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What is the Best MCAT Prep Course?

What is the best MCAT prep course? There is no hard data to answer that question. Most people have not taken more than one prep course so their recommendations are biased as well. Therefore, take my, or anyone else’s, advice with a grain of salt. I will focus mainly on The Princeton Review (TPR) and Kaplan because they are the most popular and common MCAT prep courses.

 

Check out our top MCAT Study Plan Tips

1. The Princeton Review

 Strengths:

-Teachers are knowledgeable and teach what you need to know in an effective way
-Practice verbal passages are similar to actual MCAT
-Provides good test taking strategies
-Package includes numerous practice tests including all practice AAMC tests (which are old MCAT exams)
-Books have great content and reviews material very well

Weaknesses:

-Website is difficult and inefficient to navigate
-Teaching can be too in depth
-Practice tests are much harder than the AAMC practice tests, which make them not very reflective of real MCAT

||Read: Should you retake the MCAT?||

2. Kaplan Test Prep

Strengths:

-Great online resources and multiple online instruction options
-Practice tests are more reflective of real MCAT
-Flexible class schedules
– Package includes numerous practice tests including all practice AAMC tests (which are old MCAT exams)

Weaknesses:

-Books are not very helpful or comprehensive
-Practice tests are sometimes too easy compared to AAMC practice tests
-Focuses on content but not much on passages

Other MCAT prep courses that are not as common but have good reputations:

The Berkeley Review-Best known to have excellent books for physics, organic chemistry, general chemistry.

Examkrackers-Best known to have excellent books for verbal and biology.

||Read: Which MCAT score is considered if you retake the MCAT?||

If you want to take a prep course, make sure you do adequate research about the courses in your area. The strength of the course really depends on the teachers in your area. In some places, TPR is more reputable. In other places, Kaplan is stronger. In addition make sure you look out for lesser-known local prep courses that might be even better than those two.

Read: MCAT Tutoring: Is It Worth It?

Edward Chang

Edward Chang is the Co-founder and Director of Operations of ProspectiveDoctor.com. He graduated from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is currently a urology resident at the University of Washington. He also attended UCLA as an undergraduate, graduating with a major in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. If you are interested in contributing to ProspectiveDoctor.com, please contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @EdwardChangMD and Prospective Doctor @ProspectiveDr.

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