just had 1st Kaplan class

It was at the JFK School of Government at Harvard. The first class was mostly an orientation followed by a diagnostic mini-MCAT and a science-only MCAT-like multiple choice exam. This exam is to establish a baseline score so that we can track our progress.
It’s quite likely that most people will improve their scores as they review and prepare for the real thing, and Kaplan is counting on that because they offer a guarantee: your score will improve or your money back. Of course, I just had to ask: What if we get a 45 on this diagnostic? Then by definition we get our money back. The Kaplan teacher thought that was rather unlikely but found the idea amusing. I’m pleased that he has a sense of humor.
So far, so good. Am waiting for the test results to come back, plus for my Kaplan study materials to arrive, and for my website access to be completed. Supposedly, the lectures are all online in RealVideo format for review or in case you miss a class, though to meet the terms of the guarantee they require that you actually attend all the classes.
If any folks want to hear more about this class as it proceeds, I’ll be glad to post more information. It’s worth noting that I won the drawing for a $500 discount to the Kaplan class at the 2005 Old Premeds conference, plus the $150 conference discount that everyone got, so it was a $650 savings over the regular cost. Even just the $150 would have made it worth the cost of admittance to this event. Just another reason to attend the Old Premeds conference!

How is/was the class, ttraub?

Terry,
I think it would be great for you to chronicle your Kaplan experience. I think we have a forum for Kaplan-based study…maybe there?

HI, its my first post here on the OPM site and I have really appreciated all the info I’ve been getting this past week. IT opens up lots of things to think about and its great to know there are so many of us out here!
I just started the kaplan classroom course a week ago and did pretty badly on my diagnostic, so have a ways to go, but that’s the whole point of the class I guess. The 2nd class was all about critical thinking and test taking strategies - actually there was a lot of good info I thought, esp. since it’s been over 20 years since I took the last such standardized test, the GRE.
Keeping up with the homework, etc. is challenging, esp. with my school work to do as well, but I think it is forcing me to do what I would put off otherwise.
As far as the cost, I got a break on the tuition cost by applying for tuition assistance. Yes, you just have to ask them and supposedly each center has a certain amount they can offer as discounts and its not always used up! They told me the max discount was 50% (I think), and I ended up getting 40% off, which was the only way it was possible for me to pay for the course.
Thanks again for all the great info!
Blessings,
Carey

Carey,
Welcome and good luck as you prepare for the MCAT. Definitely stay up on the homework–that will be important as the weeks dwindle by. Stay focused, study hard, identify and improve your weak areas and you’ll do amazing on the test!
Larry

Thanks a lot - and I look forward to continuing to absorb all the great info and insights that folks here have!
Carey

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It’s quite likely that most people will improve their scores as they review and prepare for the real thing, and Kaplan is counting on that because they offer a guarantee: your score will improve or your money back. Of course, I just had to ask: What if we get a 45 on this diagnostic? Then by definition we get our money back. The Kaplan teacher thought that was rather unlikely but found the idea amusing. I’m pleased that he has a sense of humor.



Hi, I’m in the same-type Kaplan class that you are taking, it sounds like. I just wanted to note that my impression of that baseline test is that it is formulated out of only the most advanced MCAT questions. If you sign up on AAMC for the old tests, you can choose “easy, medium or difficult (or all)” levels of questions, and I found the Kaplan baseline test to be very similar to those advanced questions I’ve been doing on AAMC. This of course makes sense, as they need everyone to get as low a score as possible on this test or risk losing money on their money-back guarantee.
I noticed most of the people around me got around what Kaplan said to expect… around the 6 - 8 range. I fell in that range too.
The funny thing is, they actually had that same diagnostic test posted on the website, if you dug around enough in the syllabus, and the explanations were there too. I suspected it would be, and didn’t want to ruin an honest diagnostic of where I am right now, but it would have been hilarious to download that explanation sheet a few days earlier and memorize all the answers, then max the diagnostic test. I bet they wouldn’t like that.
Sam

They’d definitely know you were up to no good. I have been teaching MCAT classes for Kaplan for five years, and I have never had anyone score anywhere close to a 45 on the diagnostic. I’m not saying no one COULD score a 45 on it, but even my top students typically score no higher than the high twenties. The average score on the diagnostic is in the high teens to low twenties. So even if a student scored in the low thirties, I would definitely notice, let alone 40+. After several years of MCAT teaching experience, I still “only” scored a 40 on Kaplan’s diagnostic when I took it myself (without having seen the questions online beforehand ).

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They’d definitely know you were up to no good. I have been teaching MCAT classes for Kaplan for five years, and I have never had anyone score anywhere close to a 45 on the diagnostic. I’m not saying no one COULD score a 45 on it, but even my top students typically score no higher than the high twenties. The average score on the diagnostic is in the high teens to low twenties. So even if a student scored in the low thirties, I would definitely notice, let alone 40+. After several years of MCAT teaching experience, I still “only” scored a 40 on Kaplan’s diagnostic when I took it myself (without having seen the questions online beforehand ).


I don’t mind that the diagnostic is so hard. I would like the real MCAT to feel easier, so that my confidence will not suffer as the day progresses. I have heard this can be a problem. It’s hard to imagine going in and taking this test cold without having taken a preparatory course or at least having read the preparatory materials and studied the strategies.
It does seem a little odd, however, that my best practice score to date was my first one, the free 3R exam from AMCAS. Kaplan tells me that the verbal has been made more difficult since 3R, so perhaps that explains things.

You are correct that AAMC test 3R is an old (pre-2003) MCAT, and it isn’t as representative of current MCATs as tests 7 and 8 (which are post-2003 tests) are. It is my understanding as well that the VR section is harder than it used to be. Also, the grading scale for VR used to top off at 13-15 pre-2003, whereas now it is possible to achieve individual scores of 13, 14, and 15. Of course, it is very difficult to achieve these scores, and the VR section has the hardest curve of any of the three multiple choice sections. If you look at your Kaplan practice tests, you will see how much higher of a percentage correct you need to score 10+ on VR versus either of the science sections.
I know it is frustrating that you have not seen an improvement yet, but it is common for students to not see a lot of improvement in their test scores at first. In fact, many people see a decline before they begin to improve. When you reach the midpoint of your course (actually, about 2/3 of the way through), you will take your first Kaplan full-length test (the midterm). This test is also quite difficult, and many students score lower on it than they do on the diagnostic. Part of that is because many students put off doing the assigned practice tests until later in the course, and part of it may be due to the fact that it is the first time many students have taken a full-length MCAT style test.
Try to remember that your scores in January are not what matters; your score on the real test in April is what matters. What you should be doing now is to focus on improving your problem-solving and organization skills (Kaplan calls that mapping) so that you can reach a point where you move through the passages quickly and efficiently. I know it’s contrary to human nature not to be fixated on the scores themselves, but try to resist that urge, because doing that is not the best use of your time and energy.

I don’t know, that Confucius passage on AAMC 3 VR is as brutal as anything I can think of on any practice test…except maybe the horrible Picasso passage on AAMC 5… (I could be mixing them up, all I remember is Confucius/li on one and Picasso on the other, it was that traumatic)

I don’t know whether to be impressed that you remember these passages, or seriously disturbed… Ok, I’ll amend what I said before to except the Confucius and Picasso passages.

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I don’t know, that Confucius passage on AAMC 3 VR is as brutal as anything I can think of on any practice test…except maybe the horrible Picasso passage on AAMC 5… (I could be mixing them up, all I remember is Confucius/li on one and Picasso on the other, it was that traumatic)


Ironically, the Confucius passage was a great one for me; I was a Chinese major and I had studied the book the passage was taken from. I got a great verbal score on 3R
But on my next test the verbal score went wayyyy down and recently it’s been creeping up very slowly, so I think 3R was a fluke. Kaplan told me 3R verbal is easier than current MCATs.
It’s a hard, hard test and I hope Kaplan is harder than the real thing. Tomorrow I’m going to try one of the “real” ones, 6 or 7, and see how it feels.
Good luck!