LSAT advice (1 Viewer)

[SaintsFan11]

I plan on taking the LSAT in June. For anyone who has taken it recently, what is the best way to prepare? They offer a prep course for around $1,000 in Lafayette, but I do well on tests (very high ACT score without preparation such as courses or books) and don't particularly want to pay over $1,000. Should I pay? Is it worth it? Which books are good? What are other good resources? What was your experience with the LSAT? Any other advice?

Thanks.

 

[THAJCODE]

The mind games are the worst.

 

[Sandman]

Take the course. It helps with the logic questions that they throw at you. Also, get some logic problems books. The practice helps.

 

[st dude]

My daughter tests very well, she was a national merit finalist. She took the lsat and didnt score as well as she hoped, although still high enough to get into most schools. She was convinced had she taken a course and become more familiar with the test she would have aced it.

She took the course for the gre to get into graduate school and scored well enough to get into any school she wants(she picked Georgetown and starts tomorrow).

If you really, really want to go to law school the $1000 is cheap insurance for a course that can not hurt and could be the difference betwen getting into the school you want or not. Just my two cents. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[cwesleyc]

Take the course. I didn't and wish that I had.

 

[St. Widge]

I didn't take a course, I just bought a book. I don't recall which one. Most of the test is really easy, the only hard part is the logic problems. Work on those and you'll be fine.

I wasn't all that concerned about the test because I always did well on standardized tests and I knew I wanted to go to LSU and back then the admission standards were low. $1,000 seems like a lot to pay to learn how to take that test.

 

[St. Chris]

Why would you mislead someone on such a question? The logic problems and games are the easy part.

Sorry, no serious advice, I took it before they changed it. In other words, I guess I would be considered an old fart now. (Only 42) Prep course did help me but I don't remember it costing that much when I took it.

And the logic games were my best section. (I guess its just the Vulcan in me)

 

[RiverCitySaint]

Back 100 years ago when I took it we took a course offered at the university and used the flash cards to prep for it.
Not sure how y'all do it nowadays. Good luck on it though. The logic questions can be a killer so bone up on studying for them.

 

[Squeezebox]

I teach an LSAT course at the Princeton Review in Baton Rouge. PM me.

 

[muzzy]

Take the Kaplan or Princeton Review course and practice, practice, practice. The more practice problems you do, the more familiar you'll become with the types of questions asked on the test.

 

[JimEverett]

IMO the course is a waste of money. The way the tets are designed you really can't study for them for a few weeks and increase your score any appreciable way.
For the LSAT I went in without doing anything, not even having taken a practice test (which I don't recommend) and scored decently.
For the GRE I took it once and didn;t do nearly as well as I had hoped. I spent two years without a tv and read every piece of literature that I had ever wanted to read. Never studied anything else for the test. Ended up with a perfect score on verbal and the analytic part (don't think they give that part anymore) and increased math score by over 150. Don;t understand how I increased the math part.
Bottom line is that I think reading is the key to those tests - even the analytical portions.

 

[Saint Mike]

I did not take a course. I bought multiple sample exam books and answered hundreds of sample questions. I purchased all my study materials from http://www.lsac.org/ . My advice would be to do what you feel is necessary. If you test well on standardized tests, you probably can get away with self study. If not, take the course. Best of luck to you.

 

[St. Widge]

IMO the course is a waste of money. The way the tets are designed you really can't study for them for a few weeks and increase your score any appreciable way.
For the LSAT I went in without doing anything, not even having taken a practice test (which I don't recommend) and scored decently.
For the GRE I took it once and didn;t do nearly as well as I had hoped. I spent two years without a tv and read every piece of literature that I had ever wanted to read. Never studied anything else for the test. Ended up with a perfect score on verbal and the analytic part (don't think they give that part anymore) and increased math score by over 150. Don;t understand how I increased the math part.
Bottom line is that I think reading is the key to those tests - even the analytical portions.

I've never been one to study for those tests. I probably should have, but I always did well on them so I didn't see the point. That and I'm lazy.

I had a similar experience with the GRE. The first time I took it, I didn't do well. When I took it again, I did really well. I think with most of these tests people tend to improve their scores a lot on the second try. That's why I think practice tests are the way to go. Try to simulate the test as many times as you can and then when you get to it you should be familiar with the test. Of course, I think it really comes down to how you best study. If you're the type that learned better by attending classes in college then take the course, if you learned better by studying on your own then take practice tests or just read.

 

[SaintNELA]

DO NOT spend $1000 on some "review course!" What a waste of money. Before I took the LSAT, a friend of mine who was already in law school recommended some study guide. Naturally, I can't remember the name of it right now. But I had to order it on Amazon because I couldn't find it in any local bookstore. I think the cover was red and white (if that helps). My friend was right, though. The study guide was VERY helpful.

Just buy the study guide and work the problems and practice tests. Don't just walk in cold, though. As previous posters have stated, the logical reasoning section is the most difficult.

I wound up taking the LSAT twice, and things worked out well enough for me. This was about five years ago (so not that long either). If you have any other questions, just ask.

 

[steltz02]

I take the GRE in one hour and 10 minutes AHHHHHHH.!!!

I'm nervous as a goat, and this is my last shot..

I have been hitting 720+ in quant on all of the practice exams, but it is a different story when it comes down to the real test environment.