Taking multiple MCAT prep courses?

[Optimus Lime]

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I'm still finishing my prereqs, but I'll be done with them in a few semesters. This was simply my plan for studying for the MCAT, not sure what you guys will think. Is this a good plan?

Money isn't a huge issue either. I'll obviously finish all my prereqs before doing this, as I'm not in a hurry. FOR PREP COURSES I SPECIFICALLY MEAN ONLY THE INTENSIVE 6 WEEK ON-SITE PROGRAMS.

For the first time I take the MCAT.
- Take the Kaplan summer intensive prep course. It's $8,499. It's about 6 weeks long.
- Then study on my own for another month or two and take the MCAT.

If I don't score mid to high 30's, then take the MCAT again.

Studying for the 2nd try at the MCAT.
- Take TWO prep courses before my second try at the MCAT.
- Possibly the princeton review ($7,999) and another one. Both will probably be on-site intensives so I can immerse myself and not be distracted. The PR intensive is also 6 weeks.
- Study on my own for another month or two.

I'm just not sure if this would have huge diminishing returns after taking an intensive course. My friend told me 3 courses would probably be the maximum before it becomes a waste. Two or one might be the maximum though.

If I still score ****ty both times then I probably suck. 😕

 

[Yonko Shanks]

I'm still finishing my prereqs, but I'll be done with them in a few semesters. This was simply my plan for studying for the MCAT, not sure what you guys will think. Is this a good plan?

Money isn't a huge issue either. I'll obviously finish all my prereqs before doing this, as I'm not in a hurry. FOR PREP COURSES I SPECIFICALLY MEAN ONLY THE INTENSIVE 6 WEEK ON-SITE PROGRAMS.

For the first time I take the MCAT.
- Take the Kaplan summer intensive prep course. It's $8,499. It's about 6 weeks long.
- Then study on my own for another month or two and take the MCAT.

If I don't score mid to high 30's, then take the MCAT again.

Studying for the 2nd try at the MCAT.
- Take TWO prep courses before my second try at the MCAT.
- Possibly the princeton review ($7,999) and another one. Both will probably be on-site intensives so I can immerse myself and not be distracted. The PR intensive is also 6 weeks.
- Study on my own for another month or two.

I'm just not sure if this would have huge diminishing returns after taking an intensive course. My friend told me 3 courses would probably be the maximum before it becomes a waste. Two or one might be the maximum though.

If I still score ****ty both times then I probably suck. 😕

wish i had 15 grand to blow on the mcat.

Anyways, I think you should go for it if money is not an issue. You can never be too prepared right?

 

[Optimus Lime]

wish i had 15 grand to blow on the mcat.

Anyways, I think you should go for it if money is not an issue. You can never be too prepared right?

That's what I'm thinking, what if taking two or more prep courses can be detrimental to your progress? Some people recommend just solo studying for the most part.

Also, would there be a significant advantage to taking two courses instead of just one, or taking three courses instead of just two? I mean separate courses, I wouldn't take the same one more than once, unless there was a good reason to.

 

[nisarg2010]

lol Thats crazy amount of money to waste. I am in a kaplan class right now and have friends in TPR course. It's not how many classes you take but what you do when taking them. Each company provides you with SOOOO much material and practice tests that if you really go through all of it in dept than you wont need to take another class (if you dont score well, than another company wont really help). So my advise would be to take ONE course if you really want to (doesn't matter what company you choose, they all give you the same information) and get TBR + EK books and go through those on your own. The biggest advise I can give you is that the companies wont magically raise your score by just going to the classes and listening. You will have to do EVERYTHING they tell you to do. This means at least 15-20hrs of NON CLASS studying (outside on your own).

 

[Godric]

Prep courses dont = better score
Studying habits + work = better score

You should really plan to take the mcat once as is, telling your self you can try again sets you up for a second attempt.

If your willing to spend that type of money, why not just fly out to cali, and take a TBR course? I would if I could. (You'll need housing + food + $ for the course (maybe transportation))

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

For $15K plus whatever you're going to spend in housing and travel costs, you could buy all of the different materials for homestudy new and have about 300 hours of private tutoring (assuming a typical tutor costs $50/hour) and never have to relocate. I get the mentality that if you spend more then it means you really are committed, but the truth of the matter is that even in a course it comes down to the amount of time you put in on your own.

Would you get more out of signing up for Global Gym or getting a personal trainer? That's really the call here.

 

[TipToad]

DUDE. DON'T SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON A PREP COURSE.

Yes, the caps lock was necessary.

 

[vashka]

Take it from someone with access to both kaplan and tpr, prep courses do little to prepare you. The best prep comes from doing passages and repetitively going over the information yourself. This is not something a kaplan teacher can give you. I agree that the money is best spent on a tutor who can fine tune your weak points as opposed to sitting in a class talking about some else's weak points. I also second the point about flying to cali for the TBR course. Damn I would have loved to do that if I had the cash...

 

[Optimus Lime]

Take it from someone with access to both kaplan and tpr, prep courses do little to prepare you. The best prep comes from doing passages and repetitively going over the information yourself. This is not something a kaplan teacher can give you. I agree that the money is best spent on a tutor who can fine tune your weak points as opposed to sitting in a class talking about some else's weak points. I also second the point about flying to cali for the TBR course. Damn I would have loved to do that if I had the cash...

I meant specifically the intensive prep courses that would require me to fly out to cali anyways, but I only listed the Kaplan and the Princeton Review ones above. The Berkely Review would have been a choice in my mind.

Any particular reason you specify TBR intensive in cali over the other intensives in cali? They all have 6 week intensives in Cali from what I understand.

I suppose I'll just take one intensive prep course in Cali in preparation for my MCAT when the time comes. Somebody mentioned that I should only PLAN to take it once, and that is true. If I plan to take it twice then I won't give it my all the first time. Aim high the first time! Second time is a back up option that should not come to mind!

 

[Godric]

TBR has the best physics, gen chem, orgo books I have ever read. They can teach anyone, and at a level that surpasses other companies. This coming from a person who has done poorly/never understood chem and now can. I consider the TBR books to be amazing, I cant imagine what the course must be like. And from the stuff Ive read the people who teach the course actually know the topic they teach.

Search TBR, TPR, Kap, on the forum and just compare the relative praise vs negative comments and make your choice based on that.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

No joke, TBR is the best series you can have for the mcat. Their only problem is that they are dense as hell and do not go easily into your head, so it requires some work to figure out how to use the books.
That being said, don't even think about wasting that much cash for a course. Buy TBR books for like 300 dollars + 101 Passages in Verbal ( EK) and that's it.

 

[gtbROX]

I found my prep course only useful in regards to the reviewing the material and thinking through the question/mcat logic. If anything, take the examkrackers prep class; it's probably the best for verbal. If you have that much money, spend it on GS and AAMC practice tests and EK practice material instead. Most of your score improvement will actually come from those self-study moments as opposed to in class lectures.