21 replies to this topic

[klawst]

Hey

I was thinking of re-writing if I don't get in with my present LSAT score, and was wondering about people's experiences with prep courses. Are they worth it? Did any of you see a strong improvement after taking an LSAT prep course?

Thanks

[muffins]

I wasted $1200 on mine. I brought my score up 11 points by myself.

[KER_2012]

It depends on the person. Some people aren't the greatest at motivating themselves to study, if you fall into that boat then a prep course is a good way to start studying, but you'll still need to do a lot of work on your own. However, if you feel like you won't have a problem getting yourself to put in the necessary time to study then I would recommend saving your money and studying on your own.

[klawst]

I didn't really prep for the last one, I didn't have much time. I was on what seemed like deployment after deployment in the Navy and spent a lot of time time studying and learning the stuff I needed to in order to do my job. I scored a bit low and I'm certain that now that I have some time, I could do more prep. I'm just waiting to see how I do this admissions cycle before committing to a prep course or further study.

[hillsofmexico]

There is no need to spend money on a course. When one first sees the LSAT, and does poorly on their first PT, as I did, then they question their ability to master the test without help. The price tag makes one believe these folks actually offer revolutionary insights. They don't offer anything you can't learn on your own by being disciplined and dedicated. Looking back, I would very likely take a course myself if I didn't have this forum as a resource.

You should be able to answer any particular LSAT question with unlimited time. If you don't, though, then there are dozens of us who will readily and eagerly answer your questions first.

Since you've already written and are even hopeful about an entry, I assume you're sittings in the 150s. At this point you don't need a course. You need dedication. The LSAT is learnable; she becomes second nature after tedious and artificially embraced repetition.

Get a hold of the Powerscore LG bible (msg me for bargain hard to refuse) and otherwise just do a range of LSATs. I went from #40-64 (also part of the aforementioend bargain) in the lead up to my last writing. Keep your written PTs organized and review a few hours after writing under actual guidelines.

Spend the money on a Mediterranean cruise instead.

[klawst]

Thanks for the good feedback. I appreciate it.

[Phoenix-Wright]

hillsofmexico, on 21 February 2012 - 10:11 PM, said:

Spend the money on a Mediterranean cruise instead.

This is great advice. Not one off the coast of Italy though

[staffer]

muffins, on 21 February 2012 - 05:20 PM, said:

I wasted $1200 on mine. I brought my score up 11 points by myself.

I had a very similar situation. Spent $900 on a course from a reputable agency and it hardly lifted my PTs at all - I ended up scoring a 157. Re-studied (several years later) with PowerScore books and got myself a 165.

[muffins]

Get the PowerScore LG book.

I honestly think that the course providers (kaplan et al) marketing strategy is to charge obscene prices so that aspiring law students are warped into delusional notions that throwing money at the LSAT will get them into law school.

[dan1010]

I would say it depends on the person. Although the above posters are right to say that self-study can be enough, like Ker_2012 has already mentioned, the structure of a class may be beneficial and help you stay focused. Overall though I think a course is better as an introduction to the LSAT and to the various concepts and will not help you achieve your maximum potential by itself.

[RonnieRockstar]

Personally, I found it helpful. However, I can't promise that you will find it as helpful as I did.

In my experience, I studied on my own at first before deciding that it was very difficult for me to grasp logic games from reading out of a book. I needed an instructor to show me step by step on the blackboard. My diagnostic test after self studying and before the prep course was 155. After the prepcourse I scored 161 on the real test. I suggest that you try to self study and then resort to a prep course only if you are having difficulty getting it on your own.

[quicksand]

I took the Kaplan prep course. The biggest advantage is the number of resources that they provide, (all the previous LSATs since the first one!). I found out later though that most of this material is online for free. The other major advantage is meeting other people in the same boat as you and learning their take on the test and their approaches to the test. I also had a great teacher who I could e-mail months after the course had ended and who would reply within hours and had amazing explanations to my questions.

All that being said, to really improve, you need to put in the hours yourself. A prep course is more like a convenient introduction to your own studying. You are prepping for your own prep.

In a sense, prep courses are neither necessary or sufficient for the LSAT. If you can motivate yourself to study and resort to this forum to answer your questions, you should be fine without spending the 1.5 Large.

Edited by quicksand, 22 February 2012 - 02:31 PM.

[bustle]

I took the full length Powerscore course prior to my second try at the LSAT. If you've already gotten study materials/tests/etc, I wouldn't bother. I felt like the course was way too slow, repetitive and not tuned to my personal problem areas (obviously). I wasted $1500 and over a month of study time before realizing that I basically ace LR and suck at LG every time, so maybe I should stray from the PS calendar. I can see the value in a course for someone that likes structure and collaborative learning, but for me, it was an issue of looking at my weaknesses and drilling those. Unfortunately, I came to the realization too late to make substantive improvements to my score (booooo!), and that's my own fault. The structure of the course was great, and I really do like Powerscore's books/methods, however, unless you're a beginner, you're better off figuring out what areas of the LSAT you're losing points in and focusing on those individually.

Also - if you really procrastinate and would benefit from some structure, follow Steve Shwartz' LSAT timelines.

[BetterCallSaul]

Not to be the dissenting opinion or anything, but I did the weekend Powerscore course and found it to be useful. But I can see how others might not have found it useful, esp. if the teacher wasn't engaging or the class was at a considerably less advanced stage in their LSAT prep.

It really comes down to discipline and whether or not you can force yourself to learn on your own. Try to be honest with yourself.

[johnalm]

I am of the opinion that these courses are an absolute and unequivical waste of time and money.
Buy some kaplan, powerscore, whatever books- walk into a room, open the books, and work.

The #1 mistake people make (my mistake as well) is that they never appreciate the value of just one LSAT test- they drift through the PTs like water.
After you do just one LSAT PT, take it- break it down- and really analyze where you went wrong.

But thats just my experience, and other people may have a different outlook.

[UBCLawhopeful]

I know for me, I found the biggest hurdle in the actual test to be the setup and length of the test, rather than the content.

When I took my Lsat, I actually wasn't seriously considering law school and took it to see how I would do. I got 163 w/o much prep aside from about 4 practice tests that I did in sections, but what nearly killed me in the actual text was having to sit for hours on end when I made the mistake of writing in sections during my little bit of prep time. I can see how having a course that replicates that environment could be beneficial if you lack the discipline (like me) to sit for four hours and just write a full test start to finish within time constraints at home.

If you're able to motivate yourself and understand the curriculum in your home to deal with areas that you have the most difficulty with, whether it's the setup like it was for me, or with a particular area of the Lsat scoring, then I don't think a test would offer you that much benefit. If you're the type of student who needs to hear or have concepts explained to them in a classroom setting, or you have trouble in a particular area, it wouldn't be a bad idea if you're short on time or have the money to spare.

Nothing wrong with being overprepared, as long as it doesn't affect you elsewise.

[Radfahrer]

The problem with courses is that they're designed for people to score in the 150s/low 160s. The LSAT is something that isn't learned in a crash course. If you want a really solid score in the high 160s and 170s without being a natural born genius, you're going to have to do a lot of self-studying and learning by doing, that is doing problems to the point of nausea, simulating real test conditions with strictly timed PrepTests and a rigorous system of reviewing and dissecting PTs. You develop a natural instinct that makes right and wrong answers jump out immediately, instead of wasting time with systems that courses teach you, which waste valuable test time.

You do not need anything more than the Powerscore books, LSAT SuperPrep and maybe the Manhattan RC guide if that floats your boat. Get yourself every PT in existence, photocopy games sections, and break up some earlier tests to do drills. Make sure each one is timed, and closer to the test date, give yourself a stricter time limit on sections to give you room to account for nerves on test day.

Edited by Radfahrer, 22 February 2012 - 07:40 PM.

[jin45]

I took the Testmasters course and thought it was really helpful. I'm a huge procrastinator though, so I need that kind of structure. I did all of the homework, PTs, supplements, attended all of the classes, and saw about a 10-point improvement.

Edited by jin45, 22 February 2012 - 07:46 PM.

[theprophet89]

jin45, on 22 February 2012 - 07:46 PM, said:

I took the Testmasters course and thought it was really helpful. I'm a huge procrastinator though, so I need that kind of structure. I did all of the homework, PTs, supplements, attended all of the classes, and saw about a 10-point improvement.

I think the moral of the thread is that a course will only help you if you lack study structure. If you know how to study in general, you should be fine on your own, but if you are someone who is dependant on other people forming a plan for you to succeed then look into a course.

As stated above, self-study is really the only way to get above a certain score. If there was a sureshot course that got everyone a 170+, everyone would be doing it.

Edited by theprophet89, 22 February 2012 - 07:58 PM.

[Mal]

I think whether it is worth it really depends on how you value the money. For me it was one of the few things that I could control going into the law school application process, so a course was worthwhile. But if the money makes a legitimate difference in your life then I can see it as not that worthwhile.

[QuincyWagstaff]

A prep course is neither necessary nor sufficient for a top-score. For that, you need a combination of innate ability and, more than anything, motivation.

Having said that, if you have the dollars to spare, some prep courses can provide you with the tools and support to excel. But choose carefully, as some of the larger test prep companies have very weak LSAT programs aimed at low-range testers.

[bob003]

QuincyWagstaff, on 03 March 2012 - 09:57 PM, said:

A prep course is neither necessary nor sufficient for a top-score. For that, you need a combination of innate ability and, more than anything, motivation.

Having said that, if you have the dollars to spare, some prep courses can provide you with the tools and support to excel. But choose carefully, as some of the larger test prep companies have very weak LSAT programs aimed at low-range testers.

QW is right, a large part o LSAT success is innate. I did both and prep course and after a dismal score I tried power score. PS is great! It gives you a great understanding of the LSAT. However it is you that has to process the info in a timely manner which is where the innate ability comes in. LSAT is a learnable test and if it wasnt timed you'd get 100% because it's pure logic. Dont rush yourself. Take your time and after you've writte a pt really seek to understand why you got something wrong.