My latest plan is to start my formal Kaplan On-Site course this fall. I had orginally planned on taking the Kaplan course just over my Spring semester while taking Physics II and Organic II, but I’ve now decided to take the “long” one night a week course that stretches from Fall through Spring. For some reason this seems like a good plan at the moment. That being said, my fall semester is pretty heavy, too, so I may end up deciding it’s too much to throw at myself. If that is the case, Kaplan says I can freeze my account and then just re-enroll for the Spring only (two days a week) class. We’ll see. I guess I figured the stretch it out strategy may somehow make me feel more prepared than just shoving all my MCAT prep into the Spring. I don’t know. I welcome thoughts on the matter esp. from those of you who are done and over with MCAT prep on what worked for you. It’s all individual, I know, but it can help to get feedback!
I did start MCAT prep over a year ago, actually. I’m the uber prepared type A person. So, I have been listening to EK audio osmosis here and there and paging through my Kaplan and EK books as I take courses, and doing the MCAT question of the day. However, because I always knew the MCAT for me wouldn’t happen until Spring 2013 I have not been crazy about my “prep”. Now that fall is nearly here I know that spring is going to come fast so I don’t want it to sneak up on me. Time to get more serious about the MCAT prep hence the decision to enroll in Kaplan now. I’m “thinking out loud” here, but yes, I welcome feedback as always!
If I could go back I would have started verbal a year early. I 100% back examkrackers verbal philosophy. I did everything they said to do and I recommend that to everyone who asks me. Since you are starting the course just do that for your full Fall. In the spring, you should supplement your Kaplan stuff with the EK Verbal if possible (unless you are already good at it).
Thanks for VR advice, Matt1986. I have heard this before and already planned to follow EK on this portion. I have Audio Osmosis and their VR book so I should be good to go. I will probably do some EK VR stuff over my winter break, and then, like you said, supplement it into the Kaplan stuff, too.
I haven’t tested myself on VR yet, though. So, that being said, maybe I will be a VR wonder, but I want to be prepared even if I do find it is not a weak spot for me. No, I want to be overly prepared. Not that is even possible with the MCAT, but I’ll try.
Verbal is the dark horse. If you get 10-9-10 that’s a 29. If you get 10-12-10 that’s a 32. It has the biggest area for improvement. Most of us have seen chemical equilibrium problems etc so there isn’t as much room to grow as there is in verbal.
Make sure you get this book (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-Passages -MCAT-Verbal-Reasoning/dp /1893858553) along with their regular book.
The regular book only has tests that are 3 passages long but contains all the how-to’s. There is something very uniquely soul-sucking about a 60 minute verbal test.
Thanks again. I don’t have the 101 passages book, just the VR and Math strategies book, but now I will certainly pick up this one, too.
“Very uniquely soul-sucking…”? Oh gosh, I better get right to it and see what kind of a beast I’m up against!
Nevermind! I guess I do have the 101 passages book, too. Egads I have to go through these mountains of prep materials!