Which review course to take. Help so confused!

[premedinpa]

Hi everyone!

I am planning on taking a review course for the MCATs and looked at all the reviews of these courses posted on the forums and I can't figure out which one to take.

The ones offered in my area are Princeton Review, Kaplan, and Examcrackers.

Price isn't an issue I'm taking a course regardless I just want to take the one that prepares me the best.

The courses I didn't score as high in in college were Chemistry and Physics 2 I'm pretty good with biology and critical thinking/reading if that helps..

Thanks in advance I just dont wanna spend all this money on the wrong course.

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[bodonid]

Those are all quality courses. I would look for another reason, as you will get biased opinions here. For example- do you have a friend taking one of them? Or you might try skimming the books first. Kaplan's methods are good, but on the other hand, you can't beat Examcrackers questions and their AudioOsmosis. None of those three should be eliminated based on name or other extrinsic factors. Is one closer to where you live? Maybe the schedule of one class is better for you?

If you still can't narrow it down, get some preliminary info and run with the one that you are most excited about.

 

[Brick Walls]

I took Kaplan when I practiced for my MCAT and they definitely helped me improve my score alot. Their books are very helpful, and they have a large question bank and practice exams.
I would recommend Kaplan because of their huge resources available to help you learn the material.
But keep in mind that the teachers that teach at Kaplan can also make a difference. If you get someone who isnt very good, it might not be as helpful.

 

[shaka23h]

TPR = very extensive review.. Almost like a course in it self.. helps you review//relearn a lot of this stuff. This is what I'm taking right now.

I heard a lot of good things about EK as well.. I'm using EK 101 1001s to supplement my TPR. EK is a lot more concise to the point. I like some of their testing stratgeys the best.

I don't know anything about Kaplan cause its about a 30 min drive from where I live to take the Kaplan course and only a 5 min drive to TPR so yes distance is an issue.

 

[sicboy188]

took kaplan and read all the review notes. the online reasources are pretty stellar and the flashcards are totaly underrated. also, having access to an instructor via email is pretty handy when you dont understand certain ans key explainations. that said, i feel like the class (lecture) was not helpful, and the rigorous schedule is slightly overzealous (no one in my class could do all the work on time).

ive had four months to prepare (on month 2 now) and im working through all the EK content books (just have orgo and bio left). If money isnt an issue and you have the time, i would take kaplan and do all the work. then instead of reviewing the kaplan notes, read the EK content books for review. this lts you see the material presented in two different ways. then, blast yourself with problems, and see which method (EK or Kaplan) works for you.

gluck

 

[seas06]

I went through this debate a while ago and ended up taking TPR and so far so good! As for EK; I think they have better teachers cuz they pay them more! but the course is more else having someone read you the book... ( I have their books and I am reading them on the side, the bio is especially helpful because TPR one does get wordy and long at times) but to be honest for Physical sciences i think TPR is quite great! I'd go with them, I LOVE their Science work book too! Hope that helps! 🙂

 

[premedinpa]

Thanks for all the great responses!! I am leaning towards TPR as of right now because of the close location, and the feedback I have been getting and play to buy the EK books to supplement the course.

Does anyone know how far in advance you have to sign up for classes? Thanks again guysssss👍

 

[tncekm]

They'll usually have spots open up until the very last day, even in very busy areas. However, IMHO, if you're a decent self-studier and aren't very weak on the materials, I really don't think the course is necessary, or even THAT helpful. I'd opt for an ebay / craigslist listing of the TPR materials, or just mix and match with TBR, EK, etc.

Just an FYI, the TPR books + EK is a great idea, IMO. TPR books will have tons of information to help solidify info you may not know, and when you're done with that all the EK stuff is short, concise and to the point so its great to review if you need to.

 

[Rofeh20]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it in this thread, but it has been brought up in other threads -- if you opt for a live classroom course then the most important factor will be YOUR INSTRUCTOR! 🙂

One of TPR's "superstars" used to post here (maybe s/he still does), and at times there were moments of hostility between s/he and another Kaplan instructor who posted here. Yet, I noticed that both parties were able to agree that the quality of the instructor plays a larger role than the course design/materials.

Of course, the course design does matter too. I am not familiar with TPR's course design, so I will not comment on it. I will say what I know to be true about Kaplan: if you are in a Kaplan classroom course with an awesome instructor you will be sufficiently prepared for the MCAT.

So, how do you find a great MCAT instructor beyond word of mouth from friends? Ask your local Kaplan/TPR/EK representative who is their best MCAT teacher. Specifically ask for proof of teacher ratings (all companies keep ratings on their staff), as well as experience (length of time teaching PLUS volume of teaching). Of the two, experience is the most important factor. Those who will have taught more are more likely to be helpful b/c they will be able to draw upon the results of past students. Furthermore, no successful center would give a large volume of their business over to an incompetent instructor. Then find out which courses those instructors have chosen to teach for their company. BTW, keep in mind that courses that start in May may not have assigned instructors yet.

It seems you have already determined that a classroom course is for you. To those who are unsure, take the free AAMC PT online (go to their website), and if you score well on that PT then a classroom course would likely not provide enough of a return on the investment.

 

[sars]

Hi I was actually enrolled in a examcrackers class in Chicago. I would not recommend taking their class because there hiring practices are very suspicious. The instructor they hired had never seen the examcracker books and was bragging about how he did well on the MCAT without studying.

He didn't follow any lesson plan, ran over time and did not have a solid grasp of the material or the exam cracker philosophy.

To make matters worse he refered to the centripetal force as the centrafugal force!

The examcrackers classes cost more than Kaplan and Princeton and at this point of time are not up to standard. If you're going to do examcrackers stick to the books and audio cds!

 

[tncekm]

That's very non-sensical. You posted "one incident", which unfortunately was very lame, but its still just one incident.

 

[koopa_troopa]

For me I had a choice between TPR and Kaplan. I ended up choosing Kaplan beacause TPR had much more classroom hours (4 classes/week) while Kaplan was 2/week. I took it during school so I didn't have time to even go to all the classes. Overall I would say Kaplan is good if you are somewhat familiar with the concepts and need refreshing. The teachers for my area weren't that great and didn't seem to know the material beyond what was already stated in the Kaplan book. The online component of the course is a gold mine. They have 11 of Kaplan's own full length MCAT CBT. Plus you get access to all AAMC CBT tests (i think there are around 7). Plus they have about 12-15 practice tests for each section (BS, PS, VR). Each of these tests are like the real MCAT. All the classroom material is also given online.