MCAT Prep course useful?

[MedicineMike]

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Some breif history:

Im 24, and started my pre-reqs in summer of '09. I took Chem I that summer, Bio I, Chem II, and phys I the next semester. Now, I am taking Organic I, Phys II, and Bio II. I plan on signing up for the mcat prep course and taking the mcat in juneish.

To the non-trads that have taken the course...Is it worth it? $1800 is a looooooooooooooooooot of money to spend on a 2 month course (especially as a student). Im planning on the Kaplan course.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

This is going to vary from person to person. Do you need structured lecture to get motivated to study or are you a better I.S. person?

Really that's all it comes down too. If you can independent study, buy some prep materials and save yourself ~1500 dollars.

 

[Schemp]

It's definitely not necessary. Would it help? Yeah, probably, depending on who you are. I was like you though - I just didn't have 2000 dollars to spend. In fact I had to borrow money from my parents just to buy 150 dollars worth of study materials. I was in kind of a unique situation for studying because I was taking part in a clinical trial as a guinea pig for nearly a month, so I was shut in a clinic and unable to do much but study. So, in my case it was easy to force myself to study because there was literally nothing else to do. But I did end up getting a 38 on the real thing (as well as 38, 35, 38 on practices, so it wasn't a fluke). Like the above poster said though, you definitely need to be able to force yourself to sit down at least a few hours every day and do nothing but read and do practice problems for a month+, besides all the earlier, slower-paced studying leading up to crunch time.

 

[Gisele0820]

Everyone has a different study styles and levels of self discipline. The factor that clinched it for me was when my best friend put it this way:

As a non-traditional student (other degree plus pre-reqs later) you have:
-spent 20K on tuition and books
-have lost earning potential because you are a student
-have lost earning potential because you were volunteering/shadowing/mentoring and
-will spend 2K on applications, transcripts, exams, interview cloths, etc.

So..what is another $1,800 if you get a good score?



I’m in the Princeton Review LiveOnline (aka webinar) course. I like the organization, structure and the ability to replay lectures at any time. But my experience is limited with other prep courses. You can shop around for deals; I paid 1400.

 

[MedicineMike]

I do like a more structured learning environment. I worry that if i go about it on my own that i wont commit 100% effort into studying. I like to have that extra nudge. Furthermore, i will not have had organic II, or any anat/physiology course before taking the mcat either. Will the prep course help me in the areas that i am weak in? Also, will the prep course teach me what i do not know/have trouble in? versus, try teaching everything to myself.

 

[Gisele0820]

MCAT prep isn’t the same as teaching yourself out of a text book. The points isn’t to re-teach you what you should have learned, it is to teach you each subject the way the MCAT presents it. It teaches you how to take their test. While you do cover the same topics, the MCAT format is simplified. A text book goes in to far too much detail.

I hadn't had physics 2 so I am taking it concurrently with the MCAT class. The MCAT book helps me pick out the important information from my often confusing physics book and lecture.

It has been 2.5 years since my ochem II and I am picking it back up again with little issue. I will say that I am putting in a lot of hours. You have to stay on top of the reading and the homework. Today I put in 7 hours before my evening lecture.
Don’t worry about A and P, not that helpful. .
.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

I do like a more structured learning environment. I worry that if i go about it on my own that i wont commit 100% effort into studying. I like to have that extra nudge. Furthermore, i will not have had organic II, or any anat/physiology course before taking the mcat either. Will the prep course help me in the areas that i am weak in? Also, will the prep course teach me what i do not know/have trouble in? versus, try teaching everything to myself.

With this additional piece of information, IMO you sound like you would be better off taking a prep course. They should teach you the Org II and A&P you need for the MCAT as well as provide you that extra nudge.

 

[Kneige]

Go with Princeton. Kaplan, I heard, makes you read passages out loud like some kindergarden classes. I think it's just an absolute waste of time.

 

[zebalong]

went princeton, loved it.

did it help? Hell yea~

Worth the money? I woulda spent 5k if i knew I would average around 35's on my practice tests (first diagnostic aamc3 was like a 22?) and i scored my average- if you do the work princeton is worth it imo

 

[murfettie]

I'm doing berkeley review, find it extremely helpful.
Extremely overwhelmed as well, had to cry a bit today .
MOST BECAUSE I WAS UPSET THAT MY OCHEM CLASS WAS TOO EASY OR SOMETHING.
A LOT OF THE STUFF IN MCAT WASN'T COVERED DURING A REGULAR YEAR LONG PHY/GENCHM/OCHEM/BIO COURSE.

 

[Schemp]

That's inevitable murfettie. Not the o chem part, cause my o chem class was so difficult I literally didn't study o chem for the MCAT, but there's no way any school will ever cover every single thing that could possibly show up on the MCAT. The TPR, Kaplan, Berkley Review, ExamKracker, etc. books all WILL cover that stuff though, so there's your answer. Don't expect the MCAT review to be purely review; I learned a TON of new stuff, mostly in biology, while preparing for my MCAT last August.

 

[Schemp]

double post