MCAT Guidance Needed for Biology Section

[McatGuy22]

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Hello everyone,
This is my first posting. My friend had introuded me to this site and so far, I think it's great! For all those people that had been succesful or are successfullys studying for the MCAT, I needed advice on preparing for teh biology section of the MCAT (Only Bio, Not Organic Chem).

TO give a little background, I took most of these pre-req science classes 4 years ago. I'm pretty familiar with other concepts, but the Biology sections...I've forgotten completely since I received grades of B's when I took Biology I and II, cell bio, genetics, human physio 4 years ago. A lot of people have said on this site taht Kaplan Biology Textbook with EK Bio is sufficient for Bio section of the MCAT . How sufficient is this combo? I have done tons of searches on this but I guess I need more opinions/advice?

I was tempted to read the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Biology book but there are so many details that I am wondering how effective this would be. I am planning to take my MCAT late may of this year and wondering the best way to prep for this section?

Thanks everyone

 

[Forkit]

Hello everyone,
This is my first posting. My friend had introuded me to this site and so far, I think it's great! For all those people that had been succesful or are successfullys studying for the MCAT, I needed advice on preparing for teh biology section of the MCAT (Only Bio, Not Organic Chem).

TO give a little background, I took most of these pre-req science classes 4 years ago. I'm pretty familiar with other concepts, but the Biology sections...I've forgotten completely since I received grades of B's when I took Biology I and II, cell bio, genetics, human physio 4 years ago. A lot of people have said on this site taht Kaplan Biology Textbook with EK Bio is sufficient for Bio section of the MCAT . How sufficient is this combo? I have done tons of searches on this but I guess I need more opinions/advice?

I was tempted to read the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Biology book but there are so many details that I am wondering how effective this would be. I am planning to take my MCAT late may of this year and wondering the best way to prep for this section?

Thanks everyone

First of all, I need to THANK you for actually using the search function. In my opinion, the Kaplan book along with the EK 1001 Biology book are sufficient.

 

[SN2ed]

I'm going to respond here instead of a PM just in case anyone else might want to see my answer as well.


For Bio, there are two extreme ends with one company in the middle. On one extreme, you have EK Bio which is a concise look at BS. Rather than go into unnecessary depth, EK only gives the big picture and goes over what is on the MCAT. The other side is populated by BR and TPR. These two companies focus on the details and give an unneeded amount of depth for the MCAT. However, the detail is unneeded strictly in the sense that the MCAT probably will not test into the same amount of depth as you will be reading. Kaplan is in the middle. It doesn't go into a really detailed approach nor does it merely go over exactly what's on the test.

Some people prefer the depth given by BR and TPR because it helps them learn. They require that amount of depth in order to understand the material. If they only skimmed the surface using EK, they wouldn't fully grasp the content.

Now going over your post, it appears that EK, with it's big picture style, is better for you. Don't think that because it is more concise, you won't get enough knowledge for the MCAT. You will. The only thing I don't think it covers is fetal respiration. You can easily find this topic online or in another test prep book. I know Kaplan has a small section on it.

I'm guessing you have access to EK, Kaplan, and TPR. Here's what I advise. Use EK as your primary BS book. It fits your style which translates to easier studying for you. If you went with a book that wasn't in your style, it would probably take you longer to understand everything. Then, should you need further information on a particular topic, use TPR or Kaplan. For instance, you may want to cover your weak areas using both books. That could help you have your lightblub moment with that topic.

 

[JazzOne]

Hello everyone,
This is my first posting. My friend had introuded me to this site and so far, I think it's great! For all those people that had been succesful or are successfullys studying for the MCAT, I needed advice on preparing for teh biology section of the MCAT (Only Bio, Not Organic Chem).

TO give a little background, I took most of these pre-req science classes 4 years ago. I'm pretty familiar with other concepts, but the Biology sections...I've forgotten completely since I received grades of B's when I took Biology I and II, cell bio, genetics, human physio 4 years ago. A lot of people have said on this site taht Kaplan Biology Textbook with EK Bio is sufficient for Bio section of the MCAT . How sufficient is this combo? I have done tons of searches on this but I guess I need more opinions/advice?

I was tempted to read the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Biology book but there are so many details that I am wondering how effective this would be. I am planning to take my MCAT late may of this year and wondering the best way to prep for this section?

Thanks everyone

I'm a law student, so I thought your question was funny. "How sufficient is this combo?" There are no degrees of sufficiency. It's a binary condition: sufficient or insufficient. Anyway, I'm not trying to bust your chops. I just thought it was funny.

Now on to your question: I teach for Princeton Review. I have no experience with the other two texts, but I have quite a bit of knowledge of the TPR Hyperlearning Bio book. In my opinion, TPR's Hyperlearning Bio book goes way too far into the details. This overwhelms many students, and some try to memorize the details before attaining a firm conceptual grasp of the main subjects. That's a recipe for disaster. Mastering the general concepts is paramount.

I usually advise my students to focus on the diagrams and tables without getting hung up on the text. I also think the post above mine gives good advice: Use the more general book for your initial studying; then turn to the more detailed books to fill in the gaps.