MCAT Prep Course

[deleted600623]

Hi all,

Plan on starting to study for MCAT in January with an April or May date. Anyone recommend any specific MCAT prep courses? I have help from my parents to pay for the course so the money is not an issue as long as it's reasonably priced.

Thanks for the help!

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[md2b424]

DO NOT take EXAMKRACKERS prep course! It was a waste of my money! The regional director sent me to three different locations
in N.Y. ! The instructor wrote definitions down on the board and it was literally exactly what was in the book! I thought it was a scam
at first because I couldn't believe how bad the instruction was. They of course did NOT give me my money back $3,000 down the tube.
This was such a waste of time and money! Also, their representatives are SO RUDE!

I would buy some prep books and stick to the AAMC website material.

 

[tjo422]

I am of the opinion that most of the prep courses are not reasonably priced. Even worse, many of them repeat the book materials back to you. If you are going to pay for a prep course instead of self study, I'd go for one that is a one-on-one personalized tutor experience. If you want recommendations (for tutoring or self-study materials) let me know and I can PM you


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[deleted600623]

@tjo422 That would be great! Thanks.

 

[BYUCougar2011]

I would suggest saving your money and studying on your own. My friend and I both performed similarly in Organic Chemistry, and my friend went with a prep company and I decided to study on my own for the MCAT. He scored a 515 and I was able to score a 522. I am sure we both worked equally hard, but I think the difference comes from being able to control your study and being able to use the best resources. Test prep companies will train you using their resources, which includes very few of the official AAMC practice problems (problems written by the people who wrote the MCAT!). During my study I found test prep companies' practice exams and practice questions to be subpar. I feel like they take you off track more than help you. I would suggest making a study plan that uses various resources (AAMC, Khan, Kaplan, Princeton, ExamKrakers). Variety is your friend.

Also, if you feel like you need more structure/someone to guide you through the study process and help you with challenging questions, I would suggest finding a tutor. Test prep companies will charge you outrageous prices for tutoring. If you search around online, you can find better deals on tutors. It is helpful to tutor with someone that performed well on the exam already and can give you peace of mind about your preparation.

Lastly, I enjoyed studying on my own because I was able to make the plan that worked for me. I was able to study from home and study only as much as I could each week (very helpful since I was still taking classes during my exam prep). Best of luck with your preparation!

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

If money is not a huge concern, I would take a course. I took the princeton review course (and then ended up teaching one of the subsection classes for them), and it was very helpful. The classes themselves are nice for keeping you motivated and on track, attend as many or as few as you would like or at a frequency that is optimal for your learning. Paying for the course comes along with all the prep materials and web portal stuff which is nice to have in one comprehensible place. Good luck!

 

[Chromium Surfer]

If money is not a huge concern, I would take a course. I took the princeton review course (and then ended up teaching one of the subsection classes for them), and it was very helpful. The classes themselves are nice for keeping you motivated and on track, attend as many or as few as you would like or at a frequency that is optimal for your learning. Paying for the course comes along with all the prep materials and web portal stuff which is nice to have in one comprehensible place. Good luck!

I remember when gyngyn posted that comment in your sig haha