Kaplan Online VS TPR Online MCAT Course

[I Will Be Known]

Hi guys I am taking my MCAT on June 17th. I wanted to take an online MCAT course. I am debating between Kaplan Online and TPR Live Online MCAT Courses. Has anyone taken these courses? Any advice/ suggestions/ reviews about these courses would be helpful. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[aspiring20]

Hi guys I am taking my MCAT on June 17th. I wanted to take an online MCAT course. I am debating between Kaplan Online and TPR Live Online MCAT Courses. Has anyone taken these courses? Any advice/ suggestions/ reviews about these courses would be helpful. Thanks.

bump

i am about to sign up for the TPR online course. can anybody tell me what the course comes with? at minimum i expect all the science/verbal hyperlearning workbooks and a load of full-lengths.

 

[osprey099]

Hi guys I am taking my MCAT on June 17th. I wanted to take an online MCAT course. I am debating between Kaplan Online and TPR Live Online MCAT Courses. Has anyone taken these courses? Any advice/ suggestions/ reviews about these courses would be helpful. Thanks.

General consensus on these boards is that Kaplan has better online materials (Section tests, topical tests, FLs) and TPR has better books (content review books, hyperlearning science & verbal workbooks)

 

[aspiring20]

General consensus on these boards is that Kaplan has better online materials (Section tests, topical tests, FLs) and TPR has better books (content review books, hyperlearning science & verbal workbooks)

do the hyperlearning books contain MCAT styled passages? if so, then i am good.

 

[Roxas]

do the hyperlearning books contain MCAT styled passages? if so, then i am good.

Yes. When you do any of their courses, it includes all their content review books (Bio, Orgo, Physics, Chem, and Verbal), as well as both the Science and Verbal Workbooks, and the In Class Compendium. The science workbook contains a good number of discretes and passages for all subjects (If you want to know the exact # just PM me). It also includes access to all aamcs FLs, and I believe 10 additional FL's from their company, as well as section/topical tests for diagnostic purposes, which can be used solely for extra practice if you wish.

 

[aspiring20]

Yes. When you do any of their courses, it includes all their content review books (Bio, Orgo, Physics, Chem, and Verbal), as well as both the Science and Verbal Workbooks, and the In Class Compendium. The science workbook contains a good number of discretes and passages for all subjects (If you want to know the exact # just PM me). It also includes access to all aamcs FLs, and I believe 10 additional FL's from their company, as well as section/topical tests for diagnostic purposes, which can be used solely for extra practice if you wish.

thanks so much for this info. would doing 100 percent everything from the course, in addition to all 4 ek 1001 books, nova physics, and a few other misc. materials be sufficient?

 

[osprey099]

thanks so much for this info. would doing 100 percent everything from the course, in addition to all 4 ek 1001 books, nova physics, and a few other misc. materials be sufficient?

It depends on what score you are trying to get. Dedicating yourself to any 3-4 month plan incorporating review books and practice passages + FL will get you a 30. But to do better than that, it is entirely up to your ability to recognize how the MCAT likes to ask questions and what they want you to understand and how well you can apply this to your practice passages/FLs.

 

[Roxas]

thanks so much for this info. would doing 100 percent everything from the course, in addition to all 4 ek 1001 books, nova physics, and a few other misc. materials be sufficient?

Sadly I can't give a definite answer for you. I'm just starting my TPR online course this week, so I don't really know where I sit or how I'll do either. I do believe that there is plenty of material provided by TPR, that if used correctly could help almost anyone do well.

Things that I like so far about TPR: Their books are very well written and provide the perfect amount of depth in a subject. TBR is said to be too dense/detailed, while EK is way too concise, so TPR seems to me to be the perfect balance. While I can't say this firsthand, its been said that TPRH Bio passages are the best preparation for the current MCAT. On the other hand I would not invest too much time with TPR's verbal strategy, since it seems very gimmicky and risky.

I hope this helps.

 

[Mehd School]

Yes. When you do any of their courses, it includes all their content review books (Bio, Orgo, Physics, Chem, and Verbal), as well as both the Science and Verbal Workbooks, and the In Class Compendium. The science workbook contains a good number of discretes and passages for all subjects (If you want to know the exact # just PM me). It also includes access to all aamcs FLs, and I believe 10 additional FL's from their company, as well as section/topical tests for diagnostic purposes, which can be used solely for extra practice if you wish.

Hey OGrady,

How many passages are there in the tpr science workbook? I inherited one from a friend that's sort of beat up, but the passages were untouched. I can't find a publisher year on it, and am wondering if its out of date. Thanks

 

[Roxas]

Hey OGrady,

How many passages are there in the tpr science workbook? I inherited one from a friend that's sort of beat up, but the passages were untouched. I can't find a publisher year on it, and am wondering if its out of date. Thanks

Physics: 425 discretes, 62 passages
Gen Chem: 92 discretes, 93 passages
Bio: 146 discretes, 87 passages
Orgo: 138 discretes, 45 passages

 

[aspiring20]

Physics: 425 discretes, 62 passages
Gen Chem: 92 discretes, 93 passages
Bio: 146 discretes, 87 passages
Orgo: 138 discretes, 45 passages

thanks o grady! this seems like a solid number of passages/questions without being overwhelming - i like it!

also, for the online course, will it be easy to access the online materials (full lengths and their new amplifire stuff) with a beat-up, 5 year old laptop?

 

[Back 5]

thanks o grady! this seems like a solid number of passages/questions without being overwhelming - i like it!

also, for the online course, will it be easy to access the online materials (full lengths and their new amplifire stuff) with a beat-up, 5 year old laptop?

I'm having a tough time accessing TPR online site on my MBP, but I think it's a Java/Adobe issue with Mac more than anything. I had no trouble accessing the online information with my Windows desktop.

 

[aspiring20]

I'm having a tough time accessing TPR online site on my MBP, but I think it's a Java/Adobe issue with Mac more than anything. I had no trouble accessing the online information with my Windows desktop.

thanks

 

[Chrys]

I am starting TPR online on Sunday.

It is a little challenging to access on a Mac - you have to install Java 7. Basically, you just need to download Java 7 and restart your computer and you should be fine. If you go into your "terminal" drive thingy it will still say you are using Java 6 but you will be on Java 7 and the PR stuff will work fine. It took a lot of finagling for me to figure that out but for the more computer savvy I'm sure it would go pretty quick!

 

[Frazier]

Kaplan has a surplus of online material. Although they are pretty pricey, iirc.

 

[Mehd School]

Physics: 425 discretes, 62 passages
Gen Chem: 92 discretes, 93 passages
Bio: 146 discretes, 87 passages
Orgo: 138 discretes, 45 passages

Thanks for that.

Mine must be a couple versions older. Bio has 83 passages and physics has 60. And I don't have any discretes. Oh well, it's not like the science has changed.

 

[aspiring20]

I am starting TPR online on Sunday.

It is a little challenging to access on a Mac - you have to install Java 7. Basically, you just need to download Java 7 and restart your computer and you should be fine. If you go into your "terminal" drive thingy it will still say you are using Java 6 but you will be on Java 7 and the PR stuff will work fine. It took a lot of finagling for me to figure that out but for the more computer savvy I'm sure it would go pretty quick!

on a PC, you dont need to download anything, right? i would hope that all you do is get a code/password so you can log into your online account and access the materials. also, what materials are online and what are in your workbooks? are all the valuable passages online only?

as you can tell, i am not very tech/computer savvy.

 

[Mehd School]

Op, I think angledrps (sp?) took both TPR and Kaplan courses. Try to pm him, as I doubt many people have a justifiable opinion on the matter.