MCAT Prep Review

[BloodySurgeon]

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I am planning on writing a comprehensive review of all the MCAT prep companies (more detailed and organized than the one listed under the FAQ). I will rate and explain in detail the different services each company provides such as: in-class teaching, online material, review books, practice tests, etc.

Please list what companies and features you would like to see in this article. When I am done with my review I will sticky the thread at the top of the page. Thank you.

Companies in mind:
1. Kaplan
2. The Princeton Review
3. The Berkely Review
4. Swartwood
5. The Goldstandard
6. ExamKrackers
7. Nova Press

 

[dapmp91]

I want to see a comprehensive review of the prep companies books and how good they are relative to one another, and the pros and cons of each book.

 

[sv3]

something that could help would be to keep in mind the varying segments of the target audience. For example, I commonly hear "Ek is great......if you have a solid background". I myself don't, so I prefer something more detailed oriented like TPR (and not just prefer, but need). There could be ways of incorporate this but mainly just remembering that perhaps not everyone is the same. Then again, you could just make your review for one type of person....effectively wiping out everything i just said.

 

[capn jazz]

Holy crap, I've never heard of Swartwood but their website is completely ridiculous! It seems like their entire MCAT course is really just a thousand pictures of fake premeds smiling.

 

[DamienPro]

Holy crap, I've never heard of Swartwood but their website is completely ridiculous! It seems like their entire MCAT course is really just a thousand pictures of fake premeds smiling.

I think this is just like another prep class where students would end up using the AAMC and other CBT tests out there.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

Bumping to have more input from other

 

[tresbon]

Bumping to have more input from other

Here's a new product as I posted earlier:

MCAT Achiever

Try it out, folks. It might be another gem out there.

 

[MynameisMike]

I signed up for the examkrackers course and I canceled the course after the first day of class. A lot of people say the advantage of taking is a course is the massive amount of materials they provide you with (IE: Kaplan). EK definately lacks in this area.

They only provided you with the Complete MCAT Package (Physics, Chem, Bio, Orgo, Verbal + 1 CBT) and the 16 MCATminis + AAMC CBT 6-10

Thus, I had to go out of my way to purchase all of the 1001 books. They give you a 30% discount for these books, but they can be found for cheaper on ebay...so big deal. AND I had to buy AAMC 3-5. (So on top of the 1700+ for the course I already had to spend well over $100)

The class is two days a week for 4 hours. Two Lectures each class. And you take the 30 minute exam in class and then review it. The teachers were studs and knew there stuff, but I felt like it was a huge waste of money especially after having to buy the AAMC and 1001 series on top of the course.

The course basically follows their home study plan and the teachers pretty much follow the book, so I ended up dropping.

Anyways, hope this helps if anyone is considering taking the EK course.

 

[BennieBlanco]

I signed up for the examkrackers course and I canceled the course after the first day of class. A lot of people say the advantage of taking is a course is the massive amount of materials they provide you with (IE: Kaplan). EK definately lacks in this area.

They only provided you with the Complete MCAT Package (Physics, Chem, Bio, Orgo, Verbal + 1 CBT) and the 16 MCATminis + AAMC CBT 6-10

Thus, I had to go out of my way to purchase all of the 1001 books. They give you a 30% discount for these books, but they can be found for cheaper on ebay...so big deal. AND I had to buy AAMC 3-5. (So on top of the 1700+ for the course I already had to spend well over $100)

The class is two days a week for 4 hours. Two Lectures each class. And you take the 30 minute exam in class and then review it. The teachers were studs and knew there stuff, but I felt like it was a huge waste of money especially after having to buy the AAMC and 1001 series on top of the course.

The course basically follows their home study plan and the teachers pretty much follow the book, so I ended up dropping.

Anyways, hope this helps if anyone is considering taking the EK course.

most people I've read online say that the class is a waste of money.

If you have the class materials and DISCIPLINE then you can do as well or better.

 

[BennieBlanco]

Best MCAT prep:

1. Passion/Desire/Discipline
2. One of any prep companies books (EK, TPR, Kap)
3. The internet

 

[blotchy409]

Ooh, thanks for doing this! Do you have any idea when you will be done with your review? I was actually planning on purchasing some study books this week but if you are going to be done soon I'll wait and read it first 🙂

 

[Malayna]

I am planning on writing a comprehensive review of all the MCAT prep companies (more detailed and organized than the one listed under the FAQ). I will rate and explain in detail the different services each company provides such as: in-class teaching, online material, review books, practice tests, etc.

Please list what companies and features you would like to see in this article. When I am done with my review I will sticky the thread at the top of the page. Thank you.

Companies in mind:
1. Kaplan
2. The Princeton Review
3. The Berkely Review
4. Swartwood
5. The Goldstandard
6. ExamKrackers
7. Nova Press

This sounds like a good idea, although it can really only be the objective things, because courses vary from location to location and session to session. I would be willing to give input about my classroom experience with Berkeley Review. Things like class hours, amount of materials, CBTs, office hours, teacher experience, cost, hidden costs, application help, and review sessions would be helpful. Tell me if you want this information, and I'll write up a list of numbers and facts from my course.

I think the "best materials" have been beaten to death on this site, so you probably can skip that part.

Holy crap, I've never heard of Swartwood but their website is completely ridiculous! It seems like their entire MCAT course is really just a thousand pictures of fake premeds smiling.

They're only at UCLA and people either love them or hate them (about half and half from what I've heard). The positive is that the head teacher is really good (was a popular math TA before starting his business). He used to do reviews for cash (pay him $10 for a 3-hour calculus review). The negative is that he uses AAMC materials and has no materials of his own, so you have to scrounge up materials to study. It's pretty expensive for a class with no study books or CBTs of its own.

I got PMs from two people here at SDN who used the class this past term (one who I actually studied with a few times; SDN is a great meeting place 🙂 ). One liked the class and the other hated it. Both thought the main teacher was good, but didn't like that the location kept changing and that they were really disorganized and had no study materials.

And about the premeds in the pictures being fake, let's just say I've never seen any of the people pictured in their flyers around UCLA, but it's a big school. I haven't seen their flyers for a while, so maybe they're out of business. That would save a few hundred trees. 🙂

 

[BloodySurgeon]

I am currently talking with representatives from different companies and gathering my research of all the updates and material they provide. I am also trying to have samples of the material I haven't had so I can include them in my evaluation as well. Since I am also piled up with work, I am tentatively scheduling the release of my reviews for this August. Thank you for your replies and I am open for questions and comments through PM or this thread as well as your opinions and experiences.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

And about the premeds in the pictures being fake, let's just say I've never seen any of the people pictured in their flyers around UCLA, but it's a big school. I haven't seen their flyers for a while, so maybe they're out of business. That would save a few hundred trees. 🙂

The funny thing is, I know half of the people on the front page. I do know they are pre-meds and I do know they were taking the MCAT. I have not talked to them for a few years so I will give them a call in the future and ask them what they thought about the program and what are they doing on the front page of smartwood. 😕

Anyways, I called John Swartwood the other day, the owner and lead instructor of Swartwood. It seems like they are only located in the UCLA area. They have tried spamming the westwood area as well as the SDN forums in the past, but it seems like they are legit. I should be able to have a sneak preview of one of their lessons sometime in the future, if their board members accepts.

 

[liveloveLA]

I checked out the swartwood website too, and I know that a lot of those premeds aren't fake (because I know half of them). BUT I do think that all the photos are a bit overkill... or rather, crazy-over-the-top-overkill. Frankly I don't like how long and messy each page is. But I was wondering what you've heard about that program? What's your opinion/review of the others like PR, BR, and K? Right now I'm looking into which MCAT study program/materials to use, so any help would be much appreciated.

 

[apc]

Whatever happened to this thread?
Any new info?
ty

 

[luckyt66]

bump. i was really awaiting it 🙁

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Whatever happened to this thread?
Any new info?
ty

I thought he posted somewhere that this was being scrapped. It's really hard to post such a thread, because while one course might be excellent one session, a teacher can leave and the quality drops over night. It's all in the teaching for most programs.

Also, the MCAT prep week lists the details about the courses, so a thread like this is overkill. I'd search MCAT prep week if you want to get a rundown of the classroom courses or materials.

 

[SN2ed]

Whatever happened to this thread?
Any new info?
ty

As BerkReviewTeach mentioned, I bet part of the reason this wasn't finished is that there's too much variation in teacher quality from area to area. One area may have great Kaplan teachers, while another has terrible teachers. Then, teachers may leave the company and go to medical school. The non-variable aspects between courses are their test prep material (books, FLs, practice problems). However, there are already book lists, FL lists, and a general feel for the practice passages offered by the various companies, all of which makes further analysis somewhat unnecessary.

 

[apc]

As BerkReviewTeach mentioned, I bet part of the reason this wasn't finished is that there's too much variation in teacher quality from area to area. One area may have great Kaplan teachers, while another has terrible teachers. Then, teachers may leave the company and go to medical school. The non-variable aspects between courses are their test prep material (books, FLs, practice problems). However, there are already book lists, FL lists, and a general feel for the practice passages offered by the various companies, all of which makes further analysis somewhat unnecessary.

I see. My main reason for bumping this thread was to see if anyone has any info on Swartwood prep. Since it's a rather small company and is only located is SOCAL, I haven't had much luck finding reviews (besides the ones on their site 🙄 )

 

[mardad]

Swartwood prep: My daughter is currently taking this course. She is quite happy with John as an instructor and will probably end up as one of the people on the website. John teaches the test as more a logical reasoning test and de-emphasizes memorization. The course is only taught in Westwood as John is the main instructor. He uses the MCAT sample tests from AMCAS. I think about 5 of them. He uses his own texts in class. He goes at an easy pace so that everyone can understand the reasoning. A 3 hour class can run 4 hours. If you aren't happy, you can attend other sessions. (I think at no cost) As a non-science major she finds the approach very much to her liking.

Princeton: one of her best friends is taking Princeton at UCSD. More practice tests. She went from 23 on the diagnostic to 34 in one week. She attributes this to familiarity with the structure of the test and not to any information gained. Over all it seems more intensive.

I think both have found a course that fits their personality and study style.

 

[Tamara87]

I took Swartwood earlier this year and honestly after all the amazing things I heard about the course I was disappointed. I have never taken TPR or Kaplan courses and thus cannot compare those first hand but only from what I have heard from friends and forums.

Swartwood Course Strengths:

1. John Swartwood, who teaches the majority of the Swartwood classes, is brilliant and has an amazing ability to keep a 3 hour course interesting. He also has a way of simplifying difficult concepts making them understandable to anyone.

2. You can retake the course as many times as you want and get access to all the AAMC MCAT tests.

Course Weakness'

1. Not enough prep material. Unlike TPR and Kaplan you are not given real test prep books. You are given a Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences workbook which is literally just an outline with a few practice passages and a short section of non-mcat-style practice questions. They are meant to be used to write in during the course lectures but are completely useless on their own. Personally, I think a detailed book ( similar to kaplan and TPR) should be given in addition to what is mentioned in lecture.

2. The course was not in depth enough. I agree with John that you don't need to memorize immense amounts of detailed information as done in Kaplan and TPR, but he goes to the opposite extreme for many topics. If you're fresh out of your physics or chem course and remember the concepts well, this course can be a great supplement to your studying. But for someone like me who has been out of those courses for over a year I was really hoping for a more in depth review.

3. Almost no practice material. The reason I took a course is because I wanted to be given a study structure. I wanted a lecture supplemented by a series of practice questions after each lecture and at least a few practice passage related to the topic learned that day. In some of the books there are what are called fundamentals which are mildly useful. However, this is something like a few easy, non-mcat style questions per topic. It was only 2 months into the course before you see a real AAMC test or anything somewhat similar to an MCAT science passage.

4. For verbal lectures we many times practice on the real AAMC passages that are part of the real AAMC practice tests online. This means when you try and take a diagnostic test you have already seen some of the passages. This seems pretty pointless to me as when I took my diagnostic and other practice tests I had seen a good 20% of the passages previously.

5. John is always late and spends way too much time telling funny stories instead of focusing on the material. It makes for an interesting class but really wasted a lot of time.

In the end it depends what you want out of the class. If you are fresh out of your pre med classes, still remember a large portion of the material well, are looking for some mcat strategy tips and a little bit of practice, Swartwood can be great. However, if you need a more thorough review, lots of practice, and a strict study schedule your $2300 would be better spent elsewhere.

After everything I've heard about all the courses offered I have become a supporter of saving the money and studying out of a variety of prep books.

 

[cpfeiffer]

I am a current student at Swartwood so I thought I'd offer my opinion since it doesn't seem like anyone who has really taken the course has seriously posted on SDN. (I don't think that Tamara87 is a real student since she doesn't even know the cost of the course. I did NOT pay 2300!!!)

I don't mean to pick on Tamara87 but as a REAL student at Swartwood- and as a student who really likes the course- I don't understand why people pretend to have taken Swartwood when they have not. If you Kaplan, talk about Kaplan. Don't make up lies about Swartwood 🙁.

My friend Natalie recommended Swartwood to me so I decided to sit in. I ended up joining in October. Natalie actual teaches now for Swartwood but I don't see her much since I'm in the class where John Swartwood teaches all of the subjects.

So far everything is great, but we'll find out what happens in Jan (wish me luck!).

Good Points:
1. The head instructor John Swartwood is an incredible teacher. He's the best teacher I've had. I wish there were a less sappy way of saying it, but it's true. He really understands the MCAT and always makes class entertaining. John makes difficult or involved concepts easy to understand and, for me, that's important.

2. I really feel like I'm learning just what I need to for the test.

I did want to clear up something Tamara87 said. It's one of the reasons- aside from the incorrect price quote- that makes me think she's not real.

Everyone- including the prep companies- knows that Swartwood is about the teaching and about thinking through the test. As a student, I can confirm that this is true. BUT- as anyone who has been in the class knows- what John calls "basic" content is not as basic as it seems. I have LEARNED electrostatics and circuits in MCAT class because he teaches it to you from scratch. (I did get A and B's in Phy, but I didn't really "get" electrostatics and circuits.)

The depth of coverage for important topics is substantive. I just don't think that Swartwood advertises that. John always tells us in class that it's about the basics but often he adds extras that are not "basic" when we ask.

3. The course has a second half which focuses on thinking about the test. I've just started that portion of the course. John spends times showing the class how to think your way through the test and pick it apart. I wish I could explain this better but I can't.

Btw, Tamara87 says that you wait until 2 months into the course before you see AAMC passages. Did you really take the course, Tamara87? You start seeing passages from the beginning and then focus on AAMC passages about halfway through (which for me was way earlier than 2 months). Why would you start taking AAMC tests before you have studied the material???

4. Office Hours are great. There is usually a group of us that attend office hours regularly. It's nice to get all of your questions- I mean ALL of your questions answered in person.

5. You get practice books with problems which are very much like the real MCAT questions (or so my friends who have taken the MCAT have said). There are not thousands of questions but I think very few people can finish all of the practice problems on schedule. I can't.

6. Probably not so important in choosing a course: I've made some really good friends here. We're all going to take together, and we all study together 🙂. Then again, I guess I could make friends in any class but I feel like the class here just invites communication.

Weaknesses:

1. You learn EVERYTHING in class. That means that if you miss class, you're out of luck unless you want to wait for office hours or wait for another "cycle." (I would feel bad asking a bunch of questions in office hours for a class I missed, so I would have to wait for another cycle.)

2. You need to be motivated to ask questions. I have no problem with that but if you are a fly on the wall, you have to learn to speak up or wait around for office hours.

3. There isn't a review book. You learn in class, so you don't need a book. I don't even bring my course books anymore; I just take notes like I would in a lecture classes. The only time I use the books are for practice problems. For me this is the way I prefer to learn, but I know for some people a book is a must.

Summary:

I think that you either love Swartwood or you don't (makes more sense to say hate, but I doubt anyone who every took the course felt very negatively about it). Everyone who I've talked to in the course loves it. So, I think that if you sit in and like it, you should join. You just know if it's right for you- at least Natalie and I did.

If you learn better from books and computer programs (this is not a joke- I know plenty of people who do), then it's not the course for you. The best thing to do is just SIT IN. That's what I did and it has worked out for me so far.

I think the choice you make is one for a teacher driven class and a material driven class. My friend Catherine took Swartwood and got a 39. My friend Camille took nothing (just her LS, Phy, and Chem books--REALLY!- not even a prep book from the bookstore) and got a 36. So it just depends on what works for you.

I'll be at SDN 24-7 soon when it comes time secondaries and interviews, so I'll try and post again after I take!

 

[cpfeiffer]

Hi Everyone!!

Sorry, I meant to write back earlier but I got caught up with some good news and then I got busy with APPS 🙂.

Anyway, I always try and keep my word. Here are the results:
37S 12P 12V 13B 🙂.
I'm happy with that.

What I did: I took Swartwood (which I fully recommend!) but I took the version where John teaches everything- he is incredible!!! I cannot speak about the other teachers since I did not really talk with them much. I tried to study about 3-4 hours each day and did all of the AAMC practice tests. I formed a study group with some of the students I met in class and met with them- in addition to my 3-4 hours on my own.
---------------------------------
I am so happy to be done with the MCAT 🙂 but now I'm waiting on secondaries to come in. Another thing to worry about. I'll ask in another post but if you happen to read this and feel like giving out some advice about secondaries PLEASE LET ME KNOW!