KAPLAN COURSE vs KAPLAN RESOURCES???

[MDixon2429]

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So I've been reading that many of you believe the Kaplan practice tests aren't good...what about the Course itself?? Are the teachers helpful? Resources overall?

I actually took the course in 2003, but I don't remember it too well...I ended up getting the following DAT scores then: AA 18, TS 18, and PA 17. I got wait-listed at UF and eventually did not get accepted.

I am enrolled in the Kaplan course again to refresh my memory on the concepts. It doesn't start until June 30. Should I cancel it and just focus on other resources like Destroyer and TopScore? I think I have time to get my money back...

 

[BizzyV]

Course is not worth it. Practice tests/materials are, except for PAT.

 

[SherrifMcLawdog]

Yea I agree with BizzyV. I just finished the Kaplan DAT online course on May 22 and took the DAT on June 1st (PAT: 24, TS:24, AA: 23). My background is similar to yours in that I've been out of school for a while and was quite unfamiliar with much of the science. The Kaplan course is a huge waste of time. The class sessions go over material that is absurdly simple and completely unnecessary assuming you read the related course material for that week. The course books were helpful, although very much incomplete. Some systems, such as excretory and nervous, were glossed over so quickly and with little detail. The practice tests were useful to an extent. They really helped with time management. However, the format of the questions in the actual DAT was at times much different than what Kaplan used. In general I'd say that the real test questions were much more difficult than Kaplans test questions... About half-way through the course I bought Destroyer and looking back, I'm really glad I did. The questions were more like the real thing and surprisingly had less errors than Kaplan (I found a ton of errors in Kaplan's online material). I don't know about other prep programs, but I would DEFINITELY get Destroyer.

Overall I'd say the Kaplan book is useful to get started and then use everything else to hone in to detail. Some of the additional online content included with the Kaplan course was useful, but some of it was very repetitious. Also, you do get access to help from the course instructors (which I did not use). Then again, sometimes I felt that they only knew what Kaplan told them... Sorry this is long and drawn out, but it's a lot of money and an important decision to make. Hope this helps!

 

[MDixon2429]

Yea I agree with BizzyV. I just finished the Kaplan DAT online course on May 22 and took the DAT on June 1st (PAT: 24, TS:24, AA: 23). My background is similar to yours in that I've been out of school for a while and was quite unfamiliar with much of the science. The Kaplan course is a huge waste of time. The class sessions go over material that is absurdly simple and completely unnecessary assuming you read the related course material for that week. The course books were helpful, although very much incomplete. Some systems, such as excretory and nervous, were glossed over so quickly and with little detail. The practice tests were useful to an extent. They really helped with time management. However, the format of the questions in the actual DAT was at times much different than what Kaplan used. In general I'd say that the real test questions were much more difficult than Kaplans test questions... About half-way through the course I bought Destroyer and looking back, I'm really glad I did. The questions were more like the real thing and surprisingly had less errors than Kaplan (I found a ton of errors in Kaplan's online material). I don't know about other prep programs, but I would DEFINITELY get Destroyer.

Overall I'd say the Kaplan book is useful to get started and then use everything else to hone in to detail. Some of the additional online content included with the Kaplan course was useful, but some of it was very repetitious. Also, you do get access to help from the course instructors (which I did not use). Then again, sometimes I felt that they only knew what Kaplan told them... Sorry this is long and drawn out, but it's a lot of money and an important decision to make. Hope this helps!

Not long and drawn out at all! Thank you for the insight. It IS a big decision. I need all the help I can get. I don't want to waste the money either. But I must say, knowing the course is knocking at my door (late June) it really forces me to "want" to study. I think now that I am on a consistent studying streak, I'll stay on it...so basically, getting Destroyer and whatever other resources are enough? Studying without an instructor, and just on your own, you think you felt ok taking the test?