Hi all,
Before doing any prep I was scoring high 150's. I took Testmasters and raised my score to a 166 in June 2011.
Anyway, I'm thinking of retaking, in October if I want to apply for 2013 or next year if I wait til 2014. My GPA is better than my LSAT, and if I can just raise it to a 172 I'd be solid. However, I do have a FT job so my time is somewhat more limited than it was during an easy semester in college.
Is it worth it to take another course (probably online to save money, something like Velocity)? Or will I just get frustrated as everything I already learned will be repeated?
Thanks!
Already Took Testmasters. Take Another? Forum
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Joeshan520
- Posts: 193
- Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:05 pm
Re: Already Took Testmasters. Take Another?
Congrats on the 166! Despite what people post on here that's still a great score. In regard to the class, it's going to feel rudimentary and very slow if you already have a basic understanding of the material. I would just take time exams and drill on your weak sections. If you have extra cash lying around, just buy PDFs of the PTs on LSAT blog and look at the classifications of questions to drill. I don't know if you necessarily need to wait another cycle. Where do you want to go?
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bp shinners
- Posts: 3086
- Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:05 pm
Re: Already Took Testmasters. Take Another?
First off, congrats on going up by 10 points. That's a solid feat, especially when cracking into the mid- to high-160s.
As to whether or not to take an online class, that's a tough call. You have to figure out a few things:
1) How much of a wall do you feel you've run into with your prep?
2) How much do you benefit from having structure imposed on you (instead of relying on yourself to study)?
3) Where are your weaknesses?
If you really benefit from structure, signing up for a class is a consideration. If your weaknesses are across the board, a class might be worth it. And if you've run into a wall and self-prep hasn't helped, a class might be for you. Of course, I'm exceedingly biased in this regard.
In all seriousness, a second class is going to do a few things for you. First, it'll give you fresh materials and structure. Second, it'll give you a different perspective on things. Third, it will give you a new set of methods that might click better with how you naturally approach these things.
However, a second class is another several hundred dollars.
So you have to balance the benefits with the cost. You seem to have done well with the Testmasters class, so you know you respond positively to that environment. The question is do you think you can get yourself that extra 6+ points yourself, or would you rather have a system help you get there? That's something we can't answer for you - you're going to have to answer it for yourself.
If you decide to go with the self-study route, I'd recommend mainly taking PTs and reviewing your mistakes. Go over methods for sections/question types with which you're struggling, but focus mostly on eliminating your own mistakes. In the 165+ range, the game becomes less about learning new methods (though that's still an important part of it) and more about not falling for the same tricks over and over again. Make sure to figure out how the test got you to pick the wrong answer, and also how they got you to think the correct answer was wrong. Figure out a pattern of flaws in your reasoning, and you'll stop making those mistakes.
And if you decide to go with an online class, feel free to PM me with any questions about ours.
As to whether or not to take an online class, that's a tough call. You have to figure out a few things:
1) How much of a wall do you feel you've run into with your prep?
2) How much do you benefit from having structure imposed on you (instead of relying on yourself to study)?
3) Where are your weaknesses?
If you really benefit from structure, signing up for a class is a consideration. If your weaknesses are across the board, a class might be worth it. And if you've run into a wall and self-prep hasn't helped, a class might be for you. Of course, I'm exceedingly biased in this regard.
In all seriousness, a second class is going to do a few things for you. First, it'll give you fresh materials and structure. Second, it'll give you a different perspective on things. Third, it will give you a new set of methods that might click better with how you naturally approach these things.
However, a second class is another several hundred dollars.
So you have to balance the benefits with the cost. You seem to have done well with the Testmasters class, so you know you respond positively to that environment. The question is do you think you can get yourself that extra 6+ points yourself, or would you rather have a system help you get there? That's something we can't answer for you - you're going to have to answer it for yourself.
If you decide to go with the self-study route, I'd recommend mainly taking PTs and reviewing your mistakes. Go over methods for sections/question types with which you're struggling, but focus mostly on eliminating your own mistakes. In the 165+ range, the game becomes less about learning new methods (though that's still an important part of it) and more about not falling for the same tricks over and over again. Make sure to figure out how the test got you to pick the wrong answer, and also how they got you to think the correct answer was wrong. Figure out a pattern of flaws in your reasoning, and you'll stop making those mistakes.
And if you decide to go with an online class, feel free to PM me with any questions about ours.
