Kaplan offers several options to help students with their MCAT preparation via a comprehensive course - the basic one is called MCAT Advantage and it comes in three versions:
- On Site - A classical set of courses during which a student personally attends classes at a specific time and place, lead by an MCAT specialist instructor.
- Anywhere - The same set of scheduled classes, though attended virtually live online - student still has a chance to interact with the instructor, but does not need to go anywhere specific.
- On Demand - An online course similar to the one described above, but in the form of video tutorials. Therefore, the student can choose to take classes wherever and whenever, but without the option of live interaction.
All of these courses contain a 4.5h diagnostic test, five full-length 5h practice exams, and about 54 hours of instruction itself. That is divided into different number of classes of various length, depending on the specific choice of course - and there are relatively many to choose from, ranging from intense 8-week daily ones, to 6-months-long 1-session-a-week classes.
These courses also include access to an MCAT practice question bank, 19 full-length MCAT exams, all official AAMC practice exams, and additional on demand online video instruction. Apart from the three basic courses listed above, Kaplan also offers a few other ones, such as their extended versions or an advanced course for those who already took an MCAT - for more details, visit the official website.
The course also comes with a guarantee of a higher score - otherwise, the customer gets their money back. I am still not sure how it works for those who never took an MCAT before (I guess that the score improvement comes from the difference between the first and last practice test or something along those lines) - I will find out about that more later.
Opportunities to see a preview of a Kaplan MCAT course:
MCAT Preview Class: 8/21, 9:30-11 pm
MCAT Bootcamp: 9/12, 8-9:30 pmThe variety of courses offered by Kaplan is very wide - I'd actually say it is the widest one on the current MCAT-prep market, also with the most classes offered in each category (which means greater flexibility in course schedules). The price is quite high - around $2,000 per basic course, and some $200 less for the non-interactive version. On the other hand, this is the standard among all of the major nationwide group course providers (the other two ones being Princeton Review and Examcrackers, that is).
Shortly after signing up (cca 3 days), I received my study package (see the picture above), which contains a book for each of the subjects tested (VR, Chem, Physics, Bio, and Orgo) to supplement the course, Quicksheets with formulas and principles for easy memorization, and a Lesson Book that follows the course class by class and puts everything together, so to speak. Along with the packet, students also receive a five-month subscription to the Scientific American magazine, which I will receive soon.
All the materials look great, but I am yet to see how they really work together. In the meantime, I am slowly getting ready to take my initial diagnostic test and then my first class - so I will keep you posted on how it is going soon!
Acknowledgement: This is an independent review. Materials and course enrollment were provided by the Kaplan company; the author is in no way or form affiliated with this institution.
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