blueprint mcat course

2021/05/21

Answering The Questions YOURE Asking About Being Premed, Busy students (lets face it who isnt busy) but more specifically, non-traditionalstudents, Students who dont have access to great advisors or peer study groups and arent sure where to start. This visualization of complex systems and concepts makes learning and memorization much easier. Instead of offering tutoring as a standalone package of supplemental hours that can be added on, Altius incorporates weekly tutoring sessions as part of their course. Following each video lesson is a quiz. The course is now mobile-friendly, meaning you can access your course content on-the-go without downloading any material. It is just intuitive and easy-to-use, while still feeling modern. But while this shiny new MCAT course sounds great, the big question remains: is this MCAT course worth it? The Blueprint MCAT Online Course is comparable in price to similar offerings from Kaplan and The Princeton Review, starting at $1799 for a 6-month subscription. Please readour disclosurefor more information. But for many others, you need something to tie that material to in order to improve your recollection of it later. It feels like an app, although they dont actually have an app that can be used yet. This course is mostly a careful curation of already existing content available online that has been organized for MCAT students. So you get everything they have to offer, for as long as you need it. The newly formed course follows Next Steps traditional curriculum and course structure (which is a very good thing), but with a twist. Between the incredible video lessons, abundance of practice materials and helpful study tools, Blueprint is very likely to raise your score. What you will not get from MCAT Self Prep, however, is a fancy study dashboard and in-house video content like you would from Blueprint. In addition to the quizzes following each video lesson, you also get access to Blueprints QBank, which contains over 4,000 practice problems. These live online classes are integrated with the Online Course program and materials, and serve to build on these primary resources. mcat prep blueprint step test In addition, the classes dive deeper than whats contained in the books and video lessons alone, providing some really helpful tips and tricks that I dont think youd otherwise get. While the text explanations may have been a little thin, the insanely good video lessons, quality practice problems and handy QBank more than make up for it. In addition to the course, students can join 2-hour live Office Hour sessions that are dedicated to a specific topic with course instructors at least five times per week. As they provide their lesson, the screen around them populates with graphics, illustrations and funny little carton animations. . Honestly, for just $600 more (over the cost of the online-only course), I do think the 40+ hours of live class time are worth it. But the dual instructor approach adds a cool element, as they often play off each other and will defer to one another for different topics based on their strengths. The MCAT is all-encompassing and tests a crazy mixture of scientific principles and disciplines. At the next level up, Blueprints Live Online Classis identical to the Online Course in every way, but is differentiated by having 40+ hours of live class time with two of Blueprints top MCAT instructors. What I also like about the Blueprint course is its pricing structure. Our two favorite MCAT courses are Blueprint and The Princeton Review. However, you will have access to AAMC questions and tests with the Blueprint course that you can use for a true benchmark. This is why we rate Blueprints MCAT course near the top of our best list. Their MCAT course starts out free on their Basic Plan and their Pro plans (which include a create-your-own-study-plan course) range from $9.99 to $999. It then automatically creates a modular study plan for the entire duration of your MCAT prep. All three of these competing courses can generally be found within a couple hundred dollars or so of each other. If you would prefer a course that offers live-online classes or in-person options, then Princeton Review and Kaplan have options that are more suitable, since Blueprint MCAT is only offered in an on demand format. You will know right away whether you got the question right or wrong, and will be given a succinct explanation. And on the point of AAMC practice tests, 5 of the 15 total practice tests provided by Blueprint belong to AAMC. They are well-written and clearly explain complex and hard-to-understand subjects. It is not just little cartoon animations that make the video lessons engaging to watch they also illustrate the most difficult-to-understand chemical processes and biological functions. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. A top-tier MCAT prep program that allows for custom study plans and analytics for targeting weaknesses. For those questions that follow a lengthy passage, Blueprint shows you exactly where you should have focused your highlighting and strike-through for ultimate efficiency. A couple of times I caught myself going down a rabbit hole looking at data on performance in these niche areas and looked up to see I had lost 20 minutes. Because this is an affiliate link, Ill get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These are primarily accessed from your personalized study plan (more on this below) or from the resources tab. Blueprint MCAT now offers a live online course option with an additional 40 hours of live online class time. We recommend devoting at least 4 months on your prep so that you get the appropriate hours in. A commercial MCAT test prep with various course offerings that's best known for its high-quality instructors. This fact gives them the confidence to offer such a promise. This method of approaching the coursework is very comprehensive, covering every MCAT subtopic you may come across, and allows for better overall learning. Summary: 16-40 hours of live online tutoring with a 520+ scoring instructor and all other features of the Core Packages, plus 12 month access to Blueprints Online MCAT Course. In contrasting the Blueprint tutoring with Kaplan and Princeton Reviews tutors, I cannot speak to the quality of the others as I did not personally use them. By and large, most of your time will be spent in the learning modules, watching video lessons and doing quizzes. You will have the choice of 6 months, 9 months or 12 months of online content access. The live classes that are part of Blueprints Live Online course option are a new addition since merging with Next Step. Since its merger with Next Step Test Prep a couple years ago, GRE vs LSAT: Comparison & Conversion Guide, College Guide & Resources For LGBTQ Students, Expert Guide For Students With Disabilities To Succeed In College, Verdict: Blueprint MCAT Prep Course Review, By far the best video lessons in MCAT prep (packed with awesome visual animations), Smart course structure with integrated learning modules we found to be highly effective, 4,000+ high-quality practice problems with insightful explanations, Personalized schedule that maps out your study calendar, Difficult to find negatives, with perhaps the price tag being the only drawback. In either case, youre never more than a couple clicks away form your primary materials. This MCAT course includes 240+ hours of live instruction over a 6-month period. The Blueprint instructors are not afraid to get into the weeds, and are very open to answering your questions. If something comes up and you run out of study time, you can simply move the module to another day. The Blueprint (Next Step) tests are harder than the AAMC tests, making them slightly deflated. Your primary categories of study resources, including your study plan, exams, QBank, analytics and more, are housed in the navigation bar at the top. And these illustrated videos do just that. More importantly than interface, the quality of the practice test questions is top notch. Like most other reputable test prep companies, Blueprint offers a money back guarantee if your score does not increase after taking their prep course. In addition to the awesome video lessons and high-quality practice materials described above, Blueprint will also ship you 6 hard copy books as part of your prep package. Check out our video below to see a walk-through of the courses key features: Blueprints curriculum integrates on-demand classes, live online instruction, live office hours, as well as practice material to offer a well-rounded MCAT prep. Each learning module covers a subtopic of the MCAT, such as lipid metabolism and fluid dynamics, and bundles a series of video lessons with quizzes, drills, strategies and passages. This is a great tool for staying on track and tracking your progress through the material. While we found their problem explanations to be a little thin, particularly when compared to other test prep companies, this was the only real course weakness we could find. These books, which have been newly revamped, are integrated with your online course and serve as a supplement to the core curriculum. This is a very nice safety net and I was glad to see Blueprint offered this feature. The difference between these courses is pretty simple: one is a self-paced course, and the other is the same, but with live classes. All Rights Reserved. She has dedicated several years to making prep resources and testing information available to all! Some students can simply read a few lines in a textbook and memorize the material with no issue. Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Test Prep) is a personalized online MCAT prep course that utilizes diagnostic test results to create a custom study plan based on your chosen MCAT test date. Rather than offering more content to higher-paying students, they offer a term-based pricing structure. Blueprint MCAT is now one of the largest test prep companies in the nation. Your analytics can be broken down by subject, reasoning skill, and question type for further practice. As long as you can efficiently corral this analysis into actionable tips, it is a great resource. The functionality of the platform is also first-rate. Blueprint does not have a separate mobile app (for iPhone or Android), but has optimized their website to give it an app-like feel. This makes working on material seamless across your desktop, laptop, tablet and phone. Though I assume they would be good as well. In addition to some top flight lessons and coursework, Blueprint provides some excellent supplemental resources to complement its course. Read this students strategy utilizing UWorld to get accepted into 10 medical schools. If you are thinking of purchasing a UWorld subscription, you would still serve to benefit from either a home study course (see our favorite MCAT prep books) or an on-demand MCAT course. Another notable resource is Blueprints near daily office hours. That said, Blueprint has seemed to invest more in their super user-friendly platform and entertaining video lesson content. Live office hours give you a little face-time with tutors, but do not replace a full in-person or live online course. If you believe that you would benefit from an MCAT course, I highly recommend you check out the Blueprint MCAT course. It also serves as your main jumping off point for your daily studies. Yes! This package prices out at right around $2,600, but can usually be found on sale for less. One of the highest-rated MCAT prep courses that offer in-person, on-demand, and live-online MCAT prep as well as high score guarantees. Price: $2,599 for 6 months; $3,199 for 9 months; $3,499 for 12 months. In that case, they are a bit of time waster. Following the merger of Next Step and Blueprint, many in the MCAT prep world wondered what the resulting MCAT prep course would look like. In Session 180 of The MCAT Podcast, Phil and I dissected Blueprints new online MCAT course, shared what premeds need to know about preparing for the MCAT, and discussed who might need a prep course. We think so. Summary: Includes all features from Blueprint MCAT Online Course PLUS 40 hours of live online classes with 2 MCAT teachers and unlimited class retakes. Summary: 160 learning modules, 10,000 total practice questions including 150+ passages, 15-full-length MCAT practice tests (includes all AAMC full-length exams), Qbank of 4,000 discrete questions, 6 updated review books. Here youll find more MCAT prep course options like on-demand, live online, in-person, or fusions like Blueprint (Next Step Test Prep). READ NEXT: Blueprint vs Magoosh MCAT Comparison. Overall, I give high praise to the Blueprint interface and user platform. 2022 Test Prep Insight. He was crazy smart and very open to tackling anything I raised, whether it was substantive content review, strategy questions or study planning. Rather than moving from subject to subject in a more traditional manner, Blueprint has rolled the various units into discrete learning modules. The course does not currently support collaboration between students, such as virtual study groups. However, where I think Blueprint edges out the competitors is the value they pack into their course. Beyond the intangibles the engaging content, the unrivaled analytics, and the office hours you get 15 months of access to AAMCs online resources ($320 value), but you also get access to one of the largest and most customizable Qbanks out there ($295+ value), and updated set subject books that complement the online course ($270 value). The only time these lessons dont help is if youve already mastered and tested out of a topic. While both courses have merits and made our best MCAT courses for this year, we prefer Blueprint for students looking for a live online or on demand course. This makes it incredibly easy to maneuver through the Blueprint portal and find just what you need. You input your availability, your projected MCAT date, and even your days-off. We got access into the Blueprint MCAT Course and were pretty impressed with the study planner tool, in-depth analytics, and the customization for a course that is mostly on-demand. Putting them side-by-side, it is really hard to decipher between them. They offer just two courses their Online Course and theirLive Online option. Summary: Brainstorming Session, Personal Statement Review Session, 2 Experience Selection Sessions, & The PreMed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement, Summary: Brainstorming Session, 10 Essay Reviews, Interview Prep & Thank You Note Review, Prep & Review Sessions, & The PreMed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement, Summary: Primaries Brainstorming Session, Personal Statement Review Session, 2 Experience Selection Sessions, Secondaries Brainstorming Session, 10 Secondary Essay Reviews, Interview Prep & Thank You Note Review, 2 Dr. Ryan Grays Premed Playbooks, Negotiating Waitlist & Financial Aid. Mappd Now has a Free Tier to Track Your GPA! Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all supplemental resources, are Blueprints advanced analytics. In terms of content, the books provide substantive reviews of the primary MCAT subjects, as well as containing end of chapter practice problems and strategies. Within each learning module you are given at least one video lesson. Blueprint has very short fuse for requesting a refund of your course purchase 24 hours. Yes. At the heart of Blueprint MCATs extensive curriculum is their package of highly engaging and well-designed video lessons. They employ a two-instructor approach, and this dynamic makes for some really engaging classes. A course with superior analytics that requires students to analyze on their own in order to see the best results. Short of the AAMC tests, these are about the best I have seen. Does NOT include access to a Blueprint MCAT course and should be purchased as a supplement. The study planner is super easy to use and customizes to your schedule. Just a thought. Blueprint just rolled out their new Live Online course, which offers 40+ hours of live class sessions. As mentioned, there are often sales going on at Blueprint which help to reduce the sticker price. | Affiliate Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Website by MAP, Blueprint MCAT Online Course Review Personalized MCAT Prep, Students who prefer to study on their own, but who would also benefit from live office hours. However, it is worth noting that they do have weekday online content review sessions, so you have the opportunity to get your questions answered by an MCAT expert. Traditionally, the old Next Step program was only self-paced and online. Other sessions are just open Q&A to talk about any subject or anything MCAT-related generally. To do this, all you have to do is pass a pre-module assessment. This integrated approach to learning allows for more effective content retention. There is a reason other test prep companies like Magoosh offer longer access periods. You essentially get the same material in a variety of ways all in one sitting, reinforcing your understanding of the content. Medical School Headquarters - All Rights Reserved. Ill review the new Blueprint MCAT Online Course here and show why I think they are a companythat you might want to look towards when looking into your MCAT preparation needs. Oftentimes there will be just one sentence answer around the correct choice only. If lessons and coursework are hard to find or usability is clunky, it can negatively affect your efficiency and overall learning. Instructors for these courses are all 99th+ percentile scorers and are required to have taken the AAMC MCAT. As you dive into the content, the course is broken up into 160 learning modules that integrate content, strategy, and quizzes. You can also remove some of the supplemental content, so you can focus more on whats most important with the time you have available. Apart from that small issue, he was personable, approachable and a huge help. This MCAT course includes 240+ hours of live instruction over a 6-month period. MCAT Self Prep is an excellent alternative to Blueprint if you are a self-motivated student who is looking for a much more affordable (albeit DIY) version of an MCAT prep course. With respect to quantity, you will get access to 15 full-length practice exams. However, this course format offers 40+ hours of live online classes across 16 separate, 2.5-hour sessions. The AAMC tests are as good as they come, straight from the makers of the MCAT. Depending on course format, the length of content access you need, and whether you get private tutoring, the Blueprint MCAT course can cost anywhere from around $2,000 to more than $5,000. If youre struggling with a handful of subjects or just need some pro tips to optimize your studies, you should definitely consider using one of the Blueprint MCAT private tutoring packages. The study schedule is extremely easy to put together and navigate and streamlines the whole mammoth process of reviewing everything for the MCAT in just a few months. Fortunately for Blueprint, they have one of the best digital platforms around. |, The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Application Process, The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Interview, The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement, The Nontraditional Medical Student: A Different Path to Med School, The USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK with Dr. McInnis . In response to a query on Reddit contemplating Khan Academy vs Blueprint, a user reported a 19-point score increase by using Blueprint. This is a very respectable figure and bested only by Gold Standard MCAT Preps 20 practice tests. They think so as well, as evidenced by their offering a score increase guarantee. If you dont call or email them within 1 day of buying their MCAT course, youre locked in. And in fact, I would actually like to see Blueprint offer some more detail around these. Unlike other review sites, the Test Prep Insight team actually purchases, examines, and rates each educational product on our website through a series of practical, detailed assessments, with the utmost commitment to independence and integrity. Students can choose 6, 12, or 18-months of access to the platform, depending on when youre planning to take the MCAT. It would be nice to get an explanation around the incorrect answer choices as well, explaining how they relate to the matter at hand and work in other circumstances. You tackle each subtopic as a standalone task until you master and test out of it. Ive spent a lot of time playing around with MCAT prep course platforms, and I have to say that Blueprint has one of the easiest, most intuitive platforms on the market. It is snappy and responsive, and feels ultra-modern. The personalized study plan is a proprietary platform that generates a detailed, day-by-day schedule. He discusses quality of the coursework and study materials, pricing, and much more. In addition to the course, students can join 2-hour live Office Hour sessions that are dedicated to a specific topic with course instructors at least five times per week. This course includes a set of 6 detailed full-color review books that have been recently updated to reflect AAMC changes. Course options and pricing current as of date of publication. These courses help you review content that the AAMC will test you on and now come in various price points like $9.99 for MCAT Self Prep up to $3,000 for The Princeton Review. Under the analytics tab on the navigation bar, you will find a host of great data on your performance. Before diving into the content modules, Blueprint prompts you to set up a study plan. UWorld, rather, specializes in realistic practice through its extensive Qbank. In another Reddit review on Blueprint, a user purchased it for the study plan (which we agree is amazing) but found the videos to be unnecessary unless you are a visual learner looking to fill content gaps: This last review was from The Student Doctor Network that mentions his/her rationality in springing for this course. The video lessons are top notch, their practice materials are applaudable, and they provide an abundance of helpful study resources and content-rich prep books. These self-paced offerings start at roughly $2,000 and go up from there. Included are reader discounts that you wont find anywhere else! With 40 hours of live online class time, this is about 1/3 of the live online class time from competitors like Princeton Review and Kaplan. That said, for most students this should be plenty of time. Learn more. This course is for budgeting self-motivated MCAT home study students who prefer learning on-demand. Summary: 16-40 hours of live online tutoring; Diagnostic Pre-Test, 15 full-length Practice Exams, personalized study plan written by tutor completed in minimum 1 month, 4,000 question Qbank, 1,600+ high-yield flashcards, access to 6-month Blueprint MCAT Online course. The production value and overall quality of these videos cannot be overstated. Youll find images and videos throughout our website that provide evidence of our pledge to produce honest and comprehensive reviews, which is part of what makes Test Prep Insight the most trusted source of e-learning content on the internet. I did pick up that he himself had an area or two where he wasnt a complete guru (like physics), but its hard to imagine someone being a complete master of every single subject. You can narrow your problem sets by question type, difficulty, and number of questions, among other things. This post contains affiliate links (at no extra cost to you). Alternatively, you can also repeat the course at your option. Blueprints tutors are all 99th percentile MCAT scorers and trained by Blueprint to efficiently communicate MCAT topics in a way that aligns with the Blueprint curriculum. What makes this curriculum pretty cool, is that you can now test out of content that you already know or can answer correctly. From the moment you hit the play button you are sucked in and stay engaged. These consist of 2-hour study sessions with a Blueprint MCAT instructor 5 days per week. Blueprint offers this guarantee because their students see a roughly +13 point score increase on average. From a quality perspective, I wouldnt worry about being committed to this course, as Blueprint is one of our top-rated courses, but if life events come up that may preclude you from studying, this is a short window to back out. Blueprint and Kaplans on demand MCAT courses are quite similar, and you cant go wrong with either.