Use the Berkeley Review!! Seriously!!!

[asf503]

Hello any SDN peeps wondering what books to use,

In a previous post answering somebody's question on what review material to use, I talked about how I used Kaplan and EK to study for the MCAT. I have taken AAMC Practice MCATs 3R, 4R, 5R, and 6R, and have gotten between 36-38, so I was pretty content with my preparation.

Recently however some members have pointed out to me that Kaplan is (apparently universally) despised for their review content, and while EK is good, it is extremely dense and covers only basics (that is, EK assumes that you are somewhat familiar with all the topics so only briefly delves into them before moving on). I went to UC Berkeley and I know the store where The Berkeley Review prints their books (it's a small printing shop on University Ave. that I used to go to when I needed to make copies), so I was a little skeptical that some random test prep company startup could be better than the "big names" like Kaplan or TPR.

I. Was. Wrong.

Their stuff rocks! I'm amazed at the detailed pictures and diagrams (even in B&W they're better than Kaplan's) and the clarity of their explanations. Their review is succinct, to the point, and skips any nonsense analogies that Kaplan is so fond of using.

Anyways, I really wanted to post something like this to say "I wish I had discovered SDN sooner so I didn't waste time and money buying Kaplan."

Case in point: If you're wondering what you should use for **science** content review, buy The Berkeley Review! They're a bit pricey but they're definitely worth it.


As for Verbal Reasoning, EK 101 passages and the general EK strategy seems to be the undisputed champion 'round these parts.

Edit: 3/4/2013- I had no idea this would spark some crazy debate about what's the best materials to use, I simply wanted to put up a post commemorating the day where I discovered content review that's sooo much better than Kaplan's. EK isn't half bad either, btw, and I would suggest getting them anyways since they're actually pretty decent.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Forkit]

Hello any SDN peeps wondering what books to use,

In a previous post answering somebody's question on what review material to use, I talked about how I used Kapland and EK to study for the MCAT. I have taken AAMC Practice MCATs 3R, 4R, 5R, and 6R, and have gotten between 36-38, so I was pretty content with my preparation.

Recently however some members have pointed out to me that Kaplan is (apparently universally) despised for their review content, and while EK is good, it is extremely dense and covers only basics (that is, EK assumes that you are somewhat familiar with all the topics so only briefly delves into them before moving on). I went to UC Berkeley and I know the store where The Berkeley Review prints their books (it's a small printing shop on University Ave. that I used to go to when I needed to make copies), so I was a little skeptical that some random test prep company startup could be better than the "big names" like Kaplan or TPR.

I. Was. Wrong.

Their stuff rocks! I'm amazed at the detailed pictures and diagrams (even in B&W they're better than Kaplan's) and the clarity of their explanations. Their review is succinct, to the point, and skips any nonsense analogies that Kaplan is so fond of using.

Anyways, I really wanted to post something like this to say "I wish I had discovered SDN sooner so I didn't waste time and money buying Kaplan."

Case in point: If you're wondering what you should use for content review, buy The Berkeley Review! They're a bit pricey but they're definitely worth it!

Berkeley Review?? Never heard of them, do they make DAT and LSAT prep too? I looked at their website and it looks like it was made in the 90s, and they don't even have online ordering. I'd be careful if I were you, they seem like a scam to me.

 

[Mehd School]

No, thanks.

 

[LaughingMan]

I didn't like it.

Ultimately---do whats best for YOU. Do whatever it takes to learn the material.

Some people like the dense reading of BR. I personally hated it. No offense to your BerkTech, you do your company a service by being here.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I didn't like it.

Ultimately---do whats best for YOU. Do whatever it takes to learn the material.

Some people like the dense reading of BR. I personally hated it. No offense to your BerkTech, you do your company a service by being here.

No offense taken at all, because yours is an honest opinion formulated by a personal experience. We're all different and approach every aspect of life differently. I generally only get perturbed by the people who post a hearsay opinion having not actually used the materials. And that's true for any materials, not just the ones from the company that signs my check.

Having also studied for the MCAT, I found the BR materials to be the most useful for me. What you saw as dense I saw as interesting anecdotes that helped me connect different concepts. I loved that the answer explanations were thorough, addressing why wrong choices were wrong and giving tips and strategies to get through questions quickly. I liked that it felt like I was in office hours and the teacher was explaining the solution. What I disliked about other books was their cursory coverage of a subject and the fact it read like a textbook more than a review book. I also got absolutely nothing from the one sentence answer explanations you find in some other books. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but what I absolutely love about BR explanations is that instead of saying something like "refer to Equation 7 on page 19", they write the equation in the explanation. Every book should do this, but few do.

I also like the tricks and test strategies throughout the BR books. Case in point: I love the way BR teaches how to remember D-glucose. There is no way that appears in any other book in the world not only because it's BR's unique way, but because it would likely be deemed inappropriate by editors anywhere else. I love the way BR does pH calculations. The two pages you'll find in the BR book and no where else that explain how to solve pH questions without a calculator in about ten seconds are great. I get how some people don't like having the extra two pages, but I need those tricks.

We're all different and we all study differently. For me, I like the strategies and shortcuts. I have never been a flashcard type of learner, so a book that strings together a list of what to know doesn't help me as much as a book that shows how to apply the information through question after question.

 

[brood910]

TBR physics + gen chem are awesome. Even though I am very strong in these subjects, I just read them all anyway to make sure I know all perfectly.

However, TBR bio and orgo chem are just... TOO MUCH.
You dont have to know all those details in the books..

 

[gettheleadout]

TBR physics + gen chem are awesome. Even though I am very strong in these subjects, I just read them all anyway to make sure I know all perfectly.

However, TBR bio and orgo chem are just... TOO MUCH.
You dont have to know all those details in the books..

Until you get that one discrete that drops your score a point. Then, you know, they might be worth knowing...

 

[mcloaf]

TBR physics + gen chem are awesome. Even though I am very strong in these subjects, I just read them all anyway to make sure I know all perfectly.

However, TBR bio and orgo chem are just... TOO MUCH.
You dont have to know all those details in the books..

I could see where you're coming from with TBR bio.

I'm really not sure where all the hate on TBR ochem comes from. OChem was one of my strongest subjects coming in and I still felt like I got a lot out of TBR without being overwhelmed or confused.

 

[MedWonk]

TBR physics + gen chem are awesome. Even though I am very strong in these subjects, I just read them all anyway to make sure I know all perfectly.

However, TBR bio and orgo chem are just... TOO MUCH.
You dont have to know all those details in the books..

I can see how TBR Bio could be seen as too much, but I felt that TBR Orgo was pretty straightforward and easy relative to my orgo class. It was the one TBR book where I consistently killed the review problems.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I could see where you're coming from with TBR bio.

I'm really not sure where all the hate on TBR ochem comes from. OChem was one of my strongest subjects coming in and I still felt like I got a lot out of TBR without being overwhelmed or confused.

I think the amount of details of TBR Ochem is great but the passages are not that hard like Physics and Gen Chem passages IMO.

 

[circulus vitios]

I'm using TBR physics and gen chem. For the most part they're good. Some parts need to be completely trashed and re-written, though.

 

[captainuzair]

use TBR for all subjects if you want to get a good score.

 

[AktionPOTENTIAL]

use TBR for all subjects if you want to get a good score.

This debate has gotten so old! TBR is the best MCAT content book available for ALL subjects. Some people say TBR Bio or O.Chem may be an overkill, failing to realize the goal is to increase your familiarity w/ words, phrases and experiments that would otherwise be totally foreign. Some of material that appear in TBR's Bio and O.Chem content/passages are things that can appear in an MCAT passage. How do I know? I've taken the MCAT already, using KAPLAN as my content guide. Biggest mistake ever!

 

[MedWonk]

This debate has gotten so old! TBR is the best MCAT content book available for ALL subjects. Some people say TBR Bio or O.Chem may be an overkill, failing to realize the goal is to increase your familiarity w/ words, phrases and experiments that would otherwise be totally foreign. Some of material that appear in TBR's Bio and O.Chem content/passages are things that can appear in an MCAT passage. How do I know? I've taken the MCAT already, using KAPLAN as my content guide. Biggest mistake ever!

Agree, though I dispute that TBR is the best for verbal. I found TPRH and EK to be better.

 

[Mehd School]

This debate has gotten so old! TBR is the best MCAT content book available for ALL subjects. Some people say TBR Bio or O.Chem may be an overkill, failing to realize the goal is to increase your familiarity w/ words, phrases and experiments that would otherwise be totally foreign. Some of material that appear in TBR's Bio and O.Chem content/passages are things that can appear in an MCAT passage. How do I know? I've taken the MCAT already, using KAPLAN as my content guide. Biggest mistake ever!

Kaplan, TBR, Examkrackers ... they all present the exact same information in very similar ways. I have a hard time believing if you give your 100% best effort in Kaplan, or TPR the end result will be all that much different than giving 100% effort to TBR or EK.

I think blaming the resource is an easy excuse.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Kaplan, TBR, Examkrackers ... they all present the exact same information in very similar ways. I have a hard time believing if you give your 100% best effort in Kaplan, or TPR the end result will be all that much different than giving 100% effort to TBR or EK.

I think blaming the resource is an easy excuse.

Kaplan/EK content review books are not good; however, I heard Kaplan online materials are great.

 

[Mehd School]

Kaplan/EK content review books are not good; however, I heard Kaplan online materials are great.

Have you personally read all of them?

 

[Doctorphilic]

Have you personally read all of them?

I read the Kaplan books from cover to cover more than once for all the subjects. I also read the BR books (only gen chem and bio) and boy they are completely different. Aside from the golden BR passages, even from a content perspective, I love BRs way of focusing on conceptual approach to understanding info. Also, and this is especially true for PS sections, BR makes one think along that lines of what MCAT requires (integrating concepts and focusing on skills and strategies). For independent study, I think BR is the king, but for those taking class, then Kaplan has great online material too just like TPR or other big companies. At the end it DEPENDS ON THIS: YOUR LEARNING STYLE and for my learning style BR is my best friend!

 

[osprey099]

AAMC is better than everything; After AAMC, it goes

Physics: TBR + its passages, TPRHL passages, Kaplan Section tests
Gen Chem: TBR + its passages, TPRHL passages, Kaplan Section tests
Bio: TPR bio for content, Kaplan Section tests, TPRHL passages, EK30 minute exams
Orgo: same for all companies
Verbal: TPRHL (for passage similarity), EK101 (for question style/answer choice disparity similarity)

Additional materials: TPR ICC, EK16 mini-MCATs, EK review books

Avoid: TBR bio, TBR Verbal, EK1001 series except for the 101 verbal book

This is based on personal preference and having taken the MCAT before. I also have all of the above mentioned books/practice materials and have either completed/almost completed them.

 

[NinjaMed]

AAMC is better than everything; After AAMC, it goes

Physics: TBR + its passages, TPRHL passages, Kaplan Section tests
Gen Chem: TBR + its passages, TPRHL passages, Kaplan Section tests
Bio: TPR bio for content, Kaplan Section tests, TPRHL passages, EK30 minute exams
Orgo: same for all companies
Verbal: TPRHL (for passage similarity), EK101 (for question style/answer choice disparity similarity)

Additional materials: TPR ICC, EK16 mini-MCATs, EK review books

Avoid: TBR bio, TBR Verbal, EK1001 series except for the 101 verbal book

This is based on personal preference and having taken the MCAT before. I also have all of the above mentioned books/practice materials and have either completed/almost completed them.

Why don't you like TBR Bio and TBR Verbal?

 

[osprey099]

Why don't you like TBR Bio and TBR Verbal?

TBR bio passages were not at all like my bio passages on my mcat. The content review is very comprehensive but you can get almost the same amount of info with TPR bio review book and save yourself loads of time. TBR verbal was just a waste of $60. It's passages and questions are absolutely nothing like mcat verbal. The only "useful" thing TBR verbal can serve is if you only read their passages (without doing questions) for practicing comprehension and speed.

That being said, it is only my personal opinion. I also believe that TBR physics and gen chem are by far, the best in the business.

 

[1stmeds]

Overall, Id reccommend the berk review 7 days a week and twice on Sundays. its solid.

BUT with one caveat: replace TBR bio with EK bio. TBR is too dense without added value. EK is sufficient.

 

[Temperature101]

Have you personally read all of them?

........

 

[captainuzair]

someone i know scored a 14 on PS using TBR

 

[AktionPOTENTIAL]

Kaplan, TBR, Examkrackers ... they all present the exact same information in very similar ways. I have a hard time believing if you give your 100% best effort in Kaplan, or TPR the end result will be all that much different than giving 100% effort to TBR or EK.

I think blaming the resource is an easy excuse.

This is absolutely baseless and illogical! You are actually defending the claim that in studying for one of the most important tests of our lives, the resource doesn't matter. The configuration of a text, the presentation of the content, the teaching strategies employed, the credentials/experience of the authors will vary across across companies and publishers and inevitably affect how the material is understood. Wikipedia, subject textbooks and other resources that are either free or you already have, all present the information required by the MCAT. Additionally, you went to college and was educated in all these areas but you are sitting a Kaplan course and using their materials, dropping mad cash. Why?! Why don't you use the free sources? Oh, you need practice problems? This is a joke!

TBR presents numerous scenarios, one of which appeared on the actual I took, passage one; I freaked because I prepared w/ Kaplan and I had never encountered that scenario. Today in covering Physics, I ran into the scenario, and I vividly remembered the passage.

It's been established that KAPLAN books are flawed. I can post a picture of them claiming the umbilical vein carries deoxygenated blood, as if studying for the MCAT isn't difficult enough, they need to introduce confusion and errors.

You need revaluate this claim and never admit you embraced it so warmly, you polluted so many threads on the forums w/ it!

Agree, though I dispute that TBR is the best for verbal. I found TPRH and EK to be better.

Admittedly! The lapse was introduced because I was focused on the sciences which is often the center of the dispute here.

 

[brood910]

Until you get that one discrete that drops your score a point. Then, you know, they might be worth knowing...

They dont test you on things that are not in the topics listed on AAMC.
TBR has so much extra info that you dont even need to know.
Maybe it is good for you when you are weak at orgo.

 

[Mehd School]

This is absolutely baseless and illogical! You are actually defending the claim that in studying for one of the most important tests of our lives, the resource doesn't matter. The configuration of a text, the presentation of the content, the teaching strategies employed, the credentials/experience of the authors will vary across across companies and publishers and inevitably affect how the material is understood. Wikipedia, subject textbooks and other resources that are either free or you already have, all present the information required by the MCAT. Additionally, you went to college and was educated in all these areas but you are sitting a Kaplan course and using their materials, dropping mad cash. Why?! Why don't you use the free sources? Oh, you need practice problems? This is a joke!

TBR presents numerous scenarios, one of which appeared on the actual I took, passage one; I freaked because I prepared w/ Kaplan and I had never encountered that scenario. Today in covering Physics, I ran into the scenario, and I vividly remembered the passage.

It's been established that KAPLAN books are flawed. I can post a picture of them claiming the umbilical vein carries deoxygenated blood, as if studying for the MCAT isn't difficult enough, they need to introduce confusion and errors.

You need revaluate this claim and never admit you embraced it so warmly, you polluted so many threads on the forums w/ it!

You're proposing a terribly stupid argument. You're taking what I said and putting it in a different context. It certainly does not matter what resource you use for the mcat, so long as the resource works for you. Please read that sentence again, as you missed the point I was making in the post you "tore apart". Everything you are saying is subjective. So was everything I said, the difference is I would never spit on your opinion regardless of how ridiculous you sound.

And it's none of your business how I spend my money. How do you know that I didn't get my Kaplan course for free?(I did.)

Every prep book is flawed. You'll find an error in essentially every piece of professionally published literature that is more than 16 pages long. I sure as hell have never claimed Kaplan to be perfect. One of my favorite resources, EK, is littered with errors. I don't see what you're getting at just yet.

I'm not quite sure who's doing the polluting...me, or your melodramatic posts. Go take a walk and chill out.

I've never told anybody what material to use. I've only told people that the "golden arrow" that SDN claims in mcat prep is more bronze for some people. Get over it.

 

[Mehd School]

I read the Kaplan books from cover to cover more than once for all the subjects. I also read the BR books (only gen chem and bio) and boy they are completely different. Aside from the golden BR passages, even from a content perspective, I love BRs way of focusing on conceptual approach to understanding info. Also, and this is especially true for PS sections, BR makes one think along that lines of what MCAT requires (integrating concepts and focusing on skills and strategies). For independent study, I think BR is the king, but for those taking class, then Kaplan has great online material too just like TPR or other big companies. At the end it DEPENDS ON THIS: YOUR LEARNING STYLE and for my learning style BR is my best friend!

I'm happy you found a resource you like so much. I too have read them cover to cover (only once though) with exception to the second TBR Bio book. They were all birds of the same color to me. So I just picked the book that would be easiest for my style of preparation.

 

[asf503]

Kaplan, TBR, Examkrackers ... they all present the exact same information in very similar ways. I have a hard time believing if you give your 100% best effort in Kaplan, or TPR the end result will be all that much different than giving 100% effort to TBR or EK.

I think blaming the resource is an easy excuse.

I don't know if I agree with you. Even giving your 100% using Kaplan's books, there are still going to be gaps in your knowledge. For example, when covering electrochemical cells, Kaplan reallyyyy skimps on their material, and so does EK. After reading their explanations I was still thoroughly confused. I ended up cross referencing this subject with Nova Chemistry, which did a surprisingly good job explaining (I'm not sure about TBR).

Case in point: If giving 100% using Kaplan materials would still mislead your sense of security when it comes to electrochemical cells, how many other subjects are you deficient in but are unaware of? Why not go through once using superior content material like (in my example above) Nova Chemistry and just KNOW you're studying the right things correctly? I'm not saying Nova Chemistry is amazing- in fact, that book is almost worthless for everything else that I've looked to it for, but if TBR is so thorough on their review I find it hard to believe that a single run through of their material won't make you better prepared for the MCAT.

 

[mcloaf]

someone i know scored a 14 on PS using TBR

This so irrelevant I don't even...

 

[Mehd School]

I don't know if I agree with you. Even giving your 100% using Kaplan's books, there are still going to be gaps in your knowledge. For example, when covering electrochemical cells, Kaplan reallyyyy skimps on their material, and so does EK. After reading their explanations I was still thoroughly confused. I ended up cross referencing this subject with Nova Chemistry, which did a surprisingly good job explaining (I'm not sure about TBR).

Case in point: If giving 100% using Kaplan materials would still mislead your sense of security when it comes to electrochemical cells, how many other subjects are you deficient in but are unaware of? Why not go through once using superior content material like (in my example above) Nova Chemistry and just KNOW you're studying the right things correctly? I'm not saying Nova Chemistry is amazing- in fact, that book is almost worthless for everything else that I've looked to it for, but if TBR is so thorough on their review I find it hard to believe that a single run through of their material won't make you better prepared for the MCAT.

Anecdotes aside, it seems you agree with me. It doesn't matter what source you use as long as that source is useful for you. This might mean you use a different brand for each section ... it does not matter. Perhaps you use exclusively Kaplan or exclusively TBR and score a 41 ... it happens every year. What does matter is that you digest the material well enough to apply it to seemingly new situations on the MCAT.

With that said, I'm not trying to change anybody's mind here. Most people are already under the spell. This will be my last post regarding the great resource debate.

What I will say though, is that I'm taking my mcat on 5/11. As far as resources go, I'm using EK, Kaplan, TBR, TPR, and most importantly AAMC. I'll let y'all know how that turns out.

 

[asf503]

It certainly does not matter what resource you use for the mcat, so long as the resource works for you

Ahh I didn't see that. I only saw your "No thanks" remark at the top and simply assumed that you had rejected TBR on the basis of "f** you I'll do what I want."

To say that use whatever resource fits you is a much more reasonable thing to say.

 

[Mehd School]

Ahh I didn't see that. I only saw your "No thanks" remark at the top and simply assumed that you had rejected TBR on the basis of "f** you I'll do what I want."

To say that use whatever resource fits you is a much more reasonable thing to say.

On the whole, TBR wasn't a good fit for my learning style. But, I do refer to it once in a blue moon, and will do some passages to hammer home a concept. But I guess I should have elaborated on my first post.


Jesus, why do I keep getting sucked back into this topic?

 

[Temperature101]

AAMC is better than everything; After AAMC, it goes

Physics: TBR + its passages, TPRHL passages, Kaplan Section tests
Gen Chem: TBR + its passages, TPRHL passages, Kaplan Section tests
Bio: TPR bio for content, Kaplan Section tests, TPRHL passages, EK30 minute exams
Orgo: same for all companies
Verbal: TPRHL (for passage similarity), EK101 (for question style/answer choice disparity similarity)

Additional materials: TPR ICC, EK16 mini-MCATs, EK review books

Avoid: TBR bio, TBR Verbal, EK1001 series except for the 101 verbal book

This is based on personal preference and having taken the MCAT before. I also have all of the above mentioned books/practice materials and have either completed/almost completed them.

EK orgo is trash.

 

[Mehd School]

EK orgo is trash.

Certainly not true if you come from a strong organic background.

 

[Temperature101]

Certainly not true if you come from a strong organic background.

I dont have a strong orgo background but I am doing ok in BR orgo (75% average). I am destroying EK 1001 orgo (90%+ average). EK 1001 orgo is too easy....Not representative of the actual test.

 

[vbgal41]

I used a combo of TBR and EK when preparing for the MCAT. EK bio and then TBR for the rest because TBR bio was wayyyy too dense. Practice passages in TBR prepared me best for the actual MCAT, especially in bio and physics. I would highly recommend it.

 

[brood910]

EK orgo is trash.

Its content is the best out of all.
It's just that it doesnt have enough psgs.

 

[gettheleadout]

Kaplan, TBR, Examkrackers ... they all present the exact same information in very similar ways. I have a hard time believing if you give your 100% best effort in Kaplan, or TPR the end result will be all that much different than giving 100% effort to TBR or EK.

I think blaming the resource is an easy excuse.

This is not true.

I own EK Bio, Kaplan Bio Review, and TBR Bio, and there is absolutely significant difference between the three in any comparison in terms of what is actually covered and presented.

 

[AktionPOTENTIAL]

This is not true.

I own EK Bio, Kaplan Bio Review, and TBR Bio, and there is absolutely significant difference between the three in any comparison in terms of what is actually covered and presented.

Same here!

 

[Mehd School]

This is not true. In your opinion

I own EK Bio, Kaplan Bio Review, and TBR Bio, and there is absolutely significant difference between the three in any comparison in terms of what is actually covered and presented.

Same here!

It appears all three of us own it, and we have differing opinions. I guess we'll leave it at that.

And aktionPotential, all it takes is a quick post history check to see what you're all about. Any time the words "Kaplan" and "helpful" show up in the same sentence you turn into a hostile she-beast. But I digress.

 

[katniss09]

Same here!

I have EK and Kaplan bio. I just got the BR physics and orgo books, and am bidding for the BR chem books as well Bio is my strongest section, do you think it's necessary to also get the BR book for bio? Or should I go with the PR bio book (my reasoning for this is that I just want more practice material and I can find the PR bio book for way cheaper than BR )

 

[Happy_Puppy5000]

If you are already strong in biology then TBR biology may be unneccessary for you. The TPR biology should be more than enough. Best of luck.

 

[AktionPOTENTIAL]

I have EK and Kaplan bio. I just got the BR physics and orgo books, and am bidding for the BR chem books as well Bio is my strongest section, do you think it's necessary to also get the BR book for bio? Or should I go with the PR bio book (my reasoning for this is that I just want more practice material and I can find the PR bio book for way cheaper than BR )

If you are already strong in Bio and you intend the obtain the TPRH SW, then you can forgo TBR Bio. One TBR's strenght is their wealth of practice material but the SW is a suitable supplement to the PR content book.

Good luck!

 

[UoCfin]

Take if from a lazy guy here: I have read all thru the EK books *cover to cover*...read thru TPR books *50% of all the subjects*...and now plan on going thru TBR books *cover to cover*

EK: quick read...most of the time to the point.
TPR: a step from EK *bio is dense* *Physics is dense* *EK is good=helps except the skip some passages stuff*
TBR: different story *and am loving it*

 

[StudyShy]

Take if from a lazy guy here: I have read all thru the EK books *cover to cover*...read thru TPR books *50% of all the subjects*...and now plan on going thru TBR books *cover to cover*

EK: quick read...most of the time to the point.
TPR: a step from EK *bio is dense* *Physics is dense* *EK is good=helps except the skip some passages stuff*
TBR: different story *and am loving it*

 

[Silo004]

This is not true.

I own EK Bio, Kaplan Bio Review, and TBR Bio, and there is absolutely significant difference between the three in any comparison in terms of what is actually covered and presented.

I agree ... TBR is overkill. I like their questions though -- actually I remember seeing one of the compounds from their books on the actual MCAT. I will say that you can do well just using EK Bio and thoroughly understanding it. Content review is only 40% of the game -- much of it is actually being able to think through what's happening. The Bio section now focuses on more reading comprehension, understanding an experiment.

 

[gettheleadout]

It appears all three of us own it, and we have differing opinions. I guess we'll leave it at that.

What? Opinions? My opinion would be that ______ bio book is best for prep, and I would of course qualify that with a "for me" at the end.

It is demonstrable fact that different material is covered in the books and in different depth, I could type out lists of material unique to each book. This isn't even an argument.

 

[katniss09]

Is there a difference in the years for the BR books? It seems like they come out with a new book every year...does it matter which year we got? I just got the 2010 edition

 

[StudyShy]

Is there a difference in the years for the BR books? It seems like they come out with a new book every year...does it matter which year we got? I just got the 2010 edition

2010 should be just fine!