LSAT prep course worth it? Forum

[lawyurd]

I'm debating taking an LSAT prep course.  In my current situation I can only do a part-time evening program that may or may not be offered at Florida Coastal this fall.  If not offered then my only choices are online law school, not a fan of it personally but I will do what I must to get a JD.  I have a family to support which is why I can't quit my day job.  So, is an $800 or more prep course really worth the investment?  I want to take the LSAT regardless and do my best but Florida Coastal is the nearest law school to me that might offer a program to fit my schedule.  Any suggestions on prep courses?  I was looking at Princeton Review and Blueprint so far.
I'm not sure if UF has an evening option, doubt it though.

[itachiuchiha]

I'm debating taking an LSAT prep course.  In my current situation I can only do a part-time evening program that may or may not be offered at Florida Coastal this fall.  If not offered then my only choices are online law school, not a fan of it personally but I will do what I must to get a JD.  I have a family to support which is why I can't quit my day job.  So, is an $800 or more prep course really worth the investment?  I want to take the LSAT regardless and do my best but Florida Coastal is the nearest law school to me that might offer a program to fit my schedule.  Any suggestions on prep courses?  I was looking at Princeton Review and Blueprint so far.
I'm not sure if UF has an evening option, doubt it though.

SELF STUDY!

[tomwatts]

The course structures your studying and provides you a format for asking questions and getting answers. It also gives you all the resources that you could in principle buy on your own, but it gives them to you in a carefully designed sequence that should be digestible. Even so, the course is not going to raise your score; you have to raise your score by doing a lot of work. If you can manage that, the course usually pays for itself in merit scholarships and the like. Typical score improvements out of different courses are in the high single-digits and low double-digits.

I teach for Princeton Review occasionally (I taught a lot more in the past, but I went to law school), so I can answer your questions about that if you'd like.

[Ben Franklin]

An online law degree would be almost useless if you live in Florida. You can only practice in California. Unless you want the law degree for reasons other than actually being an admitted attorney and practicing law, I would strongly suggest doing what you can to get into Florida Coastal. With a median LSAT in the mid 140 range, this should not be too hard.

[Dr. Dre]

This is what you need:


1. Manhattan books

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-LSAT/e/B0053HGVRQ

2. Excellent pencil/eraser

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=206480


save $, get great score, PROFIT

[bp shinners]

If you have any questions about Blueprint's class, feel free to shoot me a PM.

As far as whether it's worth it, that's a subjective question. I will never argue that it's necessary to do well - after all, I self studied.

However, the class does offer some benefits (though I'm biased):
1) It offers you a ton of materials that you would otherwise pay for, so take the cost of purchasing every PT/question yourself when evaluating the cost of the course.
2) It keeps you on a structured study schedule that some find easier to stick to than a self-imposed one
3) It gives you access to an instructor who will answer questions and correct mistakes (even for most online courses, you'll get a homework helper or hotline to call).
4) It will save you time on studying because you'll spend less time trying to figure stuff out yourself.

So take the cost of the course, subtract the cost of materials, and then figure out if the other benefits are worth the cost.

And as a bit of other advice, you should REALLY look into the job prospects for Florida Coastal students when making your decision about enrolling there. I won't say no one should go to that school, but I will say that scholarship money should be a huge part of the consideration. And I would STRONGLY recommend against any online law school unless you've done a TON of research into the feasibility of using that degree to practice law and get admitted to the Bar.

[wtrc]

Between Blueprint and Princeton, from what I've heard, Blueprint is the way to go. And BP is awesome.

Having said that, if you have the time, motivation, and concentration to self-study, that is absolutely the cheapest and quite possible the best option. Courses give people (including myself years ago) a false sense of security- that just going to a course is enough to raise a score enough. It's not.

[lawyurd]

I'm not really worried about the job prospects. I have a federal job now I just want the JD to open up more options for me. I won't be able to get promoted unless someone died and I don't want to be like some of the people I work with that have been doing the same thing for 20 years.

As far as test prep, Blueprint, Velocity and 7sage all look pretty good to me.

Oh, and before anyone suggests it, I already have my MBA.

[mindarmed]

I'm debating taking an LSAT prep course.  In my current situation I can only do a part-time evening program that may or may not be offered at Florida Coastal this fall.  If not offered then my only choices are online law school, not a fan of it personally but I will do what I must to get a JD.  I have a family to support which is why I can't quit my day job.  So, is an $800 or more prep course really worth the investment?  I want to take the LSAT regardless and do my best but Florida Coastal is the nearest law school to me that might offer a program to fit my schedule.  Any suggestions on prep courses?  I was looking at Princeton Review and Blueprint so far.
I'm not sure if UF has an evening option, doubt it though.

Don't go to law school.

[Dr. Dre]

Don't go to law school.

This.

Although, I think prepping for the LSAT, during your leisure time, would not be so bad. If you like it and become good at it, who knows, you could become tutor. It is also a great mental exercise as college education is dumbing down.

[Malakai]

I'm debating taking an LSAT prep course.  In my current situation I can only do a part-time evening program that may or may not be offered at Florida Coastal this fall.  If not offered then my only choices are online law school, not a fan of it personally but I will do what I must to get a JD.  I have a family to support which is why I can't quit my day job.  So, is an $800 or more prep course really worth the investment?  I want to take the LSAT regardless and do my best but Florida Coastal is the nearest law school to me that might offer a program to fit my schedule.  Any suggestions on prep courses?  I was looking at Princeton Review and Blueprint so far.
I'm not sure if UF has an evening option, doubt it though.

Depends on whether if you pay the $800 that you'll actually do all the homework and shit for it, and that your mind will actually be able to use or is willing to accept the methods taught by the prepcourse. Many students of these find that some or quite a bit of the methods aren't helpful to them (but this also depends on the type of course i'm sure as well.), but there are also plenty of students who don't do the work/homework that often takes several hours to do at a time - this almost defeats the purpose of taking and paying for the course in the first place.

Why not try to learn the skills and methods on your own for a month or so at first, and on your own pace to determine what works best for you? You may find that what works best for you may provide you the ability to get a better score, and possibly better options when it actually comes to making the choice for law schools (even online or part-time ones).

And in all honesty, you should choose a law program that fits your CAREER goals and not just your current schedule. But if you had to pick, do BP and forget about Princeton Review. Just my $0.02.