What makes the Quality of Kaplan Prep Books so bad?

[BlueAether]

I've read a lot of conflicting reviews on Kaplan. Heck, everyone really, but since I'm leaning toward Kaplan, I want to know why it's so bad. Not just, it sucks, it sucks, it's terrible.

If you wouldn't mind, explaining your reasoning. One of the things that points me toward Kaplan, and not the other alternative, EK, is EK's shady business' practices. The way they've got fake reviews raving about them on Amazon. The way they charge you to look at the corrections to the typos that somehow keep passing into the next edition.

These don't paint a pretty picture. Especially the fake reviews. Let your product speak for itself. But whatever.

What exactly makes Kaplan so bad? It goes too far in depth? Not far enough?

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[JeetKuneDo]

I've read a lot of conflicting reviews on Kaplan. Heck, everyone really, but since I'm leaning toward Kaplan, I want to know why it's so bad. Not just, it sucks, it sucks, it's terrible.

If you wouldn't mind, explaining your reasoning. One of the things that points me toward Kaplan, and not the other alternative, EK, is EK's shady business' practices. The way they've got fake reviews raving about them on Amazon. The way they charge you to look at the corrections to the typos that somehow keep passing into the next edition.

These don't paint a pretty picture. Especially the fake reviews. Let your product speak for itself. But whatever.

What exactly makes Kaplan so bad? It goes too far in depth? Not far enough?

I can't say anything on kaplan, but I can say something about EK. EK's got some typos, but it's a good thing to use if you want to look up something really fast or want a not too detailed review. After buying EK books, I'd say the only book I really liked was the biology book. The others aren't really necessary. However, if you don't buy the EK books, I'd definitely buy the verbal 101 and the other 1001 questions books. Those are good practice.

By the way, just wondering why you're very dead set on kaplan?

 

[LostInStudy]

Looks like you've done a lot of searching on Kaplan. The reasoning behind it isn't mentioned much in the threads anymore. The reasoning behind why people don't recommend kaplan is not because it's bad (it's really not that bad, I think the content review is OKAY.) but for the fact that much better is out there. The TPR Hyperlearning set that you get from the Princeton Review course is an EXCELLENT set of books all around and much BETTER than kaplan. The Berkeley Review books for Physical Sciences have great content review and distinguish themselves by the amount and quality of passages that Kaplan and Princeton review just don't offer.

In conclusion, Kaplan isn't that bad (or bad at all), it's just that there is better available. So RELATIVE to the other materials out there kaplan is bad but in reality kaplan is still OKAY.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[BlueAether]

Mainly I've heard of them. They aren't new. I can find info on them. They don't seem like they use to work selling used cars, where the cars are supposed to make that sound like EK.

 

[BlueAether]

Looks like you've done a lot of searching on Kaplan. The reasoning behind it isn't mentioned much in the threads anymore. The reasoning behind why people don't recommend kaplan is not because it's bad (it's really not that bad, I think the content review is OKAY.) but for the fact that much better is out there. The TPR Hyperlearning set that you get from the Princeton Review course is an EXCELLENT set of books all around and much BETTER than kaplan. The Berkeley Review books for Physical Sciences have great content review and distinguish themselves by the amount and quality of passages that Kaplan and Princeton review just don't offer.

In conclusion, Kaplan isn't that bad (or bad at all), it's just that there is better available. So RELATIVE to the other materials out there kaplan is bad but in reality kaplan is still OKAY.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

Where can you even find Berkeley Review books? Prior to this site, I'd never even heard of it. I'd heard of Kaplan and TPR sure, EK kinda but TBR? Never, I've tried to look info up on them and I can't find ANYTHING.

And not just why Kaplan is so inferior really, but what makes the other alternatives so superior. It's like going to a debate and just telling the other person no you're wrong, I'm right, because I said so, I need not elaborate, my input is useful....because I said so.

Again? Does it cover everything you'll need? Most of what you'll need? Barely enough of what you need? Covers the major topics but not in depth enough? Too in depth with a lot of useless info?

What's good/bad for you is by no means what's good/bad for someone else. Just saying something is amazing/sucks is absolutely worthless, just saying. Vague is not the way to go.

 

[LostInStudy]

Where can you even find Berkeley Review books? Prior to this site, I'd never even heard of it. I'd heard of Kaplan and TPR sure, EK kinda but TBR? Never, I've tried to look info up on them and I can't find ANYTHING.

And not just why Kaplan is so inferior really, but what makes the other alternatives so superior. It's like going to a debate and just telling the other person no you're wrong, I'm right, because I said so, I need not elaborate, my input is useful....because I said so.

I am so glad you came on BlueAether, nobody has asked these questions in a long time and I think it's about time to refresh everyone's memory.

I hadn't even heard of TBR before I came on here either and it took me a long time to take the leap of faith but I am SO glad I did. Their G. Chem and Physics books simply cannot be matched in terms of the quality and quantity of practice. They have TONS of practice and their content review for those subjects is simply amazing because they cover everything you need very thoroughly from the ground up. You can find the at http://www.berkeleyreview.com under home study.

The Princeton review set is AMAZING in the fact that they have very thorough content review for all the subjects in a simple and easy to understand manner. They go into as much detail as you need and cover everything you need. They also have in-text questions in their books as you go along and read in the books that really challenge your understanding of the material and the questions really make sure that you understand the material and don't just glaze over it without understanding what you're reading. The TPR materials also come with the TPR Hyperlearning Science Workbook which has a TON of passage based questions and discrete questions for G. Chem, O. Chem, Bio, and Physics. It is just a huge source for practice material and is very helpful for all the science subjects. Some people have said that TPR goes into a little too much detail but for me that isn't really a problem and I think they are perfect for my knowledge base or anyone who needs to start from the ground up.

I agree with you on the fact that what works for me may not work for anyone else. That is a consensus on these forums. That is the reason that some people do GREAT with kaplan while most others don't. It really comes down to your knowledge base before you have started studying but some generalizations can be made. For example, like I've said earlier the TPR materials are great for studying for this test no matter where your knowledge base is because they cover everything in as much detail as you need so I don't see it being a disadvantage to anyone. There have been many many people who have used TPR alone in the 30+ thread.

Hope this helped,

-LIS

 

[Doodl3s]

Honestly, I found that kaplan's bio was actually more in-depth than EK bio... (but if you want more in-depth, you go TPR lol) So, as previously stated, its just kaplan is not bad. I personally took kaplan and thought it was GREAT! (no, seriously lol, i did)

Its just not the cream of the crap. ALTHOUGH, i DO know someone in TPR's course. And the Online portion and practice materials that kaplan gives is WAY better than any other course....

So, what is someone to do? Mix and match!!!

for example, I took the kaplan course (the classroom was more of a review) but i studied and took notes with the EK books...

 

[Rolling]

Examcrackers is very lite.

TPR while I never got to do it myself...I'm told is very dense.

I think a lot of it comes down to how much you learned in your classes.

 

[BlueAether]

I am so glad you came on BlueAether, nobody has asked these questions in a long time and I think it's about time to refresh everyone's memory.

I hadn't even heard of TBR before I came on here either and it took me a long time to take the leap of faith but I am SO glad I did. Their G. Chem and Physics books simply cannot be matched in terms of the quality and quantity of practice. They have TONS of practice and their content review for those subjects is simply amazing because they cover everything you need very thoroughly from the ground up. You can find the at http://www.berkeleyreview.com under home study.

The Princeton review set is AMAZING in the fact that they have very thorough content review for all the subjects in a simple and easy to understand manner. They go into as much detail as you need and cover everything you need. They also have in-text questions in their books as you go along and read in the books that really challenge your understanding of the material and the questions really make sure that you understand the material and don't just glaze over it without understanding what you're reading. The TPR materials also come with the TPR Hyperlearning Science Workbook which has a TON of passage based questions and discrete questions for G. Chem, O. Chem, Bio, and Physics. It is just a huge source for practice material and is very helpful for all the science subjects. Some people have said that TPR goes into a little too much detail but for me that isn't really a problem and I think they are perfect for my knowledge base or anyone who needs to start from the ground up.

I agree with you on the fact that what works for me may not work for anyone else. That is a consensus on these forums. That is the reason that some people do GREAT with kaplan while most others don't. It really comes down to your knowledge base before you have started studying but some generalizations can be made. For example, like I've said earlier the TPR materials are great for studying for this test no matter where your knowledge base is because they cover everything in as much detail as you need so I don't see it being a disadvantage to anyone. There have been many many people who have used TPR alone in the 30+ thread.

Hope this helped,

-LIS

I think I'm looking for a little more at something along the Princeton Review series lines. Where can I find those? I looked on Amazon and the Princeton Review's website and I can't find anything but cracking the MCAT which doesn't appear to be what I'm looking for.

Is there anywhere I can possibly purchase a used copy of TBR aside from that website? I hate paying new.

 

[LostInStudy]

I think I'm looking for a little more at something along the Princeton Review series lines. Where can I find those? I looked on Amazon and the Princeton Review's website and I can't find anything but cracking the MCAT which doesn't appear to be what I'm looking for.

Is there anywhere I can possibly purchase a used copy of TBR aside from that website? I hate paying new.

The princenton review series + TBR for Physics and G. Chem is an awesome choice. You can usually find people selling TBR in the SDN classifieds section. I would look around next week because scores get released and those pleased with their scores will be looking to sell their books.

You can't find the TPR books on their site and they are only available new if you took the overlypriced $1600+ course. You can find them used on Ebay, craigslist, and SDN classifieds. Ebay usually has some really good deals so just keep an eye for those on ebay (just search Princeton Review Hyperlearning). Amazon has them once in a while but I have yet to ever see a good deal for them on amazon. Your best bet is ebay, I checked about a week or two ago and there were quite a few auctions for sale. Try to get the 2005-now editions if possible (I think when I looked most were 2007-2009 so you should be okay).

Also, whatever you do stay away from that Princeton Review Cracking the CBT book.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

EDIT: Okay so I went on ebay and just checked for you. Check here. The one on top looks like an OKAY deal but if you can get the ones below that in the auctions (2009 versions) for less that $250-$275 then that will be good too. I usually don't trust the auctions because they end up ballooning to over $400 which, to me, isn't worth it. If you wait a little bit and check about twice a week for a month then you'll find something better especially next week. Also check the SDN classifieds, they have some GREAT deals on there sometimes but just keep checking and keep an eye out and you'll find a good deal eventually (month or so).

 

[BlueAether]

I'll look into these, TBR books. But just asking. If you had to choose between the kaplan book, and the say, EK book, the big compilations, which would you choose, or is the dif not even worth pointing out.

I mean I'll get these TBR books for sure. I wish they offered the option to pay via plastic though.

 

[LostInStudy]

Definitely use a money order. Most people who use money order get their books about a week after putting the money order in the mail.

Honestly, for me neither. The EK books are good if you recently finished the pre-req courses (which I haven't) but if you haven't (like me) then they are definitely not good enough. The kaplan book is okay and better than EK if you haven't taken the classes in a while.

Hope this helped,

-LIS

 

[BlueAether]

Gotcha, I haven't finished all my pre-requisites yet. I've done like, the first Bio/Chm/Phys, and no organic Chemistry. And honestly, I barely remember ANY of it. I mean I can do Bio much better than Chemistry. Physics though? Ugh, I can not STAND physics. I am TERRIBLE at physics. Just abysmal. The absolute worst.

Question though, the Physics in TBR, is it Calculus based or Algebra?

 

[LostInStudy]

Gotcha, I haven't finished all my pre-requisites yet. I've done like, the first Bio/Chm/Phys, and no organic Chemistry. And honestly, I barely remember ANY of it. I mean I can do Bio much better than Chemistry. Physics though? Ugh, I can not STAND physics. I am TERRIBLE at physics. Just abysmal. The absolute worst.

Question though, the Physics in TBR, is it Calculus based or Algebra?

Haha, you better keep the "not finished the pr-reqs yet" thing between us because on these forums people usually blast you with "only study after you've finished".

Seriously though it helps tremendously if you have taken the pre-reqs. You might not remember much but if you work on understanding the material in the class then you will have a MUCH MUCH MUCH easier time reviewing and relearning it for the DAT, PCAT, MCAT or any other kitty kat. Definitely don't start preparing for the MCAT before taking Organic though. It's fine if you're just getting your materials together.

Physics is awesome in the TPR and TBR books. The MCAT requires no calculus so those books are not calculus based they are algebra based.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[BlueAether]

I'm not gonna take the MCAT before I've taken the Prerequisites or anything, I don't see how it could hurt. I mean it'd be like saying don't study the chapter before you go to class. Why not study the subject before I take the class. It's a win win at least, I can maybe squeeze in another win. Doesn't O Chem play a much smaller role in the MCAT these days?

I'm just trying to study the classes a bit, take the rest of the prerequisites, then take the MCAT In April, maybe July, August LATEST.

 

[LostInStudy]

The courses offer you a much deeper understanding of all the concepts. They tell you the how and the why. This is what is important about the courses and what will come back to you when you start reviewing again. The MCAT prep books may be useful in helping you get the overall pictures of the subjects but they will not go into the detail required to explain to you the how and the why.

In class you read the chapter and learn it mostly on your own and go to class to confirm/clear up what you may know or are shaky on. The MCAT is different because the test as nuances because of its design such as critical thinking skills, comprehension of passages, etc. that you need to master in the few months leading up to the exam after you have learned the material in class already. It can't be done too ahead of time because you'll lose it or forget it.

O. Chem definitely does not play a small part. I would suggest prepping for it as you do the other science sections because many people were burned this cycle when they saw that 3 of the 7 BS passages were organic.

If you start in january and do 2-3 hours a day on weekdays and 10-12 hours of MCAT on weekends then you should be golden for the May tests.

Hope this helped,

-LIS

 

[BlueAether]

In regards to what I'm doing now. I'm not trying to go in depth, I just want to be able to understand a little of what the prof is speaking on in lectures. I'm fully aware the courses themselves are intended to provide the vast bulk of the knowledge you tap into on the MCAT, and that these prep guides are just meant to refresh you, not neccesarily teach you, or at least not teach you a lot, that you should to some extent recognize most of what you read.

And yes, you've helped greatly, thanks for all your input. Now I am sleepy.

 

[Omni]

The problem I saw with Kaplan was that it was too detailed. Studying it, you'll kinda get lost into its details, especially with Bio and more specifically with Orgo. I switched to EK for Orgo, and I've pretty much understood and retained all the info, and on top of that, the info from EK orgo has been guiding me through the practice exams pretty well.

 

[BlueAether]

I've heard that, that Kaplan is more detail oriented than EK.

 

[bandit100]

I'm currently enrolled in a Kaplan course (I have their complete study package as well as the online material), bought the EK series (All EK Subjects, EK Verbal 101, EK Bio 1001), and TBR (GChem, Phys, and OChem).

It's been about 1-2 years since I've taken my pre-reqs and I barely remember any of it. I began with just the Kaplan course and stuck with it for about a month and I felt that I achieved no improvement at all with Kaplan material (Dianostic PS-8 BS-8 VR-4, 1st Kaplan FL - PS-6 BS-8 VR- 5). While searching the interweb for opinions about Kaplan, I discovered this wonderful site and read a bunch of opinions about the various MCAT prep materials out there. The one that struck me most was SN2ed's list of MCAT prep books and it seemed like the majority of people here had opinions that leaned in favor of it.

So I took a blind leap and bought the #1 rated MCAT prep books for each subject on his list (EK and TBR), and so far, the results have been pretty darn good. I haven't taken a FL since, but my sectioned scores have improved (GChem-10-12 Phys-9-11 Bio- 8-11 Ochem 8-12 VR-10-12).

Ever since I've bought EK and TBR, I haven't been to Kaplan nor opened their textbook. I'm currently in the process of trying to recieve a partial refund from Kaplan, meaning I would have to return everything (As of now, it looks like they're trying to find every possible way to NOT give me a partial refund).

Since I haven't taken an offical FL since I started with EK and TBR, I don't know if you can take my opinion for granted. Who knows, under the weight of a straight five hour exam, I might do extremely poorly.

I agree with the above comments that the Kaplan textbooks offer good content review, but only if you already have a good understanding of the material being presented. Like I said before, it's been 1-2 years since I've even looked at GChem, OChem, Phys, etc. so the Kaplan textbooks just weren't detailed enough for me to understand the concepts. The only good thing I would have to say about Kaplan is their online material, which is pretty good, but the practice material I had from TBR and EK 101 and 1001 would suffice.

But if you want my straight opinion, I'd say ditch Kaplan and look elsewhere. Although, you could be some super genius that Aced all his/her prereqs and is able to recall all the information covered in those classes, but just needs a little guidence and review to prepare for the MCAT. If that's you, then GO FOR IT!! USE THE KAPLAN BOOKS!! MORE POWER TO YOU!!!!! RRRAAAAWWWWRRRR20 days until my MCAT!!!GGGHHHHRRRAAAHHHHH!!!!😡😡😡😡😡


If you want me to sum it up:
- Kaplan Textbooks -Detailed, but not as detailed as TBR. And more detailed than EK.

I find EK easier to read so the concepts tend to stick, and in the case of TBR, I needed more detail.


Good luck!

 

[BlueAether]

I'll do EK/ TBR then.

 

[gbu730]

I don't think the Kaplan science materials are that bad. They are actually good--maybe too in-depth that I just look at TPR for simplified info.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

kaplan books can get you 15s. what more do you need?

 

[Doodl3s]

kaplan books can get you 15s. what more do you need?

is this sarcasm? I'm not sure actually lol. Cause I've been getting 15s by combining EK with Kaplan... ANd yes, Kaplan is in-depth enough to teach you EVERYTHING you need. (except for verbal, kaplan can't get you 15 in verbal lol)

Its just funny though, to hear that you can get 15s from kaplan especially after they've been at the bottom of SN2ed's list for every post lol

@SN2ed: by the way, you do realize that your list has probably single handedly made TPR and EK money while making Kaplan lose money lol

 

[RogueUnicorn]

is this sarcasm? I'm not sure actually lol. Cause I've been getting 15s by combining EK with Kaplan... ANd yes, Kaplan is in-depth enough to teach you EVERYTHING you need. (except for verbal, kaplan can't get you 15 in verbal lol)

Its just funny though, to hear that you can get 15s from kaplan especially after they've been at the bottom of SN2ed's list for every post lol

@SN2ed: by the way, you do realize that your list has probably single handedly made TPR and EK money while making Kaplan lose money lol

not sarcastic. worked for me. perhaps the depth is an issue for folks aiming at 10s from a start of ~6/7

 

[EconFootball]

Just my two cents, I have not taken the MCAT yet but I am a post-grad that has not taken the prereqs in a few years. After doing a bunch of research I am going to use the Kaplan Online course with the EK verbal. I like the structure of having an online course with lectures, and I think doing everything online in a manner similar to the actual computer based MCAT will be helpful as well. Again, haven't taken the test yet so I can't say how I will do, but just wanted you to know there are others who find Kaplan's program attractive.

 

[Sharka]

I actually thought the Kaplan books were decent, but I felt the classes and online stuff were wastes of time.

 

[Longshanks]

My quick take on why Kaplan isn't worth it (with me having taken the course, and then using other methods for my retake):
-$1700 is crazy
-Review isn't that bad, I actually liked Kaplan Orgo over TPR. Their review is quick and cuts to the chase.
-TBR slays everyone in terms of PS (I didn't get their BS books, I found TPR set for very cheap on ebay)
-TBR and TPR have tons of practice passages. Yes, Kaplan has plenty of review material, quizes, "review tests", and "section tests", but the majority of those are not MCAT style questions. They are straight multiple choice, which the MCAT is not. Kaplan has very few practice passages in comparison. TBR ~10 per topic, TPR 4-10 per topic.
-Kaplan verbal is garbage. Its all detail and global, not enough inference, deduction, or application. An 8th grader can get 13+ on Kaplan VR anyday of the week. TPR and EK are much more challenging and reflective of AAMC and the actual MCAT. Going from Kaplan VR practice into an MCAT exam is like spending weeks at the batting cage at 60mph and then walking up to the plate against Randy Johnson in his prime.

 

[LostInStudy]

My quick take on why Kaplan isn't worth it (with me having taken the course, and then using other methods for my retake):
-$1700 is crazy
-Review isn't that bad, I actually liked Kaplan Orgo over TPR. Their review is quick and cuts to the chase.
-TBR slays everyone in terms of PS (I didn't get their BS books, I found TPR set for very cheap on ebay)
-TBR and TPR have tons of practice passages. Yes, Kaplan has plenty of review material, quizes, "review tests", and "section tests", but the majority of those are not MCAT style questions. They are straight multiple choice, which the MCAT is not. Kaplan has very few practice passages in comparison. TBR ~10 per topic, TPR 4-10 per topic.
-Kaplan verbal is garbage. Its all detail and global, not enough inference, deduction, or application. An 8th grader can get 13+ on Kaplan VR anyday of the week. TPR and EK are much more challenging and reflective of AAMC and the actual MCAT. Going from Kaplan VR practice into an MCAT exam is like spending weeks at the batting cage at 60mph and then walking up to the plate against Randy Johnson in his prime.

I laughed so hard at this. This is so true. Thanks for the laugh. Imagine an 8th grader doing that though, the look on his face after the first pitch would be priceless (going against Randy Johnson not taking the MCAT).

-LIS

 

[sportsfreak]

let me say this, I used a kaplan book to review my sciences, got couple fo 14s and 15s on the PS section during practice exams, then on actual MCAT a passage came up on which my book had given 0 info, nothing close to it

completely pissed me off

 

[PureLifer]

It looks like you are already sold on the EK materials but I just wanted to put another plug in for them.

My friend and I both used EK and had a great experience with them. Unfortunately for me, I tried Kaplan first, and then did EK for my second MCAT. The Kaplan material is not focused and so the volume you have to go through is enormous.

EK is filled with the stuff you need to know, and is easily one third of the volume of either Kaplan or Princeton Review. So you can get through it faster. It also gives you tons of practice while you read so you are constantly being tested.

For practice exams I would definitely recommend old AAMC tests. They are 40 bucks each but will give you a realistic idea of where you stand. Kaplan's exams seemed to score too high and gave me a false sense of security.

Good luck!