Kaplan Course

[RHONDAROBINSON]

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Hello All,

I took a Kaplan practice test today and scored an 11 on the test after having studied on my own getting back familiar with the basic in the sciences. I am terribly ashamed of this score. In speaking with the Kaplan people, they assure me that I can improve my score tremendously if I took their course. What do you all think? Is that possible? My test is April 24,2009. I am thinking of changing it to take Kaplan. Does Kaplan have great techniques to improve my score? Is it worth the $1400.00?


Rhonda

 

[redchesus]

I think the general consensus of the board is that the course is not worth it and that you should spend that money on review materials (which can actually add up to quite a bit)

what review materials have you been using?

 

[RHONDAROBINSON]

What about the techniques for PAT? Aren't they worth it?

Rhonda

 

[joonkimdds]

what I heard is that their first test is very hard and their final is ridiculously easy. They did it to make you think your score improved after taking the course.

 

[peanutb123]

I think the general consensus of the board is that the course is not worth it and that you should spend that money on review materials (which can actually add up to quite a bit)

what review materials have you been using?

NO NO & NO when you have not taken kaplan DONT BS about it. Just because some smart 898 people have the discipline and the smartness to study that does not mean we are all like them.

What about the techniques for PAT? Aren't they worth it?

Rhonda

No kaplan is very good. It will help you. Except for biology make you use other sources like cliffs notes & schaums since this topic is very broad. U can ask the guy who got perfect score UCLAdds101 i believe... his scores are still floating around and he will beg to differ with all the people who say kaplan is no good.

And ronda, if you find a coupon for kaplan 200 dollars call them up and get that refunded... they usually appear in your email or school news paper. Of even if you dont have just say that it was published in your school news paper and call the local kaplan center. They will refund 200$👍 be persistent lol

 

[peanutb123]

what I heard is that their first test is very hard and their final is ridiculously easy. They did it to make you think your score improved after taking the course.

No they dont make you think you improved your scores. You actually improve your scores... due to their large amount of practice materials. and the amount of hard work they drag out of you.

Personally i love kaplan but hate their price$$$... 👎

and dont worry about the diagnostic and first test. just make sure you put in the effort by doing all the work they assign and even the recommended stuff. you need to put effort in order to get the results.

 

[UndergradGuy7]

I took the Kaplan free practice exam at school a couple of weeks ago. They did the sciences but reduced the PAT and QR to half the questions to save on time. I scored a 16-17 AA/TS I think. I didn't really study for anything except general chemistry a little. I guessed a lot on the exam, especially the Biology section. Think of it as a report of what you need to work on, not how you will actually score on the real exam. Consider it a good thing that you did not score amazingly high, as now you are scared and will study way more. Right?

It is OK if you did terribly bad, most people that take that exam do terrible because they have not studied anything. That is the point, you do bad and will feel bad and will want to buy the Kaplan class.

I have not taken the class and do not plan to, but the class helps if you need someone to explain things for you and if you need a study schedule. If you can buy a book and study yourself, then you do not need the class.

 

[jay47]

what I heard is that their first test is very hard and their final is ridiculously easy. They did it to make you think your score improved after taking the course.

Have you actually taken the practice test? Have you taken the final? I had 5 students this last summer take the test and all score within exactly one point on the Final of what their actual test score was.

The first test is not very hard, in fact, I think it is easier, but no one studies for it. What would your score have been if you had taken the exam cold turkey?

 

[RSD2014]

Hello All,

I took a Kaplan practice test today and scored an 11 on the test after having studied on my own getting back familiar with the basic in the sciences. I am terribly ashamed of this score. In speaking with the Kaplan people, they assure me that I can improve my score tremendously if I took their course. What do you all think? Is that possible? My test is April 24,2009. I am thinking of changing it to take Kaplan. Does Kaplan have great techniques to improve my score? Is it worth the $1400.00?


Rhonda

I have taken the Kaplan Course.
Kaplan in class lectures = Useless.
Practice tests, online practice = alright.
Save that $1400 and buy DAT Destroyer + Kaplan Blue book, Cliff notes and if you don't have it....Campbell Biology textbook are available in the public library.

The only thing I thought was good was their Review book, which you can buy in a regular book store. Kaplan Blue book.

If you are having problem with the science, it's going to be difficult to study and learn the material on your own, especially Ochem. If there is no one to ask, you'll have to research many textbooks...that's what I did.
Took me awhile to learn it on my own but I did it.

If you do decide to take Kaplan, ask your classmates to study with you. At least you'll have someone to ask questions. or you could use SDN.

Don't be discouraged. Everyone has a hardtime in the beginning, to various degree. NEVER GIVE UP!

 

[joonkimdds]

Have you actually taken the practice test? Have you taken the final? I had 5 students this last summer take the test and all score within exactly one point on the Final of what their actual test score was.

The first test is not very hard, in fact, I think it is easier, but no one studies for it. What would your score have been if you had taken the exam cold turkey?

I never took Kaplan course. That's why I said I "heard".

 

[New2Philly]

I HEARD from friends who took the course that the experience can be different. Some of them had great lecturers who gave them great advice on how to get better scores on the PAT, RC, and QR. I have also had friends that have had duds for lecturers who didn't really help. The one thing that they agreed on was the importance of the study material they give you; such as the practice tests. If your test is in April, and you scored an 11, you might want to push it back some if you have other stuff (like college) to worry about right now.

I know that this sounds like a loaded statement, but don't take the test is your not ready (not scoring in the 20ies on the practice tests), and you will be able to be rested and sane the day of the test.

 

[dentalWorks]

First of all ~ you got an 11 on the AA from practice test? I am sorry but I am having a hard time with this. The only way for someone to get an 11 is if they are straight out of highschool and never took any pre-dents. I am not trying to put you down, but I think you've made an error with your score conversions. You can end up with a socre like 11 by just guessing all the questions (without reading them)

Second of all ~ if you REALLY did get an 11, don't worry too much about it, practice tests have NOTHING to do with how you'll perform on your actual DAT. The first (and only) practice DAT I took, I think if i remember correctly I had an AA of 16 or 17 or something that ****ty.... I stopped taking practice tests cause they were really discouraging. I ended up with 21 AA on the real deal.

Third ~ If you are a disciplined student save your $1400 bux, and do self study. The best material for self study are the following:
* Kaplan blue book, excellent as an introductory crash course into Orgo, general chem, & biology. Don't even look at the PAT here, its tooooo easy compared to the real PAT
* DAT destroyer
* Cliffs AP biology
* Crack DAT PAT (10 test version)... this is a must if you wanna get 19+ on the PAT
* my personal favorit is MATH Destroyer, its a book with 10 practice QR tests, each with 40 problems, so total 400. If you master those 400 problems, your gonna get a good score on the QR
* Your biology text book (only use as a referense guide when you read something in Cliffs or Kaplan that you don't underestand)
* Hard work

Good luck

 

[jay47]

First of all ~ you got an 11 on the AA from practice test? I am sorry but I am having a hard time with this. The only way for someone to get an 11 is if they are straight out of highschool and never took any pre-dents. I am not trying to put you down, but I think you've made an error with your score conversions. You can end up with a socre like 11 by just guessing all the questions (without reading them)

Second of all ~ if you REALLY did get an 11, don't worry too much about it, practice tests have NOTHING to do with how you'll perform on your actual DAT. The first (and only) practice DAT I took, I think if i remember correctly I had an AA of 16 or 17 or something that ****ty.... I stopped taking practice tests cause they were really discouraging. I ended up with 21 AA on the real deal.

Third ~ If you are a disciplined student save your $1400 bux, and do self study. The best material for self study are the following:
* Kaplan blue book, excellent as an introductory crash course into Orgo, general chem, & biology. Don't even look at the PAT here, its tooooo easy compared to the real PAT
* DAT destroyer
* Cliffs AP biology
* Crack DAT PAT (10 test version)... this is a must if you wanna get 19+ on the PAT
* my personal favorit is MATH Destroyer, its a book with 10 practice QR tests, each with 40 problems, so total 400. If you master those 400 problems, your gonna get a good score on the QR
* Your biology text book (only use as a referense guide when you read something in Cliffs or Kaplan that you don't underestand)
* Hard work

Good luck

You are absolutely correct about these all being great sources for the test. I think they are great if you want to get a high score, BUT, when you are starting out trying to master the basics, I think it is very necessary to go "back to the basics" which would include taking a course OR reading books, no two ways around it. All of the sources you listed (minus Cliffs and KBB) give you ways to test yourself, and are great resources, but they really don't teach you much except through trial by fire, which really isn't a bad route, but trying to put concepts together and make sense of broad concepts is very difficult to do just by doing practice questions. The original poster may be having trouble with the basics, and it would be my opinion that putting the basics together would be their best option, however they choose to do it.
I think you would agree since you obviously used these sources.