MCAT Tutoring - Kaplan or TPR?

[Underdog1234567]

Hey everyone, I've spent the last few months doing content review and some practice passages. Unfortunately I did not score too hot on my practice exams and am looking to get a tutor from kaplan or TPR to help me with concepts like physics/gen chem/cars and especially to use their online content. I am really leaning towards kaplan because I used their 7 book series. any thoughts/would anyone be able to share their experiences?

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[To be MD]

Hey everyone, I've spent the last few months doing content review and some practice passages. Unfortunately I did not score too hot on my practice exams and am looking to get a tutor from kaplan or TPR to help me with concepts like physics/gen chem/cars and especially to use their online content. I am really leaning towards kaplan because I used their 7 book series. any thoughts/would anyone be able to share their experiences?

I would say both are an enormous waste of money.

Privatized tutoring to each individual content on the MCAT exists, and it is free. Go to KhanAcademy. If you're dying for individualized tutoring, go to craigslist and find one of the numerous candidates willing to do so in person (but not through a test prep company) or over the internet for 1/10th of the price.

If you need more practice, purchase TBR books, find TPR's science & CARS workbooks secondhand, and/or simply purchase practice tests from NextStep or EK for content review and reinforcement.

The tutors at Kaplan & TPR (1) haven't been educated as science instructors (they're generally smart pre-meds or post-grads that have done well on the MCAT... not people who have received Master's degrees in education), (2) charge an exorbitant fee per hour (15 hours on Kaplan costs $4000 dollars. That is clinically insane to charge or to pay.), and (3) nah, just re-read (1) and (2).

Additionally, all Kaplan and TPR material is built around the concept of getting you to buy their 'complete' MCAT study package. It is very hard to study for the MCAT using just their books, because their books are meant to be supplemented by their in-class materials.
___________

I'd start off scrapping what you know and buying the new full set of books from EK, reinforce material using KhanAcademy, and learn CARS strategy using TestingSolutions (free & on this website).

Please don't throw away your money.

 

[Underdog1234567]

I would say both are an enormous waste of money.

Privatized tutoring to each individual content on the MCAT exists, and it is free. Go to KhanAcademy. If you're dying for individualized tutoring, go to craigslist and find one of the numerous candidates willing to do so in person (but not through a test prep company) or over the internet for 1/10th of the price.

If you need more practice, purchase TBR books, find TPR's science & CARS workbooks secondhand, and/or simply purchase practice tests from NextStep or EK for content review and reinforcement.

The tutors at Kaplan & TPR (1) haven't been educated as science instructors (they're generally smart pre-meds or post-grads that have done well on the MCAT... not people who have received Master's degrees in education), (2) charge an exorbitant fee per hour (15 hours on Kaplan costs $4000 dollars. That is clinically insane to charge or to pay.), and (3) nah, just re-read (1) and (2).

Additionally, all Kaplan and TPR material is built around the concept of getting you to buy their 'complete' MCAT study package. It is very hard to study for the MCAT using just their books, because their books are meant to be supplemented by their in-class materials.
___________

I'd start off scrapping what you know and buying the new full set of books from EK, reinforce material using KhanAcademy, and learn CARS strategy using TestingSolutions (free & on this website).

Please don't throw away your money.

Hey, thank you for your response! you are right, it is an insane amount of money. the main reason why i would do it is because of the online content they have - like all of the questions and practice exams. I have a month to prepare

 

[To be MD]

Hey, thank you for your response! you are right, it is an insane amount of money. the main reason why i would do it is because of the online content they have - like all of the questions and practice exams. I have a month to prepare

Even if you had Watson & Crick tutoring you (God knows, even they would get paid less than $300 an hour 265 bucks an hour), a month of it might not get you to where you want to be.

I cannot stress enough how valuable Khan videos are (and they're free) along with the accompanying practice passages on the website.

Again, you can get tutoring. Go ahead and get some. But, don't pay 4 grand for 15 hours. Get a tutor off craigslist. Go to your university and ask for help. Hell, your professors aren't even paid that much!

 

[Underdog1234567]

Even if you had Watson & Crick tutoring you (God knows, even they would get paid less than $300 an hour 265 bucks an hour), a month of it might not get you to where you want to be.

I cannot stress enough how valuable Khan videos are (and they're free) along with the accompanying practice passages on the website.

Again, you can get tutoring. Go ahead and get some. But, don't pay 4 grand for 15 hours. Get a tutor off craigslist. Go to your university and ask for help. Hell, your professors aren't even paid that much!

Thanks man, you really changed my decision. I decided to not go for their tutoring services. Instead I might just go for the cheaper option which is just the online content (practice passages/materials) which is what I really need. I've been using Khan Academy and they've been great