The Best MCAT Prep Classes
Students who wish to attend medical school in the United States must take an assortment of prerequisite courses while in pursuit of an undergraduate degree, and also take the Medical College Admission Test. Studying for the MCAT can prove time consuming, since most medical schools admit students with a total compiled score of around 30 or above on this exam. There are a variety of companies that offer prep classes for the MCAT, but a few are consistently ranked among the best by both former test-takers and medical school admissions boards.
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The Princeton Review MCAT Hyperlearning Course
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The Hyperlearning course offered by The Princeton Review offers the most in-class MCAT preparation in the industry, with 42 in-class sessions and 20 extra office hours for a total of 105 hours of instruction. A group of 3-5 trained and certified instructors work together to guide students through the material. The program provides 11 full-length practice exams in addition to 8 official AAMC practice MCATs. The Princeton Review offers a higher score guarantee, and unsatisfied participants are permitted to retake the Hyperlearning course anytime within a year of the first session. Tuition for the Hyperlearning course is $1999 as of 2011.
Kaplan MCAT Advantage
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Kaplan touts itself as "the nation's most popular prep choice for the MCAT." The MCAT Advantage program offers 24 in-class instructional sessions spread over 54 hours, with 32 hours devoted to testing. The MCAT Advantage program's major selling points are its convenient schedules, devoted personal attention in a group setting, and comprehensive, motivational instruction from its renowned instructors. Kaplan also offers a higher score guarantee, but enrollees are required to repeat the course within 2-3 months. Tuition for the MCAT Advantage in-class program is $1999 as of 2011.
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The Berkeley Review
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While other prep classes are offered by companies that train students to take a variety of entrance exams such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, DCAT and MCAT, The Berkeley Review specializes only in MCAT preparation. Most instructors for the course program are full-time instructors with the company and have been teaching professionally for at least two years at the university level. TBR provides 50 two-hour lectures for a total of 100 hours of instruction, in addition to 300-500 office hours and 9 full-length practice exams that are administered online. Tuition for the program, held at 6 locations only in California, is $1725 as of 2011.
Examkrackers Comprehensive Review
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Examkrackers offers live courses on or near college campuses nationwide. Depending on the location, the number of exams for which prep courses are offered may vary. Many Examkrackers locations offer classes for the most popular test dates in April and August. The Comprehensive Review runs for 9 weeks and includes 4 two hour courses a week. Courses are structured to include a 50 minute lecture, a 10 minute break, a 30 minute practice exam and a review of the exam. Examkrackers' courses offer 5 full-length practice exams, taken directly from actual AAMC material. Tuition for the Examkrackers Comprehensive Review is $1848 as of 2011.
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