osmosis Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Hey, I just got off the phone with a rep from TPR. She informed me that TPR book material is not available for sale unless you sign up for the course. I just had some questions that i was hoping that anyone who has taken TPR can answer for me.... 1. TPR claims that their average MCAT score of their students is 30? What was your score with TPR? 2. Is TPR material available for sale outside without actually signing up for the course? 3. How comprehensive is their material (sciences review, verbal,....) compared to EK or Kaplan? 4. I've heard that EK has better VR material than Kaplan or TPR, is this true? The reason for my questions is that the course costs $1600. I have already paid $800 for the Renert course. I'm trying to determine whether I should supplement the EK material with Kaplan or TPR. I think I need books that go through the sciences in detail, as opposed to just outlining what I need for the MCAT. I'm just wondering if I should obtain TPR material, get the Kaplan material, or stick with EK and just work harder next time around? Any thoughts? Anyone's advice would be much appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayne67 Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 I personally think that the best strategy is to use a mixture of materials from different prep companies. IMO, not one company is the best for all the MCAT subjects. So, it's probably better to diversify than just going with ALL Kaplan, EK, or TPR. First of all, I bought a complete set of used 2007 TPR Hyperlearning books for $100. You can usually find plenty of sellers on craigslist or Kijiji selling them for that amount or probably even cheaper. The TPR Hyperlearning books are very thorough. To get through all of them, you need a lot of time IMO. I mostly used their biological sciences book because of my lackluster bio background. I also thought that their verbal materials, while more difficult than the real MCAT, were great for practice. I didn't bother using their materials for physical sciences though. I supplemented my biology and verbal studying also with the EK bio and verbal books. For Physics and General Chemistry, I used The Berkeley Review books, which were amazing. These books have great passages and they really teach how to solve physical science questions as fast as possible. I have also heard that NOVA is excellent for physics and is generally easiar for Canadians to purchase (i.e. from amazon.ca). In the past, I have used Kaplan (or "Kraplan" as I call them), and they were pretty sub-par compared to TPR, EK, and TBR. They neither do a good job of summarizing the material, nor do they give an in-depth review. They are neither here nor there IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odie Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I did Kaplan and thought it was great. They give everything you need and lots and lots of practice. However, at the end of the day it depends on how much effort you put into studying NOT which prep course you take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 1. TPR claims that their average MCAT score of their students is 30? What was your score with TPR? Took first time got a 31 with 11,11,9 R they let me retake the course for free got a 32 with a 12,10,10 S 2. Is TPR material available for sale outside without actually signing up for the course? It is I'm selling my 2008 books heavily highlighting on the review books and less use in the other books for $100 o.b.o 3. How comprehensive is their material (sciences review, verbal,....) compared to EK or Kaplan? Sciences are majorly comprehensive, sometimes too much so but I really liked it that way 4. I've heard that EK has better VR material than Kaplan or TPR, is this true? EK is much better for verbal.... for another 60 or 70 bucks you can buy the EK verbal and math book plus EK 101 verbal.... and that's really the best verbal approach if you ask me... The tpr verbal book has a good formula for the writing sample that you just need to follow to do well hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrne Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 I agree that TPR has a great writing formula. I had the TPR and Kaplan "telephone books" last year and scored 31R (9, 10, 12)on my MCAT, but I'm going to be rewriting to try and boost that Physics score. I'm going to have more time this summer to study, so I think I should be able to do it. TPR and Kaplan subject reviews are pretty time-consuming to go through, so I recommend only doing so if you have the time and, if not, going through the subject areas you are weakest in. I think this year I am going to supplement my current materials with the EK verbal (I've heard great things about it) and maybe take an online course for the Physical Sciences with Kaplan. But when it comes down to it, I just don't think I did enough full length practice exams. I did a lot of passages, but not under real-life testing conditions. So this year I'm definitely purchasing and completing all of the AAMC exams to improve my time management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrne Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Supafield, mind me asking if you had a Physical Sciences background going into the MCAT (i.e., Chemistry/Physics/Engineering major) and, if not, what was your approach with that part of the exam? That 12 is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrne Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 I personally think that the best strategy is to use a mixture of materials from different prep companies. IMO, not one company is not the best for all the MCAT subjects. So, it's probably better to diversify than just going with ALL Kaplan, EK, or TPR. First of all, I bought a complete set of used 2007 TPR Hyperlearning books for $100. You can usually find plenty of sellers on craigslist or Kijiji selling them for that amount or probably even cheaper. The TPR Hyperlearning books are very thorough. to get through all of them, you need a lot of time IMO. I mostly used their biological sciences book because of my lackluster bio background. I also thought that their verbal materials, while more difficult than the real MCAT, were great for practice. I didn't bother using their materials for physical sciences though. I supplemented my biology and verbal studying also with the EK bio and verbal books. For Physics and General Chemistry, I used The Berkeley Review books, which were amazing. These books have great passages and they really teach how to solve physical science questions as fast as possible. I have also heard that NOVA is excellent for physics and is generally easiar for Canadians to purchase (i.e. from amazon.ca). In the past, I have used Kaplan (or "Kraplan" as I call them), and they were pretty sub-par compared to TPR, EK, and TBR. They neither do a good job of summarizing the material, nor do they give an in-depth review. They are neither here nor there IMO. Never heard of The Berkeley Review -- well, I need to work on my Physical Sciences, so I'll look into those books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantaloons Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 1. TPR claims that their average MCAT score of their students is 30? What was your score with TPR? First writing: below 30. Second writing: up 6 points to a comfortable mid 30. 3. How comprehensive is their material (sciences review, verbal,....) compared to EK or Kaplan? Excellently comprehensive. It covers more than you need to know and in greater depth than is necessary. Advantages: - No surprises on the MCAT. Disadvantages: - You may end up spending faaaar too much time slogging through the TPR readings. This is unwise, since the best learning occurs from doing the homework passages. 4. I've heard that EK has better VR material than Kaplan or TPR, is this true? Yes. I recommend TPR + EK verbal. Avoid Kaplan VR. It is atrocious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~me~ Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 What I did was to: 1. Take TPR course 2. Study TPR books once through really well 3. Purchase EK textbooks for all subjects (there is a package) 4. Study EK books about 3 times for each subject 5. Do loads of practice tests (ok, so I didnt do that many, but I should have, lol) The reason I did it this was is because TPR is VERY detailed ... it takes insanely long to get through the material ... Having said that however, they really do include every single thing you need to know and more, and they explain it very well. EK books are just awesome because they are so SHORT. They also include everything you need to know, imo. And they are focussed more on making you think and understand concepts as opposed to memorizing. I think this worked well because at the end of the day, I gained a great understanding from TPR books, and then just consolidated info that I really needed to know with EK. I got a 34S... My 10 in P really is subpar, but it wasn't the books/course that caused this; it really was because I was a nervous wreck, lol ... Hope that helped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Supafield, mind me asking if you had a Physical Sciences background going into the MCAT (i.e., Chemistry/Physics/Engineering major) and, if not, what was your approach with that part of the exam? That 12 is great! haha, funny you should ask... I decided I wanted to take the MCAT without all my pre-reqs since I did not need them to apply to the schools I wanted to apply to. So I haven't taken physics or chemistry in university. So, as for my PS background, high school courses roughly 5 years ago. That's the thing though, I've always been strong with numbers and mathy type sciences, I just ended up in an arts degree in university. So despite having several bio and physiology courses in university, I was consistently stronger in the PS during my practice tests. While I was comfortable with those subjects it says something about the quality of the TPR physical science review... Other than having an 80 page electricity and magnetism chapter, it walks you through everything very nicely even for people with minimal background in the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osmosis Posted October 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 haha, funny you should ask... I decided I wanted to take the MCAT without all my pre-reqs since I did not need them to apply to the schools I wanted to apply to. So I haven't taken physics or chemistry in university. So, as for my PS background, high school courses roughly 5 years ago. That's the thing though, I've always been strong with numbers and mathy type sciences, I just ended up in an arts degree in university. So despite having several bio and physiology courses in university, I was consistently stronger in the PS during my practice tests. While I was comfortable with those subjects it says something about the quality of the TPR physical science review... Other than having an 80 page electricity and magnetism chapter, it walks you through everything very nicely even for people with minimal background in the subject. this is actually what i need. i do not have a strong background in physics and chemistry. heck, according the mcat my background in verbal and bio is not so hot either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayne67 Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Never heard of The Berkeley Review -- well, I need to work on my Physical Sciences, so I'll look into those books. Yeah, The Berkeley Review for Physics and General Chem are IMO, the best books out there. It's not just the theory and examples that they give that teach you how to look at a problem in a certain way and solve it within seconds, but also the amazing passages that give you plenty of practice. You don't hear about them in Canada because they are entirely based in the US (California). If you go to the SDN forums, you will see endless posts raving about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madz25 Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Hey, I just got off the phone with a rep from TPR. She informed me that TPR book material is not available for sale unless you sign up for the course. I just had some questions that i was hoping that anyone who has taken TPR can answer for me.... 1. TPR claims that their average MCAT score of their students is 30? What was your score with TPR? 2. Is TPR material available for sale outside without actually signing up for the course? 3. How comprehensive is their material (sciences review, verbal,....) compared to EK or Kaplan? 4. I've heard that EK has better VR material than Kaplan or TPR, is this true? The reason for my questions is that the course costs $1600. I have already paid $800 for the Renert course. I'm trying to determine whether I should supplement the EK material with Kaplan or TPR. I think I need books that go through the sciences in detail, as opposed to just outlining what I need for the MCAT. I'm just wondering if I should obtain TPR material, get the Kaplan material, or stick with EK and just work harder next time around? Any thoughts? Anyone's advice would be much appreciated. Thanks. 1. 34R (only wrote once) 2. Yes, from someone who has taken the TPR course and is now selling their course material. 3. I didn't do both courses so I can't compare. I did purchase Kaplan's comprehensive review text and TPR was way better than that. 4. I did TPR + EK's VR. TPR is way better than Kaplan for VR. I would do as many different VR tests as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 You don't hear about them in Canada because they are entirely based in the US (California). If you go to the SDN forums, you will see endless posts raving about them. Similarly, NOVA is heralded as having the best of all physics reviews.... Never used it myself but a lot of people that struggle with physics swear by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayne67 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 I have NOVA Physics as well. It's also really good, but I'd say that the Berkeley Review is better by just a little bit because it has more MCAT-style passages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rdale2 Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 I took the TPR course this summer and wrote my MCAT in early Sept. Going into the course I know I wouldn't have done very well, but after taking it I ended up with 34S on my first attempt. I think the TPR course, although expensive, was definitely worth it. The amount of material you get out of the books is more than enough. In fact, I found that I only had time to use maybe 60-70% of all the material available to me through the course. I also found it very useful to do the practice tests online, which you can have the essays marked for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamsofspring Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 I just want to chime in that I thought TPR's material was excellent. I did the course because I knew I wasn't disciplined enough to study on my own. The teachers weren't that hot, but what can you expect when they only pay $20/hr? Most of what I got out of it came from reading the review materials and doing every one of the practice questions. I didn't do any organic chem or physics in university (heck, I didn't even take physics in high school), but I found the TPR's materials explained everything I needed. A friend gave me a copy of the Kaplan material and I didn't think it was nearly as clear, except for maybe some of the organic chem materials. Anyway, I got a 40S (12, 13, 15) and would recommend TPR to anyone. Definitely worth the money if you have a marginal GPA like I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Law Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Most people I know who took TPR did not get the score they wanted. Their books are good though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osmosis Posted October 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 madz or rdale2, either of you willing to part with your TPR material? i am interested in purchasing. rdale2, i think you posted that you have a brand new set of TPR books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madz25 Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Most people I know who took TPR did not get the score they wanted. Their books are good though. haha so true ....but nobody gets a 45T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Law Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 haha so true ....but nobody gets a 45T Barack Obama did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizzlarabee Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 So when you register for the TPR course do you get the materials as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantaloons Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 So when you register for the TPR course do you get the materials as well? Yes. 4 8 15 16 23 42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jones_99 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Barack Obama did. yea that was insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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