• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

YAMT: Princeton vs Kaplan

James3shin

James3shin

Diamond Member
Trying to decide whether or not I need to take a prep course. My friends and people that I help out say I probably don't need to take a prep course but I'm kind of wary...Anways, I know a few of the people on AT are Pre-med or have taken the MCAT and was just looking for some input. I've checked studentdoctor.net but it was like going in loops, so anyone with experience in either of the prep courses or with the MCAT itself is appreciated.

some background info:
- I'm pretty proficient at chem (it's what i teach on the side)
- Pretty proficient in physics (used to teach on the side)
- SUCK ASS in BIO
- Verbal is alright
 
If you feel like you dont have the personal discipline to sit down pretty much everyday to teach yourself this stuff, a class can be a great motivational tool, especially if you can take it with a friend. I had good teachers so I benefitted quite a bit from the class. From the first diagnostic to the real thing i went up 13 points so I can't complain.

I personally prefer Princeton because they give you full length pratice tests as opposed to the shortened ones Kaplan gives. In addition the difficult is more on par to what you would expect on the real thing.
 
interesting...I didn't know that Kaplan gave abridged exams. I appreciate the advice, and by the way, 13 point increase is PHENOMENAL!
 
I took the mcat 2 times. Honestly, I would just buy the MCAT practice tests or find them for download. 😛 I took Princeton but that 1500 dollars could have been better spent. If you have the motivation, get some used books, sit your ass down and study for 6-8 weeks straight. You'll reach your full potential. 13 pt increase here also. Get ExamKrackers 101 passages for VR too. I raised my verbal from a 7-12 w/ that book alone 😛
 
Originally posted by: James3shin
Eits, could you expound a bit more on why you chose kaplan? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

well, a lot of my close friends are in med school (i'm in chiropractic school) and a few of them took kaplan and their scores were pretty high (mid-upper 30s, low 40s). they thought princeton was too expensive for what they were gonna get.

i guess if you like workbooks, go princeton. if you like flashcards, go kaplan.

http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ComparisonOfKaplanAndPrincetonMCATCourses.htm this might help you
 
I took kaplan. My diag. score was a 21. Scored a 35 on the real thing. The thing I've been telling people is that it's not so much the instruction that helps you, it's the fact that they give you a lot of practice questions and resources like that. Plenty of full length practice exams and then tons of mini exams. Kaplan does administer full length practice tests. in between you have the option of doing the mini subject focused exams or doing extra full lenght ones. I found taking the tests over and over really helped. It's all about timing.
 
and a fair warning once you get accepted to med school... it's cake. the hardest part is just getting in. chiropractic school curriculum is virtually the exact same as med school, except you lucky bastards get your doctorate an academic year before we do. there will be some tough courses, i'm not gonna lie. embryology is no picnic... neither is micro, pathology (i actually have to retake it 🙁), or diagnostic imaging (i'm pretty sure you guys learn that, too... like, learning everything about x-ray and whatnot). but the further along you go, the easier it'll become.... it seems that the difficulty of the education tends to work on a bell curve (per entire post-grad eduation). right now, i'm on my way downward from the peak...
 
Thanks for the input folks, I'm taking a full diagnostic via Princeton this saturday and a 4 hour diagnostic the following week. I've taken a diagnostic before (prior to organic 1) in the summer of 2005 and earned a 22, I really want to get into the 37-40 range with atleast an R, and hope to do so with Princeton Review.
 
The first Princeton Review exams are graded so you get lower scores, thus motivating you to study. The later ones are graded more accurately. Or at least, that's how it worked when I took it back in the day.

Med school material is more interesting than college, but everyone in your class was in the top 1% of their college (or at least at UCSF they were) so you're surrounded by geniuses.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top