LSAT prep

[malta blue]

I am planning on taking the LSAT in September.

Anyone have suggestions on prep books, classes, etc., that they found helpful?

Thanks DUers!

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. I did some Logic Games.

You can buy cheap booklets of Logic Games in grocery stores. I didn't do anything else.

[malta blue]

2. Thanks.

I will check those out.

I haven't been in school for 15 years and I feel as though my brain may be a little rusty.

[Dangerously Amused]

3. Hey. I took the LSAT after not being in school for years, too.

And my undergrad was a trade school of sorts, so we never had any "real" tests there either. So yeah, I was very concerned about my LSAT performance. I looked at everything that was out there and eventually invested about $1000. in Stanley Kaplan (tho it's probably a lot more than that now). I thought they had an excellent program; I really buckled down and applied myself, and was pleased with my final score.

So I would recommend Stanley Kaplan to anyone.

Good luck. We need more Dem lawyers!


:hi:

[malta blue]

4. I checked into the Kaplan course and it runs about

$1300 to actually attend a class, but the class runs for the month before I plan to take the test, so I think I may just have to do it.

I did my undergrad work in Archaeology and have some graduate work in that as well, but it doesn't really apply as far as a law degree is concerned.

I should probably spend more time in the flame wars over in GD just to get used to the cutthroat atmosphere of school, but heck, I view DU as fun thing....

Thanks for your input!

:hi:

[Dangerously Amused]

7. I liked the idea of attending the class,

... of actually sitting down in a classroom and interacting with a real live instructor. I guess I'm old school that way, but it always seems to me to be a richer experience. I like being able to ask questions as they enter my head while I'm learning something, and not having to wait for an email reply... which may or may not answer the question to my satisfaction... and all that. That and you already get all the stuff in the textbook, but with a live instructor you also get little tidbits here and there that aren't in the book. That was valuable to me given my level of anxiety not only about the type of test, but for the process of test-taking in general. I also drew comfort from the cameraderie with the other students. It helped just to know that I wasn't alone in my apprehensions and self-doubts, and to share our ideas and strategies.

And yeah, I'd recommend keeping DU as a safe, fun refuge from the flames in law school.

Just my .02.

[malta blue]

8. I am thinking along the same lines about the class

Old school way - actually sit in a room with people and an instructor - what a concept. Plus, someone may ask a question that I hadn't thought of which could very well be the golden ticket that I needed.

I am feeling anxious about the whole test-taking thing, but I am getting a new laptop out of this whole thing, courtesy of my mom who is behind me 100% and has encouraged me to do this for years. I hope I make the most of her investment.

Thanks for the .02. It really is appreciated.:hi:

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

5. I took it years ago

and prepped with Princeton Review. They were quite good, although a bit pricey, and improved my score considerably. Don't know if they're still around, though.

[malta blue]

6. They have a series of online courses

ranging from $600-$900 depending upon whether you choose to have an actual online instructor or not.

Glad to know this is a viable option as well.

Thanks!

[legally blonde]

9. practice, practice, practice

Take old practice tests. You could probably find some used ones online for pretty cheap. Also play logic games. I thought that the LSAT was very similar to the GRE, except the LSAT has more logic (which was good for me b/c I had a math and science background).

I didn't take the Kaplan course (although in retrospect it probably would have helped my score). I have some friends who said it was worth it. :shrug:

[malta blue]

12. There are even tests online for free

so I am looking at those too. I suppose I am anxious about it since I haven't been a student in so long. I just want to cover as many bases as I can.

[Pierre.Suave]

10. WHy Sept and not Oct?

just curious.

Is there one in Sept?

[malta blue]

11. It is at the end of September 2007

and admissions to the school I am looking at starts in September, with preference to early applicants.

[Pierre.Suave]

13. I see...

why not a summer LSAT then? it will take a few months for the results to come back.

[malta blue]

14. The summer one is in June, on a weekday.

I may be able to take that one, depending on whether I feel ready, and whether I can arrange to take the day off from work. Dilemmas abound.

[malta blue]

15. kick for the evening crowd

:kick:

[huskerlaw]

16. Get the official tests...

The company that develops the LSAT (LSAC, I think) sells old versions of the test.

Get many.

Play around with a few of them, just to get a feel for the questions and where your strengths and weaknesses are.

Work on said weaknesses.

Complete at LEAST 2 of them in replicated test conditions, i.e. time constraints, silence, etc.

If you have a problem with time, work on that until you can complete the tests within the time allowance *without* stressing yourself out about it. The easiest way to fail the LSAT is to panic, either at the beginning or the end, about your time allowance.

And yes, like someone else suggested, get some logic puzzles. There are a lot of "you're throwing a dinner party and you have to complete a seating chart. Guest A cannot sit next to B. C must sit next to A, but not next to D"-type questions.

Also, check with someone at your university (possibly the law school, or a pre-law advisor if they have one) and find out if there is a free/low-cost prep test. Kaplan may also have one that they administer that's not part of the actual class. Take that. See how you score. Then evaluate what you need to do from there.

If your score is way lower than you want/need, you may want to consider Kaplan. I know quite a few people who were very happy with their Kaplan experience.

That said, if your pre-test is in the range of what you need, you probably don't need to pay out a thousand bucks or whatever it is now for a Kaplan class. I also know many people, myself included, who got into the school they wanted (with the scholarships they wanted) without taking Kaplan.

Good luck!

[malta blue]

Thanks

Those are some great tips.

I have been out of school for some time now (15 years), so I am considering the class right before the test, just to eliminate any last minute jitters. Right now I have a few books with actual tests in them, and have been going through them little by little.

I have yet to actually sit down and take a test in a timed, silent environment...I'm still working on wrapping my head around the concept yet.

I will keep your tips in mind and apprecaite your input!

[huskerlaw]

19. Your plan sounds good...

The fact that you're working on it this far ahead of time is a pretty good indication that you'll be well-prepared.

Don't worry about the timed tests yet...get a handle on content first. Do the timed test after you have completed a few tests and feel pretty confident in your ability to answer the questions.

The more I think about it, I'm pretty sure the pre-test was offered by Kaplan (again, not part of the class). You might want to contact them and see if they're offering anything like that in May or June. They give you a score range based on how you do with the pre-test and the range is pretty right-on (affected, of course, by how much studying you do afterwards).

[malta blue]

22. I appreciate your advice

and will keep it close as the time draws near.

[rug]

17. I was hungover when i took the LSAT.

[malta blue]

18. and...

:shrug:

do tell...

[rug]

20. I didn't finish 6 of the logic problems.

I did well enough on the rest to get in though.

BTW, 3 out of 4 people who apply will get into a law school, even if it's not one of their top choices. Go for it!

[malta blue]

21. Thanks for the tale

I have one problem though...I am only applying to one school. Because of a child custody agreement, I cannot leave the immediate area, and so therefore there is only one choice. I do, however, have some powerful attorneys writing my recs so hopefully that will hold some water.

[rug]

23. Good luck and don't drink for 24 hours before.

[Dangerously Amused]

24. All your eggs in one basket?

Suggestion: Read up on the law school's most recent developments or longstanding specialties, and tailor your resume and letter of introduction to their specific interests, or at least one of them. Example: Did they just open up an immigration law clinic? And =cough cough= isn't your interest in immigration issues and foreign policy the entire reason you... learned a second language/hosted a foreign exchange student/traveled to (insert country here)/keep up a correspondence with a foreign pen pal/volunteer for or donate to (name of) international charity/etc....?

[eyesroll]

25. I took the practice test, did well on everything but the games, so I got a book,

learned the tricks, did a bunch of games sections (never did a full LSAT, nor did I ever do a timed section -- time is never a problem for me on exams), spent maybe $50, a few hours a week for just a few months, and improved on games enough to go to the local law school (I was an all-eggs-in-one-basket older applicant, too) on full scholarship.

I have no real advice -- just do what seems right for you. I knew that a class would not benefit me (or, at least, not benefit me enough to justify the $1000), and I also knew I learned well from books. So that's what I did.


Good luck.