Torn Between Kaplan and Sn2Ed's Self Study Plan

[JReiss]

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Hi ya'll,

Would be very grateful for any feedback people can provide on this topic. I've searched the message board before posting and while I did see a few responses, I would be grateful if they could be applied to my specific situation.

Basically, I'm trying to figure out if I should do a Kaplan course or Sn2Ed's self study guide. I'm taking the exam at the end of August/beginning of September and I started studying 2 days ago using Sn2's self study plan. So far, I like it a LOT. The BR is extremely comprehensive which I find helpful. Doing a bit of EK verbal everyday keeps me sharp. Overall, I like the 'cocktail' approach of using various study materials very helpful and I like having a schedule mapped out for every single day.

I'm also enrolled in a Kaplan course starting in three weeks. I have my doubts about Kaplan for all of the general reasons listed (i.e. most of the MCAT is about self-study, Kaplan verbal is bad, lots of class time and money). But I've heard that Kaplan is good on tactics and strategies which I could definitely use help on. I'm not a great standardized test taker and am kind of a slow reader. I also find it difficult to interpret passages and information, quickly, and then apply what I know to the problems. Timing is definitely a concern. While I did well in post-bacc classes and understood the course material, from what I can tell the MCAT is a different kind of beast.

Would be much appreciated just to hear others thoughts. For people who did Sn2's schedule and maybe had difficulty adapting to the time crunch of the exam, what did you do? Maybe just keep on working passages? Something else? For people that used Kaplan, did you think it was worth it?

Thanks very much!

 

[GooseWing]

I feel that SN2ed's schedule will prepare me well for the time-crunch of the exam. He advocates rigorously timing basically everything you do other than content review.

In terms of strategies and such, I've picked up a lot of good strategies around these forums, specifically in the 30+ Habits sticky and in the multiple Verbal strategy guides posted around here.

 

[Hafez]

Hi ya'll,

Would be very grateful for any feedback people can provide on this topic. I've searched the message board before posting and while I did see a few responses, I would be grateful if they could be applied to my specific situation.

Basically, I'm trying to figure out if I should do a Kaplan course or Sn2Ed's self study guide. I'm taking the exam at the end of August/beginning of September and I started studying 2 days ago using Sn2's self study plan. So far, I like it a LOT. The BR is extremely comprehensive which I find helpful. Doing a bit of EK verbal everyday keeps me sharp. Overall, I like the 'cocktail' approach of using various study materials very helpful and I like having a schedule mapped out for every single day.

I'm also enrolled in a Kaplan course starting in three weeks. I have my doubts about Kaplan for all of the general reasons listed (i.e. most of the MCAT is about self-study, Kaplan verbal is bad, lots of class time and money). But I've heard that Kaplan is good on tactics and strategies which I could definitely use help on. I'm not a great standardized test taker and am kind of a slow reader. I also find it difficult to interpret passages and information, quickly, and then apply what I know to the problems. Timing is definitely a concern. While I did well in post-bacc classes and understood the course material, from what I can tell the MCAT is a different kind of beast.

Would be much appreciated just to hear others thoughts. For people who did Sn2's schedule and maybe had difficulty adapting to the time crunch of the exam, what did you do? Maybe just keep on working passages? Something else? For people that used Kaplan, did you think it was worth it?

Thanks very much!

Kaplan is terrible...the only thing they are good for is all the prep material (aamc tests, some of their own FL tests)...the course itself is useless

all of their "strategies" brought my scores down and I spent my time trying to learn them instead of studying...I switched to EK b/c I didnt have time to get TBR books...I would do an EK/BR tandem if you could

Good Luck!

 

[MDminded]

I feel that SN2ed's schedule will prepare me well for the time-crunch of the exam. He advocates rigorously timing basically everything you do other than content review.

In terms of strategies and such, I've picked up a lot of good strategies around these forums, specifically in the 30+ Habits sticky and in the multiple Verbal strategy guides posted around here.

Agreed. I did Kaplan, and though it is structured, the practice passages were not as strong as I personally would have liked it to have been. I find that TBR and EK do a much better job of presenting me content and giving me practice passages that are closer to the real deal.

Good luck in your studies!

 

[LaurenMCAT]

Kaplan is terrible...the only thing they are good for is all the prep material (aamc tests, some of their own FL tests)...the course itself is useless

all of their "strategies" brought my scores down and I spent my time trying to learn them instead of studying...I switched to EK b/c I didnt have time to get TBR books...I would do an EK/BR tandem if you could

Good Luck!

Hi Hafez

I'm super bummed that you seem to have had a disappointing experience prepping for your MCAT with Kaplan! As a classroom instructor and tutor, I know my fellow coworkers and I are super dedicated to helping all our students with any concerns throughout their prep...and had I, or your instructor, known at the time what you struggled with, we would have happily spent one-on-one time after class helping to untangle these issues! 👍 No one's prep experience is without challenges and "bumps in the road," and that's why you have your teachers to lean on or give you great feedback 😀

On a personal note, I prepped for my MCAT with Kaplan a few summers ago and totally loved the experience. I was a non-traditional post-bacc student working full-time and didn't have the time or resources to devise my own study plan and figure things out the hard way...so I paid out of my own pocket for a classroom course, absorbed all the teachings and diligently worked through the syllabus, while making sure to integrate my own study habits and strengths into the daily assignments. In fact, I never picked up another MCAT prep book...and nailed the exam. A lot of my students feel the same way and are themselves on their way to medical school!

As an instructor, I take my job seriously...because it's not JUST about the MCAT...it's about being admitted to medical school!

 

[LaurenMCAT]

Hi ya'll,

Would be very grateful for any feedback people can provide on this topic. I've searched the message board before posting and while I did see a few responses, I would be grateful if they could be applied to my specific situation.

Basically, I'm trying to figure out if I should do a Kaplan course or Sn2Ed's self study guide. I'm taking the exam at the end of August/beginning of September and I started studying 2 days ago using Sn2's self study plan. So far, I like it a LOT. The BR is extremely comprehensive which I find helpful. Doing a bit of EK verbal everyday keeps me sharp. Overall, I like the 'cocktail' approach of using various study materials very helpful and I like having a schedule mapped out for every single day.

I'm also enrolled in a Kaplan course starting in three weeks. I have my doubts about Kaplan for all of the general reasons listed (i.e. most of the MCAT is about self-study, Kaplan verbal is bad, lots of class time and money). But I've heard that Kaplan is good on tactics and strategies which I could definitely use help on. I'm not a great standardized test taker and am kind of a slow reader. I also find it difficult to interpret passages and information, quickly, and then apply what I know to the problems. Timing is definitely a concern. While I did well in post-bacc classes and understood the course material, from what I can tell the MCAT is a different kind of beast.

Would be much appreciated just to hear others thoughts. For people who did Sn2's schedule and maybe had difficulty adapting to the time crunch of the exam, what did you do? Maybe just keep on working passages? Something else? For people that used Kaplan, did you think it was worth it?

Thanks very much!

Hi JReiss!

This decision of yours is a personal one, but I'm glad that you came to this forum to check out others' opinions.

Clearly, I'm not objective (as a Kaplan instructor), but I've got a TON of experience personally when it comes to study plans...which is your real issue here!

Both the Kaplan program and SN2ed's study plans are SUPER organized and well-scheduled...which is pretty much the point when it comes to MCAT prep. You HAVE to have a PLAN and execute it...because you can NOT procrastinate and hope to score well by just cramming last minute. Doesn't work.

When I was a post-bac student trying to figure out how to prep for the MCAT, I went with Kaplan because I was working full-time and just didn't have the time to go hunting around for all sorts of random materials that were going to teach me disparate techniques. I needed a local, time-tested, rock-solid program that could hand me on a silver platter ALL the resources I would ever need to succeed. As for me, I've got all the determination and diligence needed to make use of these materials and I make great study calendars with short- and long-term goals built in.

Hands down, no questions asked, I bet on Kaplan's reputation and experience and know that every penny I spent was completely worth it. I mean, hey, I went into my MCAT prep without EVER taking organic chemistry and I taught myself all the basics from the Kaplan materials ALONE.

Whatever you do...I want to caution you against trying to implement ALL the strategies from ALL the test prep companies. They are not all the same, they are not all created equal, and not all of them will mesh with your natural study habits. Pick one, practice it, master it, and then rock your exam!

 

[hmh]

What I have been doing is using a "cocktail" approach similar to yours. I was having a dilemma using either Kaplan/ EK/ or TBR's materials. I would say use the Kaplan books for material/ prep only. I feel that the TBR books are too in depth and didn't help me retain information well enough, while EK was not in depth enough. I feel like Kaplan is not too in depth, and not too vague, so for study material purposes, it is really good. However, I do not like Kaplan's strategies. I feel like they are a waste of time and counterproductive. While your time could be better spent doing passages and mastering material, you are busy filling your brain with strategies that will probably not help a ton. Same goes for Kaplan's lectures- another time waster. The best strategy perform better on passages is to PRACTICE under TIME RESTRAINTS (I have similar timing issues as you do, so I have weighed all the best ways to effectively make it through passages better). I have been doing TBR passages while reviewing the Kaplan books, and I feel like they have been really helpful. Also, any material not covered in the Kaplan is typically filled in while you are doing the TBR passages, which is helpful too.

 

[doctorSOX]

JReiss,

I took Kaplan this Spring semester, and I took the May 26th MCAT. All-in-all I would recommend Kaplan. I recommend it moreso for the resources you get and for the structured study/practice exam schedule, than for the classroom/teaching experience. The bulk of my learning and studying was done out of the classroom. I felt like Kaplan absolutely covered the main points in class and in the lesson book. However, just covering the main points was not enough to cover all aspects of the MCAT. Obviously, you need to do a ton of work out of class. Here is the catch though- Kaplan's "Review Notes," which are essentially short textbooks specific to each subject, are great, but extremely, overly detailed, often beyond the scope of the MCAT. When you're studying for the MCAT in addition to your own classes though, you really don't have the time to sift through all the additional info. After speaking to some friends though, I picked up The Princeton Review's study book. It's a pretty thick one, but I felt like it did an EXCELLENT job of hitting not only all the main points, but also a vast majority of the random details that the MCAT requires you to know. I didn't read it so much for strategies, as I did for content. And I felt that for content, this is definitely the way to go. When adding the Princeton content to the Kaplan content, I believe that that combination really left very few gaps in content when it came time for me to take the actual test. Kaplan's laminated QuickSheets also are extremely, extremely valuable pieces for you. Honestly, if you knew everything on these quicksheets, and you knew the test structure well, you've got yourself a mid-30's score right there.

So in short- my recommendation would be the Kaplan course plus the Princeton Review book, with less emphasis on Kaplan's "review notes" and more on the Princeton Review's content in place of that

 

[papasmurf27]

silly question, but is TBR and TPR two different things?

 

[ridethecliche]

silly question, but is TBR and TPR two different things?

The Berkeley Review = TBR
The Princeton Review= TPR

 

[coyotelime]

silly question, but is TBR and TPR two different things?

Fitting first post haha jk.

I personally would not recommend the Kaplan method for verbal. Obviously it has worked for some or they wouldn't be in business anymore. I think writing things down as you read, while helpful, is unrealistic for CBT and may end up hurting you since you can't write the notes right by the paragraphs(I'm assuming you can scribble on scratch paper).

I do have some Kaplan Premier and Advanced Kaplan books that I will skim over before I start AAMCs though, hopefully I'll pick up some good tips in addition to the EK/TBR methods.