Question about Kaplan MCAT course?? Also about EK study books?

[MikeB14]

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I have started the Kaplan MCAT course and have been struggling to complete all the readings and all of the additional online materials. After reading the first section for each of the subjects I feel that the Kaplan Books are too long and have way too much information. I feel like I am getting lost in them like its a textbook. The online materials are great though.

I also have the examkrackers complete set and have started reading these for all of the topics I already read in the kaplan books. The EK is much less dense and so much easier to get through then the kaplan. Is there enough information in these EK books? The kaplan books have tons more and its making me feel like I need to continue reading those even though I feel like they are too long and dense to learn anything really.


Has anyone who has taken the Kaplan course got on a really good schedule of how to complete all of the materials? (Like did you do all of the online materials before and after each of the classes?) Because there is so many online materials it takes hours and hours to complete that and hours just to read the text and with a mon/wed class I can complete all of this within 2 days before the next class?

Also, has anyone had any experience with these EK books? I have read reviews that people hate then and others of people who loved them.


Any other tips on studying for the MCAT? I plan on taking it in June or July. Any advice would be great.

Thank!

 

[ridethecliche]

Are you talking about the Kaplan books from the course?

I've seen both those and EK. I'm using ek primarily but I don't think kaplan has too much stuff.

If anything, I've found that EK has too little, especially for physics. So I bought nova. I actually forgot that I had the kaplan books when I did that. Ooops. Might have to go back and check what their physics is like.

I use kaplan for reference for EK stuff I don't understand. I think both are 'to the point' and neither embellish in the material or are textbook like (ala TBR).

That said, understanding the material more deeply helps a ton. I think you might be having trouble distinguishing that which you have to memorize and that which you need to understand and grasp.

 

[MikeB14]

yea the kaplan books from the course. I think they are pretty in depth.

 

[ridethecliche]

Honestly, I think that if you think that the books are too indepth, you don't understand the material well enough yet.

EK is good though. I don't like their physics all that much though.

 

[MikeB14]

Its not that I don't understand the material...its that I find it hard to try to memorize each thing kaplan talks about...which is much more than the ek.

After I read examkracker I feel that I understand the material and can apply it to the questions they give....after I read kaplan, I understood it while reading, but when I try to apply it I confuse myself with the ton of other things they were talking about throughout the reading.

 

[ridethecliche]

Its not that I don't understand the material...its that I find it hard to try to memorize each thing kaplan talks about...which is much more than the ek.

After I read examkracker I feel that I understand the material and can apply it to the questions they give....after I read kaplan, I understood it while reading, but when I try to apply it I confuse myself with the ton of other things they were talking about throughout the reading.

You're not supposed to memorize everything.

Read post #2

 

[MikeB14]

Using the word memorize was a bad choice of words. I just mean that I feel that the kaplan is taking up too much study time, explaining things that aren't necessarily too important for the MCAT. It is putting too many extra things into my head. I think I will just use the EK and use the kaplan books as a reference like you do. How is that working out for you?

 

[ridethecliche]

It's going pretty well so far. I also bought all the EK1001/101 books for review. I don't think that EK has enough in text examples for PS so I often get the concepts but apply them a little 'silly-ly'.

I bought NOVA for physics review.

EK is fine for review. Just make sure you add more practice than they have in the review books since the couple of passages they offer you are a pittance.

 

[thomasfx10]

Hey Mike, I am in the same boat as you are. I purchased the Kaplan course (Class room) and they just go way to fast. You really do not get time to ask questions since they are trying to cram through so much material.

I finally gave up on Kaplan (Yea it was $1600) but I do get 19 or so practice exams, including all the AAMC. I know it is still not worth it ...

I would suggest the Berkeley Review. The are almost entirely passage based, and you can fill in with ExamKracker for discreets.

I am using SN2ed 3 month study guide and it is going well. I am not even logging in Kaplan's website until I ready to do the practice Exams.

Hope that helps ... Look at the sticky for SN2ed 3 month guide. There are many people on here that are doing it with good results.

 

[LaurenMCAT]

Hey Mike, I am in the same boat as you are. I purchased the Kaplan course (Class room) and they just go way to fast. You really do not get time to ask questions since they are trying to cram through so much material.

I finally gave up on Kaplan (Yea it was $1600) but I do get 19 or so practice exams, including all the AAMC. I know it is still not worth it ...

Thomasfx - man, I'm really bummed about this. 🙁 Tell me more about your situation. I assume you were in a two-class-a-week program? Do you have a heavy schedule of many extracurricular and academic classes? Did you chat with your Kaplan instructor about your concerns?

It may be that you'd do much much better in a once a week course or a summer-only course!

We necessarily offer our students a large spectrum of resources because the MCAT tests so many topics and every student has his/her own unique strengths and weaknesses. When I was a Kaplan student, I rocked at bio, but knew nothing about o chem, so I maximized nearly all the o chem resources and did enough bio to reaffirm what I knew while practicing the Kaplan methods.

In regards our Scientific American-illustrated Review Notes books (Physics, Gen Chem, O Chem, Bio, and Verbal/Writing), we WANT them to be comprehensive and thorough without including anything that WON'T be tested! What we offer, as a more basic alternative to the Review Notes, are the Foundation Reviews found in your online syllabus as .pdf files. Each classroom lesson is accompanied by a Foundation Review document that spells out the material in a gradual, basic manner, highlighting essential concepts. I recommend that students read through these BEFORE attacking the Review Notes.

Of course, reading "textbooks" and memorizing content is only part of the game. I'm worried, Thomasfx, that by not going to class, you're missing out on a MAJOR component of the Kaplan approach to the MCAT: critical thinking and crisis prevention. These test taking strategies and methods discussed in class are practiced in an environment where you SHOULD be asking questions and making mistakes - with a teacher present!

Kaplan instructors are required to come to class early and stay after class to field students' questions. We also give students our email addresses, etc, so that you may ask us questions in private or discuss other concerns. If you don't feel that you can make a solid connection with your Kaplan instructor or are feeling overwhelmed with the recommended preparatory work, PM me and we'll see what we can do to get you into another course or work out an alternative arrangement!

I'd love to help you work on this issue...'cause I'm still really bummed that you're struggling with this MCAT beast. 🙁 Holler back when you get the chance!

 

[LaurenMCAT]

I have started the Kaplan MCAT course and have been struggling to complete all the readings and all of the additional online materials. After reading the first section for each of the subjects I feel that the Kaplan Books are too long and have way too much information. I feel like I am getting lost in them like its a textbook...

Has anyone who has taken the Kaplan course got on a really good schedule of how to complete all of the materials? (Like did you do all of the online materials before and after each of the classes?) Because there is so many online materials it takes hours and hours to complete that and hours just to read the text and with a mon/wed class I can complete all of this within 2 days before the next class?

Hi Mike

I hope I can help...

I was once a Kaplan MCAT student in a summer-long on-site class. I worked full-time during the day and attended class/studied in the evenings and weekends. Additionally, I paid for the course myself and had massive incentive to do well on the exam the first time around (basically, there was no room in my life to take it again...and I had to get a great score to make-up for lower undergrad grades).

Kaplan gives you MORE resources that you could ever complete on your own - unless you want to study for like 2 years straight. We hope that you will use whatever resources you need to to address your weaknesses, maintain your strengths, practice the Kaplan methods, and get yourself into a good testing rhythm for Test Day. And if/when you have questions about those resources? You can PM me or ask your Kaplan instructor!

Speaking of resources, check out my response to Thomasfx above to learn how to use both the Review Notes and Foundation Reviews.

If you're enrolled in a two-class-a-week MCAT program, you'll need to plan your studying out ahead of time using a detailed calendar - because you're right - there is a LOT of material to cover! And that's the nature of the MCAT!

Here's a sample schedule for a M/W class:

Thursday
am: review W's lesson - transfer new info from your Lesson Book into your Review Notes or vice versa
pm: complete chapter quizzes and online workshop quizzes from W class

Friday
am: read Foundation Reviews for M class, complete online workshops for M class
pm: read Review Notes chapters for M class

Saturday
rest

Sunday
am: read Foundation Reviews for W class, complete online workshops for W class
pm: read Review Notes chapters for W class

Monday
class

Tuesday
am: review M's lesson - transfer new info from your Lesson Book into your Review Notes or vice versa
pm: complete chapter quizzes and online workshop quizzes from M class

Wednesday
class

This is just a suggestion 😉 There are many alternative methods such as to complete all reading over the weekend and work on your online resources during the week. (That's what I did because I spent some summer weekends at my friend's beach house which didn't have internet.) The point is: BREAK IT DOWN. Set short and long term goals for yourself, study in short spurts, take necessary breaks, stay well rested, and when you think you can't do it anymore - remember what the MAIN POINT of all this is - to get into the med school of YOUR CHOICE!

Holler back whenever, Mike, and please join us in the SDN Kaplan forum! Lots of current student/alums hang out over there and I've got a number of posts you may find helpful 😉

Good luck!

 

[MikeB14]

I love the Kaplan online resources. I just feel that the review notes books are way too much to get through in addition to all of the online material. I cram reading the lectures notes and feel like I dont get too much out of reading them (and they take me forever to read, its like 150 pages after every class).

I feel that I have learned more physics that I can apply to questions from 40 pages of EK physics then I learned out of all of the 150 pages of kaplan physics I have read so far. (And I was paying attention to the kaplan physics, highlighting and taking notes. It was just so much that by the time I got to the end of each chapter, I couldn't remember what the beginning of the chapter was even talking about.)

I feel like I just want to read the EK from now on and use all of the Kaplan online resources. But I feel bad not using the Kaplan books because i feel like I should be using them.


Im confused. But i'll figure something out that works for me.

 

[LaurenMCAT]

I feel like I just want to read the EK from now on and use all of the Kaplan online resources. But I feel bad not using the Kaplan books because i feel like I should be using them.

Im confused. But i'll figure something out that works for me.

Mike - go ahead and use WHATEVER you feel you need to in order to prepare yourself for the exam. We stand behind all our resources, but it's your decision if your study habits and needs dictate differently 😉

I recommend maintaining an open line of communication with your Kaplan instructor, too.

 

[mrmatt]

I'm also using Kaplan and EK, mostly Kaplan. Here is what I've been doing for each lesson:

Read Kaplan Review Notes and take notes/highlight
Watch online On Demand course
Take Topical tests
Do problems from EK 1001

Can anyone comment on this approach? I'm trying to combine review of content with practicing actual test format questions. Also, when do you recommend taking the Subject Tests (available for each Kaplan lesson)?

 

[bfarn30]

Mike- I was in a situation very similar to yours. I had taken a Kaplan classroom course while working a job that was 50-60 hours per week. Look at my post on 30+ MCAT strategies. It did not go well.

IMO, if you are a self sufficient, driven person who likes to make your own schedule, then classroom time is probably not for you. I found that I was wasting 3 hours of time in the classes that I could have been studying. My second time around, I did use the online content to access the aamcs and some of the FLs and section tests. The Kaplan section tests are gold. As far as content review, I used EK. Then I supplemented with TPR and Kaplan for subjects I was fuzzy on.

Good luck. Do it right the first time around. Go with your instincts.