LSAT, GMAT, DAT, and others upcoming??

[NSC]

Jaideep, I beg to differ. I wonder if that statistic takes into account second-time test takers? Because the MAJORITY of students cannot prepare adequately for the mcat for the first time and not take some sort of prep class...there is just no way of knowing the intensity of preparation, solid plan, strategies etc. that you need to excel. Generally, the ones who excel the first time by self-directed study are super bright and would have done well no matter what. Also, a lot of students take it twice, and the second time around, they study solo because they already know what adjustments to make after having taken a prep class the first time. I was a Kaplan MCAT teacher for a year before medical school and generally, the students who did very well on practice tests and the real exam were the ones who not only worked hard, but those who also took all the tips, personal advice etc. that I gave them and applied it to their studying....you don't get that from studying alone.

 

[Don]

lol so you're an mcat teacher. ok then i have no use arguing with you you're obviously going to be very bias. thanks for promoting your organization on here but I will leave saying that every friend/family I know that has matriculated into medical school has done so without any prep class. all i'm asking is for people really weigh the benefit of the class and the amount of money they're putting into it.

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

For the mcat, its more about HOW you study and less about what materials you use. You could track down materials from all the test prep companies, practice tests etc, but if you don't know what to do with it, they are useless. Thats why the statistic Jaideep threw out there is useless....its all relative. For some, doing a Kaplan or Princeton review class provides structure, strategy, and motivation (seeing others excelling). Self-directed study is great if you have a solid plan that you know can work (ie others have been successful doing the same thing). In the end, the formula to doing well on the mcat (and any standardized test) is a combination of knowledge, test-taking skills/strategy (highly overlooked by students), hard work, and luck.

I did KAPLAN and it was so NOT worth the $1,000 for the class! I raised my quantitative by 150 points and my verbal stayed the same. I'm just doing studygroups this time, hopefully it helps me into phd school this time, 2nd time is the charm!

In my personal experience for the DAT, the classes did not really help me...just the material obtained from the classes. I did better the second time when I self studied...and asked around...ask other med students about strategies..and practice them.

Good stuff guys. Thanks.

 

[smehta]

jus took the mcat

 

[NSC]

lol so you're an mcat teacher. ok then i have no use arguing with you you're obviously going to be very bias. thanks for promoting your organization on here but I will leave saying that every friend/family I know that has matriculated into medical school has done so without any prep class. all i'm asking is for people really weigh the benefit of the class and the amount of money they're putting into it.

Straight up weak....you really think that I am trying to promote an organization for whom I worked OVER 3 YEARS AGO? Haha thats absolutely ridiculous...I could care less. My whole point of posting in this thread in the first place initially was to give advice not discuss your statistic. So you know people who didn't take a class that matriculated, great......I know a shitload of people who took a prep class and matriculated to some damn good schools...and others that didn't take it and still did well too....the point is that its all dependent on what kind of student you are. The other thing that happens a lot is students will shell out over a grand for a class thinking it will do all the work for them and end up not working as hard as they should...."that class didn't do anything for me"....well its usually because they didn't work as hard as they should have. I'll say this about the money aspect.....if you think you are the type of student that can benefit from taking a class, 1200 is nothing in the long run to spend on a test that is a prime factor in gaining admission. Tuition is going up every year (43,000 at my school) and when I graduate I'll be a quarter mill in debt. That money I spent on a class back in the day is chump change.

Bottom line: to all those who are going to prepare for the mcat......first decide what kind of schools you are trying to get into.......if you are cool going to the carribean, then yeah you don't need a great score, and can probably get by with low-intensity prep.....if you want a competitive score for a US MD school, decide whether you are motivated, organized, hard-working, and smart enough to study solo.....if you decide that you want to take a class, LOOK INTO HOW THEY STRUCTURE THEIR PROGRAM.......princeton review is different than kaplan, which is different than examkrackers etc.....see what method will suit your learning style best. Then, when you take the class, USE ALL THE RESOURCES and work your ass off. Good luck, and if any of you have any questions about applications, med school in general etc. don't hesitate to send me a message, I'd be more than happy to help.

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

lol so you're an mcat teacher. ok then i have no use arguing with you you're obviously going to be very bias. thanks for promoting your organization on here but I will leave saying that every friend/family I know that has matriculated into medical school has done so without any prep class. all i'm asking is for people really weigh the benefit of the class and the amount of money they're putting into it.

Straight up weak....you really think that I am trying to promote an organization for whom I worked OVER 3 YEARS AGO? Haha thats absolutely ridiculous...I could care less. My whole point of posting in this thread in the first place initially was to give advice not discuss your statistic. So you know people who didn't take a class that matriculated, great......I know a shitload of people who took a prep class and matriculated to some damn good schools...and others that didn't take it and still did well too....the point is that its all dependent on what kind of student you are. The other thing that happens a lot is students will shell out over a grand for a class thinking it will do all the work for them and end up not working as hard as they should...."that class didn't do anything for me"....well its usually because they didn't work as hard as they should have. I'll say this about the money aspect.....if you think you are the type of student that can benefit from taking a class, 1200 is nothing in the long run to spend on a test that is a prime factor in gaining admission. Tuition is going up every year (43,000 at my school) and when I graduate I'll be a quarter mill in debt. That money I spent on a class back in the day is chump change.

Bottom line: to all those who are going to prepare for the mcat......first decide what kind of schools you are trying to get into.......if you are cool going to the carribean, then yeah you don't need a great score, and can probably get by with low-intensity prep.....if you want a competitive score for a US MD school, decide whether you are motivated, organized, hard-working, and smart enough to study solo.....if you decide that you want to take a class, LOOK INTO HOW THEY STRUCTURE THEIR PROGRAM.......princeton review is different than kaplan, which is different than examkrackers etc.....see what method will suit your learning style best. Then, when you take the class, USE ALL THE RESOURCES and work your ass off. Good luck, and if any of you have any questions about applications, med school in general etc. don't hesitate to send me a message, I'd be more than happy to help.

Thanks man, I will be sure to message you with my questions!

 

[Sukhdip S. Chhina]

LOL i wish i was more serious about the MCAT 2 years back.

 

[sulmoney]

the point is that its all dependent on what kind of student you are

thats it right there. you know yourself what you need to do to achieve the score you want. if spending the money will make you say to yourself, damn, i spent all this money on this class, i better make it worth it and study my ass off, then its money well spent. some people can motivate themselves to study properly without any courses or groups, more power to them. in the end, its your call, you know whats best for you, and no one elses experiences are going to matter when it comes to your time to study/take the exam.

 

[Kush]

K well i just took the MCAT... well 2 years ago but it FEELS like just. I just started medschool 3 weeks ago. In my opinion, MCAT courses are for individuals who need someone to structure their schedule for them. Imagine if your college gav eyou a book at the beginning of the year and told you that you'd have a final at the end of hte year, and just learn. How many people would follow the goals set each week or month by a test, quiz, or homework? MUCH fewer i think. Same with a course, it sets a pace first and foremost. The material, etc, is a bonus, but a big one. I "took" the kaplan course the semester before i took my mcat. I rarely went to class, so i ended up paying an absurd amoutn for the material, which i Used about half of. BTW, my recommendation for those of you who are taking the MCAT. EXAM CRACKERS = key for physics, but i hated physics. If anyone wants a personal statement readover too, let me know. That's where i shine...sorta. lol and for the record, it just gets worse when you get here. Medschool = the replacement of bhagnra in your life, if you were as involved as me.

 

[Vick]

Tuition is going up every year (43,000 at my school) and when I graduate I'll be a quarter mill in debt. That money I spent on a class back in the day is chump change.

Just out of curiosity, as an MCAT teacher, what med program are you in? Like what school? I agree with a lot of your points, it all depends on the person, if they learn better in a class room setting, maybe taking a class is the best option... I don't even know what my options to the GMATS are available, I havent done much research, but i definitely want to take a class just because I personally learn better and I think it will keep me a lot more focused.

 

[Mowsuf]

LSAT in september...fml

 

[terabaap]

The MCAT is all about HOURS. Efficient hours. It is a nojoke exam. It is all knowledge. you think you know it, but there will be a passage on the mcat where you will be like WTF.
On a side note, I wanna take the mcat, lsat, and gmat.

 

[Saleem]

GMAT in 6 DAYS ACKKK

 

[[Sher] Imran]

GMAT was pie, im gearing up for CPA & EA

 

[Gugu]

Self study for DAT. 1 - 1.5 month with Destroyer, Kaplan book, cliffs AP bio and Crack DAT PAT = success!

 

[Laddi]

Im taking the MCAT Sept. 12........... FML

 

[Laddi]

GRE's November .... hoping for a better score!! Last time I had Laddi change my facebook and btf password to keep from being distracted!

ya...that didnt work...u lasted maybe a day! lol

 

[Jeeti]

Self study for DAT. 1 - 1.5 month with Destroyer, Kaplan book, cliffs AP bio and Crack DAT PAT = success!

+1. exactly what i did.

 

[kinnell]

CDJ, I took Princeton last year. I was told that Kaplan focused mostly on strategy and Princeton focused mostly on material. As an engineer (like yourself), I am better with Physics than Biology and decided on Princeton because the Biological Section is simply knowing your shit inside and out. I found the class very helpful but I didn't keep up with the workload and unfortunately missed a few classes as well.

The reason I decided to take a prep class is from previous experience when I took the SAT back in highschool. I took Kaplan back then and the shear amount of prep books they sent me gave me an endless supply of questions to practice with. I definitely credit the Kaplan prep course for giving me the material to achieve a 800M, 800W and 720V. I'm hoping that working through the material that I got from Princeton will allow me to get similar results on the MCAT.

 

[Saab]

Halo + mountain dew + late nights studying = 42 Mcat

My friend swears by it.