To Teach: Kaplan or Princeton?

[Mansoor]

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Hey Guys, just wanted to get some opinions from current Kaplan/Princeton teachers. Is there anything you really like or really dislike about the job? I am trying to decide between the two, and I don't know if I want to teach the whole course or focus on certain sections. Also, I hear Kaplan's teaching structure is very rigid and limiting. Has this been a problem for folks out there?

 

[Fermata]

Which one pays more?

 

[KNightInBlue]

Which one pays more?

Couldn't have it put it better myself. This is pretty much the only question I looked at when I was trying to choose. I went with kaplan which pays more and am definitely glad I did. Kaplan pays for both in-class and out-of-class prep time. Princeton only pays for in-class teaching time.

I get $22 per hour in class and $7 per hour for out-of-class prep time. So if I am teaching a 3 hour class which took me 3 hrs to prep, I make $87. If I teach 6 classes like this per week, I can make over $500).

Then again, different areas have different pay rates so you should call the kaplan centers and ask.

Also, inquire about flexibility. My hours with kaplan aren't written in stone and the center managers are fantastic at finding substitutes if you need them (especially if you have interview season coming up).

As for the actual teaching, Princeton focuses more on teaching the content and subject material with individual teachers for bio, chem, orgo, physics and verbal. Kaplan on the other hand teaches more to the test by incorporating test taking startegies with subject material, which I think is far more effective.
Plus it makes it easier to teach (atleast I think so anyway)

Also, if you are looking to really make money (who ins't?), you have the option to cross-train at kaplan. For example, MCAT teachers can train to teach DAT, OAT, and other tests (which are FAR easier to teach if you teach the MCAT), so you can rack up a LOT of hours.

You can see that I am biased but considering I have friends who teach at princeton and constantly bitch about it, I'd say - go with Kaplan.

Good Luck

P.S. If you get great evaluations from your students, you can negotiate a better pay rate with your manager. Especially in an area where MCAT teachers are in demand.
I know teachers at Kaplan who get $35 per hour. A couple of my classes are ending soon and hopefully I can negotiate a higher pay rate 🙂

 

[la gringa]

i made $25/hr at kaplan plus the $7/hr prep time... that was 2 yrs ago too. had no major issues and made a lot for the time i put in.

 

[Childe]

As i understand it, princeton teachers have to make up their own lessons from scratch. Which is both hard and time consuming (and unpaid prep time)..

Kaplan lessons are not 'rigid' exactly, they're written up for you. So you can use that or not, but it makes it very easy and quick to prep.

Pay rate will vary. Kap gives 12 or 14 starting around here with $3 raise after your first class. I assume these 25/35 per hour ppl are in nyc or somewhere similar..

 

[X.O.]

I found Princeton to be a complete PITA situation for teachers compared to what Kaplan was offering. Less compensation/hr, no money to compensate for prep time, and they expect the teachers to come up with lesson plans from scratch and do a crapload of boardwork. Plus Princeton's Step one materials blow. I dont really see why people would favor to teach MCAT for Princeton over Kaplan because its not even close.

 

[Lindyhopper]

I'm also debating between the two. The only reason I'm leaning towards TPR is that I can't see teaching all subject areas. I did well on the MCAT across the board but by far I'm strongest & most intersted in Bio.
How difficult is the Kaplan "teach everything" approach? Also for writing do you have to grade the essays? Is that a hassle?

 

[roja]

There is a phenomenal amount of misinformation regarding TPR here. I taught for 5 years (all through medical school and the year before) at TPR. I took Kaplan and my best friend taught for them. I interviewed at both.

They both payed about the same.

So, to correct the myths (and put a little perspective, I made 25 bucks an hour, was paid for office hours or make up classes) after the first course, I did almost no prep work.

1- you do not make up yoru own lesson plans. The class structure is very structured, and you are given an outline. It is VERY set.

2- depends on your area to see if you teach all or some. Kaplan varies as does Princeton. I was trained to teach in all sections. However, when I transferred, people were trained in one or two subjects. I dropped physics based on seniority. I hated teachign it and didn't feel as qualified.

3- there is a lot of variability and you should really just check out both. In some areas Kaplan will be stronger, in others TPR. Apply and interview at both. Then figure out which one is better for you. And remember, you have to pick people you like to work with as well.

And the STEP 1 material sucks for both companies.

 

[X.O.]

I got quoted lesser money from PR so I wonder if its a regional thing or they just changed their compensation policies. There's no point in sugar coating that youre making an initial investment in uncomped time/energy to teach for PR that I suppose diminishes every time you teach a course but still sucks. I find it kind of suprising they dont even bother being competitive in such a cutthroat business.

I dont want to sound like a Kaplan chearleader. I thought their whole course was a joke and their materials were weaker for the MCAT so I just ended up self studying and bought a bunch of used stuff from every test company off Ebay.

I thought Qbank was the only decent thing on the market from both companies . It was the deciding factor for me to go with Kaplan.

There is a phenomenal amount of misinformation regarding TPR here. I taught for 5 years (all through medical school and the year before) at TPR. I took Kaplan and my best friend taught for them. I interviewed at both.

They both payed about the same.

So, to correct the myths (and put a little perspective, I made 25 bucks an hour, was paid for office hours or make up classes) after the first course, I did almost no prep work.

1- you do not make up yoru own lesson plans. The class structure is very structured, and you are given an outline. It is VERY set.

2- depends on your area to see if you teach all or some. Kaplan varies as does Princeton. I was trained to teach in all sections. However, when I transferred, people were trained in one or two subjects. I dropped physics based on seniority. I hated teachign it and didn't feel as qualified.

3- there is a lot of variability and you should really just check out both. In some areas Kaplan will be stronger, in others TPR. Apply and interview at both. Then figure out which one is better for you. And remember, you have to pick people you like to work with as well.

And the STEP 1 material sucks for both companies.

 

[roja]

I think there is alot of variability regionally. I think I initially started at .50 less than my friend for TPR but we got up to $1 raise after each course until the max. (when I left was 25/hour)

I thought Q bank sucked, but I heard it improved.

 

[la gringa]

i was teaching in winston-salem, NC... for the $25/hr. but, only 1 med school nearby, few other grad students... i got the idea they had to work to keep teachers due to this.

the center here didn't require teachers to teach all subjects - you have to get 11 or higher and not all teachers had that on all sections. me, i sucked at the physics so i taught verbal/writing and bio sci.

i for one thought the kaplan step 1 stuff was good - can only speak from personal experience, but i used primarily those books w/ the online audio as well as all of qbank and got more than a standard deviation above the mean... fwiw. and i only had to pay for the qbank since i taught enough mcat classes.

 

[Lindyhopper]

Anyone have the skinny on the downtown NY or Northern NJ centers of TPR or Kaplan? NYC TPR center seems shockingly disorganized. Like lost my resume & test scores, never return a phone call, place looks like a dump, etc.
Amazingly the acting academic director once told be, "We do not teach biology as part of our MCAT course we teach a course called organic chemistry." 😱 Now that's really "acting" as an academic director.
Still I'm actually still considering teaching for these people. This week's acting director seems somewhat less clueless. I'm also working on the theory that once you get started how much management do you really need in this business.
Kaplan seems like a much better run organization, but they require MCAT teachers to teach all subjects. I really have no desire, nor feel particularly qualified to physics, VR, or writing.

 

[Xandie]

I'm also debating between the two. The only reason I'm leaning towards TPR is that I can't see teaching all subject areas. I did well on the MCAT across the board but by far I'm strongest & most intersted in Bio.
How difficult is the Kaplan "teach everything" approach? Also for writing do you have to grade the essays? Is that a hassle?

You don't have to teach all subject areas. Very few people do actually teach the entire class.

Usually a center manager will let you teach the areas you're most comfortable with.

 

[Madhatter]

i work full-time, is it possible to just do one-on-one tutoring with Kaplan after work (say around 7/8pm). also, how much do they pay for tutoring??

 

[tik-tik-clock]

Hey Guys, just wanted to get some opinions from current Kaplan/Princeton teachers. Is there anything you really like or really dislike about the job? I am trying to decide between the two, and I don't know if I want to teach the whole course or focus on certain sections. Also, I hear Kaplan's teaching structure is very rigid and limiting. Has this been a problem for folks out there?

lol Mansoor i like your quote!

 

[X.O.]

Ive been in touch with the Long Island and northern NJ Kaplan centers and they told me that they try to recruit people that can teach the whole shebang. If youre scores arent high enough and you dont feel like retesting in the section again, they usually restrict people to one on one tutoring to a particular section you did well in.

 

[Xandie]

i work full-time, is it possible to just do one-on-one tutoring with Kaplan after work (say around 7/8pm). also, how much do they pay for tutoring??

Usually they pay the same for teaching as they do for tutoring, and you set the times up with your student, so it can be whenever you want!