<p>This has been plaguing my mind for the past week and I need to decide soon as to how I should approach my upcoming CBT MCAT in April of 07. Right now, I'm leaning towards taking a classroom course with Kaplan that is offered once a week from october to april. Is this the best way to go about preparation for the MCATs? It is VERY expensive but I feel that I need to really get this down. What's offered to me in the course aside from books on all topics, 1500 flashcards, and classroom lessons is 11 practice CBT MCATs which I really think will come in handy. What was the best way you all prepared for the MCATs and what worked? Thanks.</p>
<p>I started the Kaplan classroom prep course in January of 2006 in prepartion for the April 2006 test date. We met twice a week in the local Kaplan center, and each class was three hours long. It was tough going twice a week - school and Spring Break make the schedule stressful, but in the end, I did really well on the MCAT, so I can't complain. I'm sure that once a week has its advantages, too - more time for homework, more time for tough concepts to sink in, etc.</p>
<p>I was really impressed with the quality of Kaplan's course. There wasn't a single bad teacher, bad substitute, or wasted class period. Their materials, which are included in the course price, can be a little cheap-looking, but the content in the books and website is quite good. The flashcards are especially useful - you can easily do a few before going to bed every night, and it helps you remember stuff. You have a single teacher for the whole course, so you can email them with specific questions and such. Some of the Kaplan methods seem really hokey at first, but they grew on me and I ended up using most of them come Test Day.</p>
<p>The five full-length practice tests administrations are uber-helpful. Sure, taking them means giving up five Saturdays, but when I got to Test Day, there were absolutely no surprises. In fact, I was a little freaked out 'cause it felt just like another Kaplan practice test - I was afraid I was in the wrong place or something. :D</p>
<p>One of my classmates had taken the MCAT the year before with the Testcrackers course, and well... he was with Kaplan, taking the test again, so I imagine his results weren't good. I know nothing about Princeton Review, so I can't tell you anything about them. However, I will say that I've used Kaplan since high school and never had a complaint.</p>
<p>If you're thinking about taking Kaplan but the price is an issue, consider holding off on registering. Dunno if it's the same for other people, but at NYU, come October Kaplan offers 15% discounts and other incentives through some of the school clubs, so keep your eye out!</p>
<p>As I said before, I took the MCAT in April 2006, and I kicked butt. Sure, I might've been able to do it on my own, but my parents (who paid for the course) thought that $1200 to ensure a great test score was highly worth it. I'm inclined to agree, now that I'm in the application process, because it's one less thing to freak out about.</p>
<p>Hope my big long schpeal helped. If you have any more questions, just ask. :)</p>
<p>waht'd you get on the mcat if you don't mind my asking</p>
<p>yes I too am curious, what did you score if you don't mind?</p>
<p>Just now I finished Kaplan's only MCAT and scored a 22. My position is...a junior who's completed all pre-reqs and has done no review whatsoever. Do you think with Kaplan I can get up and over 30? I found myself while taking the test thinking "I know this problem, but I've forgotten bits of the method"...I think Kaplan will fill in those gaps for me better than I can on my own. </p>
<p>A plus and minus from kaplan now is that they give us 11 CBT exams but the down side is we can take it whenever we wish. It's tough finding a quiet area with computers that's not my room to get used to the testing environment but it will definitely be worth it I think. Thanks again for the responses.</p>
<p>Kaplan advertises ten points of average improvement.</p>
<p>let's hope I'm above the average then</p>
<p>If we're talking numbers...</p>
<p>When I took the half-length pre-test thing, I got a 27 - I think it was 9's across the board. Or maybe it was 10 Bio, 9 VR, and 8 Phy. I can't remember.</p>
<p>When I took the real deal, I got 12 on Bio, 13 on Phy, 12 on VR, and R on the essay. :D</p>
<p>Just to clarify on a few things, I did NOT take all eleven practice exams available to me through Kaplan - I only took the five that are offered as practice administrations. Frankly, after getting through the first three, I felt like there was no way I was gonna take all that additional time to do more full-length practices outisde of the Saturday practice administrations. However, I did use the QBANK to practice VR. Also, I'm currently in the process of applying to med school - I'll let you know just how happy I am with my stats when I get answers from schools. :P</p>
<p>Like I said before, I might have been able to do really well just studying on my own, but knowing what I know now and being where I am now, I'd spend the time and money again.</p>
<p>It's definitely good advice. Although I didn't too good on this online test I think that I can realistically get around a 35. But congrats to you on a job well done. </p>
<p>The thing with this course is I have to take the 11 when I feel like it, there are no five required practice mcats. I'll definitely end up doing them all, it might mean one every other week but I need the practice. </p>
<p>Shades, I'll probably wanna start PMing back and forth with you about the whole exam/application process soon enough, would u mind helping?</p>
<p>I'm glad to help, but I ask that you remember that I myself am in the process of applying to medical school - you're in the beginning-of-the-middle, and I'm at the end-of-the-middle, so it's not as if vast amounts of experience separate us. I cannot be considered an expert on everything and anything. :) PMing is quite alright, but if you've got questions that you think apply to other people, ask them in public so everyone can benefit from my ranting. :D</p>
<p>It is definitely possible to improve from a 22 to a 30. Obviously, it's harder to improve when you start high. From what I've seen, a 22 on the diagnostic equates to around low 30's (obviously you may get higher or lower than that). Generally, people who get 35+ will manage high 20's-low 30's on their diagnostic. Again, the correlation is very very rough and simply based on a few examples from my own personal experiences.</p>