Hello there,

So from what I've been hearing, the bibles published by power score are excellent tools to prepare for LSAT. Based on this notion, I figured the courses (full length) would be reflected upon this. As for kaplan, I've been hearing mixed responses regarding the materials/courses, but their retake is free as opposed to powerscore charging $900 something for retake.

Here's the problem: I was originally going to take powerscore full length course and study for the entire summer, but the course starts on my exam month---the course starts in the middle of April. As for Kaplan, it starts at the end of April when all my exams are finished. I am planning on applying for exclusively Canadian law schools and planning on practicing here. For most Canadian law schools, they look at the highest LSAT mark, so to some degree, it's a bit more flexible compared to the US.

BTW, I have never touched LSAT before, so when I'm enrolled int he class, I'd have no idea about LSAT whatsoever.

ANYWAYS, should I...

A: Take Kaplan and hope for the best?
B: Take Kaplan but use the powerscore bibles if I don't do so well on June LSAT?
C: Take powerscore anyway?


I guess I should have emphasized this more--for powerscore, regardless of their reputation, it starts during my final examination month, while kaplan doesn't.

PLUS, retake is not an issue amongst most Canadian law schools, with this in mind, my original plan was to take LSAT course b4 June LSAT and write it again if I need to on September/October.

And please just don't jump to hating powerscore/kaplan. You're experience may signifcantly different from me in that I am planning on doing nothing but attending the classes for LSAT course and studying LSAT during summer.

This article has some information comparing the courses in terms of price, materials, and teacher qualifications.


viewtopic.php?f=22&t=92585

Don't make the same mistake I made. DO NOT TAKE A KAPLAN CLASS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

I agree, don't resort to taking Kaplan course. They're too generic in their teaching methods and they cannot and will not tailor specific help to you. AND be warned... your diagnostic may be "extremely" low... and your actual LSAT score might not go up all that much. I actually went up ONE POINT from diagnostic to actual LSAT. Their HIGHER SCORE GUARANTEE won't let you get your money back because you actually did go up... you may retake their classes, but the classes are exactly the same. The teachers teach from the book and the answer key exactly. You can look up the answers online but they will recite this to you when you do practice problems in class. You, as the student, do not know what the answers are beforehand (like the Kaplan instructors do) and therefore cannot gauge answering the questions in the same mechanisms they do.

Also, there is debate as to whether their questions are REAL LSAT questions. Their explanations for the correct/incorrect answers do not really help you.... they're vague and you're left more confused then before.

I would highly NOT recommend taking Kaplan. I've heard great things about Powerscore or Testmasters. They are slightly more expensive, but worth the extra ~$200.

Also, Kaplan courses are at 5:30 or 6pm at night... the test is administered at 8:30 a.m. It has been proven that your mind does not absorb information at this hour of night and for 3 1/2 hours consistently.

That's absurd. I'm a Princeton Review teacher, so I enjoy Kaplan-bashing as much as the next guy, but Kaplan uses real LSAT questions. If you're going to hate on Kaplan, hate on them for real reasons (flaky real score requirements for instructors, lack of teacher training, occasionally shoddy techniques, etc.), not fake ones.

Kaplan and TPR do have the same guarantee, and it's the strongest one in the industry. I will give Kaplan that.

This is wrong on many levels. We offer multiple classes -- including one designed exclusively for high scorers. Our courses are designed to appeal to different people with different needs. In addition, we offer one-on-one tutoring, in which students can concentrately on whatever they specifically need. Plus, we offer online tools that analyze all of your results and make specific recommendations based on your past performance.



Speaking as an instructor, this is not accurate. Of course we have the answers before teaching a class. However, in order to teach effectively, you have to be prepared. You can't just wing it.

Still, a good teacher doesn't simply regurgitate, word for word, the written explanations. I rely on the explanations to a certain extent, but rely much more on my own understanding of the exam and what the question is actually asking. It's insulting to suggest that our teachers are merely reading everything without truly understanding the material.



There is no such debate. Every question used in class is real. Period. End of story. If anyone tells you otherwise, they're lying.



It's true that most of our classes are at night during the school year. That's because we don't get a lot of demand for daytime classes during the week since most students have school. However, we do offer classes in the morning on the weekends. And we do offer classes live online at different hours. And during the summer, the morning classes are actually among our most popular.

If you had a bad experience, I'm sincerely sorry to hear it. However, I've been with Kaplan for over five years and I honestly believe we have a solid product that has, does, and will continue to help people who are willing to put in the work.

- Chris

I'm in powerscore, I love it I heard Kaplan 100% depends on the instructor.

This is true of all LSAT prep courses.

(That said, some companies are better about hiring good instructors and training them well, and some are worse about it, which is a small part of the reason for the varying reputations of different companies.)

bump

more opinions after my edit?

I have to applaud Chris for his tireless efforts in disabusing the public of Kaplan falsehoods. Although I think most courses are, in large part, a waste of time, these repeated hearsay criticisms are getting old.

I agree that I think it really depends on the teacher. I took TM and now work for Kaplan and my TM instructor in NYC got higher scores than some of the Kaplan teachers I know, however the Kaplan teachers are better teachers whereas my TM instructor was a better test-taker.

Honestly, take whatever schedule works for you. They all have very similar methods (powerscore vs TM vs Kaplan vs TPR) and it will ultimately depend on the teacher. Look for a teacher that has been around for a while

I am a private tutor. Many of my students come to me after having taken a Kaplan class. The general concensus is that they suck. They say they do not use fake LSAT question in their class. That may be true. I have a copy of the Kaplan Master series book and there are no fake questions there. I also have a few other Kaplan books that are loaded with fake LSAT tests and questions. Most of what they teach is general test taking strategies that can be applied to any standardized test. Thier material is basic, simple and appropriate for 50+% of the testtakers who are scoring below 153. I have never heard of anyone who got the money back garuntee but I have heard of countless stories of people who tried and were refused. They provide a phone number for you to call with questions. Expect a 30 - 45 wait time each time you call.

I recommend that all of my students buy the Powerscore Bibles. They are dependable and students find them easy to read. Any student scoring below 180 on the diagnostic can benefit from thier material. It is just about the best available.

testmasters is also great is that is an option. I have heard good things about BluePrint too.

Of course, the best prep is to get all 6000 real test questions out there, form a small study group and answer every single question. Practice, practice, practice.

Everyone always shits on Kaplan but I think it depends where you are? If you're 150, Kaplanm can probably help. If you;tr 170, then jyst grow some and study on your own. Either way, it's a lot of money to spend. I'm going for a hail mary and studying on my own. Lets see how that one goes

I have to say that I am in the position of the OP. I bought the PS LGB and I am enjoying the book (did I just say that) and I'm enrolled to take the Kaplan course. I hope that it'll help me do well on the test.

I have to disagree with the time you study and how it will effect your LSAT experience. I'm one of those people who just can't seem to fall sleep before 3 or 4 AM. I've never been a day person and I find that I can understand material and be productive mostly at night. I'm worried about the test and the god awful morning hours I'll be taking it. If you have a pattern of studying and it's been working for you this far go with it. I intern/work during the day so evening classes are best for me which is a plus with Kaplan.

I'll let the OP know how it goes. I'm set to take the LSAT in Feb. so we'll see!

So basically, the consensus seem that if a person is a "newbie," kaplan is recommended to bring your score to a decent one (low-mid 160s). If a person is somewhat experienced and wish to score 170+, powerscore is better.


If I was to take kaplan course to bring myself up to 160s and then use powerscore to bring myself up to 170s, I'm just worried that the things I learned from kaplan may be different from that of powerscore books and vice versa.

My opinion is that Kaplan is only good for poor testtakers who need general test taking skills. Powerscore is good for everyone taking the LSAT.

PowerScore materials are great for everyone. But the class begins to lose its value, in my opinion, once folks are scoring above mid-160s.

If you score mid 160's or higher, unless you completely blow on logic games no course is going to help you. Practice and self-study will. Courses help you become reasonable test takers. They can't help you go from good to elite test takers.