plasticookies Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hey, sorry if this question has been asked before (it's hard to search for with so many commonly used search terms), but what are your opinions on taking prep courses if I'm fairly comfortable with the biology, physics and chem? I know that I'm utterly useless at VR and the writing sample, which makes me want to take the course. On the other hand, I feel that I'm wasting a good deal of the $2K for a prep course to learn the sciences, which I could figure out on my own. Not sure if it matters, but I'll be working full time. My schedule will be pretty hectic if I do the course, although going home later means I get a seat on the subway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rpuff Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 You don't take a prep course to learn the material, you pay the two grand to learn HOW to successfully take the test. They teach you strategies and tell you how to attack passages and questions. Most of the scientific review you should be doing on your own time, and then they'll emphasize key concepts and how you should critically think about them in class. VR is a b**** and a half........therefore I think your options could be as followed (1) Take a prep course in the classroom for ~2K (2) Take an online version of the prep course if you're stressed for time, and it costs a but less but you get taped lessons, all the resources and tests etc (3) Buy a condensed version book for under $200, and supplement with other VR books and passages. Make sure you buy as many full length AAMCs for practice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticookies Posted April 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 THanks. I'm leaning towards the prep course, in particular, TPR. I've been reading that it's a bit better for VR. Any opinions on this? Also, has anyone had experience with TPR's Verbal Accelerator course? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octavius Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Don't take the prep course if you can't spare the money. It's cheaper in the long run (med will be 100k with application costs at 1k+) but TPR will only give you about 43 verbal passages with maybe 4 tests of 7? You can get an EK book for 30 bucks that will have 101 passages of a nature more similar to an MCAT (not perfect but the best out there). VR, just remember that you're reading for the main point. A good VR taker can read the passage once and take out the questions without so much as having to refer back to the passage. Read for the authors tone/bias/main points. Refer back only only when you know where the answer may lie and if it can be done quickly and accurately. This is the EK method. You don't need to pay 2 grand to learn that. The TPR strategy is more messy. It'll analyze each type of question and have you go back to the passage. I used their method before and was getting 50% of the answers wrong (score at 6). Most of it will come from practice, trust me lol. Buy all the AAMC exams. You will get good and accurate practice from there. My VR score went up 4 points when I switched from TPR to EK strategy and I'm clocking 10/11's on my EK tests (I started at 6). It's an acquired skill and you'll get better. Don't worry about it too much. I think it's really over rated. We were just never taught to read critically in school, we mostly did information retrieval. I highly recommend you just buy the course material second hand from someone who has taken the course. You can usually buy these for little over 100 but less than 200. The advantage of the course is that it can correct your essays through some token system but I think the TPR book is AMAZING at covering the writing section. It's basically a dialectic, thesis, antithesis, synthesis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavp Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 THanks. I'm leaning towards the prep course, in particular, TPR. I've been reading that it's a bit better for VR. Any opinions on this? Also, has anyone had experience with TPR's Verbal Accelerator course? I have a whole website based on my personal experience of preparing for the MCAT alone at home and using books. I come from same background as you do, since I was most scared for verbal/written. I suggest you read by post about the books I used, the most useful ones were ~20$ a pop. I would say your most expensive investment that is really worth the money is buying the access to AAMC's own tests, as many as you can afford, starting from the latest and working your way to the oldest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticookies Posted April 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 So let's say that I self studied with all the best VR resources I can get my hands on. Any suggestions regarding the writing sample? I'm not sure where I could find someone qualified to mark practices samples and provide feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octavius Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 The TPR book is pretty good. It's not just instructions but it's filled with examples. I wouldn't worry about the writing too much honestly. Just look at the examples and follow instructions. You don't have to be a literati to pass that section, I've known many S/T's and they're just normal dudes. They just followed instructions and research examples that may pertain to each subject area. It's basically: prompt Para 1: Explain prompt - talk about instances where the prompt is true, provide example and elaborate Para 2: when is it not true, provide example and elaborate Para 3: Bring the two together in a synthesis They're just testing how well you can form an argument and support it while maintaing some sort of coherency and articulation. It just takes practice like everything else on that bloody exam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobynM Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I think is you have a pretty good handle on the material and decent study habits the courses are not worth your money. I thought about taking the course because it had been about 6 years since I had done my first year science classes but i'm SO glad that I didn't. I ended up just getting a set of Kaplan study materials and working my way through all of they practice questions and as many of the AAMC practice tests that I could get. Most of the people that I knew that took the course said the biggest benefit was that it FORCED them to study every day. If you think that you have enough motivation to study without that than I don't think it's worth it. For the written, if you get any of the prep materials I think there are some really good tips to read up on and really practice. There is such a formula to writing a "good" written sample that just practicing writing in that format is all you need to do. I think practicing the first 5 minutes of prep time before you start writing was the most important. Getting used to reading the prompt and then instantly organizing your thoughts is one of the skills that seemed the most foreign to me and needed a lot of practice. I don't think that the course would help any more than that that just practicing on your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticookies Posted April 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Thanks for all the advice. Haven't made a final decision yet, but I am leaning towards self studying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medaholic Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I've written some previous advice on how to self study for the MCAT (haven't updated it in a while) If you have the dedication, time and preparation, self studying is definitely a good way to tackle the MCAT. But like others have said, courses aren't a complete scam of the money. They do offer a valuable service and a good majority of medical students have used them. See what works for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AG22 Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Hey medaholic, that's some great advice!! I appreciate all the hard work you've put in to making your site so user-friendly and helpful! Thanks, A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticookies Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 ^^^ Agreed. Okay, one last question (I swear) before I forego the courses. For anyone that's taken TPR or Kaplan, how many extra hours did you need to spend on top of class? Could I actually fit in the studying and CBT's into just weekends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AG22 Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 Hey plasticookies, I took the TPR course and we had class every mon to thurs for 3 hours, 8:30 to 11:30 am. And then I had the rest of the day to w/e I wished to do. I usually spent it studying! Ie. I'd have to do the readings for the next class, I'd have to do the homework questions assigned to us. So on a productive day, I'd be in the library from 11:30 till 4pm. Then I'd go home, work out a little bit, watch some t.v. (make sure you watch tonnes of news! it'll help you with the writing section's prompts) and then I called it a night. We got fridays off, but I still found that I was catching up to all the h/w and the readings. And b/c I hadn't taken orgo I found it tres difficile so I ended up loaning books from the library to learn the basics. Oh and the CBTs take about a day. 5 hours to write them, and then you'll want to take a break, and then review your errors. hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticookies Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Yep, you confirmed what I was thinking - there's no way I'd be able to do TPR and work at the same time. But apparently my dad is dead set on me taking a prep course, so I've settled for Kaplan, which seems to have fewer class hours. Sadly, that still means I'm studying every night, all night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medaholic Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 If you are going to write the MCAT, just commit to it. Do it right the first time. If that means studying every night, do it, cause I promise you it will be much better than having to study every night AGAIN. Kaplan's schedule is a lot more flexible because of the reduced hours. However, in the end, all learning is self-learning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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