Who took the MCAT without any prep course and how did you do?

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Darksmurf

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I'm just curious to see what folks out there didn't take any prep courses and if it has been working out for them so far in this cycle. Also, I'm curious if the money was the big factor, or the time, or what.

(For Dr. Two, JD, MD: I posted this here and not on the MCAT forum because I am would like to know how people are did this who are applying to MD schools this year, and because the MCAT forum has no traffic.)
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Signed up for the course- felt it wasn't helping me, couldn't get myself to go to class- got a refund within the first week. Studied on my own. 40S
 
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The first time I took it, I took the class and got a 28. The second time (this August), I studied on my own and got a 34. I thought I was way more productive without the class because I actually studied instead of just listening to lectures. Plus, I took a lot more practice tests. I think as long as you have the materials, you'd be fine without taking the $1400 course. I used princeton review books, exam krackers verbal tests, and the aamc full-length tests.
 
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this is a bit illegal, but here is what you can do, after the first class start showing up to the classes with your material haha, until you get kicked out. if you know the kaplan tutor, you can get your self a free course without paying a cent.
 
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Studied on my own for the August MCAT back in '02 with the aid of a couple review books I bought and a few practice tests I got from the library. 35 something (don't recall my writing, a Q maybe?), and currently an MS2.

Studying on your own is very worthwhile if you're disciplined and motivated.
 
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I studied alone since I didn't think the course would help me anymore than what I could do on my own, and that was a lot of money if I didn't think it would help alot.

I've been doing well in the cycle (see my mdapps if you want details), but you have to remember that the MCAT is only a small portion of your total application. I've only had it mentioned once in interviews as a "good job" remark and nothing else.
 
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I signed up for Kaplan as well and quit and got my money back. I just studied on my own. I started in January and took the April MCAT. >35

Don't take the course. Just stay motivated and study on your own. I have friends who I would consider on par with me in terms of "God-given intellect" and I did a lot better than them and they all took classes. I think I would only suggest a class if you've been out of UG for a while and need a refresher.
 
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Studied on my own starting in january. I had all the kaplan stuff from a friend who taught the class, but I barely used it. My recommendation is to take as many MCAT practice tests as possible. There's nothing that will help your timing and speed issues faster. End result is 29P (10V 10B 9P) and on the waitlist.
 
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BeatrixKiddo said:
Wait but I was going to register for a course...........are they bad =(
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Depends...I was told it was imperative to do well by everyone around me. So i tired, it and very quickly realized I could do all they were teaching me on my own. It depends on your weaknesses and strengths. For instance for me, I think I already understood the material fairly well, I just needed practice taking the exam--something I can do on my own. Many people in the class during my first week actually needed to be retaught the material...we would spend the entire time going over the concept behind Delta G for instance...and Id be like wtf?

They aren't bad- they are what you put into them. What ends up happening a lot of times is people will sign up for a coarse and assume it will prepare them. Thus, they end up putting less effort outside of what the course requires. If you don't take a course you'll be freaking out like '**** i need to prepare!' and might end up doing more work than if you took the course and became complacent. If money is not an issue for you- then go ahead. I spent the money I got back from the course on a nice vacation after Aug 19th which was much more worthwhile. :p
 
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airshad8 said:
Depends...I was told it was imperative to do well by everyone around me. So i tired, it and very quickly realized I could do all they were teaching me on my own. It depends on your weaknesses and strengths. For instance for me, I think I already understood the material fairly well, I just needed practice taking the exam--something I can do on my own. Many people in the class during my first week actually needed to be retaught the material...we would spend the entire time going over the concept behind Delta G for instance...and Id be like wtf?

They aren't bad- they are what you put into them. What ends up happening a lot of times is people will sign up for a coarse and assume it will prepare them. Thus, they end up putting less effort outside of what the course requires. If you don't take a course you'll be freaking out like '**** i need to prepare!' and might end up doing more work than if you took the course and became complacent. If money is not an issue for you- then go ahead. I spent the money I got back from the course on a nice vacation after Aug 19th which was much more worthwhile. :p
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Oh crap. That's true.
 
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37S. I had been away from the sciences for a long time, so I bought current versions of relevant texts and studied on my own, bought a book of old tests and took other old tests on line through AMCAS. All the courses can really give you is a familiarity with the test format and perhaps strategies for approaching different question types. Taking the tests yourself and being attentive to patterns will do the same thing, better and in less time. I should mention that I'm a VERY independent learner.

Airshade: Whose jersey were you wearing while you watched World Cup 2006?
 
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I bought the Princeton Review review book and studied the hell out of it. 11V, 13PS, 9BS and P on writing. 3 interviews so far even though I applied rather late.
 
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don't take prep courses. They'r a waste of time, and from what i read in the kaplan books, their strategies are all bs
 
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geno2568 said:
don't take prep courses. They'r a waste of time, and from what i read in the kaplan books, their strategies are all bs
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Yeah they had me at the 'focus on the green dot' thing. I couldn't stop laughing. That was my last class with them.
 
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I took a Kaplan course, got a 36. I was pretty pleased with the course and definitely felt that it helped direct my studying, which was a big, big help. I think I would have felt pretty overwhelmed in most of the subjects without it...and my Physics needed a lot of help.
 
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rickthetwinkie said:
I bought the Princeton Review review book and studied the hell out of it. 11V, 13PS, 9BS and P on writing. 3 interviews so far even though I applied rather late.
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Which book was that, I made a post about a princeton book i saw but no one really responded. Was it like one book which included all the subjects and has like 3 practice tests in the back?


SurgeonUFO said:
I took a Kaplan course, got a 36. I was pretty pleased with the course and definitely felt that it helped direct my studying, which was a big, big help. I think I would have felt pretty overwhelmed in most of the subjects without it...and my Physics needed a lot of help.
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So it only directed you? I heard that Kaplan doesn't really reteach the material but only directs. I'm not even sure what I need more at this point. I think I remember "most" of the material from the courses I took, except Physics, but I still feel I need reteaching. I don't even have that much time to think about it, I haveto take the MCAT in April. =(
 
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BeatrixKiddo said:
Which book was that, I made a post about a princeton book i saw but no one really responded. Was it like one book which included all the subjects and has like 3 practice tests in the back?



So it only directed you? I heard that Kaplan doesn't really reteach the material but only directs. I'm not even sure what I need more at this point. I think I remember "most" of the material from the courses I took, except Physics, but I still feel I need reteaching. I don't even have that much time to think about it, I haveto take the MCAT in April. =(
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The thing is...it depends on how quick you are. I 'forgot' everything EVERYTHING from physics II when i took the course...but skimming the summarized notes was all I needed to refresh my memory. I think if you're smart (if you didn't get Cs through your premed requirements) you only need that refresher, and not a reteaching. Reteaching is such a waste of time, painful for the other kids in the class who already get it.
 
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BeatrixKiddo said:
Which book was that, I made a post about a princeton book i saw but no one really responded. Was it like one book which included all the subjects and has like 3 practice tests in the back?



So it only directed you? I heard that Kaplan doesn't really reteach the material but only directs. I'm not even sure what I need more at this point. I think I remember "most" of the material from the courses I took, except Physics, but I still feel I need reteaching. I don't even have that much time to think about it, I haveto take the MCAT in April. =(
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There's a neat little online syllabus, which gives all the homework / reading assignments. The best part of the class is the four full-length practice MCATs for the Saturdays leading up to the test, it really gets you in a test-taking swing. For what it's worth, I only scored a 28 on their initial diagnostic, but that's most likely intentional so you don't end up getting your money back...
 
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airshad8 said:
The thing is...it depends on how quick you are. I 'forgot' everything EVERYTHING from physics II when i took the course...but skimming the summarized notes was all I needed to refresh my memory. I think if you're smart (if you didn't get Cs through your premed requirements) you only need that refresher, and not a reteaching. Reteaching is such a waste of time, painful for the other kids in the class who already get it.
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That's probably true for me. I got all A's and B's in my prereq's, except Physics I mean I got a B but it was like totally by chance but yeah if I study on my own I might be like yeah yeah I already know this then just skip over it. I have like all this Kaplan review material but it is SO MUCH like a text book for each subject, that I start getting naseous looking at it.
 
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BeatrixKiddo said:
That's probably true for me. I got all A's and B's in my prereq's, except Physics I mean I got a B but it was like totally by chance but yeah if I study on my own I might be like yeah yeah I already know this then just skip over it. I have like all this Kaplan review material but it is SO MUCH like a text book for each subject, that I start getting naseous looking at it.
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Watch the world cup (cricket is this summer pakistan is going to kick ass and take names)...it will prepare you well. Also, invest a lot of time in watching bollywood movies. These two things got me made for my score.
 
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airshad8 said:
Watch the world cup (cricket is this summer pakistan is going to kick ass and take names)...it will prepare you well. Also, invest a lot of time in watching bollywood movies. These two things got me made for my score.
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I only like the soccer world cup. Cricket is booring, I mean they don't even take off their clothes to celebrate at the end. And <3 bollywood movies.. hehehehehehe
 
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Review courses, like Kaplan, PR, are for the "people who need a little kick on their behind" to get moving...
 
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BeatrixKiddo said:
Which book was that, I made a post about a princeton book i saw but no one really responded. Was it like one book which included all the subjects and has like 3 practice tests in the back?
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I didn't really start following SDN until relatively recently, so I probably missed your post. I bought "Cracking the MCAT". It has a comprehensive review for all three sections. It didn't have any practice tests in the back, though it had a CD-ROM with practice sections, practice verbal passages in the back, and practice questions interspersed throughout. I also bought PR's practice test book and "split" the AAMC-sponsored practice tests with a fellow pre-med.

I personally thought the book was great. I just think I petered out at the end and didn't get enough bio study in to do stellar on the bio section, hence the high physical sciences score and relatively "low" bio score. I made the mistake of buying this MCAT study book from a less well-known test-prep company, and PR's book definitely helped me a lot more.
 
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I studied on my own from my textbooks and reviewed my notes and tests from BCPM classes for approximately 450 hours over 2 months during the summer. I also got some old MCAT practice tests from my college. End result was 42S on August MCAT.
 
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Innuendo said:
I studied on my own from my textbooks and reviewed my notes and tests from BCPM classes for approximately 450 hours over 2 months during the summer. I also got some old MCAT practice tests from my college. End result was 42S on August MCAT.
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Holy **** that's dedication. Good job!:thumbup:
 
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Innuendo said:
I studied on my own from my textbooks and reviewed my notes and tests from BCPM classes for approximately 450 hours over 2 months during the summer. I also got some old MCAT practice tests from my college. End result was 42S on August MCAT.
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such a bragger hehe j/m *pats on your back
 
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i took Kaplan and really benefited from my prep...I think the key really is putting the time into it. For me, the practice tests (FL) made the difference...along w/ all the practice Qs. Just me 0.02$ :)
 
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Innuendo said:
I studied on my own from my textbooks and reviewed my notes and tests from BCPM classes for approximately 450 hours over 2 months during the summer. I also got some old MCAT practice tests from my college. End result was 42S on August MCAT.
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450 hours / 60 days = 7.5 hrs a day

Notice the low post-count

I think innuendo just answered the OPs question
-Dr. P.
 
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Studied on my own using Examkrackers. I did well.

IMHO, study courses are only for those who are 1. Not good standardized test takers in the first place so they need to be spoon fed verbal/passage strategies (*coughKaplancough*) or 2. They aren't motivated enough to keep themselves on a schedule.

If you have any kind of motivation at all and are a decent standardized test taker then the course will just be a waste of money.
 
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Exam Krackers
Kaplan book

I took physics and 2 out of 3 quarters of chemistry 17 years ago. I took organic chemistry last year and studied biology on my own over the summer before taking the August MCAT.

The Exam Krackers book and the practice tests were most helpful. I prepped pretty consistently from June through August

35Q
 
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photo_girl07 said:
i took Kaplan and really benefited from my prep...I think the key really is putting the time into it. For me, the practice tests (FL) made the difference...along w/ all the practice Qs. Just me 0.02$ :)
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ditto. I didn't get anything out of going to the classes, but if I had to do it again I'd still choose Kaplan because of its wealth of practice materials. For me, MCAT prep was less about rote memorization than about practice, practice, practice. For that, Kaplan's your best bet. They have TONS of questions/full-lengths/passages/quizzes that you can use to prepare. All that practice really paid off for me when test time rolled around.
 
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BeatrixKiddo said:
Arrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh caaaaaaaaantttttttttt nooooooooooot.
But like, if I don't take one I don't think I'm going to study all alone. If only I had friends.
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Take the prep course. Don't listen to these people... Especially if you have the money readily available. It's not about the class time, it's not about relearning the material, it's about the motivation and CONFIDENCE good teachers give you as well as test-taking strategies that WORK if you are smart enough to use them.

Confidence confidence confidence. Can you honestly be as confident as possible not knowing what the kids in the course have been doing for the past few months? Because they are the kids that will determine YOUR grade (40% of people take Kaplan). You want to be better than those other kids in your Kaplan class and know it because they represent the bottom curve that will push you to the top.

Kaplan will give you practice tests and they are great, yes. The real thing that is great about Kaplan is that they give you a BILLION other practice tests to do in your own free time and a billion other practice sections. I don't know where else you would find those.
 
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i took the MCAT without a course and got a 29Q (10V/9P/10B). then i took a PR course and improved to 32Q (12V/10P/10B).

i'd say take a course. you don't want to waste time going back and retaking it. don't leave anything to question. also my advice for the MCAT is to take as many tests and passages as you can get your hands on. it's all about practice for me. i didn't take any of the tactics they taught me in my course. i just found my groove and looked for ways to improve on what i got wrong.
 
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I borrowed a friend's Kaplan book, and did some minor studying from that over most of the summer. 10 days prior to the MCAT, I did nearly nothing except eat, sleep, and study from the Kaplan book. I was happily surprised with a score of 37S.

If you have the motivation to do hard core studying on your own, don't take the class. That said, do take the class if you will have trouble forcing yourself to sit down and study.

Good luck! :)
 
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airshad8 said:
Hands off! She's mine!!!
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Guys, you can share me! <3 Teehee.

Lorienne7 said:
ditto. I didn't get anything out of going to the classes, but if I had to do it again I'd still choose Kaplan because of its wealth of practice materials. For me, MCAT prep was less about rote memorization than about practice, practice, practice. For that, Kaplan's your best bet. They have TONS of questions/full-lengths/passages/quizzes that you can use to prepare. All that practice really paid off for me when test time rolled around.
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Why is it more about practice? Isn't it enough to like know the material? I mean I think I'm pretty good at spacing my time out.
 
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