When it’s time to take the MCAT, you probably want the right prep course. There are many options out there, but Kaplan and Princeton Review MCAT are two of the best. You probably already know this, if you’ve done your research.
You will find that both of these MCAT prep options offer an excellent curriculum. They give you plenty of study materials and they have been proven to work. It can be difficult to choose between Kaplan and Princeton Review MCAT.
If you’re trying to make this decision, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down each of these MCAT prep options individually and compare them.
An Overview of Kaplan MCAT
Kaplan is a leading name in education. They have actually been around since 1938 providing test prep options. This company is one of the largest you will find with options found in 30 different countries.
The online platform makes it easy to access the MCAT prep you need. They offer several options to help cater to the way you prefer to learn. Even if you need tutoring, Kaplan has it.
When you choose the Kaplan MCAT prep option, you will get a program with all the study materials you need. It comes out to more than 700 hours of study material to help you prepare properly.
Kaplan offers quality content for your MCAT prep course. They have some excellent on-demand video lessons to make it easier to learn, too.
Pros
- Huge Qbank – You will get access to more than 2,900 practice questions.
- Excellent Support – Kaplan offers some of the best support in the industry.
- Lots of Value – You get a ton of prep materials to help you learn and study for the MCAT with Kaplan.
- Provides high-quality video lessons – You get plenty of video-based lessons with strong content and excellent graphics.
Cons
- Doesn’t offer a content review – You won’t get a content review with this option. The courses tend to lack detail, in some areas.
- Focus is imbalanced – While Kaplan does a great job of developing excellent test-taking strategies, this focus causes a bit of an imbalance.
- The mobile app isn’t great – The mobile app from Kaplan isn’t great and does lack some usefulness.
An Overview of Princeton Review MCAT
Princeton Review MCAT offers a bit of a newer test prep company compared to Kaplan. However, they have still been around since 1981 and they are available in about 14 countries.
You will find a variety of options with the Princeton Review MCAT. Whether you prefer a self-paced option or a live online option, you can find it with this MCAT prep course.
The MCAT prep course from The Princeton Review gives you about 860 total hours of test prep materials. They offer plenty of access with lots of options to get prepared for the MCAT.
Many students will find the Princeton Review explanations to be better than those from Kaplan. They offer a good breakdown of the questions and the core components.
Pros
- Excellent content reviews – You will get excellent content reviews from Princeton Review. There are several hours for each section and you will also gain access to many hours of video content and detailed explanations.
- Top-Notch Prep Books – You will get prep books with the Princeton Review MCAT. This is a big deal since the 11 printed prep books give you more than 100 hours of prep time.
- Offers a very deep curriculum – You will get a ton of details throughout the curriculum with very strong review content.
Cons
- Expensive – Princeton Review MCAT tends to be more expensive than other test prep providers. While this might be the case, you might find it worth the extra cost.
Not as great in the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Section (CARS) – The Princeton Review MCAT is great, but it becomes a bit subpar in the CARS section. This is a very difficult section on the MCAT and the time for the CARS section isn’t much in this MCAT prep course. You can get additional materials, but it will come at a cost.
The mobile app isn’t so good – Some have described the mobile app from The Princeton Review as clunky. It doesn’t have very many resources, either.
Kaplan vs Princeton Review MCAT: The Cost
When you compare Kaplan and Princeton Review MCAT, it’s not exactly easy to see that Kaplan is cheaper. They have packages ranging from $1,799 to $2,899. The Princeton Review MCAT, however, has options ranging from $1,699 to $6,699.
It looks like The Princeton Review MCAT is cheaper, but it’s only cheaper for the lowest level self-paced package.
Let’s look at the options from both to get a full comparison.
MCAT Packages from Kaplan
- On-Demand Course – $1,799 – Get pre recorded teacher-led lessons with the flexibility to study at your own pace.
- Live Online Course – $2,499 – Gain access to 24, 2-hour live-streamed interactive lessons from MCAT teachers, along with live online workshops, and more with this package.
- In-Person Course – $2,899 – Get 16, 3-hour classes with MCAT prep experts, unlimited live online workshops, and more with this package.
All three of these packages offer monthly payment plans for students, as well.
Kaplan also offers a Bootcamp option, which will last for five weeks and costs $6,999. This option comes with more than 700 hours of online instruction, support, and practice. You get all of the following with the Bootcamp:
- 16 realistic practice tests
- More than 3,000 practice questions
- One-on-one tutoring sessions
- Unlimited live-streamed workshops
- More than 70 videos covering the highest-yield MCAT topics
- Seven MCAT Subject Review books
This is a pretty intense course, but one of the best you will find if you want to score well on the MCAT.
Kaplan also offers one-on-one tutoring for MCAT prep. You can get packages from $3,699 to $6,899 with 10 to 40 hours of tutoring.
MCAT Packages from Princeton Review
- Self-Paced – $1,699 – Gain access to more than 500 on-demand videos, thousands of practice questions, 16 practice tests, and 10 MCAT books with this package.
- Essentials – $2,799 – Gain access to 90 hours of live sessions with MCAT experts, recorded lessons, live Q&A sessions, and much more with this package.
- MCAT 510+ – $3,399 – Get 123 hours of live instruction from MCAT experts, a 510+ score guarantee, one-on-one expert study advisor, MCAT topic focus, and more with this package.
- 515+ Immersion – $6,999 – Get over 860 total hours of instruction, a one-on-one personalized study advisor, a 515+ score guarantee, and more with this package.
The Princeton Review MCAT also offers private one-on-one tutoring for $183 per hour.
If you’re looking for the best price between Kaplan and The Princeton Review MCAT, you’ll likely find it from Kaplan.
Kaplan vs Princeton Review MCAT: Which is Right for Me?
Both Kaplan and The Princeton Review MCAT prep courses offer great choices. One may fit better for you, however.
Why Choose Kaplan?
For those looking for individual courses, Kaplan offers great options. You don’t necessarily have to get a full course and you can still get the QBank for MCAT prep.
Another type of student that will fit well with Kaplan MCAT prep is one not looking for fancy tools. You will get the classroom experience you need with practice tests, but you don’t get fancy tools other prep courses may offer.
If you’re looking for a lot of basic review, this is the right choice for you. Maybe you struggled in your pre-med classes or it has been a while since you took them. If so, Kaplan will be the right choice.
All three of these scenarios make it easy to choose Kaplan. This option will give you the basic review you need, plenty of practice tests, and so much more.
Why Choose the Princeton Review MCAT?
More advanced students with a good handle on the content will do well with the Princeton Review MCAT. You can go deeper with these classes and get the tools you need to score better on the MCAT
If you’re not looking to spend extra cash on a full program, you can get the TPR books and MCAT practice tests from The Princeton Review
Students needing one-on-one private tutoring can choose to pay per hour with The Princeton Review without needing to buy a higher-priced package from Kaplan.
The Princeton Review MCAT tends to be a bit more advanced than Kaplan. There are options from this MCAT prep company that might fit better than the options from Kaplan.
It’s important to look at both Kaplan and Princeton Review MCAT before you choose the right one for you. They both offer great MCAT prep options, but they do it in a different way.
There is no wrong or right answer, overall. Both are excellent choices but might fit better with one type of student compared to another. Make sure you do your research before you choose the right MCAT prep course for you.
Jordan Fabel
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