The Kaplan Test Preparation MCAT review course is the most popular program nationally for MCAT review. Kaplan offers MCAT review courses at its centers in Baltimore and College Park, and at colleges and other locations throughout the state. The instructor-led classroom courses are 24 sessions that include 54 hours of in-class review and 32 hours of practice testing. There are many different schedules to choose from, and courses begin at various times throughout the year that lead up to MCAT testing dates. MCAT students may also choose the Live Online option, which is the same as the classroom course, but allows students to watch a live instructor online instead of in the Kaplan center or during a review session. There is also an online option where students receive instruction via a recorded review session that is slightly less expensive than the instructor-led live online or classroom option.
The online option costs about $1,750, while the instructor-led classroom and live online options cost about $1,900. The company also offers a private tutoring option that is billed based on the amount of tutoring hours used. Kaplan guarantees that if you are not ready to take the MCAT at the end of the course, or are not satisfied with your score, then you can repeat the review again for free. If your score does not improve over your initial diagnostic test, you can receive a refund or repeat the course for free.
The Princeton Review offers classes at various colleges throughout Maryland, such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, College Park. Princeton Review's classroom, or Hyperlearning course, is similar to Kaplan's in that it is instructor-led and has an in-class and online option. The Princeton Review course includes 105 hours of instruction spread out over 42 sessions. Classroom courses are led by a team of up to five instructors.
In addition to private tutoring, the Princeton Review offers a small-group tutoring option, where one instructor leads a small group of three students. Classroom and live online options are priced similarly to Kaplan at about $1,900. Small-group tutoring costs around $3,800, and private tutoring is billed based on the number of hours needed. The Princeton Review offers the same guarantee as Kaplan, with a free repeat if you are unsatisfied with your scores or are not ready to take the test. It also issues a refund if your scores do not improve.
There are several courses that are entirely online and accessible by students in Maryland looking for MCAT review. For example, MCAT-Prep.com and The Berkeley Review offer online courses, but they have no classroom options in Maryland. These courses range in price, but are typically far less expensive than any of the Kaplan or Princeton Review classroom options. These courses are mostly home-study classes, with no instructor feedback, and students learn at their own pace. Most of these courses do not come with score improvement guarantees.