Is Kaplan Classroom Course worth it???

[eavivona]

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I'm debating whether or not I want to take a Kaplan Classroom course. I have the Kaplan Comprehensive Review book 2004 Ed. and all my old college textbooks, (I've been out of college since 2001). If I were living in the states, it'd be no problem to just fork over $1450 for the course. However, living in Peru complicates things... I'd have to quit my job, travel up there... etc... you get the picture. So basically, I want to hear from everyone who's taken the course. Do you think it's worth it??? 😕

Also, has anyone taken the course at the Davie, FL site???? How is it?

 

[MeowMix]

it is extremely dependent on the instructor. Find out who is teaching, their credentials, and if possible talk to former students. The company will feed you some line like all their instructors go through rigorous training and have scored blah blah blah on the MCAT. That doesn't tell you anything about how good they are as teachers, and some of them have never taken the MCAT (they got a good score on a practice test instead).

Also, be sure that you are clear on the requirements for the "money back guarantee" if that is attractive to you.

 

[acl3623]

i took kaplan last summer. i thought it was worth it for all the practice materials they have ie. full-lengths, topical tests, subject tests, etc. The actual instruction of the course leaves a lot to be desired. Not many of the teachers you get will be very good at teaching, they may have aced the mcat but they can't really teach you how to do it. my physics teacher was a piece...if you don't have the self dicipline to sit down 3 hours a night for a couple of months and do the aamc full lengths on saturdays under timed conditions, then take the course. you have a lot to sacrifice, but you'll regret it even more if you study half ass the first time and then having to re-take the monster a few months later.
another thing to consider is how strong your basic science knowledge is...how hard did you have to try in bio, physics, orgo, and gen chem? if you pick it up easily, then getting some books to brush up your knowledge is all you need and then some practice tests.
just remember that even if you do take kaplan, you will have to put in a LOT of time of studying on your own to be able to reap all the benefits. you're in a tough position though...hope this helped!

 

[themadchemist]

Structure...Structure, structure, structure...That's why it's worth it to take the class itself.

 

[willthatsall]

If you are taking it, don't take it for the teacher. Even if you have a great teacher, you will only be covering about 30 % of the material in class so you need to do most of the studying on your own. Make sure it's for the materials and you aren't expecting them to go over all the material with you.

 

[palminator2003]

I just took the Kaplan course for the August MCAT. The instructors really aren't that great. However, here is what I would do if I had to do it over again. Instead of attending class, use the ONLINE instructors instead. That is, use the Real Audio stream that's hidden in your suggested assignments online. The lectures there are soooo much better, it's ridiculous. There are still a few minor errors, but the smoothness and quality of lecture is great. Plus, you can always rewind if you missed something 😀 If you need more review, do the Foundation review tapes while taking notes (rewind when necessary). Then, complete as much of the library as possible. Topicals are very good reinforcement of your reading assignments. Subject tests are less useful except to measure your overall knowlege. The AAMC practice items are garbage (except mabye verbal) and so are the strategic supplementals. Take additional Kaplan Full lengths if you can. I took one basically whenever they administered a full length whether it was my class' turn or not. I just showed up on the appropriate days. Don't worry about the curving on the later Kaplan full lengths. Only the really hard workers take them and thus it is skewed heavily. Then, do the AAMC full lengths last. You'll be amazed at how easy they are. IIRC test II and maybe test III are crap, so use them only for a confidence boost. The real thing is closer to AAMC V-VII. Before I babble too much, remember that if you complete as much of the Kaplan library as humanly possible, your score WILL be good 😎

PS You might not have to travel up to the states if you have good internet access in peru. Everything except the AAMC items and I believe the Full Lengths (not 100% sure) are online. Oh, and the Foundation review tapes aren't online, only the companion booklet.

 

[Senor.Frog]

If you have to quit your job and move back to the states to take the stinkin Kaplan course forget it! It is TOTALLY not worth all the effort. Just be diligent in your studies and try to get your hands on as much practice material you can get (eg. Princeton Review Tests, AMCAS tests, Kaplan tests, etc.)

For PS, just do questions, over and over and over and over again.

For BS, read passages, over and over and over and over again.

For VR, just read passages AND some publications (eg, The New Yorker, The Economist, etc...)

Also, practice the actual test and get your timing down. Timing is THE most critical component of the MCAT. Shoot, if everyone had all day the average would probably jump a few points.

 

[Sparky Man]

I just took Kaplan's course for the August Test. I quit going to the classes after two sessions, but I did stay with their schedule. The numerous materials, especially practice tests and individual subject tests, make it worthwhile. Can you take the online version?

 

[Smyle4Jenn]

I just took Kaplan's course for the August Test. I quit going to the classes after two sessions, but I did stay with their schedule. The numerous materials, especially practice tests and individual subject tests, make it worthwhile. Can you take the online version?

The online version is $1249 and you have access to all of Kaplan's materials.

 

[muncher]

I took Kaplan because my friend was able to get me a 500 dollar discount. I went to the first three classes and decided that it wasn't for me. There was just not enough personal attention, leaving me to feel that I was wasting a lot of time going over stuff I knew already. I stopped going to class and studied out of their textbooks, and when time came, went to their practice tests. I found that their post-practice-exam evaluations were pretty helpful in helping me focus on my weaknesses. Overall, Ithink if you can afford it, it's a good resource to have.

 

[MechE]

If you want good teachers, look into the Princeton Review.

 

[annieb]

I have heard so many negative comments about Kaplan I decided my best option is to study on my own, and supplement my textbooks with either Kaplan or EK study guides. The upside of Kaplan from what I can see is that hey have tons of test to get you ready for the test. They are harder than the actual thing, but imo it'll force you to study even harder.

 

[LukeWhite]

eavi,

I used to teach for them and currently write for them, so of course take me with as many grains of salt as you like. It does sound as if the online option would be good for you if you'd be moving just for the course alone...the materals really are great.

As for the Davie center: I actually used to teach there, as well as in many of the other south Florida centers. When I was teaching there, at least some of Davie's teaching was awesome. Of course, now that I'm not there, who knows!

But the Miami center has a *fantastic* international program (tons of South Americans) and depending on your situation, they might be able to make the transition easier for you. They're one of the handful of Kaplan centers that are truly international.

If you've got specific questions, feel free to PM me--I'd be happy to provide any answers I can.