Private Kaplan tutor vs. Examkrackers audio program?

[goodman]

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I want/have to retake the MCAT a third time (need to dramatically increase my score of 24, with a 7 in verbal). I took a Kaplan review course on-campus for both the 1st and 2nd exams while I was still in college. I have now graduated and am living at home. My question is, should I invest my money (about $2,650-$4,850) in working with a private tutor from Kaplan? Or should I forget Kaplan altogether and just work on my own with the Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis program (for only $200)? Although the costs seem extremely opposite, I won't think twice about investing the money if I thought the private tutoring would give me the best chance of increasing my score. This is truly do-or-die time for me, and I will do whatever it takes to get my score to where it should be (hopefully a 30 at least). Anyone out there have any suggestions or first-hand knowledge/experience/success/disasters with either of these methods???

 

[Schaden Freud]

Please don't throw your money down the drain by buying tutoring from Kaplan. It is obscene how overpriced it is, even with the so called "discounts". Post an ad on Craigslist for a private tutor and work with material on your own.

I want/have to retake the MCAT a third time (need to dramatically increase my score of 24, with a 7 in verbal). I took a Kaplan review course on-campus for both the 1st and 2nd exams while I was still in college. I have now graduated and am living at home. My question is, should I invest my money (about $2,650-$4,850) in working with a private tutor from Kaplan? Or should I forget Kaplan altogether and just work on my own with the Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis program (for only $200)? Although the costs seem extremely opposite, I won't think twice about investing the money if I thought the private tutoring would give me the best chance of increasing my score. This is truly do-or-die time for me, and I will do whatever it takes to get my score to where it should be (hopefully a 30 at least). Anyone out there have any suggestions or first-hand knowledge/experience/success/disasters with either of these methods???

 

[J ROD]

Don't waste your money on the Kaplan tutor.

If you need help in Verbal, then that really depends on you. Try to read more things like the New Yorker, etc. EK verbal 101 is good too.

TPR is a better course for those that need the science content review. Maybe give it a try.

If you want a tutor, I would find a someone at a college near you and get them to help.

How did you do in your classwork?

 

[WHR]

Definitely do not waste your money on Kaplan tutor. You first need to do introspective review on the topics in each section that you are comfortable with and topics that you do not feel comfortable with. This may seem like an obvious statement but many students get stuck focusing on their strengths. Once you figure that out, just get some review books (100-300$) and study them until you feel like you can teach someone.

Also, I believe that no tutor/teacher can help you on verbal - its all up to you. Read/read/read - not just science but literature/news/politics/etc..

 

[RxnMan]

...I won't think twice about investing the money if I thought the private tutoring would give me the best chance of increasing my score...

And this is why test-prep companies make their money. Don't get a personal tutor. If you learn best through that sort of intereaction, then get a masters student from the local college to tutor you for $10/hr or ask to sit in on a tutoring session. There's a lot of tips/strategies on how to study on this board - check out the MCAT forum and the link at the bottom of my post.

If you need to know where you're weak, I suggest taking one of Kaplan's free pre-tests. They'll use it to try to sell their materials, but you can use it to see where you need work. There's also a lot of free exams on the AAMC website.

 

[dentistlithuani]

hi! im 25 yr female from lithuania. now live near BOSTON (north). want to retake nbde1 before september. anyone would like to study togehter?