Getting MCAT material!!!-- please help, I am beggin you on my kneez

[CurryPower]

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Guys, is it worth waiting for deals, ebay, half.com, whatever to buy mcat materials? I am taking it in about 8 months, but I need some help.

I am looking for:
1.) Kaplan- all of it-sectionals, topical exams, actual MCAT exams, plus giving me access to all the actual exams = about 20 exams.
2.) Princeton Review- Verbal Workbook, Science Workbook, + actual MCAT exams
3.) Berkeley Review- all the books + Practice Exams

Whats the cheapest way for me to get these items? For Kaplan, i assume ill have to dish out $1500 for the online course- damn- just for the materials. Not sure what to do about Princeton Review. Berkeley review is another $300. I am REALLY going broke, crap! Any other way than buying retail?

Thanks guys.

 

[Mandarin142]

I have all of the following materials:

Kaplan ($2000) Course Material
AAMC Real Practice MCAT's
Examkrackers Subject Books
Examkrackers 1001 Question Books
TPR Verbal, Science, Workout, Practice MCAT's
Berkeley Review 1st Edition Books

I'm going to be taking the MCAT in July and so far have ONLY found the following stuff useful:

- Examkrackers Study Books
- Examkrackers 1001 Question Books
- AAMC Practice Tests
- KAPLAN/TPR Practice Tests (last resort)

My friend took the Kaplan course which included all the AAMC real practice MCATs for ~ $2000 and scored a 24N on the real test. My experience with the Kaplan books has been pretty disappointing-- I really don't see why you would use them INSTEAD of Examkrackers. They aren't as well organized and don't contain the same depth of information as Examkrackers-- thats just my opinion-- but I've let them collect dust over the last several months. As far as practice MCAT's, I would slowly burn through all the real ones before you start seeking Kaplan/Priceton review ones. I have taken each section of each AAMC practice MCAT at least 3 times (I don't view the answer key after taking the test)t and I plan to view the key my next time around and work through all the ones I got wrong. . .

In summary, You could waste a lot of time and money with too much MCAT study gear at your side. Just pick one set and stick with it. Thats the best advice I have.

 

[ferreed]

When I bought my EK materials (study book set and Audio Osmosis) the cheapest place to buy was Amazon. In fact, it was only about $10 more to buy a new AO set on Amazon vs. a used set on eBay.

I haven't checked prices on the other materials you're asking about, but it wouldn't hurt to check Amazon and compare prices.

 

[CurryPower]

Well I was more interested in the simple purchasing of these items...I was wondering what YOU GUYS- all those gunners on SDN did to buy them- did u basically take the hit financially and buy them all?

 

[Mandarin142]

what I'm suggesting is that you DON'T take any financial hit and learn from my mistake perhaps... don't buy all that! Its too much and you'll never be effective going from one text/course to the next.

Go with the Examkrackers set and buy real AAMC practice tests. If you're left wanting more after making your way through all of that then spend some more money. But your only talking $300-400 for what I just mentioned...

 

[stylinMD]

I agree with Mandarin, EK is the best way. Kaplan is a bunch of crap in my opinion. TPR has good review books for the material, but I have the old school set from 2006, which are really good I think. But, a lot of my friends who have the EK review books said they like them a lot because of the color pictures and stuff and the conciseness. Make sure you for sure buy the EK Bio and Verbal 1001 books, very good.

 

[VandyDerm]

yeah but im gunning for a 38

 

[tncekm]

I agree with Mandarin, EK is the best way. Kaplan is a bunch of crap in my opinion. TPR has good review books for the material, but I have the old school set from 2006, which are really good I think. But, a lot of my friends who have the EK review books said they like them a lot because of the color pictures and stuff and the conciseness. Make sure you for sure buy the EK Bio and Verbal 1001 books, very good.

I can't speak for their course books, but I think their topicals/sectionals/etc are all VERY good material to learn from. They really make you think about the concepts and how they tie in with the equations; in addition, if you can get 70-80% on those things that's like 12+ range on an AAMC, easy. Just don't let them get you down. I was starting to doubt my abilities after doing a few topicals b/c they were taking way too long, and I wasn't getting a great enough percentage correct to get >=10, but when I took an AAMC it was such a relief!

I think if the OP could get a hold of the EK stuff for all the sciences (DO NOT waste too much time "reading" about ochem/gchem/physics... practice, practice, practice. Anything else is a waste of time unless its necessary to learn something you don't already have experience with!), and maybe try to find the bio by TPR if the OP is weak on bio to begin with, plus get his/her hands on lots of Kaplan topicals/sectionals/etc, EK Bio 1001 (not MCAT-like, but good brushup), EK VR 101, all the AAMC tests, and maybe the Kaplan PDF's to use for more difficult practice in the PS section, then he/she'd be in agreat shape come MCAT time. Just take your time and don't even skip a question you "don't know how to solve". IF you don't know it, figure it out!

 

[engineeredout]

Slightly on/off topic, when are they going to release the new 101 VR?? Although I like EK, they really screw you out of VR practice material in that complete study package. I've gone through it all already, and now I'm just waiting for the 101 book to be released (so I can fork over even more money to EK).

 

[Excelsius]

Slightly on/off topic, when are they going to release the new 101 VR?? Although I like EK, they really screw you out of VR practice material in that complete study package. I've gone through it all already, and now I'm just waiting for the 101 book to be released (so I can fork over even more money to EK).

They said it will be available in June, but you may be able to pre-order it: https://www.examkrackers.com/store/...34&PHPSESSID=1b198b2b0bb266ff87953ca89c2a156d

I am going to wait to get it cheaper from amazon.

I also asked them about the 1001 general update. They said that at this time they don't have an estimated release date for that, meaning that for the rest of their materials the CBT update won't be coming anytime soon. This probably doesn't matter since the material on MCAT hasn't changed (except the format and orgo). I think all EK books go all the way back to 2002. This is true for many other MCAT review books. They change the cover and hike the prices.

 

[DaTruMD]

not to be rude, but there is a search function. this question gets asked like every three days. In short, EK series are stripped down with the basics you need to know. Get EK bio, it is by far the best for bio, all the responses on SDN say this. Know this book cold. If you don't believe me, type in EK bio in the search function. Personally, you learn the best from passages, If you have time and the cash I highly suggest purchasing Berkeley Review Gen Chem and Ochem. There physics is good too, but with PR it may be redundant. YOu will thank me later. YOu'll probably want EK biology review and EK 101 biology passages and EK verbal 101. PR is good, however, if you want to kill the MCAT you have to be able to integrate material. That's what BR does better than anyone else. Like, be able to answer questions if you see the circulatory system wired in parallel series.

bio - 1. EK bio and 101 bio passages 2. Kaplan 3. PR/BR however, these don't suck, they're just detailed which turns off many people.

Physics 1. BR/Nova 2. PR 3. Kaplan I really think BR but they're are a lot of people who swear by nova on this site

Verbal 1. Ek verbal and 101 passages 2. PR 3. BR 4. Kaplan (read stay from)

GEn Chem 1. BR by far 2. PR 3. Kaplan/EK

O Chem 1. BR by far 2. toss up between Kaplan/PR/Ek

That is a general list of what i have read on SDN for the past 4 years, i came here and lurked throughout highschool. Good luck and hopefully this will help. EK is for people who KNOW the material and want review. If you are weak in something BR is the best since it's the most detailed and PR is detailed too, Kaplan is in the Middle, and EK is the least detailed but that doesn't mean it's bad. Just depends on the person. If you can I would buy the BR Chemistry books and Physics book. If you complete the PR science workbook along with BR passages and EK bio, you will kill the sciences. Ek Verbal should help you out with verbal. I would read your PR books and just do the passages from BR, no need to read them as PR is already descriptive enough. For BR, here is their site http://www.berkeleyreview.com/

I think this should help...

Oh BTW, because of Boondocks recommendation, I might actually buy some BR books 'cause I have seen some nifty tricks from them posted on SDN.

 

[engineeredout]

I also asked them about the 1001 general update. They said that at this time they don't have an estimated release date for that, meaning that for the rest of their materials the CBT update won't be coming anytime soon. This probably doesn't matter since the material on MCAT hasn't changed (except the format and orgo). I think all EK books go all the way back to 2002. This is true for many other MCAT review books. They change the cover and hike the prices.

Mind explaining this? Orgo has changed significantly from what the EK books show?

 

[Marcus Brody]

I called EK about the new 101 VR passages. They said it should be out mid June (originally they said may 30), the timing was more geared for the CBT and all of the passages are new. 😎

 

[prettyslick]

I called EK about the new 101 VR passages. They said it should be out mid June (originally they said may 30), the timing was more geared for the CBT and all of the passages are new. 😎

Did they actually say that all the passages are NEW?

 

[engineeredout]

All new passages? Damn, sounds like picking up a used copy of the previous version may be in order. I wouldn't mind 202 verbal passages to make use of.

 

[JA Prufrock]

Did they actually say that all the passages are NEW?

When I emailed them a few weeks ago they just told me they were the same passages in the new format.

 

[Excelsius]

Mind explaining this? Orgo has changed significantly from what the EK books show?

This will best answer your question: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=530216.

You can also check AAMC website for a list of topics covered in orgo.