Retaking the Princeton Review MCAT course

[itslikewhoa]

Has anyone RE-taken the Princeton Review MCAT course before? I took it over the summer and have since moved cities. I thought it would be a good chance to refresh again with different teachers, but they are asking for a $299 "materials fee." Is this normal? I mean, I already paid for the class the first time, and they're using the same books we used. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

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[SN2ed]

I've never heard of a materials fee. With Kaplan, when you retake the course, often times the student would get second copies of the books unless they tell them they don't need any books.

Here are the details for TPR: http://www.princetonreview.com/testprep.aspx?id=662

Overall, I don't think retaking a course is particularly helpful because when that happens, the student has typically gone through the practice material. Retaking practice material is not a good thing to do for anything other than analyzing what went wrong during your last study schedule. You must use new practice passages and FLs. However, a course may be helpful if you have good teachers, though you still need new practice material.

 

[itslikewhoa]

For anyone else that cares...

So this is what the website says, "You take the official test for which you prepared within 30 days (45 for MCAT) following the final session of your program or pay an administrative fee ($200 for GRE and GMAT; $300 for LSAT and MCAT) if you take the official test more than 30 days (45 days for MCAT) following the final session of your program."

Basically, it sounds like if you take the MCAT BEFORE 30 days after your last class, it's free, but if you take it AFTER 30 days after your last class, there's a $299 fee.

I will check up with the office and find out for sure if this is the case! This is a lot of fine print!

 

[SN2ed]

For anyone else that cares...

So this is what the website says, "You take the official test for which you prepared within 30 days (45 for MCAT) following the final session of your program or pay an administrative fee ($200 for GRE and GMAT; $300 for LSAT and MCAT) if you take the official test more than 30 days (45 days for MCAT) following the final session of your program."

Basically, it sounds like if you take the MCAT BEFORE 30 days after your last class, it's free, but if you take it AFTER 30 days after your last class, there's a $299 fee.

I will check up with the office and find out for sure if this is the case! This is a lot of fine print!

Yeah that's where I'm guessing they're getting you. I wonder why they call it a "material's fee."

 

[itslikewhoa]

Also, SN2ed, thanks for your advice. I agree with you that using new practice material is definitely the most helpful. The last course I took had AWFUL teachers and the last two weeks ended up being taught by a sub who was even more awful (think worse than your worst college prof). I figure there's no loss if I can retake for no fee and I can really do the extra passages and whatnot that I have.

 

[itslikewhoa]

Yeah that's where I'm guessing they're getting you. I wonder why they call it a "material's fee."

I took the test 3 days after the class ended because the class ended behind schedule. That is not a good idea, either. I was really unhappy with PR about that. Hence, I'm retaking. SIGH!

 

[SN2ed]

If they're charging you $300, you might as well not retake the course. With that money, you could buy new practice tests and get a used set of BR (Physics, Gen Chem and O-chem) books, EK Verbal 101, and EK Bio 1001.

$150 for 10 Gold Standard FLs ($100 on ebay when they sell them)

Then pick up used copies of the books.

You could also try and explain your situation, but I don't think you'll get too far.

 

[itslikewhoa]

Yeah, that is true. I have a bunch of practice stuff left over - BR and EK mostly as well as some Online PR Diags - so I can finish that stuff off. Thanks! I'll prob update tomorrow morning when they respond about my fate - to retake or not!

 

[itslikewhoa]

So, basically, I think they were trying to get me to pay an extra $300 for no reason. I got the books and the class for free. Beware!

 

[michiganman31]

The teachers for princeton review just read straight from the book. The only thing it was good for was all the practice tests they gave (like 20).

 

[KingstonPre]

I'm in there now, they only give 8 or 9 exams now...