- Joined
- Jun 25, 2016
- Messages
- 118
- Reaction score
- 25
If someone could please say what you scored and which you use or if you studied on your own, that would be greatly appreciated.
Princeton Review vs Kaplan
- Thread starter cloudstrife2054
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2016
- Messages
- 309
- Reaction score
- 351
Scored: 520
Used: The Princeton Review (and AAMC material)
Studied on your own: Yes
Used: The Princeton Review (and AAMC material)
Studied on your own: Yes
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 2,127
- Reaction score
- 2,276
Both are pretty sucky. The AAMC material + doing NS / EK practice tests is the best way to prepare. Use EK or TBR for content review as needed.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2013
- Messages
- 375
- Reaction score
- 475
Either will be fine. TBR and EK would also be fine. Whatever information is lacking in your books you can easily look up on khan academy once you cross reference things you have not went over yet with the AAMC list. Finish the books, understand all the content on the AAMC list, and go over weak areas after post-practice exam analysis. Your choice of books will not have too big of an impact on your score if you prepare correctly and also take advantage of AAMC material.
Scored: 519
Content review books : TPR
Scored: 519
Content review books : TPR
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2015
- Messages
- 138
- Reaction score
- 112
Scored: 521
Used: Kaplan In-person class + self-study
Summary: I can see how the content review books might be helpful if you're a year or two removed from some or all of the relevant classes. That being said, I'd argue that the biggest value you get from the Kaplan materials are the practice exams and if you purchase the class, their "MCAT Channel" with both live and pre-recorded online classrooms where you get targeted content review. The biggest mistake you can make is feeling like you have to read every content book cover-to-cover. If you want to do well on the MCAT and you're still in school you have to be efficient with your studying. The majority of my time was spent on either:
1.) Taking Practice Exams (every saturday morning for 2 months leading up to test)
2.) Reviewing practice exams (every sunday after I took the exams) **NOTE** - This is CRITICAL. If you don't review and understand why you're getting things wrong or right (if you got a lucky guess), the only benefit you'll get from taking the exams is building your testing stamina. It's step 2 that allows you to learn.
3.) Target content review using the MCAT channel or books based on topics I struggled with on my practice exams. Here you see that these three steps are tightly linked. Allow the practice test to not only be practice, but a diagnostic that allows you to focus your studies. This is what will make you efficient with your study time.
Used: Kaplan In-person class + self-study
Summary: I can see how the content review books might be helpful if you're a year or two removed from some or all of the relevant classes. That being said, I'd argue that the biggest value you get from the Kaplan materials are the practice exams and if you purchase the class, their "MCAT Channel" with both live and pre-recorded online classrooms where you get targeted content review. The biggest mistake you can make is feeling like you have to read every content book cover-to-cover. If you want to do well on the MCAT and you're still in school you have to be efficient with your studying. The majority of my time was spent on either:
1.) Taking Practice Exams (every saturday morning for 2 months leading up to test)
2.) Reviewing practice exams (every sunday after I took the exams) **NOTE** - This is CRITICAL. If you don't review and understand why you're getting things wrong or right (if you got a lucky guess), the only benefit you'll get from taking the exams is building your testing stamina. It's step 2 that allows you to learn.
3.) Target content review using the MCAT channel or books based on topics I struggled with on my practice exams. Here you see that these three steps are tightly linked. Allow the practice test to not only be practice, but a diagnostic that allows you to focus your studies. This is what will make you efficient with your study time.
