I've been debating with a friend on this, so I thought I'd post to get a concensus.
Which is the better choice for an LSAT preparation course/regimen: PowerScore or Kaplan?
I'm speaking of the classes offered in various increments throughout the year, not simply the books that one can buy. I can testify to the Kaplan course, but thought I'd get some opinions to satisfy my curiosity.

Two Answers:

First, I don't think taking a course from any test prep company is worth it. Maybe others will disagree, but I think prep courses are simply guided/forced study. If you can stay motivated and focused on your own, taking courses is a waste of money. If it were me, I'd just buy the Logic Games Bible and the Logic Reasoning Bible (both from Powerscore) and 50 prep times. If you identify a section that you really need help with, I believe you can buy "tutoring" time from Powerscore by the hour.

Second, if you are set on taking a course, I would choose Powerscore over Kaplan (even Princeton Review is better). Though admittedly, I've never taken their course, I found Kaplan's prep book (2004) to be awful. Their techniques were confusing and took a ton of time. This is especially true if you are aiming for a top score (170+). Additionally, their practice test questions weren't even real LSAT questions (though this may have changed recently). Good luck!

Redskins fan,
Me and Xikzhao have debated this a bit and have similar views. If you are an average or low LSAT test taker (low 160s or below) I would take Kaplan. If you are a stronger LSAT taker (mid to upper 160s) take Powerprep. If you are a 170s type tester you will find no class is sophisticated enough for you and you will end up doing self-study and buying the powerprep books and a lot of LSAT tests. I think the powerprep approach is more sophisticated than Kaplan and is highly recommended for stronger test takers, but it could be too confusing and over the head of a lot of test takers. Kaplan is a simple approach great for someone shooting for 163-165, for example. Unlike, Xikzhao, I recommend everyone to take a LSAT prep course except for the very best.

With any further questions, I found the entire LSAT forum to be excellent: viewforum.php?f=6

DT (or anyone else who might have useful insight on this subject),
When you mention powerprep...you're speaking of Powerscore, right?
What do you like about powerscore? And, do you think preparing with the powerscore books would be enough, or do you think you would need the full length course? I sat through princeton review like three years ago, I had a horrible instructor though. It helped me get aquainted with the lsat, but I felt that I needed more time to study. I never took the lsat though. I was preparing for the Feb '06 test (which happened to be today) without a course, and my cousin was telling me its imperative to take a course, and I shouldn't sit for the test without taking a course, b/c if I do bad now (in Feb), my score will get averaged if I retake in June. My problem is that I have now studied all the material, and thus I will be seeing everything (speaking of the 40 or so available preptests) for the second, third, possibly fourth time. How effective can any studying be at this point? There is literally only one test that is available that I haven't dont yet, thats Dec 2005 test.
Is it worth it for me to take a course? I feel really comfortable with the games, I could use a little help on the arguments, and I definitely need help with RC. [Right now I'm reading books on speed reading so that I can at least increase my speed, which I think would be very helpful!]
Does powerscore make up any of their own practice tests or practice sections? This would be helpful for me since I have studied everything.
Any further insight into my situation and the questions that I have would be greatly appreciated!

I agree with xikzhao.

Test prep courses are useless, unless you enjoy wasting money. If you can't muster enough self-discipline to prepare yourself, law school will be exceedingly difficult for you.

I've bought Powerscore's Logical Reasoning & Games Bible, as well as Powerscore's Ultimate Setups Guide and Kaplan's LSAT Prep Book. The thing I was curious about is whether the prep courses teach you things outside of what the books contain. If so, then I'll be willing to take their courses in conjunction. If not, then I could probably learn the material just as well reading the books myself. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

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Hi GoSkins,

I was actually debating the same question a little over a year ago when I began studying for the June 2005 LSAT. Originally, I had planned on taking Powerscore, because I'd heard that it was extremely intense and would be the best preparation. Ultimately, though, because of scheduling conflicts and out of convenience (Kaplan's center was closer to my college and more easily accessible by public transportation), I chose to take a Kaplan course. So, I can't tell you much about Powerscore, except that it IS more intense (just compare the two programs' number of classroom hours and homework!). But I do know that Kaplan did assist me tremendously: my score on the initial "Diagnostic Exam" was a 159, and my ultimate score on the June 2005 LSAT was a 171. Needless to say, I was quite satisfied with the return I got on my investment (which was roughly $1200).
Just to be clear, though, I do agree with some of the past replies in that part of why Kaplan helped me is because it gave me homework and a clear study path and regimen. I only utilized a fraction of their "tips", but the ones that I did use were vetry useful.
In any event, I'm sure that whichever course you choose, your score will go up. Good luck on the LSAT and on the admissions process!!

Hi,
I am writing to say that I disagree with the opinion that taking a prep course is a waste of time, and that if you "cant" muster the discipline to study on your own that you are going to have a difficult time in law school. I would argue that some people just have different learning processes, some learn better independently, while others learn better in a group. I personally learn much more efficiently in a group environment where I can bounce ideas off other people...this is one benefit to taking a course. Courses can give you the confidence and support you need to do your best on this exam. Ultimately it’s about knowing what would make YOU feel most comfortable about taking the test.

I am currently taking Kaplan’s program and am enjoying my experience thoroughly. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable, plus they have all just taken the LSAT and know what the class is going through, and can offer great advice about managing time, stress, and even law school application process. All my teachers have been so nice and patient, taking the time to always respond to my emails, concerns, and questions regarding the test. Plus if you don’t do well, you can ALWAYS retake the course. I guess this is just my take on the subject, but like I said before, if taking a prep course will make you feel better and more confident, for whatever reason, do it. So far the Kaplan course has been well worth my time and money.

hey rochelle,
which kaplan course are you taking? is it standard classroom course or classroom course combined with private tutoring or lsat extreme etc. ? and is it true that they divide their classes according to the first diagnostic test scores of the students? ( high scorers in a separate class)

This statement is ridiculous:

Test prep courses are useless, unless you enjoy wasting money. If you can't muster enough self-discipline to prepare yourself, law school will be exceedingly difficult for you.

It is ladden with extremist statements and unwarranted assumptions.

so as ive begun practicing and studying after having taken an initial diagnostic (160), im starting to realize that the logic games are actually my STRONGEST section, whereas logical reasoning is by far my weakest .. the exact opposite of what i had expected. actually, its a little relieving. i feel pretty confident that with practice i can become much more efficient in logical reasoning(i do have until october, after all); there are only a one or two types of questions that stump me, so by targeting those i can gain quite a few points.

i feel somewhat pressured into taking a prep course, but if my logcic games are my strongest point and games are the main focus of most prep courses...i really dont think they would be helpful, and i dont have a lot of spare money lying around anyways... im a very disciplined studier(most of the time ) and feel that i could most likely do very well with self study....
i may have just answered my own question, but id like to get a second opinion

thanks

If logic games do not give you a hard time, I would suggest self study. I was in a very similar situation to you, I took to the logic games very naturally (I think because I used to be given similar problems in a gifted ed. class in elementary school and gained a skill base early on), and if you read some of the books that give you advice on how to do those, they give you convoluted instructions for complex strategies that will do nothing but slow you down, as your mind already completes those functions without having to consciously think about most of it. They attempt to take any guess/check strategy away by creating a systematic approach, which is smart, really smart, if you think about it, but if you're able to efficiently approach problems from the way your mind already works, then 95% of what they would teach you will not help you much.
I found the logical reasoning section was the easiest in which to gain points by self study if you've already got the logic games locked down. Remember, though, it is half the LSAT (2 logical reasoning sections vs. 1 reading comp/1 logic games) so if you start out self studying and don't see a marked imporvement, you may want to try something different.
One last thing I would advise is when you take the test, be careful of the logic games section. Like I said I was the most confident with that section and as I took practice exams I liked it because 99% of the time you know what your score is before you look in the back of the book. As long as you're not guessing, which you should never have to do on the logic games anyway, you should be able to prove to yourself that you've chosen correctly. However, when you're pressed for time on the actual test day, a trickier question that creates doubt could really shake your confidence. I hit two questions that I couldn't prove and i spent the rest of the test wondering if I had messed up that entire 8-question section. So, in short, make sure you continue to beef up your logic games ability and be prepared for test-day anxiety to factor into even your surest sections.

If you were special education majors, you would know that each person has an optimum method of learning. Some students are auditory leaners, others are visual learners. Some people learn better by being told a subject, other learn better by reading. Some people learn better in a group, others learn better alone. (There are research studies on this that you can stack to the ceiling.)

So, if you think about it, obviously some people need a structured learning environment (after 18 years of being taught in a structured environment, how is that a surprise?). And, others obviously will get nothing from a structured course.

The real way to answer "whether a prep course is worth it" is to really look at yourself as a student and ask what works best for you. Do you go to class to learn the material, do you go to class simply for a few extra hints that you might pickup, or do you go to class because it is required?

Take a look at what you do in order to learn (as opposed to make an 'A' in a class). Would you go to someone and ask questions? Would you go find a class about it? Would you read everything you could find about it? How would you approach the problem?

As an aside, the real key to success in law school is know what *you* need to do to learn the material, then putting together a plan based upon your requirements, and then executing the plan. It will not be the same as the guy/girl sitting next to you.