressing your weakest areas. There is a lot to be said for this, especially if you are a middle-of-the-pack student.

I personally am not a fan of the Kaplan techniques, and found that the Examkrackers materials and techniques worked much better for my learning style. The MCAT forum contains hundreds of posts debating the merits of the various programs and whether a prep course is worth it or not.

By the way, I think AAMC's statistics are skewed by the huge number of people who take a prep course, do no work, and get crappy scores. I think this might bias the prep-course effectiveness downward. As the Examkrackers materials say, if you take a really good prep course with a great instructor, of course you will do better. There are some techniques that just work a whole lot better than others on the MCAT, and it is helpful to use them. Do you need to pay $1400 to learn those techniques? No. You get some good prep books that describe how to do well, and you follow those techniques.

 

[MollyMalone]

I must say that I think Kaplan did help me. The content review was solid, and I think I would have studied too broadly and wasted time if I had simply relied on my textbooks and the AAMC list of topics. I've always considered myself to be a good standardized test taker, and even so I think I improved my test-taking skills by using some of the techniques they teach(not all, I admit). I agree with many others that the practice exams were the most helpful part of the class. You can take all the AAMC exams for free plus the Kaplan practice tests. At my center, the required practice exams are administered in the same room as the MCAT is administered in... that alone was a nice touch. While not entirely representative of the actual exam, I actually appreciated that the Kaplan PS sections were a bit harder than the real thing... it made me work harder and I think I got a higher PS score than I would have if I had only taken the AAMC tests.

Is it worth the money? Obviously, I can't say for you, but I think it was for me. I know that if I hadn't taken it, I would have worried about what I was missing and if I would be able to compete with people who had taken it. I got a fair bit of peace of mind out of the class, along with an 8 point increase from my diagnostic score.

Disclaimer: I thought that the class was so worthwhile that I decided to apply to teach for them. I'm teaching my first class next week!

 

[LT2]

Disclaimer: I thought that the class was so worthwhile that I decided to apply to teach for them. I'm teaching my first class next week!

good luck darkside, i'm sure you'll do great! i'm about to head out for my teacher training right now...

 

[MollyMalone]

good luck darkside, i'm sure you'll do great! i'm about to head out for my teacher training right now...

Thanks, I'm gonna need it! I'm getting over a nasty cold and I'm hoping my voice will hold out for three hours. 😱

Have fun at teacher training!

 

[Lebesgue]

I would do it again. Sure the money itself won't buy you a good MCAT score, but access to all the test material is what you're paying for. Yes, it was hard work, but well worth it. They have a good feedback system, written assessments, and loads of questions. That's really the key to doing well is to do a lot of exams. It's the same for Step I of the USMLE, and I would recommend the QBank for that. I would guess that all but a few who take Step I go through Kaplan in addition to other sources. I don't know anyone in my class that didn't go through Kaplan for Step I. As a nontrad, I found Kaplan invaluable, since my schooling was spread out over 9 years.

It's up to you, but I had no problem forking out for my dreams. Worst case, you're out $1400 (probably won't break you in the long term, may sting a little up front...), best case you're in med school.

I have other posts on my study habits and approach that took me from diagnostic 15 to MCAT 31Q. Do a search, since I'm too tired to write a bunch - thanks to my OB/GYN exam coming up.

Best of luck. 🙂

hello all,

I have been reading these forums for some time now and finally decided to post a question that has been a difficult one for me to find the answer to. Any help would be appreciated on this one. Should I fork out the $1,400 for the Kaplan online course? Does it really help that much? My resources are very limited so this is a paramount desicion for me. I've heard such mixed statements about the kaplan courses. My brother-in-law took it and said it really helped. However, I hear things from other that make me think those who score well on the MCAT (above 30 is what I would consider well) are going to score well anyway without the help of Kaplan. Please, your advice on this issue is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[remo]

I teach for Kaplan, and what blee said is absolutely correct. You get out of a course what you put into it. Paying the $1400 in and of itself isn't going to buy you a good score. Conversely, studying hard on your own won't preclude you earning one. People can do well either way if they put in the time and effort needed to become proficient at the test-taking skills.

I've taken the MCAT twice. The first time, I scored 34, but I didn't take a course and I didn't study much beyond basic science review. The second time, I scored 43, and I used the Kaplan materials to prepare, including taking half a dozen practice tests. My case was unique, b/c I didn't have to pay for the course since I was an instructor. But I managed to improve 9 points by studying my butt off and by really learning/teaching the Kaplan techniques. So Kaplan CAN work, at least for some people. We've posted more about this issue in the General Questions thread in the MCAT study questions subforum. Feel free to take a look if you haven't already.

QofQuimica do you think your increase was due more to content review or better test taking strategies? I took Kaplan last summer but decided to postpone taking the MCAT until April. After a few full-length exams I decided that the whole "critical thinking" part was way overblown and that knowing the content was much more important. Also do you think the Kaplan books have all the content covered or are there areas that are lacking? They seem very well written to me.

 

[Bernito]

The class was very useful, and I would recommend it ONLY if you do have that free time outside of the class and you make good use of it.

But probably the practice exams are the biggest help. You do multiple "diagnostics" which are in a real testing environment, which is huge. MCAT requires endurance and these diags really help in that area.

I am pretty sure Princeton and Kaplan both have test only options, so that would be a less expensive, less time consuming alternative.

 

[QofQuimica]

QofQuimica do you think your increase was due more to content review or better test taking strategies? I took Kaplan last summer but decided to postpone taking the MCAT until April. After a few full-length exams I decided that the whole "critical thinking" part was way overblown and that knowing the content was much more important. Also do you think the Kaplan books have all the content covered or are there areas that are lacking? They seem very well written to me.

Strategies. I was already a reasonably good test-taker, but Kaplan taught me to be a better one. The MCAT isn't a science test. It's a critical thinking test that happens to be about science. I only used the Kaplan materials to review, and I found them to be thorough enough for preparing me on the content.

 

[WildcatMD]

I thought the strategy was the best part of the course

things like question strategies and timing strategies help a lot

 

[cosmo]

I disagree that the MCAT requires any more science knowledge than what is offered in the introductory courses. A general scientific background -- reasoning, logic, critical reading, etc. -- would probably make a difference, but not because of the extra knowledge.

My bio classes did not cover any physiology. At all. It was mostly ecology and Krebs/Photosynthesis. Granted, you could learn the physiology without a prep class, but Kaplan narrowed it down. No amount of reasoning would have helped if I didn't have the knowledge that they provided.

 

[blee]

My bio classes did not cover any physiology. At all. It was mostly ecology and Krebs/Photosynthesis. Granted, you could learn the physiology without a prep class, but Kaplan narrowed it down. No amount of reasoning would have helped if I didn't have the knowledge that they provided.

But a physiology course would offer far, far too much information than is actually required for the test. FWIW, my intro bio course did cover all of the information required for the MCAT. There were a couple of details that were not covered, but they were not outside the scope of an intro course and I filled them in with the EK book.

 

[Orthodoc40]

hello all,

I have been reading these forums for some time now and finally decided to post a question that has been a difficult one for me to find the answer to. Any help would be appreciated on this one. Should I fork out the $1,400 for the Kaplan online course? Does it really help that much? My resources are very limited so this is a paramount desicion for me. I've heard such mixed statements about the kaplan courses. My brother-in-law took it and said it really helped. However, I hear things from other that make me think those who score well on the MCAT (above 30 is what I would consider well) are going to score well anyway without the help of Kaplan. Please, your advice on this issue is greatly appreciated! Thanks

No, it does not help a lot of people. But I've heard it helps some. Try to find people in your area that have gone through the classes where you would be, and ask them things like did they have to re-take the test, how many times? The people around here that did Princeton Review never had to re-take the MCAT, but a large number at Kaplan did. Wish I'd known before paying. In the end, using ExamKrackers on my own was the best. If THEY had classes in your area, I'd recommend it totally. If you do take Kaplan, they pretty much ensure that your initial diagnostic score will STINK (be in the teens or low 20's) so that you are "guaranteed a higher score".

 

[DarkWingDuck]

I wasted $1300 when I took it. I honestly believe that taking that review hurt my score in the end b/c it left me with less time to study what I really needed to study. The review was broad, but it did not go in depth and certainly not enough to learn new material. At least nothing entirely new. All the driving to/from class, doing "homework" to prepare for the next class, coming in on the weekends for practice tests that aren't written anywhere near as well as the real thing. If you really feel like you cannot do it alone, or with a friend I reccommend you ask if you can sit in on a review class to see what it is like before you pay the money. I reccommend buying the AAMC practice tests, a review book or two, and studying on your own time where you choose to. I have taken only one Kaplan course so I can't discuss other reviews, or even other Kaplan classes. And, I'm sure that even in my class some students were happy with what they got for their $1300. Good luck.

 

[bootz]

I think it is more valuable to take a lot of practice tests and come up with your own strategy. I wasted a lot of money on a Princeton Review course when all I really needed was practice. Good luck.

 

[FizbanZymogen]

Thanks all for your input and advice. It is really appreciated. I have decided to study on my own as I am dedicated and studious. I don't think Kaplan can teach me anything I can't figure out for myself as far as content is concerned and the practice tests are already taken care of for me. Thanks again everyone, you all had an impact in my descion in one way or another.