With robust in-person and online course options, Altius is one of the leading providers of quality MCAT prep courses. Their strengths lie in how they structure their courses as well as their comprehensive practice tests and 90th percentile score guarantee for all students. Read this honest Altius MCAT review if you are considering their course.
Altius MCAT Prep
Altius boasts studies-backed, proven MCAT results. Included in all their courses are AAMC materials and tests.
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- Studies-backed results
- High-quality practice tests
- Lifetime access to the online course
- Expensive course options
- Platform feels outdated
About Altius MCAT Prep
Founded in 2005, Altius has worked hard to modernize how MCAT prep is done. Their core promise is that students will finish in the 90th percentile or they will keep working with you until you do (for free) – they tackle this guarantee through a unique (and strict) course format where conceptual thinking is encouraged compared to memorization. This approach seems to be derived from the post-2015 MCAT and is one of the things students enjoy the most (but is also a common complaint for people who don’t expect it). Be warned – their courses are rigorous but designed in a way to ensure that you do your best.
Altius boasts a pretty high score increase among its students. In 2019, 1 in 5 Altius students raised their MCAT score by 20 points (or more).
They have a variety of course options and have clearly realized most modern students prefer to have their resources available anywhere and therefore include their online platform with all in-person classes.
Finally, they provide 3 levels of admissions guidance for an extra fee.
New to the MCAT? Start Here
Altius MCAT Curriculum
Altius bills itself as an “MCAT prep system” and students can expect to follow a highly-regimented step by step process.
While graduates of this course state that the course is strict that “there is a lot to do,” the goal of the course is to produce 90th percentile scores and they can only guarantee this if you follow the steps.
Altius takes the following approach with their MCAT course:
- Every course but 1 offers access to a private mentor
- Altius requires their instructors to have prior teaching experience and most averaged in the 98th percentile or better
- A focus on small group learning
- Teaching based on problem-based learning instead of lectures
- Each topic is reviewed at least 10 times
One highlight of Altius’ curriculum is access to their exact-match MCAT practice tests. These tests are touted as being as close to the real MCAT as you can get and were designed by admissions officers and PhD content experts. The best part is that every course Altius offers comes with access to these tests (though Bronze is limited to just 4 vs. 10 for all other courses).
When you work through the full-length practice tests offered by Altius, you’ll be able to choose among some timing, delivery, difficulty, and accommodation options. You also can work through the entire test or just take certain section(s) tests at a time.
The Altius practice tests are strikingly similar to the MCAT interface as well as the official MCAT test questions. Within this test simulation, you can highlight, strikethrough, flag for review, as well as view the periodic table for reference. Many MCAT students will actually purchase Altius MCAT practice tests even if they are currently enrolled in another MCAT prep program.
Altius Platform Review
Altius has two different course options: online and in person.
MCAT Everywhere
MCAT Everywhere is Altius’ online option and is aimed at people looking to do their MCAT prep anywhere. All of Altius’ materials are available via the MCAT Everywhere app and students can even meet connect with their mentors and tutors through the platform.
Altius has designed MCAT Everywhere to accommodate all aspects of their in-person courses – students can join study groups, schedule tutoring sessions, and even access Altius’ prep resources.
MCAT Everywhere is a great option for someone who might not be as flexible when it comes to their prep schedule (or don’t live near an in-person location) and Altius has worked hard to ensure participants get the same experiences as they would in a classroom.
At the time of writing, MCAT Everywhere is only available to students in the US and Canada.
In-Person Prep
The majority of Altius’ MCAT Prep courses at held at brick and mortar classrooms and they have more than 140 locations across the country. Between the classroom sessions, tutoring, and study groups, students can expect to spend a lot of time in these locations.
Altius Student Reviews
As mentioned earlier, it’s hard to find a bad review about Altius and most acknowledge that while rigid and intense in its structure, the course gets results.
I was pleased with every single aspect of the Altius program. I’m confident it is the best MCAT preparation system you will find anywhere.
Brad Hendrickson
Altius was an outstanding MCAT course. I was impressed by how comfortable and familiar I became with the MCAT exam over the course of the program. Your program pushed me to study harder than I would have on my own and I gained a great respect for my tutors.
Robert Simonds
Who is Altius MCAT Prep For?
Altius is for students who want a structured and proven MCAT course complete with a 90th percentile score guarantee. If you are looking for a self-study or flexible MCAT course then Altius isn’t for you – their instructors demand consistency and dedication and will hold you accountable.
The Altius course will require hard work, the minimum course length is 10 weeks for their summer bootcamps, all the others will require months of focus.
However, it’s clear that their system works – Altius students score a 515 on average (with 25% scoring higher than 518) so if you have the discipline to commit yourself to this program you can expect to reap the rewards.
Altius Pricing Options
Elite
Price: $2,899 for both in-person and online
Summary: 10 week course (7 week classroom, 3 week review) includes 32 live classroom sessions, 4 1-on-1 mentoring hours, 20 small group hours, 4 in-person proctored exams, and 12 month online access.
Silver
Price: $3,699 for both in-person and online
Summary: 15 sessions of 1-on-1 MCAT tutoring, 130 hours of live classroom instruction, 48 live classroom sessions.
Gold
Price: $4,999 for both in-person and online
Summary: 25 sessions of 1-on-1 MCAT tutoring, 180 hours of live classroom instruction, 64 in person classroom sessions, 16 small group mastery sessions, 16 proctored study hall sessions.
Platinum
Price: $6,999 for both in-person and online
Summary: 45 sessions of 1-on-1 tutoring, 250 hours of live instruction, 2 hours per chapter of additional private tutoring, 80 live classroom sessions, 16 small group mastery sessions, 16 small group study sessions, 16 dedicated review sessions, Silver Admissions Assistance package.
Gold Summer
Price: $8,499 for both in-person and online
Summary: 25 sessions of 1-on-1 MCAT tutoring, 150 hours of live classroom instruction, 1 hour per chapter live tutoring, 50 in person classroom sessions, 10 small group mastery sessions, 25 small group study hall sessions.
Platinum Summer
Price: $9,999 for both in-person and online
Summary: 42 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring spread across 6 meetings per week, 500+ hours of MCAT immersion, 20 sessions of office hours, Silver Admissions Assistance package.
Similar MCAT Prep Course Reviews
Princeton Review
We like the Princeton Review for its score guarantee courses. They now offer two score guarantee courses that guarantee to score a 513+ or even a 515+ with their liveonline immersion course.
Not everyone is seeking a 515 on the MCAT, but if you are looking for something proven to work, and with the score guarantee to back you up, then this may be a great MCAT prep option for you.
The Princeton Review | 515+ Score Guarantee MCAT Test Prep
One of the highest-rated MCAT prep courses that offers on-demand and live-online MCAT prep as well as high score guarantees. Get 15% off with code: TPN15
- Subject-specific diagnostic exams pinpoint strengths & weaknesses
- Personalized homework is assigned after every lecture
- Up-to-date MCAT Complete 9-book set is included
- 16 full-length practice tests simulate the format and time restraints of real MCAT
- Access to all AAMC material
- No more in-person class options
- 515+ score guarantee is extra
Blueprint MCAT
We recommend Blueprint to students seeking a personalized study plan with an on-demand course. We love their student dashboard and drag-and-drop MCAT study plan tool. This is a comprehensive course that adds efficiency through testing out of concepts you may already know and utilizing analytics to target your weaknesses.
Blueprint Prep | MCAT Online Course
A top-tier MCAT prep program that allows for custom study plans and analytics for targeting weaknesses.
- Generous unlimited 2-hour Live-Online Office Hours outside of class
- New mobile-friendly format
- Can test out of content you already know
- Day-by-day study plan tool with simple drag-and-drop feature
- Superb 6-book series called MCAT Review Book
- Lack of student reviews who have taken this course
- It’s expensive for an on demand course
Kaplan MCAT
They offer live online, in person, or on demand courses and plenty of practice tests and practice questions for high-yield study.
See our full thoughts on these two courses in our Kaplan vs Altius MCAT review.
Online MCAT Prep Course | Kaplan Test Prep
A commercial MCAT test prep with various course offerings that's best known for its high-quality instructors
- Adaptive Qbank makes for efficient studying
- One-on-one coaching add-on available for all courses
- Course offerings include in-person
- Course offerings are expensive – even for on-demand
- Practice tests are notoriously more difficult than actual MCAT
Altius Prep FAQ
Is Altius MCAT good?
Yes, Altius is a high quality mcat prep course that is known for their MCAT practice tests as well as proven score increases for students. Independent studies show a 600% score increase in upper-quartile MCAT scores.
Are Altius MCAT scores deflated?
In short, yes. Altius MCAT tests are the hardest among most commercial MCAT prep and will likely have the most deflated scores among its competitors like Kaplan, Blueprint (Next Step), and Princeton Review.
Is Altius harder than Blueprint (Next Step)?
Most students agree that Altius tests are indeed harder than Blueprint (Next Step MCAT). Your scores with Altius tests will likely be lower than from an official AAMC practice test or on test day.
Are the Altius tests good?
Altius is known for their realistic and accurate MCAT practice tests. The price is competitive and offers detailed analytics so that you can analyze your performance after taking the full-length test.
Is Altius worth it?
Altius is totally worth it if you are looking to be a top MCAT scorer and have the time to put into their program. This is a proven course, but is extremely rigorous and costs a pretty penny.
What’s Next
If you’re still looking for an MCAT course that fits your learning style, start with our 8 top-rated MCAT prep courses. We’ve got something to fit every need and budget, including on-demand, live-online, in-class, as well as free! If you have any questions regarding Altius or this review, feel free to send us an email info@testprepnerds.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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