Taking the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is a big deal. It’s your admissions ticket to medical school, and you should only have to take it once. An MCAT preparation course can help you get a good MCAT score on your first try by reinforcing the medical knowledge required for admission to medical school.
The best MCAT prep courses cover both content and strategy, provide fully online learning options, and allow students to tailor their studies to their specific requirements and exam schedule. We scoured the details of the most popular courses available to help you decide which MCAT prep course is best for you.
Top MCAT Prep Courses
Blueprint
Blueprint’s MCAT prep course can be personalized from the start as their online course begins with a diagnostic test, which is then used to determine your baseline score, which is then used to chart your study plan. Blueprint’s Study Plan generator will then generate a personalized study schedule based on your chosen MCAT test date.
The online course has a dashboard with several tabs that provide access to a plethora of study resources, your study plan, and a discussion forum, among other features. It is important to note that Blueprint is the only company that has fully updated all of their practice exams and diagnostics to be fully aligned with this year’s MCAT interface changes. When you sign up for a Blueprint MCAT course, you’ll also receive a set of six section-specific MCAT prep books.
Although it is competitively priced with other online courses, the Blueprint MCAT course also includes live-online office hours, making it significantly less expensive than other live-online offerings. The benefit of this is that even if you are only studying, you will still receive one-on-one attention from a tutor in the same way that you would in a classroom.
As you can see in our demo video above, the content organization is simple, and their platform is extremely user-friendly. If you require additional assistance beyond the live online office hours, there are various tutoring packages available (though they are expensive).
Kaplan
This course is entirely online and self-paced, with students having access to hundreds of videos to help them learn the material. Kaplan also offers 90+ livestreamed and on-demand teacher-led sessions on their MCAT channel.
The course includes eight MCAT prep books that are packed with tried-and-true strategies, science information, and more practice questions. Students gain access to the most official AAMC practice materials in addition to the books.
Kaplan’s question bank adapts to your answers and knowledge level and builds out the questions based on your insights – this is a nice feature that helps students save time.
Overall, Kaplan has created an excellent course. It’s a little pricey for only 5 months of access. The number of practice questions, practice tests, and adaptive learning styles is comparable to that of other courses. The access to AAMC materials and the included books are also a nice bonus. Kaplan does not provide a free trial period.
MCAT Self Prep
Andrew George founded MCAT Self Prep after developing his own study method while preparing for the MCAT. Based on research of the study habits of students who scored in the top fifth percentile on the MCAT, the company now offers four study prep options.
The free course from MCAT Self Prep includes 10 content modules, over 300 hours of video, study tips, access to a Facebook study group, and the ability to message the company’s CEO. The Basic Pro Course costs $9 and includes everything available in the free course as well as a create-your-own study plan option with a study plan spreadsheet, access to a study portal, and a score tracker.
If you take any of MCAT Self Prep’s courses and do not see an improvement in your score, you will receive a full refund. Please keep in mind that the AAMC practice question bundle must be purchased separately for this course.
Altius
Altius offers the best in-person MCAT prep course. Altius offers a variety of MCAT prep courses, but the Platinum Summer Immersion program is the one to attend for in-person instruction.
If you enroll in this program, be prepared for a grueling 10-week period: This Altius MCAT prep course includes 50-plus hours of MCAT study per week for ten weeks, and you’ll be studying with some of the most dedicated pre-med students in the country.
You will meet with your individual tutor six times per week, attend 20 office hours, receive over 230 hours of face-to-face instruction, attend 70 live classroom sessions, and participate in 40 hours of small-group tutoring. In just ten weeks, you will have received more than 500 hours of MCAT instruction and tutoring.
The advantage of in-person test preparation is that there is no time for distractions. If you find it difficult to stay motivated or disciplined in your studies, the Altius Summer Immersion program may be your ticket to the medical school of your dreams.
Altius also offers a 3X guarantee: it guarantees the lowest price on individual MCAT tutoring, a 90th percentile score guarantee, and a two-week trial/money-back guarantee.
Conclusion
Whatever MCAT prep course you choose, remember that the best study course is one that allows you to identify, focus on, and strengthen your weak areas. Because there are so many test prep courses available, every student can find something that fits both his or her schedule and budget.