With over 200,000 medical school applicants taking the MCAT exam each year, many wonder if online tutoring can really make a difference. As a tutor with over 10 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how personalized online support can help students break past score plateaus. Let’s discuss how online tutoring can help students study for the MCAT exam and if it is the right fit for you.
Online tutoring has several benefits compared to in-person programs. For one, it saves both the student and tutor the time required to find a location to meet up and arrange for transport. In that way, it is much more flexible and can be more easily worked into the student’s schedule. Additionally, it allows students and tutors to set up “as needed” sessions and hop onto a video call at the last minute’s notice if the student is struggling with a topic and needs assistance.
I began tutoring in 2014, working as a peer tutor through my high school to help other students with advanced placement courses. Sessions were few and far between, as students struggled to find dedicated time to meet between courses, extracurriculars, and other life events. More often than not, sessions would be canceled last minute and the students would not get the help they needed. As I moved on to college and began tutoring through their virtual program, I realized how much easier it was to both setup sessions and ensure follow-through. Students could take video sessions from their dorms, campus libraries, and even at home over breaks. Now as a medical student and a tutor for several college courses and national exams, I enjoy the same benefits as I can take video sessions from the comfort of my own home, on campus between classes, and after seeing my patients on the wards- meaning that I can work with more students, spend more time developing resources, and keep better track of my students’ progress.
While some people question the efficacy of virtual services compared to the historically in-person format, I have found quite the opposite to be true. Students tend to be more relaxed and engaged in sessions when they can log in comfortably, with all of their resources for a class or test just one click away. We can easily see one another’s screen, working through problems and sharing approaches to questions. And setting up regular sessions that work within student’s busy schedules is much easier than ever before!
My most popular tutoring topic is the MCAT exam. Compared to test preparation courses, which often range in cost from $2,000 to $5,000, setting up regular online tutoring sessions once a week typically only costs a student $75 to $100 per session. While there is some variation in the price of tutoring based on how frequently the student wants to meet, tutoring does tend to be a much more affordable option.
Online MCAT tutoring also provides the student with a much more customized study schedule, rather than the more generic templates provided through test preparation courses. Tutors work with the students to determine what workload is feasible for them, which resources work best, and what topics they need to prioritize based on their baseline fund of knowledge.
Company | Price Per Session |
$50 – $70 | |
$70 – $95 | |
| Med School Insiders | $149-$219 |
| Med School Coach | $150-$220 |
| Princeton Review | $183-$220 |
| Blueprint | $202-$309 |
$225 |
*Other test preparation platforms offer online tutoring as part of test preparation courses but do not offer pricing or purchase of individual sessions.
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In my time as an MCAT tutor, I have worked with many students who start their test preparation with initial scores below the 20th percentile. This requires in-depth content review and the development of strong test-taking strategies, and these students typically only have about 3 months on average to boost their scores. Through crafting individualized lesson plans and study schedules, all the students I have worked with have been able to achieve their goal scores (above the 79th percentile- which many consider the “cut-off” for MD school applications). While the final results are in part due to the student’s motivation and goals, it is hard to achieve the same score improvement without the assistance of an expert who can work with you one-on-one to figure out what’s going right (and what’s going wrong) with your current study method!
Additionally, having an individual tutor means that you can get more personalized advice beyond content mastery and test-taking approaches. I often have discussions with my students about their goals for medical school matriculation and assist them in making decisions regarding WHEN to take their MCAT exams. While test preparation platforms will provide you with a timeline based on the date you have registered for the MCAT exam, a tutor can work more personally with you to determine if your goals are feasible within that timeline and/or when the best time to register for the exam might be. The MCAT exam is a huge investment, so it is important to have someone beside you who can provide advice on the cost and time that it may require to achieve your goals.
While retaking the MCAT is not the end of the world, it requires a much larger investment in terms of time, cost, and emotional burden. My goal as a tutor is always to put my students in the best position to only take the MCAT exam once and achieve a score that they would be happy with. This approach is lost with less personalized test preparation bundles!
My personal opinion is that online MCAT tutoring works well for all students – it can work nicely into your schedule, keep you accountable and on track for your test date, and provide you with personalized support throughout your pre-medical journey. That being said, there is a cost associated with working with an online tutor, so here are some questions I’d recommend asking yourself to determine if online MCAT tutoring is a good fit for you:
Building a study schedule can be an overwhelming task! It takes in-depth knowledge of the topics that are covered on the MCAT exam, how well you already know each topic, and how to break down the content in smaller, more digestible sections. If you need assistance with this, an online MCAT tutor may work well for you.
One of the most common pieces of feedback I receive as a tutor is how valuable it is to have someone consistently checking in on study progress. If you are someone who struggles with sticking to a study schedule, then having an MCAT tutor may help ensure you stay on track toward your goal score!
This is a tough question, but part of why tutoring works for students is that they like to have more hands-on, active learning experiences. If you are someone who can complete content review independently by reading resources or watching videos, then you may not need a 1:1 tutor. However, if you’re someone who enjoys talking through concepts and being asked questions to assess your understanding, then an MCAT tutor is a great fit.
If you’re ready to take your MCAT prep to the next level, our team of experienced tutors is here to help. Click here to find a tutor who fits your needs and start building your best study plan today!
Written By: Emily L
As the first person in her family to be in medicine, Emily had no idea about the time commitment or intensive preparation that would go into taking the MCAT exam. She had heard of her classmates taking anywhere between a few weeks to a few months to study and was not sure where to start. After careful research, she built herself a study plan that she integrated into her semester coursework and managed to excel with a score in the 95th percentile (517) after 12 weeks of studying while taking 16 credits of college courses. She has over 10 years of tutoring experience and is motivated to help students build a study plan that works with their schedule and allows them to build a diverse toolkit of foundational knowledge and test-taking skills.
