Should I take a prep course? Forum

[msm11]

I recently decided to take the LSATs in June. The only prep course I can fit into my schedule starts at the beginning of Feb and is run by Princeton Review. Two weeks ago I took my first LSAT practice test. I finished each section in 40 mintues, took breaks in between the sections, and scored 162. I took another practice test today and finished each section in under 35 minutes, took only one break, and scored 166.
AR -0
LR -10
RC -5

Between the tests, I flipped through the Barron's prep book (the only one my local library had) and did some of the made up prep questions they offer because I do not want to take too many of the practice tests in case I take the prep course.

Should I take the PR course or am I making adequate progress on my own? My alternative is to purchase the PowerScore set and a bunch of old tests and work through them on my own. Do i need to purchase the LG bible since I'm doing very well in that section?

[msm11]

hate to bump...any thoughts from people who have been through the process would be much appreciated

[macattaq]

A prep course probably won't hurt, but since you're scoring so high, it could turn out to be a waste of money. The reason I don't think it will hurt is because it will give you new ways to approach questions, and new things to consider. Incorporating these tactics should help you, and not hinder you. At the same time, if you're hitting a 162 without practice, you may be better off spending less money. You could buy every test, and then get the Powerscore Bibles, for less than the cost of the PR course, IIRC.

That being said, I did take the PR course, and the course was invaluable. I raised my score by 19 points from my diagnostic.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

If you are motivated to put in the hours yourself, it might be better to simply self-study and find a good tutor. If money is not an issue and you think you would respond well to the extra motivation that a class can give you, take a class. Keep in mind though, if you're taking a class you still need to bust your ass outside of the class.

Don't be worried about doing actual Q's from tests, just make sure you're doing old questions (as in from preptest 20 and earlier). Save the most recent tests for the latter part of your studying.

If you find yourself consistently only getting 0 to -2 on the games section (AR), then you might not need to get LG bible. And if you do decide to take a class, make sure to take an advanced class if it's with Princeton Review or Kaplan. Their reg class can actually be demotivating to some since you could be far ahead of the majority of people.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

If you decide to self-study, look at this thread and others over in the LSAT preparation forum.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =6&t=41657