Is Kaplan worth it?

[saveourpens]

I'm not only talking about money. Is it worth the time to sit in the lectures? If all they do is tell you what to study for then, imo it's not worth it.

I think the general consensus is that it's the its biggest benefit is that if forces you to keep to a schedule. Am I correct?

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[ksmi117]

It's worth it to some people. It's not to others. To me, a prep course was like the last thing I wanted. I wanted to learn myself not be lectured at. I wanted flexibility in my class schedule. And to be honest, I'm not a fan of being taught by people my age who aren't MCAT experts, which I find ironic, because I'm one of those people now.

The class setting is good for some for the reason you stated, it makes you stick to a schedule. Also some people just need more explanation and usually the instructors can offer enough explanation to make the material make sense. But if you are a self-learner and motivated enough to study without a class forcing you too, then no, IMO, it's not worth it.

 

[SN2ed]

It depends entirely on the teachers. A great teacher can be a valuable asset. Classes are also nice for the camaraderie with other students. Still, a class is never necessary for MCAT success. Additionally, a class doesn't force you to keep a schedule. It is up to the individual to stay on track.

 

[IADocWest]

Like the others said, it all depends on the person. If you are extremely motivated and can study on your own, in my opinion you might be better off just buying all of the study materials and not taking the class. I personally took the class, but I needed somthing to kick my butt and study. I took it spread out over the fall and spring semesters and it helped to squeeze in studying between all my other classes. My class was 3 hours every Sunday and it was really boring and hard for me to focus. I personally got more out of preparing for the class than actually attending the class. Kaplan does provide excellant resources though.

 

[sdsoccer]

I just recently took kaplan
It was useful for their materials and practice stuff you get and class was helpful for some basic content review

it just gave me structure and something to stick to so i wouldnt get off track

its helpful if you need some motivation or hard to find focus on your own

 

[libraryismyhome]

It wasn't worthy for me.

 

[Oncoloman]

If you learn more by interacting with a teacher then yesss. Any other , no. You'll just be buying into the whole Pre-Med Hype, which is foolish. Buy the Kaplan MCAT book for ~130 or EK's, the AAMC's and call it a day.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i have that weinberg text. it's sweet.

 

[samuraiR]

lectures are garbage, practice material is awesome though, there is just so much of it!

 

[saveourpens]

Thanks guys. After talking to a bunch of people, I've gone from for sure doing it and planning my summer around that to ultimately deciding against taking it.

You guys have pretty much confirmed what I've learned. I heard also that some foreigners stay in the Kaplan program eternally because they basically get to renew their visa for staying in the program. Is this true? I've never been one to learn in any lecture and most of it for me would just be a waste of time for me.

 

[DoctorDude]

Thanks guys. After talking to a bunch of people, I've gone from for sure doing it and planning my summer around that to ultimately deciding against taking it.

You guys have pretty much confirmed what I've learned. I heard also that some foreigners stay in the Kaplan program eternally because they basically get to renew their visa for staying in the program. Is this true? I've never been one to learn in any lecture and most of it for me would just be a waste of time for me.

Yeah, some foreigners do that to stay in the country. That can get really pricey really fast, but I guess it's worth it to them.

As for the Kaplan class, I took it. In retrospect, it's hard to say if it was worth it (especially since I still need to take the MCAT - 4/17/10). However, I will say that it did help me focus and I felt guilty when I didn't attend the classes/keep up with the homework and online work. That way I made sure to cover all the topics. I found that when I studied before enrolling in the class, I tended to shy away and avoid the difficult topics but with the class I was kind of forced to face the difficult topics head on (because of the homework being due and also for fear of being embarrassed when the Kaplan instructor called on me and I had no clue what he was talking about lol!!)

Ultimately, though, I'm sure you can do just as well w/out the class if you are focused - especially if you are studying during the summer. I'm studying during the semester so I kind of needed the whole class structure, otherwise I would've paid too much attention to school classes and not enough to the MCAT.

Good luck with your preparation.