<p>I took the practice LSAT today under timed conditions with almost zero prep and got a 149. I’m not sure if that is good or not but the LSAT prep course <em>says</em> I will get a “minimum” 10 point boost on my score if I fork over 1,500 dollars. If I got a 10-15 point boost I would be able to get into pretty much anywhere I want to go but I don’t know if these prep courses actually work. Any advice?</p>
<p>Hey Spartan,</p>
<p>There are a LOT of factors to consider when making the decision to enroll in a course. I don’t know which of the courses you’re planning to take (though I know it’s not Blueprint - we’re much cheaper than $1500, so if we offer classes in your area, you might want to check us out), so I’m going to offer you general advice.</p>
<p>A 149 is a respectable score for going in blind the first time. 150 is the 50% percentile, so you’re right about where the average person scores when taking an actual administration of the test. However, if you’ve got aspirations towards a top law school, you’re probably going to have to get in the mid- to upper-160s (and even higher if you have Ivy League dreams). So some type of prep is necessary.</p>
<p>Before I get into evaluating the class, I’m going to tell you about the ‘guarantees’ that some of these places offer. You can’t actually guarantee a 10 point increase. There’s absolutely no way - if the person doesn’t improve 10 points, they can’t bribe LSAC to give you that score. The best they can do is offer a money-back guarantee (If you don’t improve by that much, we’ll give you your money back!). I don’t think that’s the guarantee that most companies offer; for the most part, I think that they’re retake guarantees. So if you don’t improve by that much after taking the course once, they let you retake for free. However, you’ll be learning the same methods, doing the same homework, and often have the same instructor. Have any hope that you’ll go up more by just redoing stuff? Neither do I.</p>
<p>So now how to evaluate courses. You’re going to want to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth. Start by answering these questions about the program:</p>
<ol>
<li>How many hours of class time do you get?</li>
</ol>
<p>Some places will advertise as 100 hours, 80 hours, etc… but include practice tests. Make sure that you know exactly how many hours of instruction you’re getting, as it’s an important consideration.</p>
<ol>
<li>What are the qualifications for teaching?</li>
</ol>
<p>Do you think someone who received a 180 on the exam understands it better than someone who received a 165? I would argue that they probably do. Check the website (usually you can find it in the ‘Hiring/Jobs’ section) to see what the instructors need to teach. Some places have higher standards than others.</p>
<ol>
<li>What materials are offered?</li>
</ol>
<p>Does the company give you actual LSAT questions? Every LSAT question released? Access to instructors outside of class (either through e-mail, phones, or a message board)? The more access and materials you have, the better you’ll be able to prep.</p>
<ol>
<li>What is the average score increase?</li>
</ol>
<p>Don’t go by guarantees. Any company that’s proud of its work will tell you how their students do on the exam, and their methodology for calculating that. For instance, Blueprint takes the average of all students by comparing their first practice test (given on the first day of class) to their highest practice test; this gives us a result of ~10 points. We’re proud of this, and so we tell you exactly how we get it. A ‘guarantee’ of 10 points isn’t the same - it’s just a promise to let you retake the class if you don’t hit it.</p>
<p>If you’re seriously considering a course (which I think most people should - it’s the fastest and most effective way to prep, though I’m biased), these are the criteria you should consider. You should also look at the company’s philosophy - we’re a little irreverent at Blueprint, so if you don’t like examples in class that are based on Jersey Shore, Charlie Sheen, or pop culture in general, you might want to look elsewhere. It’s generally easy to find this out by reading the company’s website, reviews online (TLS and Yelp are great sources), and watching videos prepared by the company (we’ve got a ton on our site).</p>
<p>Good luck, and check out our website if you have any questions. If you e-mail in to get more info, mention that Matt sent you to see if we’ve got any online discounts in your area!</p>