The Kaplan MCAT Prep course and bundle comes with a tremendous amount of resources. These resources include 15 full-length practice exams, an adaptive question bank, 130 science content review videos, and much more. The strength of going with Kaplan MCAT Prep is the textbooks they provide. Some MCAT books are impossible to get through in a timely manner, but Kaplan’s books are straight to the point and give you the essentials you need for test day. The science books give any MCAT student the content knowledge they need, but if you are looking to gain a deep understanding of the material, Kaplan MCAT books are not going to get you there.
Pros
There are a few main benefits to the Kaplan MCAT Prep course.
- Online resources: The Kaplan MCAT Channel is a phenomenal resources for students who learn content best from pre-recorded video instruction. It is pretty handy for tough topics like enzyme kinetics. In addition to the pre-recorded videos, they have live videos students can attend and ask questions. The Kaplan MCAT Qbank is also part of the only resources you will be provided with. This is a nice bulk of quick practice problems to have under your belt; that being said, we very highly recommend you use UWorld for practice questions instead of this Qbank.
- Structure: All Kaplan MCAT Prep courses include a weekly guide structured to help students know when to complete certain chapters and review checkpoints. Many students find it helpful because they do not have to create their own schedule or worry about covering the material before the exam.
- Instructors: Most Kaplan MCAT Prep course instructors arrive to class well prepared and able to answer content question quickly. All instructors have previously taken the MCAT and scored over 90th percentile, so if you are paired with a personable instructor they may be willing to share more than just content. For example, we have heard reports that instructors provide advice on scheduling, stress, and study habits. That being said, the process to becoming a Kaplan instructor is not very challenging, so you may be paired with an instructor that is not willing to help with these important factors.
- AAMC Material Provided: The AAMC Bundle is included in the Kaplan MCAT Prep course material - this means that you will not have to pay extra to access the single best resource available for MCAT students.
Cons
There are many challenges that come with enrolling in the Kaplan MCAT Prep course.
- Lack of Critical Thinking: In the Kaplan MCAT Prep course students will be taught tips and tricks for taking the MCAT. They firmly believe in making outlines and thinking through each problem in a step by step manner. That being said, you will not learn the actual critical thinking skills needed for a lot of CARS and Biology/Biochemistry passages. This is a big factor for most students and is often times the reason why students need to retake the MCAT.
- Redundancy: By the end of class, many students dread going in. Students feel as thought they are doing the same passages over and over, but not learn any new skills to tackle critical thinking. Redundancy and practice is important but students should feel as if they make progress every time they attend an course. By the end of class, most students feel as if they wasted three hours.
- Question Bank: The Kaplan MCAT Question bank is helpful for students that need to learn content, but it is not representative of the actual MCAT. The MCAT is not only a content exam. In fact, you must learn strategy and reasoning to succeed on the exam. With that being said, the Kaplan MCAT Question Bank should absolutely not be your source for practice exams/questions. We recommend using UWorld for your practice.
Conclusion
Kaplan MCAT Prep course will provide students the resources to confidently complete content review, but they will not teach students the critical thinking skills necessary for the MCAT. While this might not seem important, lack of critical thinking skills often causes students to score well below what they are capable of.
