Teaching at Kaplan? Is it worth it?

[ernieraisin]

Has anyone taught MCAT at Kaplan? If so, did you enjoy it? How much do you get paid? I was invited for an audition and I would like to know other opinions.

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[tgerwuds]

Has anyone taught MCAT at Kaplan? If so, did you enjoy it? How much do you get paid? I was invited for an audition and I would like to know other opinions.

I have been teaching at Kaplan for about a year and a half. The job is hard at first when you start to prep the lessons. But after that, the money is really good and the job is friggin' easy. Plus, it is fun and if you like seeing others do well, it is for you.

Feel free to ask me any further questions.

 

[ernieraisin]

very cool.
i hate to ask you this but how much do you get paid?

 

[tgerwuds]

very cool.
i hate to ask you this but how much do you get paid?

Sorry dude, I am not going to tell you how much I get paid. However, they start you off at $15/hr to teach and $7/hr to prep. Then, after you teach for 1 month, they give you a raise. And when they do, trust me, you will really love teaching for them.

I have made more money working less hours for them than when I waited tables in high school. Plus, it is a very time friendly job if you are still an undergrad.

PM me if you need any more info.

 

[Hook17]

Sorry dude, I am not going to tell you how much I get paid. However, they start you off at $15/hr to teach and $7/hr to prep. Then, after you teach for 1 month, they give you a raise. And when they do, trust me, you will really love teaching for them.

I have made more money working less hours for them than when I waited tables in high school. Plus, it is a very time friendly job if you are still an undergrad.

PM me if you need any more info.

are you qualified to teach all subjects?

 

[jennben4]

Ditto. It's rough at first to immerse yourself in the lessons from a teacher's perspective. Plus, if you skated by on any section - you'll have to learn it for answering the ten thousand anxious, over-achieving pre-med questions. We've all been there... you know what to expect. However, once you get comfortable, it's really posh. You do make excellent money for minimal hours. AND, for me it has been great review. It's a good way to keep the basics fresh, especially things that are good to know, but no longer part of med school curriculum.... like physics and things. I know that when I prep a lesson, I try to do some extra reading about it. That way I'm comfortable with the material in class and I learned something new. WOW! Anyhoo.... It's also great karma. Share what you have learned, your students will be grateful for your relation of first-hand experiences. AND (geez, I thought this would be a short response) the more you teach the strategy and reasoning for it all, the better off you'll be as far as future test-taking. Can't hurt right? USMLE anybody??

🙂

I have been teaching at Kaplan for about a year and a half. The job is hard at first when you start to prep the lessons. But after that, the money is really good and the job is friggin' easy. Plus, it is fun and if you like seeing others do well, it is for you.

Feel free to ask me any further questions.

 

[jennben4]

Depends. You could be a generalist and teach any subject. Or if you're only comfortable with bio, you could only teach that. They don't make you do anything you don't want to do. 🙂 On the flipside, if you got a 7 on physical because you just can't do physics, they won't be overly thrilled to give you physics classes.

are you qualified to teach all subjects?

 

[almondjoyMD]

Working for Kaplan has been a lot of fun. You get to talk with other teachers who are at the same place as you are, and can understand the whole process better than most of your other friends. Plus, remember all the stress and all the things which you wish you had known before the MCAT? You can turn around and help people towards a goal similar to your own. Selfishly, it is also nice because you can decide how little or much you want to teach depending on your schedule. Also, if you get used to teaching, it would be a lot easier to teach during med school for some added cash. I think the only really difficult part was the training. I am not sure about everyone else's experience, but I thought that training was hard and kind of stressful. However, after that it is a lot of fun. You can also PM me if you have any questions

 

[Economist]

I'm surprised that you found the training difficult and stressful. I trained with 2 other people and it was pretty much a joke. All of us were obviously pretty capable so the trainer just did a cursory run-through of the material each time and each of us did our 10-minute mock lessons and critiqued each other.

So as far as training goes, it seems your mileage may vary.

 

[liger]

I just got into the kaplan training program and had a few questions for those of you who've been thru it before. After my audition they said that I would still be "evaluated" (i.e. i'm not in the clear yet) during my training. Is that true- or does everyone basically make it through training if you do the work? Also, what happens right after you get trained? I was going to try to work full time for kaplan next year but is that even a possibility if i am new on board? or does it take a while for them to hook you up with classes? Oh also is there an option to teach during the day or are most classes at night and on the weekend.Thanx!

 

[hermione]

I have my last training class tomorrow night. I agree that training is a lot of work. But I hope its worth it in the end. I know that at my center, there is a need for tutors now but not so much teachers for MCAT since most classes for August are already started and the April ones come later. Also don't forget, at my center anyway, once you're in, you can "cross train" for other tests, ie take a practice test and score well then teach or tutor it. I think lots of med students do that for SAT. Also yes I think most classes are nights/weekends as far as I know.

 

[jennben4]

I have also been the "trainer" at teacher training. You are definitely still being evaluated. Although most people will eventually teach (bc/we all understand about inexperience, nerves, etc..), some people won't make it through. You have to be really bad for that to happen though... After you're done, it depends on what time of year it is and what center you're teaching at. When I finished, they put available classes up on the board and off we went. Some places might be scheduled for the rest of the class run. In that case, you would be contacted to fill in for other teachers that can't make certain classes. I know I get an average of an e-mail a day with a request to fill in for somebody. So, you may not be scheduled immediately, but they need you. Day/night also depends on the center, time of year, and how the scheduling is designed for that cycle. Even is an MCAT class is being offered at a time you can't teach, there might be a PCAT (pharm) or DAT (dental)class running that fits your schedule. They are super-easy to teach - it's practically all content and much less critical thinking/passage work.

I just got into the kaplan training program and had a few questions for those of you who've been thru it before. After my audition they said that I would still be "evaluated" (i.e. i'm not in the clear yet) during my training. Is that true- or does everyone basically make it through training if you do the work? Also, what happens right after you get trained? I was going to try to work full time for kaplan next year but is that even a possibility if i am new on board? or does it take a while for them to hook you up with classes? Oh also is there an option to teach during the day or are most classes at night and on the weekend.Thanx!

 

[QofQuimica]

Has anyone taught MCAT at Kaplan? If so, did you enjoy it? How much do you get paid? I was invited for an audition and I would like to know other opinions.

I started teaching MCAT for Kaplan eight years ago. At this point I've taught for just about every test except for LSAT. I do enjoy teaching tremendously, which is probably not a big surprise to anyone. Your pay will vary depending on your experience and your geographical location. If you're a college senior with no teaching background, $18/hr is probably reasonable. Note that you will only be paid that amount for your face time in the classroom, not for your prep time.

 

[dca_55]

I'm planning on auditioning to teach at Kaplan next week. I had one question though. They asked me to bring a resume and I have previous SAT tutoring experience, but with a different test prep company. Do you think that would be looked at as a positive (because I have some previous test prep experience) or a negative (because it was with a different teaching method)?

 

[TheMightyAngus]

To all Kaplan teachers:

I'm just beginning my training to teach MCAT for Kaplan, so my training doesn't end until August, i.e. post-MCAT. My question is what will I be able to teach after I'm trained. Can I teach DAT/PCAT/SAT immediately after being trained althought I haven't taken these tests? I could use the $$$ and don't really want to wait till winter rolls around to start teaching.

 

[QofQuimica]

To all Kaplan teachers:

I'm just beginning my training to teach MCAT for Kaplan, so my training doesn't end until August, i.e. post-MCAT. My question is what will I be able to teach after I'm trained. Can I teach DAT/PCAT/SAT immediately after being trained althought I haven't taken these tests? I could use the $$$ and don't really want to wait till winter rolls around to start teaching.

I generally teach PCAT and DAT/OAT in the fall, which is the MCAT "off season." But most of the other MCAT instructors at our center don't do this. Several of them are medical students, so they don't have time to teach during the fall anyway. I think that some of the others teach SAT classes, and I have taught SAT in the past myself. So yes, it is possible for you to teach SAT, DAT or PCAT; your center will probably ask you to take one of the Kaplan practice tests to show proficiency if you want to teach those courses.

P.S. You never took the SAT? Did you take the ACT then? Kaplan offers ACT courses as well, and that might be the best first class for you as a novice instructor.

 

[bubbachuck]

just wondering, is teaching at Kaplan a good thing to put on your med school admission? it seems like it would but i think med schools frown upon test prep courses in general.

 

[ernieraisin]

i dont think med schools look down at commercial prep courses. i mean, how many second and third year students take prep courses for their USMLEs? i think you should put it down. i know i will if i pass the training

 

[QofQuimica]

I think that teaching, whether for a test prep company or for your university, is a positive activity. If it's something that you have a passion for and participate in extensively, then it is well-worth including.

 

[BlinkyCat]

I think that teaching, whether for a test prep company or for your university, is a positive activity. If it's something that you have a passion for and participate in extensively, then it is well-worth including.

Hi Kaplan teachers! I was wondering how to survive the training program and be hired to teach. I am about to start the training program as well and want to do well. Any pointers for those of you who had completed the program?
I don't want to get kicked out of the program

 

[hermione]

Hi Kaplan teachers! I was wondering how to survive the training program and be hired to teach. I am about to start the training program as well and want to do well. Any pointers for those of you who had completed the program?
I don't want to get kicked out of the program

Aww geesh, you can tell we are all a bunch of med school gunners. You are not going to get kicked out of the program!! Its five sessions, you need to show up five times, prepare what they tell you to prepare five times, and not be a *****. Thats about it. Its not a big deal at all. You will be fine. 😛

 

[QofQuimica]

Hi Kaplan teachers! I was wondering how to survive the training program and be hired to teach. I am about to start the training program as well and want to do well. Any pointers for those of you who had completed the program?
I don't want to get kicked out of the program

Prep your lesson properly. Being unprepared for your teach-back or class is not cool.

 

[BlinkyCat]

Prep your lesson properly. Being unprepared for your teach-back or class is not cool.

Thanks all! I will definitely prepare and hopefully try to be a very helpful instructor. 🙂

 

[DrChandy]

To the Kaplan or Princeton Review MCAT prep teachers,

When do these teaching sessions begin? (ie, are there only two sessions per year?) Also, in terms of private tutoring- is this done throughout the year, or is it similar to the conventional prep times of the year? (ie ~ 3 months before april and august)

 

[CerealBox]

Sorry dude, I am not going to tell you how much I get paid. However, they start you off at $15/hr to teach and $7/hr to prep. .....

Is this really that sensitive of a subject?
Can you give a range? $15 is NOT a lot (or enough). Maybe for $25 or more I would do it. Is that reasonable? Or are there people out there willing to teach MCAT prep classes for a lot less?

 

[diosa428]

I'm auditioning for a Kaplan teaching position in a week, and I have a question - Does everyone go through the same training regardless of what test they will eventually teach? If I get the job, I'd like to start teaching asap, and I know that they have SAT courses near me starting in Sept. (Of course, this means I have to re-take the SAT....) BUT if I wanted to teach the MCAT course in the spring, I wouldn't have to go through training again right? Also, do they give you a syllabus of what you're supposed to cover in every class? Thanks!

 

[bgreet]

I teach for Kaplan right now and am currently teaching 3 classes, private tutoring one student, and covering a ton of classes. Your experience is going to be highly dependent on the test center you work for. In my case, my test center is extremely low on mcat teachers and therefore I sometimes teach to 50 students at a given time and have to run around and live at the Kaplan center. Is it good money? Sure. Plus the people I have in my classes are great. It's all about what you like to do. In my case because there was a shortage in teachers I started out at a higher pay. Good luck no matter what you decide to do.

 

[lorelei]

Is this really that sensitive of a subject?
Can you give a range? $15 is NOT a lot (or enough). Maybe for $25 or more I would do it. Is that reasonable? Or are there people out there willing to teach MCAT prep classes for a lot less?

It depends on the area and how badly they need teachers. In the DC area, I started at $20/hr for teaching and $7/hr for prep. That was fine for me, because I wanted to teach because I love teaching - if I needed extra cash, I could make way more by working overtime at my other job. But I think $20/hr is very reasonable.

 

[lorelei]

I'm auditioning for a Kaplan teaching position in a week, and I have a question - Does everyone go through the same training regardless of what test they will eventually teach? If I get the job, I'd like to start teaching asap, and I know that they have SAT courses near me starting in Sept. (Of course, this means I have to re-take the SAT....) BUT if I wanted to teach the MCAT course in the spring, I wouldn't have to go through training again right? Also, do they give you a syllabus of what you're supposed to cover in every class? Thanks!

The MCAT training is specialized. There are portions that are generic, but you specifically do teachbacks of MCAT lessons. In order to teach the SAT you'd have to cross-train.

They give you a teacher's edition of the lesson (TEL) which gives everything you have to cover in class in very great detail.

 

[CerealBox]

It depends on the area and how badly they need teachers. In the DC area, I started at $20/hr for teaching and $7/hr for prep. That was fine for me, because I wanted to teach because I love teaching - if I needed extra cash, I could make way more by working overtime at my other job. But I think $20/hr is very reasonable.

Thanks. I agree that $20/hr is reasonable. I, however, would probably prefer to increase my hours doing research at $18/hr than try to fit irregular MCAT teaching hours into my schedule.

It sounds like a great job though. You can really get a lot out of it.