What is the best way to prepare yourself for the LSAT? Courses? Books?

Question

I was an average student coming out of high school because I didn't really do home work. So I only had an 1130 SAT and 3.4 GPA. I want to get into a good law school though, so I was wondering if there were any good courses? Online classes? Books?

Answer 1

There are a few different ways to prepare, including self study, tutoring, and taking a prep course. Before making a decision on how to prep, go to LSAC.org and download the free June 2007 LSAT and take it as a timed test. Getting a starting score will help you make some decisions on what method to use when you start studying.

If you are pretty close to hitting your target score, then keep studying on your own. These were the three best books I used:

1. Powerscore LSAT Logic Games Bible

2. Powerscore LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible

3. Kaplan LSAT 180

But, you will also need actual tests to practice with, so get them from Law Services, the people who make the test. These are the three cheapest ones:

4. The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests

5. 10 More Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests

6. 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests

If you work through the first three books, you would be in pretty good shape in terms of strategies, and then do a ton of the tests from the second group of books.

If you are scoring relatively low, or if a particular section is killing you (like Games), either take a prep course or get personal tutoring. The prep course is going to be cheaper than tutoring, but tutoring is more focused.

The main benefits of a class are that:

A. They lay out the strategies for you so you don't have to figure them out on your own. You also have a source to go to when you have questions or need help.

B. They provide plenty of study material, and that material is directed in a particular way.

C. They structure your preparation in a way that self-studying cannot.

D. You meet other people in the same position you are in, and it helps to have friends who can motivate you to study.

Do the classes help? Like a lot of things, part of it hinges on whether you put the time in. I took Powerscore and I ended up scoring well. I do know that I worked pretty hard, though. Whatever class you choose, find a class that uses a lot of real LSAT's and find out who your instructor will be. Try to get someone with a lot of teaching experience and a high score. Having a good instructor makes a big difference.

No matter what you do, prepare to work hard. Good luck!