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Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:32 am
by jd20132013
I got an offer to price-match--should I get BarBri or stick with Kaplan? I had heard that Kaplan might actually be better in some ways.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:46 pm
by ph14
jd20132013 wrote:I got an offer to price-match--should I get BarBri or stick with Kaplan? I had heard that Kaplan might actually be better in some ways.
Keep in mind that it is a test that 85-90% of the people pass. You will be fine with either one. Barbri seems to have the strongest reputation, and I would guess it has the highest yield when different courses are roughly equal in price. I picked Barbri where the prices were all equal, because that seems to be the consensus best course, but who knows if it actually is or whether the difference is meaningful. Most people only do one course and don't really get a chance to fully compare the other courses. Check out the TLS thread where people make their recommendations (I think it is now in the Bar Exam subforum).
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:28 pm
by Gamecubesupreme
Barbri prepares you well for essays, but I don't think their multiple choice questions are very good at all.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:12 am
by Duchovnysfan
What did you use for MPRE review? If it was either Kaplan or BarBri, were satisfied in how they setup the course? That should give you a good idea which way to go. Granted the bar is way harder than MPRE but if you like the style of how BarBri or Kaplan did it, then their approach will remain the same.
I have known people who have passed using either one, but I also know people failed using either one too.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:16 am
by Saddle Up
My understanding is that the law firm will have an account with one or the other and that’s the one you will end up using.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:51 am
by ph14
Saddle Up wrote:My understanding is that the law firm will have an account with one or the other and that’s the one you will end up using.
Presumably, OP is not going to a firm, directly at least.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:42 pm
by jd20132013
Correct.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:17 pm
by 5ky
Barbri is probably not worth the extra cost. But I enjoyed it because that's what most of my friends had, and really the social aspect of everyone having the same review course was nice.
So if all of your friends are doing Themis/Kaplan, something to think about, seriously
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:41 am
by underwhere759
Personally, I would vote for Kaplan.
I have taken in multiple states- so have used both companies, and I found that while Barbri's lectures were perhaps more "entertaining" I felt better prepared with Kaplan. I found Kaplan's MBE questions and the program they have to be better and more closely in line with the real test.
But, I genuinely think it is all up to personal preference.
Re: Is BarBri actually demonstrably better than Kaplan?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:48 am
by A. Nony Mouse
underwhere759 wrote:But, I genuinely think it is all up to personal preference.
Yeah, I think you can pass from any course. I know people who've said Kaplan does MBE questions better than Barbri, but I saw a lot of questions on the MBE that had exactly the same wording and tested the same concepts in the same way as the MBE practice questions. (Of course, since I didn't take Kaplan I can't really say.)
That said, I don't think Barbri is worth the extra money. It was fine, but I knew just as many people who passed/failed with Barbri as with Kaplan. Go with the cheaper course.