Why do people bash Kaplan?

[xprodigy92]

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I'm in the course now. Everything is fantastic. The online work helps me review no problem. My instructor stays on top of us. If we don't score as high as we like he already guaranteed us a refund or to repeat the course for free.

Would I be getting that much better of treatment from Princeton Review or Berkeley Review?

My scores on the diagnostic were also significantly lower (5-7 points) than I have done previously on the practice AAMC's.

I am not concerned with cost since I have had a full time job while I am in school that pays me well and I still live at home. (I could buy a house right now if I wanted)

So please tell me, why the criticism of Kaplan? I don't care about the cost. I want to know why TBR or TPR are better?

Just so you guys know, I am considering either repeating Kaplan for free, since I can, or taking another course. This post isn't for no reason haha. Are these other courses much better? If so, why?

 

[kyamh]

Kaplan doctors their test difficulty. Their diagnostic test is always harder than the end test so that you have "improvement". Their guarantee to take the course again is very limited - you can only do it once and within a given amount of time (I think you have to make a request within 3 or 6 months). I had the Kaplan online materials in 2010 and took the MCAT. Later, I decided to take a few gap years and had to retake the MCAT since my old test had expired. Kaplan did not give me access to my old materials again - even the old quizzes I have taken. They said I could gain access to the same materials only if I paid something like an extra $500 to repeat.

While Kaplan's print materials are pretty good for self study, especially physics and bio, I don't think there is any reason to take their "course" rather than just getting the books from a friend of craigslist. Kaplan teaches you to score well on Kaplan tests.

 

[Stoptheclot]

Kaplan doctors their test difficulty. Their diagnostic test is always harder than the end test so that you have "improvement". Their guarantee to take the course again is very limited - you can only do it once and within a given amount of time (I think you have to make a request within 3 or 6 months). I had the Kaplan online materials in 2010 and took the MCAT. Later, I decided to take a few gap years and had to retake the MCAT since my old test had expired. Kaplan did not give me access to my old materials again - even the old quizzes I have taken. They said I could gain access to the same materials only if I paid something like an extra $500 to repeat.

While Kaplan's print materials are pretty good for self study, especially physics and bio, I don't think there is any reason to take their "course" rather than just getting the books from a friend of craigslist. Kaplan teaches you to score well on Kaplan tests.

Strongly agree - this was the same case with me. IMHO, you'd be better off with independently finding study materials and doing the official AAMC practice MCATs, but this may simply be my study strengths. I took the class because our school offered a steep discount, but I honestly learned very little during the lecture sessions than I did reviewing materials. I improved the most after taking practice sections, practice tests, reviewing why I got it wrong, etc. However, I DID really like the Kaplan flashcards for reviewing.

 

[DoctorWhoo]

Kaplan doctors their test difficulty. Their diagnostic test is always harder than the end test so that you have "improvement". Their guarantee to take the course again is very limited - you can only do it once and within a given amount of time (I think you have to make a request within 3 or 6 months). I had the Kaplan online materials in 2010 and took the MCAT. Later, I decided to take a few gap years and had to retake the MCAT since my old test had expired. Kaplan did not give me access to my old materials again - even the old quizzes I have taken. They said I could gain access to the same materials only if I paid something like an extra $500 to repeat.

While Kaplan's print materials are pretty good for self study, especially physics and bio, I don't think there is any reason to take their "course" rather than just getting the books from a friend of craigslist. Kaplan teaches you to score well on Kaplan tests.

The iPhone pretty much sucked in 2010... Obviously quite a bit can change in 4 years. My experience with Kaplan in 2012 was a positive one... Though I've noticed their instructors are very hit or miss.

All the online resources > books and instruction IMO

N=1

 

[Mad Jack]

Kaplan's courses aren't bad. Their self study materials and guides are just not even on the same level as some of the stuff from TBR and TPR, nor are their materials as concise as EK for those that are well versed in a subject. A good Kaplan instructor can fill in the gaps in the material, and you can certainly perform adequately on the exam using Kaplan's course. It just isn't the most cost or time efficient method of study out there. I managed a 35 with nothing but the EK and TBR books (in addition to the official AAMC practice exams) as home study materials, with a mere 2 months of time before my exam to use them. Kaplan would have been a waste of money.

Kaplan is also known for having some of the least predictive practice exams, so order up the AAMC official exams to make sure you are mastering the right material.

 

[WillburCobb]

Different strokes for different folks. I took the Kaplan course and thought it was awful. The instructors, who were college profs. and had been teaching the Kaplan course for several years, made TONS of mistakes, and one instructor spent over half a session teaching us how to understand a CMP and CBC (not even remotely relevant info for the MCAT). Two years after I took the course that site was shut down. I ended-up waiting a year and studying on my own and did fine on the MCAT (balanced 32). I used the books from the Kaplan course which overall were pretty good, though I had a big issue with the physics book. It was FULL of mistakes that had been there in older editions and never fixed, and last I checked were still present in the newer editions. There was no errata sheet available either. Also, there's content the AAMC lists as testable material on their website that isn't even mentioned in Kaplan's physics material. Luckily I'd held onto my physics text, which ended-up being my main source for studying that material for the MCAT. I would've liked to have tried EK, but by the time I looked into it more it was too late in my studying to add that.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

Kaplan classes are a waste of time. I only improved my MCAT score 1 point. Don't take a prep course - just buy books/materials on craigslist & follow the schedules & their modifications posted here on SDN.

Prep books & material are helpful, but the instruction is a huge waste of time if you are self-motivated at all.

 

[kyamh]

Oh, I forgot. I REALLY liked the review notes that came in the laminated sheets. It's something like a 4 page cheat sheet for each physics/bio/orgo/chem and I thought the info there was really great for memorizing some quick high-yield facts. Unfortunately, they are hard to find online...I got mine through the course

 

[The Kraken]

In the end, mcat prep is what you make of it. I think most self motivated people can accomplish in self study what others will do in a guided course, at a fraction of the cost.

 

[mtbski]

In the end, mcat prep is what you make of it. I think most self motivated people can accomplish in self study what others will do in a guided course, at a fraction of the cost.

+1 I used hand me down books, and my premed club bought a bunch of practice tests. The only thing I bought was EK 101 verbal. Less than $20 spent on prep

 

[CW 2010]

It's interesting how several people in the hospital I work at are studying for the MCAT right now and nobody even knows about TPR or TBR. All of them are using Kaplan books. And few of those who already took the test (and used Kaplan) did just fine. Makes me think that it's not the books, it's you and your study habits that make it or break it.

 

[nambajuice]

Kaplan was semi-helpful I thought. I took the class twice.
The instructors are definitely hit and miss (first one was fantastic and the second was really just not as good). After the second class I ended up studying for my retake by myself for a few months just because I didn't feel prepared by the class. I used the Princeton Review books to study and really liked them for physics, chem, and orgo more than the Kaplans. The most useful thing from Kaplan was their online access to practice tests. You get access to ~8 AAMC ones as well as ~10 of Kaplans I think?

If you're considering studying again, I'd say don't do the Kaplan class again- change it up with a different course/study books. Going through the exact same problems and lectures when I took the class again made it uninteresting and just made me a bit bored. Since it's free, sign up for the Kaplan class just so you can still have access to the online materials - just don't attend the lectures and study on your own/with a different course.

 

[Microglia]

It's interesting how several people in the hospital I work at are studying for the MCAT right now and nobody even knows about TPR or TBR. All of them are using Kaplan books. And few of those who already took the test (and used Kaplan) did just fine. Makes me think that it's not the books, it's you and your study habits that make it or break it.

Yea I only used Kaplan and EK. I thought the Kaplan course was great except for their verbal strategy.

 

[moop]

Because MCAT instructors (anywhere) are either great or worse than single-ply toilet paper. Kaplan's online content is a gold mine, minus VR, which blows.

Also, those who feel the need to take a course may be less confident or adept at standardized test taking, so of their score does not turn out to be what they want, backlash is immediately delegated to the prep company over themselves and their study methods/abilities. Kaplan's probably still the most popular course, so you'll see the most bashing on it.