Should I use a prep course for my last re-take?

[Lsatmaniac93]

Hello everyone,

So let me give you a little bit of context in regards to my LSAT situation. I am pretty well acquainted with the test. I have taken it twice: once in June 2015 and more recently this past 2016 February LSAT. I have prepped significantly each time, so I found the results of my effort frustrating and disappointing to say the least. The first time I took the test, I was afforded the opportunity to take a pretty extensive Kaplan Course, provided by my school's prelaw honor's program. Through a combination of my not studying properly while taking the course, and honestly being given some inefficient methods (though my incorrect study habits are definitely more to blame) I scored disappointingly low the first time around. I was contractually obligated to take the test due to a stipulation in my honor's program so I had to go in, knowing that I was not scoring where I wanted to in previous practice tests and I think that sort of made me care a lot less and thus I scored 1 point lower than where I usually scored at the time (151).

The second time around I purchased the powerscore books because I have heard nothing but good things about the bibles. I read through all of the bibles during the summer while I was working in an internship. I thought I would have retook it in October, but the end of my summer was so busy that I did not feel adequately prepared for the test in October. So I decided to wait for the February test (because I had the whole month of January to focus on practicing). During my January prep I was scoring significantly higher, both in part to your materials, as well my taking the time to focus on eliminating careless errors that cost me points (i.e. not checking every logic game sketch I would make against the rules I shorthanded, or trying to solely remember passage details for reading comprehension, and even just telling myself to read everything!!! hahaha). I plateaued around a 159 in my practice tests, although the last test I did I earned more questions correct than I ever had before, it was just less generous curve than my previous tests. In the last week, I turned down the level of intensity and refocused on lessening mistakes I would make, such as reading too quickly etc. I felt somewhat comfortable and gave myself the day before off before the test day.

On February 6th I felt like I was ready, I prayed on it, and worked diligently over my break to improve. I won't discuss the contents of the test, but I will speak generally. I went in and felt like I nailed the first logic games section. Little did I know there would be a second following LG section. I didn't panic and just said to myself "I'll just nail this like I did the first section!". Unfortunately things went awry in a big way. The first 2 games I found reasonable but I completely bombed the last two. I could not figure out how to do the last two games. The third game I set up correctly but I couldn't figure out anything with the rules they gave (this has happened to me before when I practiced and it was usually due to my misreading a rule or 2). I tried the last game which was a sequencing game with so many rules that I had no idea how to set it up. I tried to regroup and focus on the third game (which was grouping), I gave up on the last game to give myself more time on the third, took a deep breath (because I knew I was panicking) and reread the rules and re-diagrammed but alas to no avail. I still couldn't figure out what to do and I ended up guessing B for half of the section.

I pushed on, hoping the first section was the real LG section and the second (the one I bombed) was the experimental. I was very satisfied with my LR performance, but I found the RC difficult. So I walked out of the test under the impression that If I broke into the 160's then that first game is real. Unfortunately I realized recently that the one I bombed, of course, is the real section.

And so although I don't have my score yet, I'm almost 100% positive I did not do as well as I wanted to. So now I'm considering taking a powerscore course for my final third re-take. The thing is, I have used up most of the LSATs in my prep for the two times I took the exam. Save the most recent administrations of the test past June 2015, and excluding February 2016, I think I may have around 10-20 tests left. Is there much point in me taking a prep course given these circumstances? Or should I just accept my score when it comes in and move on?

Sorry for the long post, I just thought it would help to give as many details as possible.

Thanks

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey Lsatmaniac93,

Thanks for the post, and for the detailed description of your test prep to date! While it definitely sounds like you've been studying forever, in reality you really haven't. By your own admission, you didn't take full advantage of the Kaplan course, and - truth be told - even if you had, the pedagogical value of your experience with them would have varied with the quality of instruction. You made a good decision to invest in the Bible Trilogy, and it sounds like it helped a lot. Unfortunately, the Bibles - on their own - can only do so much: you need to apply the techniques you study, learn from your mistakes, etc. It can take months to develop the almost instinctual response to a stimulus (or game) necessary to start scoring in the top-5%. I don't think you gave yourself the chance to do that.

So, will your prior exposure to numerous practice tests render a Full Length LSAT course with us useless? Of course not! If anything, it can help. Here's why:

First off, you've already studied the Bibles, which is a great start for anyone considering an LSAT course. You will pick up the material faster. Your homework will probably not take as long, because you’ll be familiar with at least some of the conceptual material covered in it. You will feel more confident in class. And you will probably start taking practice tests earlier than your classmates, giving you more time to figure out where your weaknesses lie. You will have access to every single licensed LSAT question, either through your homework or through PDF downloads from our Online Student Center. That way, you can pick and choose which tests to take.

Also, keep in mind that the Bibles are pedagogically “static”: you can read about our approach to, say, Assumption questions and understand the Assumption Negation Technique, but you cannot interact with the material in the same way you can in class. This is why studying on your own will not render your classroom experience monotonous or useless: on the contrary, students who are familiar with our techniques tend to stay more engaged in class, and benefit even more from reinforcing the knowledge they already have. Although there is indeed some overlap between the Bibles and the course materials, this is primarily due to the fact that we try to keep our approach consistent.

You also worry that, having been exposed to most practice tests out there, there will be nothing new under the sun, so to speak. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Even if you remember the content of some of the questions (doubtful, but you never know - maybe you have awesome long-term memory, for which I'd be insanely jealous), in the end that doesn't matter! What matters is how you approach the questions, passages, or games. There are many ways of approaching any given problem on the test, and consequently there is much you can learn from a superior, more efficient approach (even if you vaguely remember that passage on water bugs).

I suspect the following two posts will be of particular relevance to you:

Retaking the LSAT when you’ve seen all of the practice questions

Is My Target LSAT Score Realistic?

It's also worth noting that, having already seen some of the questions in your homework, you'll be able to focus your attention on those questions and games that are costing you the most points. You can read our explanations to each question, and compare those to the way in which you initially solved the problem. Thorough review is absolutely key, and a course will give you the resources to do just that (the most important one of which is a highly qualified instructor). I've probably seen every LSAT question out there at least a few times, and let me tell you - even after years of experience with the test, you sometimes find a novel, more efficient approach to even the hardest of questions. And those are precisely the kind of questions you'll need to get right if you're looking to score in the high-160's/low-170's.

Let me know if you need any further guidance here. You didn't mention if you're considering a Live Online or a Full Length course, but I can certainly help you narrow down your options.

Thanks,

[Lsatmaniac93]

Hi Nikki,

Thank you for the detailed response! You have given me hope about tackling the test for a third time. I will wait for my score for the time being, but I am not happy with my LG performance. Even if somehow I'm pleasantly surprised and I somehow broke into the low 160's I still want a chance to take it again because I know I can do better! Although my family doesn't really have much money, I think I will invest my scholarship money and ask my mom for a small loan to cover the difference for a live comprehensive course. I really don't want to shortchange my chance to score high on this test, because of the doors it can open for me if I do well on it. I plan on taking the test this September, because this is my final semester of college and I have some challenging classes to contend with (I am actually taking a law school class that my honors program provided and I'm enjoying it, despite it's difficulty). I am not working yet, but if all things go well I will be working in the fall. I will have the whole summer to dedicate to LSAT Prep! So I plan on doing the live comprehensive course in July and I'm in luck because there is a test center near where I live at Hofstra University.

That being said, could you please tell me the benefits of taking an online course, or even private tutoring (although I honestly doubt I can afford enough hours to justify private tutoring, but I am completely unfamiliar with the tutoring process, so maybe 10 hours of private tutoring is better than the comprehensive course?) over the live comprehensive course?

Thank you for your time. I so appreciate this!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey Lsatmaniac93,

Happy to weigh in. I used to teach in NYC, and know for sure that we have a location in Queens which will likely be convenient for you. Also, as someone who has recruited or trained the majority of our instructors there, I can personally vouch for every single instructor in the city. Feel free to PM me if you're debating between two courses or need more input in that regard.

The decision as to whether to do a Live Online or a Full Length course is a personal one, and it really depends on your own study habits. The curricula are the same, the textbooks are the same, and your access to the Online Content will be the same as well. You will benefit from an in-person course if you need to physically be in a classroom in order to stay motivated. It's far easier to close a window on your computer screen than to walk out of a classroom That said, our Live Online courses have been immensely popular due to their interactive nature (you get two senior instructors instead of one, and the only job of the 2nd chair is to answer any questions you may have - about practice tests, lecture content, etc.). You should know yourself by now and decide if you'd thrive in a virtual environment better than at an in-person class. Personally, I'd do a Live Online class any day, but that's only because I'm too lazy to drive or take the Subway.

Another difference that may or may not matter to you is that a Full Length, in-person class will have you take 4 proctored tests, and your instructor will go through 3 of them question-by-question. You won't get that exact thing if you take Live Online course, but you'll get access to the same collection of Practice Tests, along with a Virtual Proctor. Also, you'll get detailed written explanations to each question from the tests. If anything is left unclear, you can call a dedicated Hotline (or post the question here on the Forum).

One last thing: if you're planning on taking the test in September, you may want to consider taking the course earlier on, instead of delaying it until July. You just don't know how long it will take you to improve, so you should give yourself the maximum amount of time after the course is over to take all the practice tests that you probably won't be able to take while the course is running. Our courses are a lot of work. We make a tremendous amount of LSAT prep material available to our students, from lessons and homework, to additional practice tests, and even course supplements and additional lectures. Many students struggle to get through all of the material in the Homework for each lesson, let alone do the 30+ additional practice tests and supplemental resources. Will you be able to devote 10-20 (or more) hours to test prep every week in July and August? Be honest with yourself: if the answer is "probably not," then it's unlikely you'll be able to complete all of the homework and supplementary material during the course itself. This is normal, but it means that you'll still have undiscovered content available after your course ends, and if it ends with only a few days remaining before your LSAT there's no chance to finish it all.

You can avoid that scenario by taking a course for June test, and then self-studying until September. Here's the one I had in mind for you:

LSAT Full Length Course Long Island, NY starting April 11th, 2016

A Spring course will give you ample opportunity to master the techniques you learned in class before putting them into practice over the summer. You will probably take no more than 5-6 practice tests while the course is running, leaving you with about 25 additional tests to take over the summer (roughly 2 tests/week). That's a perfect amount, even if you've been exposed to some of these tests before! By taking a course first and practice tests later, you give yourself the absolute best chance of reaching your full potential by September.

Also, keep in mind that summer is our busiest season, and our Full Length LSAT courses book up fast (especially in larger cities like New York). Spring courses, by contrast, are typically smaller, with a lower student:teacher ratio. If you want to get to know your instructor (and who wouldn't?), a Spring course might be a better bet.

As far as tutoring is concerned, think of it as a scalpel - it can be tremendously useful if you know precisely what you want to improve on, but the hours add up quickly. The cost of a Full Length course won't even cover 10 hours of tutoring. If your budget is tight, I really think a course will give you more bang for your buck.

Hope this helps a bit! Let me know if I can answer any further questions.

Thanks!