Is It Better to Practice or Review for the Mcat
As this is a pretty lengthy review that covers a number of topics, we've included jump-to links above for your convenience.
In the video above, John from the Examination Prep Insight team walks you through the major pros and cons of the Princeton Review MCAT prep class. For more detail regarding this form, be certain to read our full, written review beneath.
Princeton Review MCAT
- Self-Paced or Live Online
- Frequent Discounts
- Cocky-Paced or Alive Online
- Frequent Discounts
Pros
- Fantastic alive online classes led past rotating squad of 4 to vi subject affair experts
- Deep curriculum packed with detail for those needing strong content review
- Comes with eleven meridian-notch MCAT prep books (great for text-based learners)
Cons
- On demand video lessons accept lackluster production quality
- Mobile app non very useful (kind of clunky and just contains flashcards)
$200 OFF Code: Essentials200
Course Options and Pricing
Before we dive into our thoughts on the Princeton Review MCAT form, let'south quickly cover their course formats and offerings to set the stage. In brusk, TPR offers four primary prep options to students, which vary based on level of educational activity, course intensity and level of access. The 4 prep packages include:
- Online Course
- Live Online
- MCAT 510+
- MCAT 515+ Immersion
Outset with their near affordable choice, Princeton'southward Online Course gives students the gamble to learn at their own speed, DIY-style. This package opens access to Princeton's wide range of online content and hard copy books, but no live classes. This course runs right around $two,000, which makes it a hair more than expensive than Kaplan'southward coordinating course, and approximately 5x more than expensive than value prep company Magoosh's online course.
Moving up the ladder, Princeton Review's most pop prep pick, the Alive Online C ourse, gives students the take chances to learn through live scheduled classes, in-person or online. This form packs a whopping 120+ alive instruction hours and costs around $2,800. In one case once again, this is in line with the price of rival Kaplan's flagship in-person course, and the two can ofttimes be establish inside $100-200 of each other when considering current discounts.
At the next tier, Princeton Review offers their MCAT 510+ program, which guarantees a score of 510 or meliorate on the MCAT (assuming you commencement with a base score of 500 or better and finish the class). If you have a base score less than 500, than the course but guarantees a +10 point leap. In either case, this prep packet will run you about $three,500 – though we ofttimes come across information technology on sale for less.
Finally, Princeton Review'due south most intense pick – the MCAT 515+ Immersion course – is the granddaddy of them all, boasting 860+ full hours of instruction, do and guided prep across 5 long weeks. This grade is not for the faint of middle; nor is it for the penny pincher. This bootcamp-mode prep grade will cost you around $seven,350, which is on par with other intense MCAT summer immersion programs. That figure may make your head spin, merely know that also includes room and board and a guaranteed score of 515+ (with some limitations).
Course options and pricing current as of date of publication.
Assay of Princeton Review's MCAT Coursework
One of the first things that jumps out almost Princeton Review'southward coursework is the sheer quantity of prep they provide. Princeton gives you access to 500+ detailed video lessons, 2,500+ practise problems, xvi full-length practice tests, and 123 live teaching hours (assuming you're taking a live course). That is a TON of prep material and fourth dimension, so for those students seeking to maximize the amount of prep they get for their money, this should catch your eye.
Their curriculum is divided up by MCAT subject, such every bit biology or organic chemical science, for a total of 6 sections. Each subject is then broken downwards into classes, with each class covering a certain subtopic of the more general category. Within each of these classes you then have 3 components:
- Before Form – This is a primer for what is to come in the meat of the lesson. Information technology mostly includes a diagnostic examination, reading assignment from your subject books, and some practice questions.
- Class – The class itself consists of a series of "MedFlix" videos. These video-based lessons get right to the heart of the material and serve as your primary teaching.
- Afterwards Form – This textile serves to reinforce the content reviewed in the class lessons and takes the form of drills and workbook practise.
The on demand video lessons in the online portion of the course are generally short in elapsing (around 5-20 minutes) and comprehend topic specific education. They take the grade of digital whiteboard with a voice-over past the instructor. The instructor verbalizes their lesson as the onscreen whiteboard updates with text, notes and different graphics. There are no existent interactive elements and the teacher moves quickly through the content.
In my opinion, the quality of these video lessons was just okay. The production value was a footling subpar, with grainy footage at times and tinny sound, and the Princeton instructors move very quickly through the textile. There is never any real attempt to engage students or brand the material lite – they are all business and cut through the agenda with robotic-like bulldoze.
So for those students that like funny, engaging instructors and presentations that go along the material light, this will not be for yous. Simply if you're just looking for the good one-time meat and potatoes (i.e. straight content with no fluff), these videos will be right up your alley.
With all that said, I did dear the analogies and mnemonics the Princeton instructors incorporated into the video instruction. At that place were a number of times the instructor would apply a petty story or mnemonic to help you remember a formula or concept, which is always super helpful. You have a ton of cloth to memorize for the MCAT, so anytime you can take a shortcut to improve retrieve, information technology'south a win. I as well really liked the graphics used throughout the video lessons – these helped with textile memory as well.
Beyond the video lessons, you get admission to ii,500+ practice problems beyond all of Princeton's online content. There are hundreds of drills and diagnostic exams surrounding the classes, and each practice problem within these components has an fastened explanation.
The practice problem explanations are incredibly thorough and I was personally very impressed with them. The explanations swoop into bang-up item, breaking down the basis of the question, as well as giving a thorough assay of each answer pick. These explanations add serious value to the course and should be reviewed after each missed question.
I too plant the subject specific diagnostic exams within each form to be incredibly useful. These diagnostic tools found your baseline skill level and track your progress from in that location equally you motility through the class. These give a great opportunity to clarify your weaknesses and put extra work towards those areas. The results of your diagnostic tests tin be found nether the Reports tab and should exist reviewed ofttimes.
To cap off the lessons and coursework, Princeton Review additionally provides access to all AAMC official practise materials. This isn't necessarily a special or exclusive feature (Kaplan and Gilt Standard MCAT Prep exercise this as well), merely most every student searching out the best MCAT prep course volition await this, so it'south overnice to see Princeton rise to the occasion. These AAMC materials, consisting of practise tests, flashcards and online practice, are all top notch and are a huge benefit to the overall prep bundle.
All things considered, I was very impressed with Princeton Review's curriculum and coursework. The quality of their MedFlix video lessons in the online portal was defective and the material dry, simply they were definitely effective and covered every nook and cranny of MCAT textile.
I separately actually liked the quality and quantity of drills and ancillary coursework around the form sessions. In sum, in that location should not be any doubts about the nature of Princeton Review's MCAT coursework – you absolutely get what you lot pay for with this course in the all-time of ways.
Princeton Review MCAT Prep Books
In addition to the online video instruction, drills, assigned readings and other digital coursework, Princeton Review provides students with 11 difficult copy prep books. Of these xi books, 7 cover bailiwick specific content review, spanning the subjects of biological science, general chemistry, biochemistry, organic chemistry, physics and math, psychology and folklore, and CARS. The other 4 books consist of various course-based workbooks. Combined, they make for an extremely comprehensive and valuable resource.
The subject specific review books are worth their weight in golden. They cover each topic in extreme detail, with excellent explanations and helpful graphics. They dive into details you lot don't become through the instruction solitary and act equally a very nice complement to the core coursework. The workbooks are also very useful, serving every bit extra do and a means to reinforce the content you've learned (or probable re-learned).
My personal opinion is that the Princeton books are worth almost equally much as the online content itself. I learn particularly well through reading textbooks, and so for me personally, these books are a blessing. They are well-written, clearly articulated, and do a great job breaking downwards complex cloth. All together, they are a powerful study resources.
Princeton Review MCAT Practice Tests
In total, Princeton Review offers its users the opportunity to take up to 16 total-length practice tests. Given the importance of do when it comes to the MCAT, this is an incredibly valuable offer. With respect to pure numbers, 16 is a very generous figure and is less than simply Gold Standard MCAT Prep when it comes to quantity (Gold Standard offers 20 practise tests).
Still, just as important every bit the quantity of practice tests is the ability to practice under examination-similar weather. To exist fully prepared, it is critical that students practise like its game-day, and so practice tests must match the real MCAT in terms of question content, structure and format. Fortunately, Princeton Review does a great job on all fronts.
Their do examination problems are amazingly shut to the existent questions you will see on exam day. Honestly, I could hardly tell the difference, and the digital platform Princeton employs to administer the do tests is a very good representation of the actual software you lot will see. Together, the nearly identical questions and testing software make for a true exam-like experience.
Post-obit each practise test, you are given an interactive score report. These reports are extremely detailed and break downwardly your operation by subject and subtopic. This gives you lot a articulate view into where your weaknesses lie, allowing for further exercise in those areas.
You can also jump into individual missed questions from the score report to review trouble explanations. I constitute these score reports to be extremely well-designed and very beneficial for purposes of reviewing mistakes. I specially similar how you can dive into specific questions to run across where you went incorrect.
➡ Related: Princeton Review vs Kaplan MCAT Prep Comparison
Princeton Review MCAT Classes
If you elect to take one of the Princeton Review MCAT courses with a classroom component, you will be treated to an abundance of alive instruction hours. The Live Online and MCAT 510+ class offerings each avowal 123 hours of live instruction. Yes, you read that correctly – 123 hours.
That is more 3x the number of classroom hours that you lot get with Kaplan, and is frankly a little mind boggling. And if yous actually up the ante for Princeton's 515+ Immersion form, you volition get shut to 200 hours of live classroom time. Whatever path you take, that is a lot of classroom time. And while more class hours don't necessarily mean ameliorate scores, I believe the actress time dedicated to learning from a MCAT pro certainly helps.
Rather than the course existence led by one instructor, the classes are taught by a rotating squad of subject affair experts. You lot volition usually get a mix of 4 to six different Princeton experts, who are masters of a item field. This ensures that you are getting specialists teaching your classes rather than generalists who maybe only take a surface level cognition of a particular topic.
I took the Live Online Class and had five different instructors across my classes. They ranged widely in personality and pedagogy style, but all had the common trait of existence very outgoing and knowledgeable. Each seemed incredibly invested in making sure we all understood the textile they were didactics.
Information technology actually seemed like each took a sense of pride in their work and making sure they were doing a good chore. As part of that, all the instructors were very open to questions and comments, and sidebar conversations during breaks.
I frequently would ask a quick question 1-on-1 during a interruption and the teacher had no issue at all giving upwardly sixty seconds of their suspension time to reply my questions. They were all truly friendly and open.
Following each class session, you will exist assigned some personalized homework. The homework is a mixed bag and can exist annihilation from reading assignments to drills to diagnostics. And don't recollect the homework is a light load that you tin can cakewalk through while watching TV – information technology frequently took hours to complete.
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User Experience and Interface
It is clear that Princeton Review has dedicated considerable time and resource to perfecting its digital platform. The online portal that houses a majority of your coursework is clean, professional person looking and very intuitive. I would non say that information technology is sleek or mod, but information technology is certainly aesthetically pleasing.
The layout is as well very piece of cake to utilize and maneuvering through the portal is a breeze. The navigation bar at the top serves to direct you to the various sections of resources and report material in a very like shooting fish in a barrel to understand manner. And the drill-down functions and organization of online classwork simplify the tracking down of a desired resource.
To the extent the video-based lessons make upwardly office of the user experience, that attribute is significantly lacking. I empathise that it is hard and expensive to produce 500+ high quality videos with neat production value, but these videos just don't make the cutting. They were often pixelated and the audio sounded metallic. I would just expect ameliorate on that front. But apart from that aspect, the overall user interface and feel of the Princeton Review online content is visually highly-seasoned and piece of cake to utilise.
Actress MCAT Study Resources
While non always at the pinnacle of students' priority lists when it comes to features they are looking for in a MCAT prep course, supplemental resource are always a dainty bonus. Fortunately, for Princeton Review students, the test prep behemoth offers a few actually valuable add together-ons.
The most important and useful resource offer is Princeton's "MCAT Topic Focus." This resource is generally simply available to MCAT 510+ and MCAT 515+ Immersion students. It is a series of teacher office hours-type sessions that cover various subjects on the MCAT.
There are over 12 sessions offered per week, where instructors dive into deeper detail on detail topics and let students to enquire questions. This is a squeamish resource for students seeking more cognition on a certain subject or a chance to ask some follow-up questions from form.
Princeton'due south Ultimate MCAT Student Guide is also a helpful feature. This 20+ page downloadable PDF covers everything students needs to know well-nigh the MCAT in general, the Princeton Review prep course, how to effectively set for the MCAT, med school admissions and more than. Past and large, you lot can recollect of it as your go-to manual for MCAT prep.
Lastly, through your Princeton Review MCAT prep grade, you volition also get access to Princeton's Med School Admissions Advantage sessions. These video sessions offer communication from Princeton med schoolhouse admissions counselors and experts on tips for optimizing your med schoolhouse admissions application and qualifications, among other things. Together with the MCAT Topic Focus, Pupil Guide and other coincident resources bachelor through the portal, Princeton offers a nice bundle of resources.
Princeton Review Individual MCAT Tutoring
For those students seeking out some personalized attention from an expert on the MCAT, Princeton Review offers a couple different private tutoring packages. The ii packages are as follows:
- MCAT Targeted Live Online Tutoring – x Hours
- MCAT Comprehensive Live Online Tutoring – 60 Hours
The ten-hour package costs right effectually $two,000, while the 60-hour package will run you an eye-popping $eleven,000. Yes that is a crazy, crazy number, but when you break it downward across 60 hours and factor in that you are also getting access to all of the same content and materials as the Online Course students (a roughly $2,000 value), it is actually a fairly decent rate per hour for top tier tutoring.
I know the accented dollar figure is still nutty to contemplate spending, only if yous're going to be ownership the Online Course anyway and really want to invest in getting into a pinnacle schoolhouse, this would likely be your ticket.
Information technology is a piffling odd to me that Princeton jumps from a 10-hour bundle to a 60-hour bundle with nothing in between. Given that big gap in hours with no packages, I would just note that Blueprint MCAT also offers some very high-stop tutoring packages in that in-between range. I have personally used their tutoring services and constitute them to exist top shelf.
Content Access Catamenia
Princeton Review boasts one of the more than favorable content admission periods in the MCAT test prep space. For online only, Online Course students, y'all will get access to your online materials for 270 days. That means y'all become roughly nine months of report fourth dimension, which should be aplenty opportunity to become yourself ready for the MCAT.
For all other course options, you volition get the same 270 days PLUS whatsoever enrollment period earlier your class begins. And then if you enroll 30 days earlier the start form session, you get a bonus thirty days of access to your content. This is a really nice feature and in theory, y'all could clasp out 10-12 months of access to your report materials. Compared to other test prep courses, these access periods are quite generous.
The Princeton Review Mobile App
Keeping up with other test prep companies that offer MCAT prep courses, Princeton Review has rolled out its own MCAT mobile app. While this may perk your ears, do not get as well excited about the content it offers. The mobile app is limited to 550 content-based flashcards. There are no practice quizzes, bug, video lessons or anything else from your actual coursework on the app.
Personally, I would similar to meet Princeton Review connect their mobile app with your coursework, and allow you to do practice problems and spotter video lessons from your phone. That would be a true add in value.
Don't become me incorrect, I like the flashcards and think they are bully in their own correct, but I just would similar more. The flashcards make for some great quick-hit studying while on the train or killing time, simply they are not game changers.
Does Princeton Review Have a Score Increase Guarantee?
Princeton Review offers a score increase guarantee for all of its courses, with a specially strong guarantee for the MCAT 510+ and MCAT 515+ Immersion packages. For the Online and Live Online courses, Princeton guarantees that your MCAT score will increase with the use for their course (noting that some restrictions use). Nonetheless, information technology is the two upper echelon courses where the existent guarantee kicks in.
For the 510+ programme, Princeton Review guarantees that you will become at least a 510 or better. Now, to qualify for this hope, you must have a baseline score of 500 or better. Otherwise they but guarantee a score jump of +10 points (which is still pretty liberal in its own correct). And for the 515+ Immersion program, there is a similar promise.
Score 515 or better or your money back – assuming you started with a 505 score or better. If you start below a 505 score with that offering, you get the same +10 point increase guarantee.
Each guarantee requires that you complete all your coursework, along with some other requirements, but the aforementioned is expected from whatever visitor'southward guarantee program. Overall, the Princeton guarantees are quite generous.
Princeton Review Refund Policy
Generally speaking, if you choose to withdraw from your Princeton Review prep course for any reason inside 7 days of buy, you will get 100% of your coin dorsum. Across that seven-twenty-four hours period, however, you will be out of luck.
This refund policy applies to tuition costs only and non shipping expenses, which will not be reimbursed. Notation that this liberal refund policy does not apply to the 515+ Immersion program though, and then check those requirements closely.
Verdict: Princeton Review MCAT Prep Course
If you're looking for a tried and true, proven MCAT prep formula that is almost certain to raise your score, Princeton Review is likely your course. They offer an accented mountain of prep resources and study fourth dimension through 120+ alive instruction hours, 16 full-length practice tests, 2,500+ practice problems, and one of the nearly robust curriculums nosotros have reviewed. The practice problem explanations are thorough, the drills hammer home the most important MCAT subjects, and the lessons target high-yield topics. Overall, I was very impressed with Princeton's grade.
All that said, I did have consequence with their online video-based lessons and mobile app. The production value of the video lessons is not slap-up, having a grainy movie and tinny audio; however, they are nonetheless effective, cut to the signal of every discipline and covering every MCAT subtopic imaginable. And while I don't care for the usefulness of their mobile app, information technology is a pocket-size feature in an overall stiff bundle. For students that want results and little risk when spending their money on a prep class, I would non hesitate to pull the trigger on Princeton Review's grade. Information technology's a surefire prep option.
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Source: https://testprepinsight.com/reviews/princeton-review-mcat/
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