Choosing Prep Course

[hmkydts2]

I have just finished one month of self-study using all of the PowerScore Bibles, and completed three practice tests (October 2002, June 2002, and December 2001). My first test (October 2002) score was a 145, with my scores being LR- 13,12, LG-8, and RC- 15. This was a timed test. The second test (June 2002) came out to a 150, with my scores being LR- 17,16, LG-17, and RC- 7. I am unsure how my reading comprehension score dropped, but I was more focused on the growth in my LR and LG scores. Finally, the third test (December 2001) resulted in a 158, with LR-15,16, LG-19, and RC-22. The latter two tests were timed, however I allowed myself to finish after the 35 minutes with accuracy. I finished both LG in under 35, and never reached over 40 minutes in any other section. Once again, the reading comprehension score varies substantially, but after reading the RC Bible and drilling in the RCB Workbook, I feel this is a more accurate score. My goal is a 165, and I plan on taking the October LSAT. I currently study 15-20 hours weekly. However, my question is, which PowerScore prep course would be most beneficial? I am confident that the Bibles and corresponding Workbooks have allowed me to grasp basic concepts, and I want to continue learning in the same system. Also, I have watched the free lesson videos you have provided, and they helped tremendously, and I think the right course could give me the extra 6-7 points. I am a rising senior in college, and a student-athlete with sparse available time. With my situation in mind, which course would you recommend?

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi hmkydts2,

Thanks for the question, and welcome to the forum! First off, congrats on making such a substantial improvement using the Wibles and corresponding Workbooks. Essentially, you jumped from roughly the 30th to the 75th percentile entirely on your own, which is no small feat! And somewhat predictably, your biggest gains were in LR and LG: your accuracy today is at about 65% in both sections. This is also not entirely surprising, as roughly 1/3 of the questions in LR are rated as moderate-to-high difficulty. While you shouldn't expect your score to improve at the same rate as it has over the last few months (those last 10 points will be significantly harder to get than the first 10), I am absolutely confident that you can do this. I say this not just to give you some confidence, but also because you've already done exceptionally well on your own. Imagine what you can do with a little bit of help!

This brings me to your question: which course to take? With your goal of the 170s in mind, my recommendation would take the PowerScore Full Length LSAT Course. That's our flagship course, and it comes with more bells and whistles than most students know what to do with Among them are access to complete explanations to every homework question, online test scoring, virtual lesson recaps, etc. Best of all, you get an exceptionally qualified instructor who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Plus, while prior exposure to our method is not a prerequisite for enrolling in our courses, your experience with the Bibles will certainly help you hit the ground running (about half the class will have some prior experience with the Bibles). The course will expand on what you have already learned, take your understanding to new levels, and give you the best chance to move into the 170s.

If you cannot take a Full-Length course for practical reasons, or if you simply do better with on-line training, then I would recommend our Live Online LSAT Course. It entails the same curriculum and course books as the Full Length course, and you get access to the same on-line resources as a Full Length student. Your Live Online course will be taught in real time by two instructors, one of whom leads the lecture and discussion, and the other who makes sure the students in the class understand everything being discussed. This "second chair" instructor fields student questions in real time and answers them, provide a running commentary that expands on what the instructor is saying, and also helps out with things such as providing feedback on their practice test scores. I have taught many Live Online courses myself and I think they provide outstanding assistance and value. And, perhaps the most amazing benefit is that every class session is recorded, and later you can watch each class as many times as you would like. This is a feature that many students have told me allows them to pick up fine points they missed during the first time they listened to the lecture.

Here are the links to the FL and LO courses we offer:

• http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/full/
  
  http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/live-online/

Let me know if you live in an area where we offer multiple Full Length courses, and I can help you identify the ones that best fit your schedule and needs. The Live Online courses have a much greater variety of schedules, and I'd be happy to help you out with picking a class there if you'd like.

Please let me know if this all makes sense, and if you have any other questions I can help answer I'd be happy to do so. Thanks and have a great afternoon!