Gold Standard MCAT Course Review 2023: My HONEST Testimonial
Our Rating
Highlights
Gold Standard MCAT is a review program with various price options and review prep resources in every form.
Course Effectiveness
The Gold Standard practice exams are the main benefit if you enroll in Gold Standard’s MCAT program. Their difficulty from the actual exam is what makes this prep course a strong candidate.
Price
Gold Standard offers a massive amount of options all of which stay in a balance of affordability and quality.
Ease of Use
Gold Standard MCAT videos, course materials, and books provide a comprehensive display of knowledge, but is also too simplistic. Nevertheless, the program promotes a solid user experience.
Student Reviews
Student reviews are mostly positive. The resources available, along with the Gold Standard MCAT book & price options, are one of the highlights among student reviews.
For any medical student looking to use a variety and diverse set of practice material from books to Mp3’s and video lessons, Gold Standard has it all.
For prspective test takers, Gold Standard provides great complementary prep materials you can add to your list if you feel you are lacking additional review kits and don’t want to spend a hefty price for.
About Gold Standard and Their MCAT Prep Course
Gold Standard first started in 1991. Founder Brett Ferdinand finished the first textbook in 1994. The Gold Standard MCAT book now boasts of over 16 editions and delivers quality while keeping its prices affordable for its students.
Gold Standard took innovation to a whole new level by publishing Gold Standard MCAT videos before YouTube existed.
The problem-based learning model coupled with the innovative program for its resources has made it a solid recommendation for all medical students.
What Makes This Prep Course Unique?
The Gold Standard prep review leads its students with a problem-based learning foundation.
At the core, it uses innovation to deliver course materials and prep review tools that have satisfied students who took the Gold Standard MCAT book and program.
Inexpensive Price Offers
Gold Standard offers prices as low as $35 and as high as $1499.
There are also various courses that come with practice bundles, Question banks, and practice tests. This makes Gold Standard a leader in offering varied study plans and courses for its students.
Most assumptions ascertained towards cheaper prices are usually linked to quality. This isn’t the case for the Gold Standard MCAT exam course software.
The difficulty and quality of exams available are precisely what makes Gold Standard the best alternative for AAMC practice exams.
Innovative Resources
These make the entire study course flexible and catered towards countering different learning curves.
MP3s or the MCAT audio version (1) work best for auditory learners, the app works best for students who are always on the go, etc.
The online-based Gold Standard MCAT practice test review is also one of the highlights, thanks to its unique features.
These are:
- An in-depth forum for each practice exam that helps students understand the answers.
Source: www.mcatforme.com - The questions found in the Gold Standard practice exams offer not only extensive explanations but also access to previously recorded AAMC video tutorials to provide a deeper level of explanation.
The innovative features of their online platform and Gold Standard MCAT videos are what contribute to the course’s overall uniqueness.
Curriculum Overview & Effectiveness
Gold Standard Prep review provides various course options for the self-paced individual:
- Crash Course
- University
- CARS
- Home Study Course
- Platinum Package
MCAT Crash Course
Course Overview:
Source: www.mcat-prep.com
Effectiveness:
For light reviewing, the Crash course is a good choice.
This is mostly used as a supplemental aid. Also, the number of practice tests are lacking in this course, so it’s best to pair this with a course with at least 5 or more practice tests.
Choose Crash Course If:
You’re looking for extra review material as a variation to your original course.
MCAT University
Course Overview:
Source: www.mcat-prep.com
Effectiveness:
Similar to the crash course, the MCAT university course has the same features but with an additional number of practice tests. Although not a standalone reviewer tool, it boosts learning efficiency.
Choose MCAT University If:
You’re looking for a thorough review of practice tests and more study material to boost your confidence before the actual exam.
MCAT CARS
Course Overview:
Source: www.mcat-prep.com
Effectiveness:
This is highly effective because it offers a diverse set of questions that may be different from the original course you enrolled in.
If you enrolled in Kaplan or Princeton Review and added this to boost your CARS proficiency, you’re guaranteed to ace your exam. The Gold Standard MCAT videos also offer open forum discussions and detailed explanations.
Choose MCAT CARS If:
You want to improve your CARS score and understanding.
MCAT Prep Home Study
Course Overview:
Source: www.mcat-prep.com
Effectiveness:
The MCAT Home Study course comes in two different price options–$599 and the $799.
The only difference between the two is that the latter comes with AAMC content material. This is the most valued course because of its affordability and intensive program offer.
What makes this highly effective is the access to the Gold Standard CARS plus Kaplan or Princeton Review subject review books.
Furthermore, this course offers a lot of diversification in review material, which is a good challenge to prepare you well for the actual exam.
Choose MCAT Home Study If:
You want a hybrid level of self-study meaning, various resources & review material from different companies to prepare you for variations in the actual exam.
Imagine being able to stay calm and focused despite the varying passages, questions, and difficulty during the actual MCAT exam.
Challenging your brain by testing different review material can feel strenuous at first but worth the effort.
MCAT Platinum
Course Overview:
Source: www.mcat-prep.com
Effectiveness:
The biggest advantage is the coaching sessions to get feedback and a good assessment of your weak points.
While this course is effective, the coaching sessions are limited and, mind you, this is a self-paced course.
Without analytics, it can be harder to track your mistakes.
Choose MCAT Platinum If:
You’re comfortable studying self-paced and you’re looking for an affordable alternative.
Course Pricing Options
As far as pricing goes, not only do you have various options to choose from, you also have affordable rates & quality materials that are sure to fit your specific preference.
|
Course |
Price |
|
MCAT Crash Course |
$29.95/month |
|
MCAT University |
$49.95/month |
|
MCAT CARS |
$69 |
|
MCAT Home Study |
$599 / $799 |
|
MCAT Platinum |
$1499 |
|
MCAT Practice Tests |
|
|
Standard |
$10 |
|
Full Length |
$35.95 |
|
MCAT Question Banks |
|
|
AAMC Prep Bundle |
$260 |
|
Gold Standard + Examkrackers |
$399 |
|
AAMC Official Complete |
$599 |
Platform’s Ease of Use
Gold Standard’s platform is easy to use although the layout isn’t as attractive. Although the visual design is a small factor in the overall MCAT prep journey, a clean, elegant layout or visual ambiance can affect the student’s motivation.
Nevertheless, the use of the platform is easy to go through and you can also highlight text or cross out answers.
Source: www.mcatforme.com
Is Gold Standard a Reputable Online MCAT Prep Course? (Not a Scam)
Gold Standard has received a lot of praise and positive reviews regarding the program’s effectiveness.
After all, it was created by an undergraduate student who wrote the textbook while enrolled in medical school. It combines actual experience and background.
With various testimonies and success stories surrounding Gold Standard, it’s hardly a scam.
Reviews and Real Unbiased Text and Video Testimonials:
— Hasan K. Memon (mcat-prep.com)
— Anitha Menon (mcat-prep.com)
— Maheen Nadeem (mcat-prep.com)
Final Verdict & Recommendation
I give the Gold Standard prep MCAT review an overall score of 4.5/5.
With affordable and quality review tools, Gold Standard offers a solid budget option for an intensive MCAT prep journey.
The flexibility MCAT offers in its learning experience is the heart of the program. It is sure to continue to bring innovation to its students.
To help you make an informed decision, take advantage of the Gold Standard MCAT free sample questions easily found on the website. Get a feel of what this course has to offer.
Source: www.mcat-prep.com
