Tutoring

[LaughingGas10]

I know the traditional wisdom in SDN is that MCAT preparation can be done by buying the content material of any of the large firms (kaplan, princeton, berkeley, blueprint, altius, examkrackers etc), and then do practice tests/ questions.

However for the student who is having difficulty advancing his score beyond 505 after doing all of this, what are the best tutoring agencies/ best tutors out there ?

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[BeMoConsulting]

First of all, congratulations on trying hard and doing as much prep as you can. MCAT is challenging, there’s no question, and many times students find themselves at a place where they do not improve in spite of how much prep they do. You have identified the solution for it, good job. Having expert guidance and feedback can really help you improve because it will help you see what you are doing wrong. Additionally, it will show you how to correct it so you can advance, and it will also provide you with strategies to approach any MCAT-style passage. Remember that content knowledge is not enough to ace the MCAT. There are other aspects of the exam and its format that you need to get familiarized with if you want to do a good job. Content is important but having strategies in place to tackle any passage and deal with information is the only thing that will help you do a good job consistently.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

...what are the best tutoring agencies/ best tutors out there ?

That is the golden question!!! There is no list of tutors to be found anywhere, which is part of the reason why so many prep companies exist. If there was a way to hire tutors directly (without companies taking a huge cut), then tutees would get better service at a better price and tutors would make more money.

I'm not sure if the timing will work for you, but Berkeley Review is sort of going out of business. What I mean is that one founder passed away and the other is teaching for the last time this Fall. In 2022, they will no longer be running classes. They'll still be selling books, but no more courses. Maybe try to independently hire one or two of their better teachers.

 

[Violetsareblue]

If it's alright to ask, what do you feel is holding you back from progressing? I think answering that question will help you in your search for what kind of tutor you need. Are you having trouble scheduling and staying on track? Trouble understanding content? Trouble specifically with test-taking? Trouble with analyzing your practice questions? Trouble organizing your schedule/choosing what to do next?
Like I would say if you can find a tutor not through a company like BerkReviewTeach suggested that would be the most cost-effective.


For me, I don't have trouble learning content and have been pretty good in the past with standardized test-taking, but I needed something all-inclusive re: materials that would also have things planned out for me. I also needed someone reliable as a tutor to be my partner in the coming months prepping for the MCAT because, if i'm honest with myself, I am not good at being self-reliant. Because of that, I recently decided to do the tutoring package with BP b/c it included tutoring hours, books, videos, tests, and aamc stuff.
I'm ngl though, It's kinda expensive and it was only an option due to the program I am in giving a stipend for prep. But for me, given what I needed, I've been enjoying the experience so far and like that I have someone to check in with and ask more targeted questions.
But I am someone who has trouble keeping themself accountable so needed that. I knew a course by itself or even self study alone would be wasted time on me because of my tendency to procrastinate without external structure. (When I say I know - I mean I've tried in the past while working full time and made little to no progress - so this wasn't theoretical).

If I only needed accountability and not all the other materials (sounds like you may already have the bulk of stuff since you said you did content review?), I would probably find an independent tutor instead.
In which case, again BerkReviewTeach's suggestion sounds pretty solid. You could also see if you can reach out to upperclassmen who've had success or friends who are working with people. The premed organizations on your campus may also know folks who are good tutors. There are also med students who offer tutoring that I've seen in some MCAT facebook groups.


If you are curious more about my experience so far with my tutor - I wrote a little more below. Good luck!

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I've only had 2 meetings with them so far, but so far I feel pretty good about the investment. My tutor set up a custom schedule for me, went through and discussed some of the more dificult questions I got wrong on my diagnostic, listened and reviewed the additional materials I wanted to fold into my schedule beyond the company's materials (uworld, other books, anki, etc), and gave me feedback on my approach to content review (trying a triple pass method) that my occupational therapist agreed with when I brought the feedback to her. They also assigned me homework beyond the schedule before our next meeting.
For me - I needed structure and my tutor is giving me that. As a result, I feel more calm and optimistic about the test.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Obviously declaring my bias because I am representing MST and I think we do a great job, but classically you wanna look for a tutor or tutor company that:

1) Has been in business for a little while. Not that new places and people can't be good and strong, but if you are unfamiliar with the landscape it tends to be a good idea to choose someone established because they have a track record of not going belly up.

2) Doesn't have a long paper trail of angry students in terms of quality. Every tutoring company is going to get qualms on price and every company if they exist long enough is going to have a few students who didn't fit well and that is just life. Even the companies who win JD Power awards for service get a few thumbs down along the way, but they win those awards because they work hard to make them the exception and try to fix problems early as they arise. But if you see a consistent trend of students complaining that they felt 'duped' or that the tutors were making suggestions vastly out of what would be in the best interest of the student, those are red flags.

A good tutor will show you a big toolbox of tips, tricks, and tools they built up over the years, and then help you build your toolbox, organization, and self-accountability in a way that fits the individual profile of how you learn.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors