New Exam Krackers + Old Kaplan?

[Sylvestrie]

Hello need some advice, Its been a long while since I finished my second degree to complete my pre-med course work (I am a career changer & older pre-med). I took the MCAT back in 2011 with a Kaplan in-person course. Didn't get into med school, have been working & publishing in research since so now I am an even older pre-med and no amount of classes will change my crappy GPA so I really need to do well on the MCAT.

I was going to get the NEW kaplan and a NEW exam krackers when I realized I still have all my old Kaplan texts from when I took the MCAT in 2011. What I have heard is that Kaplan is better in the content while EK is better at improving test skills.

My thought was that instead of spending the extra $ on getting the new kaplan texts, I could get EK, the AAMC study pack and supplement with my pre-2015 Kaplan subject texts following the AAMC content list.

Would you still get the new texts or do you think that would be sufficient?
(I am only buying 2, so please don't say to get all 3)

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[Sylvestrie]

Thank you for your reply @MCATKINGS. Part of the reason I looked for new books was because of the additional online tools that are often only available with new copies of the books. If the online tools included with the new versions of the texts are not important then I will look into getting them used but 4 book sets seems like a lot. TPR and BR don't usually get listed at the top for MCAT prep so I narrowed it down to Kaplan & EK.

If Kaplan content isn't strong in the CARS/psych soc, then using my old science texts for content review makes it free. I am not too concerned about getting extra coverage in those areas anyway, verbal was always my best and my research work overlaps in psych/soc - I think practice is what I need most. Maybe getting TBR and EK to use with AAMC & KA is the best route.

Thanks again!

 

[Ad2b]

I am older, I sat through Kaplan's course; I have old and new books from them circa 2015/16

In 2017, I sat and scored the exam... and "took a break!" (insert Ross's voice here, "ON A BREAK!")

Okay, so in deciding to give this one last shot, here's what I did:

1. purchased the full set of EK books (content)
2. purchased the EK 101 passages for physics, chem, biology (both cell and systems)
3. purchased the EK 1001 questions physics and chemistry books for extra help
4. purchased ALL of the AAMC products including the flashcards (they are useful)
5. reprinted the 100 page Khan Academy doc for psy/soc
6. purchased Uworld for the passages
7. dug in

I use my old Kaplan books for extra information if the EK book is just too light in an area but mostly, I've just used the EK books to date (only looked up one thing in physics and one thing in DNA replication)

EK CARS is supposedly horrid but I figure whatever is there is > nothing; but will likely be using Khan as well for these

Will likely be purchasing a couple of extra full length exams here in the next month outside of the ones provided by AAMC (likely TBR and one other source)

ONE ADDITIONAL NOTE:

All of the EK materials are for the 2015 exam but it appears they rushed some of the materials out the door, so to speak. If you read reviews there are typos in the content books but not so badly they confuse the reader (or shouldn't).

For instance, on one graph for phases it has q=mccicedeltat (should be just mcicedeltat)

Another graph or chart in another part has Pd and Ta as the elements but on the chart it has Pd and Td, but a careful reader should be able to tell it is just a typo.

Overall, I like the EK books.

 

[Sylvestrie]

Thanks @Ad2b! I took the MCAT course & exam in 2011. I did take the 2015 exam in 2015 but didn't score it as I failed to study as I had planned then forgot to cancel it - getting into the same stress loop I am now on what materials will work best and not trying to burn out with excess materials (which is what I did in 2011).

Do you have the 9th Ed EK? Thinking maybe just biting the bullet and getting the 10th Ed so I can get started ASAP. Mulling over this decision is eating up time I could be studying and going to use studyschedule.org to organize it because organizing all the materials myself will take me another 4 years.

 

[Ad2b]

I have 10th edition EK and 2nd edition 2015 Kaplan.

Just get started. Pick a content book, and dig in... it'll help settle the "what is the best path" because the only path that is NOT best, is the one you don't start

AND make sure you get the AAMC mats.

 

[Ad2b]

I am no expert here but I personally feel Kaplan is not worth the time. If you need content information and you are not familiar with a subject, then only you should go for Kaplan or Princeton. Although they are good, there are some things which shouldn't be focused on and you would simply be wasting your time doing nothing productive. I would suggest you to try TBR and then fill in the gaps with EK. Use uWorld for passages and test preparation and that's pretty much it.

You say TBR on every thread. Are you paid sales for them?