Should you Take an LSAT Prep Course?
LSAT prep courses are expensive, especially when you compare their cost to purchasing other study materials online. Studies show, however, that students who take a live study course perform 2-5 points better than students who don’t. If at all possible, take a preparation course, as they can be very meaningful to your LSAT score. Even if you only get a two-point bump in your score, this investment is well worth the money and effort.
Many people will tell you can do as well doing self-study as a prep course if you have enough discipline. You will often hear “If you are the type that needs structure to stay focused, or need a confidence boost, you should take the class. If not, don’t worry about it.”
Despite this advice, here is why every serious student should take a live prep course:
1. 2-5 points could save you $50,000 to $100,000 in law school tuition. Law schools offer scholarships to the strongest candidates.
2. While the average advantage is 2-5 points, your improvement could be much larger. There are plenty of examples of people who have improved 10 or more points after attending these courses.
3. Paying for the course will reinforce your discipline.
4. Live instructors can specifically identify your individual weaknesses and can give you good feedback. Often instructors will alert you to weaknesses that you didn’t know you had. A live course also gives you a resource for accurate, timely answers to your questions.
5. Courses cover everything you need to know, forcing you to learn things you otherwise might have skipped or ignored.
6. Courses conduct several formal, timed LSATs. You will get real test experience to gauge how you are doing.
So while many of us think we have the self-discipline to achieve these results without spending the money, why would you want to risk it when this is truly your future on the line? Unless it is simply not a financial option for you to take a live course, the benefits are substantial enough for you to not hesitate in taking a live course.