MCAT Materials

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sng33

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For those of you who prepared using the Kaplan course or studied on thier own, I was curios what you feel was the best kaplan materials or other. I may have to retake the exam, nad first time around I basically just used princeton review material and tests but I was curios what Kaplan material (course or public) or any other non-princeton review material was best. I plan on obviosly getting the AAMC practice tests again (since I can't really fully erase all the marks I made in then last year), as well as, Kaplans Comprehensive review. Aside from that I am not sure what other Kaplan materials or other materials are really worth getting. I was thinking about trying to get the Kaplan diagnostic tests, but I am not really sure where to get them? Any thoughts? :confused:

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You could look on ebay or even place a want ad here on SDN for the Kaplan diagnostic tests. I used the Kaplan Comprehensive Review book, and to be perfectly honest, I don't think that book alone is sufficient in preparing for the MCAT. I felt like they just "glossed" over the basics...I'd recommend you supplement that w/ something else. I know you asked for non-PR material, but I highly recommend their Science Review...I felt my time was much better spent studying that than the Kaplan book.

Good luck! :)
 
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Aphrodite, so you used the Kaplan comprehensive review, Princeton review science review book, and the kaplan diagnostics? Was that all you used, did you use any other workbooks or practice exams?
What about for verbal?
 
I used a plethora of other books. :D I wasted some money buying Barron's and I think Peterson's (???)...don't make the same mistake. They're useful for paper shredding. Also, see if anyone has any PR diagnostics for sale somewhere...of the exams out there, PR, AAMC IV,V, and VI(I think I read somewhere that it's out now) and Kaplan are going to be your best bet. Princeton Review's "Flowers and Silver Practice MCATs" is good for practice (I think it has two tests.). PR also has a book of Practice Tests A-D that's great for practice if you have time. It's hard to find Kaplan practice materials b/c they keep all their materials in their "libraries." I believe Kaplan has an MCAT workbook w/ some half-length stuff...I'm not sure. I know that some SDNers like Berkeley Review, and I'm pretty sure you can order review/practice stuff from them.

Hope this helped... :)
 
I used the Kaplan Comprehensive Review book...a used one I bought on e-bay for about $10 (which I then compared with a brand new $65 one and it was exactly the same minus the CD-ROM). I also felt that the Kaplan book glossed over a few topics (especially in chemistry) so then I just pulled out my trusty text books, went to the library and got text books, or used the hundreds of chemistry/physics tutorial websites to help me really learn the topics I felt inadequate in (in my case electro-chemistry, oxidation/reduction reactions, some of the aromatic stuff, and other areas). If you are into pinching pennies, most of the information you need can be found for free without spending lots of money on review materials. The practice tests are priceless however...
 
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