Princeton Review Course Cancellation!

[KinesStudent]

So, I'm getting excited and ready to start my MCAT preparation. I made it official and signed up for a May exam. I'm getting ahead in my classes so that when my MCAT prep class through Princeton Review starts I can give it my full attention. I even scheduled this one semester around the times the class meets. Starting next Saturday its all about the MCAT!

...But wait. Email.

"Greetings MCAT Student!

With 2012 well underway and May quickly approaching, I am sure you are anxious to get started with your MCAT test Prep. I wanted to give you a heads up that the course you are enrolled in currently has low enrollment and may be cancelled. In the event that it does cancel, you would be able to switch into another live course, one of our Live Online courses, or receive a full refund. I would like to leave the course open through the weekend and see if we get the last few enrollments we need to run the course. I will call you on Tuesday with the final decision. I have attached a couple of alternative schedules for you to consider. You can also visit our website to view our Live Online schedules if you would like."

😱 WTF 😱

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[sliceofbread136]

Not that hard to believe... just pick a different time/company to do your review. Don't do kaplan though.

 

[KinesStudent]

Yeah, that would seem like a simple thing to do. Thing is, my school/work/volunteering schedule was made so that this class at the pre-designated times would fit.

Kaplan is the only other available company in my area but their times don't work out. So..

At least I can get a refund.. they can come get their books if they want them back because I'm not sending them.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Yeah, that would seem like a simple thing to do. Thing is, my school/work/volunteering schedule was made so that this class at the pre-designated times would fit.

Kaplan is the only other available company in my area but their times don't work out. So..

At least I can get a refund.. they can come get their books if they want them back because I'm not sending them.

you're good with just the books if you can structure your time appropriately. It sounds like you're overbooking yourself though. Take a summer off from your EC's and devote it to full time MCAT, you're application will be stronger in the end because of it.

 

[KinesStudent]

I guess I could ask about jumping into a class like a month or two later. That would at least take school off of my plate for a bit. Only thing is, I hear you want to apply as early in the cycle as possible.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I guess I could ask about jumping into a class like a month or two later. That would at least take school off of my plate for a bit. Only thing is, I hear you want to apply as early in the cycle as possible.

Truth, maybe you should think about waiting a year? If that's not an option then do your MCAT sooner rather than later and be sure to manage your time like a superstar for the next few months. Try this schedule if you don't get in the class, it will give you some structure: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=623898

 

[mmmcdowe]

Alternative: Don't waste your money on live lectures and just op for the online material of both Kaplan and PR.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Alternative: Don't waste your money on live lectures and just op for the online material of both Kaplan and PR.

Alot of people I know who study independently end up floundering because they have no structure for their studying. Most undergrads simply don't have the discipline. The extra money can be worth it imo.

However this is just my opinion and the argument to save the money is certainly very valid.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Alot of people I know who study independently end up floundering because they have no structure for their studying. Most undergrads simply don't have the discipline. The extra money can be worth it imo.

However this is just my opinion and the argument to save the money is certainly very valid.

An understandable argument and exactly why I ended up buying a course. Looking back, I regret it because most of my studying was done after the course anyways. Further, as a former Kaplan teacher I can tell you that a lot of folks flounder regardless. 🙁

 

[tantacles]

An understandable argument and exactly why I ended up buying a course. Looking back, I regret it because most of my studying was done after the course anyways. Further, as a former Kaplan teacher I can tell you that a lot of folks flounder regardless. 🙁

I got my course for free because I worked for the Princeton Review, and honestly, while it helped, I could have gotten a lot more out of studying on my own. Because I was in school when I was taking the course, taking the ten hours out of each week to go to a lecture, which I don't absorb much from anyway, didn't work too well. I wish I had used that time to self-study instead.

 

[aSagacious]

Alternative: Don't waste your money on live lectures and just op for the online material of both Kaplan and PR.

An understandable argument and exactly why I ended up buying a course. Looking back, I regret it because most of my studying was done after the course anyways. Further, as a former Kaplan teacher I can tell you that a lot of folks flounder regardless. 🙁

I agree 100% (though I wasn't an instructor). Don't be fooled by thinking Kaplan just dumps all of these materials on you and leaves you to it. There's a formal syllabus, online quizzes, full-length exams interspersed (of increasing difficulty if I remember correctly).

Also, I'm moving this to the MCAT discussions forum.

 

[ridethecliche]

Alot of people I know who study independently end up floundering because they have no structure for their studying. Most undergrads simply don't have the discipline. The extra money can be worth it imo.

However this is just my opinion and the argument to save the money is certainly very valid.

Honestly, with SN2ED's schedule available here, there is no reason not to be able to have a schedule you can stick to if you know how to use a calendar.

Give yourself an extra 2 weeks for things that *might* pop up unexpectedly, but honestly it's not so bad.

 

[SoulinNeed]

It happened to me twice. I just decided to go with your online course. What can you do?

 

[thlaxer]

Yeah, that would seem like a simple thing to do. Thing is, my school/work/volunteering schedule was made so that this class at the pre-designated times would fit.

Kaplan is the only other available company in my area but their times don't work out. So..

At least I can get a refund.. they can come get their books if they want them back because I'm not sending them.

I originally was enrolled in a Kaplan class but they cancelled on me. They let me keep my books even though I lived (literally) right above them . Ended up enrolling in a Princeton Review class and regretted paying for it. The classes were a waste of time.

As mmmcdowe said, you do most (if not all) of the studying by yourself either before or after class. Listening to the instructors for me didn't really help because the instructors at my location mostly just summarized the material in a very sloppy way. There's only so much material they can cover in the alloted time, so most of the time we were just told to 'read up on everything again.' That's what I paid for 🙄.

The biggest benefit of the class is the schedule that keeps you on track. But, it's still on you to be disciplined enough to follow it. The in-class instruction doesn't add enough in my opinion to justify its cost.

Honestly, with SN2ED's schedule available here, there is no reason not to be able to have a schedule you can stick to if you know how to use a calendar.

Give yourself an extra 2 weeks for things that *might* pop up unexpectedly, but honestly it's not so bad.

👍 SN2ed's schedule is even more structured than TPRH's--and it's free! And I agree that studying for the MCAT isn't too bad if you make it a point to study for it every day.

 

[Jimmer]

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[lakerstar786]

This has happened to me as well. Just pick a course with the Princeton Review but at another location/time.

 

[Spikedsoymilk]

I got my course for free because I worked for the Princeton Review, and honestly, while it helped, I could have gotten a lot more out of studying on my own. Because I was in school when I was taking the course, taking the ten hours out of each week to go to a lecture, which I don't absorb much from anyway, didn't work too well. I wish I had used that time to self-study instead.

I agree. I regret taking the course.

 

[GeauxTime]

Independent study. You've already got the books for content and questions.