Best LSAT testing center in Bay Area? Forum

[jessucsbedu]

I'm taking the LSAT this September and want to know which testing centers have optimal testing conditions. I am willing to drive 100+ miles, as I will be staying in a hotel the night before. The locations I am looking at include:

1. College of Alameda (Alameda, CA)
2. Marriot Walnut Creek - skeptical about a hotel setting - (Walnut Creek, CA)
3. John F Kennedy University School of Law (Pleasant Hill, CA)
4. Sonoma State University (Sonoma, CA)
5. Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, CA)
6. Empire College School of Law (Santa Rosa, CA)
7. Monterey College of Law (Monterey, CA)

Unfortunately, Santa Clara University is no longer offered as a testing location. If there are any other locations not on this list that you want to recommend please let me know! Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated

[Pozzo]

I'm taking the LSAT this September and want to know which testing centers have optimal testing conditions. I am willing to drive 100+ miles, as I will be staying in a hotel the night before. The locations I am looking at include:

1. College of Alameda (Alameda, CA)
2. Marriot Walnut Creek - skeptical about a hotel setting - (Walnut Creek, CA)
3. John F Kennedy University School of Law (Pleasant Hill, CA)
4. Sonoma State University (Sonoma, CA)
5. Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, CA)
6. Empire College School of Law (Santa Rosa, CA)
7. Monterey College of Law (Monterey, CA)

Unfortunately, Santa Clara University is no longer offered as a testing location. If there are any other locations not on this list that you want to recommend please let me know! Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated

Can't speak from experience, but these are decent resources:

http://lsatcenters.wikia.com/wiki/LSAT_Test_Center_Wiki
http://www.simugator.com/lsat-test-site-rater.php

[ngogirl12]

I'm taking the LSAT this September and want to know which testing centers have optimal testing conditions. I am willing to drive 100+ miles, as I will be staying in a hotel the night before. The locations I am looking at include:

1. College of Alameda (Alameda, CA)
2. Marriot Walnut Creek - skeptical about a hotel setting - (Walnut Creek, CA)
3. John F Kennedy University School of Law (Pleasant Hill, CA)
4. Sonoma State University (Sonoma, CA)
5. Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, CA)
6. Empire College School of Law (Santa Rosa, CA)
7. Monterey College of Law (Monterey, CA)

Unfortunately, Santa Clara University is no longer offered as a testing location. If there are any other locations not on this list that you want to recommend please let me know! Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated

I can't speak from experience but I've heard the first three are good.

[#gobroncos]

I took it at the Santa Rosa Junior College and had a good experience (wasn't impeded from getting 170+). The proctors were nice, the other test takers weren't distracting (always the wild card), and the room was fine. We even got to be outside during the break. My only suggestion would be to check it out the day before since it took me a minute to figure out where I was going.

[greycones]

Took a test at College of Alameda a year ago - the proctors were great! The desks were like those high school ones with the desk attached, but we had two desks per person next to each other so it wasn't that bad. We could also sit anywhere we liked.

I'm taking it again there in September only because of the proctors!

[zkyggi]

Took it at Humphery's in the Bay Area. I have no complaints and each of us got an entire table to take the test. Proctors were efficient and everything ran on time.

[pixy22]

I unfortunately took the LSAT 3 times. I took it at Empire in Santa Rosa, Marriot in Walnut Creak, and University of San Francisco. All locations had huge desks (room to have both booklet and answer sheet out, with plenty of room to spare). All centers also used a stop watch for official time and gave you a 5 minute warning.

Marriot gave free chilled water before/during the break. The desks had the chair and desk separate. The advantage of the Marriott is you can bring your hand bag/phone and leave it at the hotel concierge, before proceeding downstairs where the testing happens. Also, the bathrooms were very clean. Marriot had at least 100 test takers and was packed. The multiple proctors paced the room. However, the desks were very nice so they gave us the table mat/place mat type thing to put our booklets on top so we could write.

At Empire, the proctors stayed in the front of the room and you had about 30 in your room.

University of San Francisco was better than I expected. We were in a seminar style room. The proctor was a professor there and very friendly. The assistant proctors were all students. Be prepared to have multiple proctors, most centers will have 5-6 minimum. There was street parking, but I took it during the afternoon session. There is a lot of traffic in San Francisco even on Saturdays. so make sure to leave early

Honestly, I would take it at whatever test center is closest to you. The commute can affect the mind set. Make sure to register early, as soon as possible! Many of my friends had to take the LSAT far, i.e. LA, because all test locations fill up in advance.