Preparation with PowerScore book AND Princeton Review course

[elgawli]

Hi all,

I've just started studying for the LSAT. My friend who did well in this test suggusted that I use PowerScore for test prep; I looked it up and from all the online reviews, it seems like the best way to go. I have started studying it and I like it.

However, before talking to my friend, I got enrolled in a Princeton Review in person course, it is the only one available in my area. I personally prefer in-person tutoring over everything, at least it keep me on track and I feel that I need an in-person course to avoid slacking.

What is your suggestion to balance between those 2. I am afraid using 2 different strategies will confuse me more than will help me. I think one major are of conflict is the topics being covered. I am following PowerScore 2 months schedule, but I think PR will use a different scheduling.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[Dave Killoran]

Hi E,

Welcome to PowerScore, and thanks very much for using our books! We really appreciate it and look forward to helping you out with your LSAT preparation

You ask a good question, and it is one that comes up more than you might think. As far as the two preparation systems go, you will see some serious divergences at times, but since we are all studying for the same test, you will see some overlap as well.

The major concern when studying two different systems is the one you stated: that you might get confused by seeing conflicting information. This is a legitimate concern, so it's good to be thinking about it before it becomes a problem (forewarned is forearmed!). My advice here is to pick and choose what works best for you, and if you run into a situation where you are uncertain about which approach to use, come back to this board and ask us about it. While I'm obviously partial to the PowerScore approach, I always say that if something else is working better for you, then by all means use that approach. The goal is to get you the highest score possible, and so I support choosing whatever makes that happen.

The best thing here is that you can practice with various ideas and see what is most comfortable for you. This does take a bit more time, but overall I think that it is worth it because you need to get this right for yourself. When one approach is clearly better for you, then use that one. Sometimes, though, you'll find that each approach works about the same for you. In that situation you can either just choose based on a gut feeling, or again come back to this Forum and ask us about it. Sometimes things initially appear identical in practice, but that may simply be because of the particular question you are looking at, and one of the approaches might be better or worse on other types of questions. We can anticipate those situations and explain them when they come up. The bottom line is that there are solid reasons we use the techniques we advocate, and we're happy to talk about those strategies we use and explain how they compare to other approaches.

The nice thing is that you are already aware of the potential issues, and that will make it easier for you to avoid any possible confusion. Just ask a lot of questions and you should be good.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[elgawli]

What I am worried of is the also the time constraint. Using PowerScore already takes me a lot of time. the easiest way is to just stick to PR ;however I know PowerScore will help me do better, which is everyone's ultimate goal.

I am kinda unsure how to dedicate enough time for both. what's an optimal way to use both books. cause I prefer studying from PowerScore, but also I prefer the in-person course and PR is the only one in my area. I am also worried about the scheduling cause the PS schedules follow a different order from the course.

What's your recommendation

[Dave Killoran]

Ok, let me see what I can do to address that. In doing so, I'll be quite candid in my comments. I normally refrain from saying anything remotely negative about other companies, simply because I prefer to be positive about what we do, and not to worry about what others do. But, you've asked me a question that requires a comparison of sorts, so I will be direct in stating how I feel

In a way, you've answered your own question by saying that "I know PowerScore will help me do better." Getting the best score is the reason that people prepare for this test in the first place, and so you have to focus your time and energies on the methods that produce that result. And, to be blunt, I think our methods are vastly superior to theirs, so I have no qualm in recommending that you focus on our methods and not theirs (and, by the way, that's not an attack on the Princeton Review. I think their SAT courses are great, for example. I just don't think that LSAT preparation is a strength of theirs, and I'm certainly not the only LSAT expert who thinks that).

I don't know Princeton Review's exact course schedule or syllabus (and I can't find it online), but I know ours is carefully designed to produce optimal results. So, I would prefer you follow the pathway we've designated, because I know it builds a solid base, and then adds layer after layer on top of that to help you best understand the LSAT. That said, there's not much that can be done if you really want an in-person course and we don't offer one in your area. If you are going to do each side-by-side, there's no way to avoid spending more time overall. And, it's difficult for me to tell you precisely how to use both resources when at this point I don't know much about your test-taking strengths and weaknesses. The only way someone can give you a legitimate study plan that optimally incorporates both approaches would be to first know what your score is, what you do well on, what you find difficult, how fast you are able to go, and so on.

Is it the aspect of simply attending the live class that appeals to you, kind of as a motivational tool? Because the live online courses that we run are essentially the same thing—classes are held live at specific, pre-scheduled times, and administered just like a regular classroom course with all of the interaction and personal attention you'd get in an in-person setting. In fact, with two instructors present and the sessions recorded for later review (not to mention the convenience of attending from home), a good argument could be made that live online offers MORE than in-person!

Still, the bottom line is that I can't perfectly answer your question without knowing a lot more about you as a test taker. If your score is the biggest consideration, then my general advice would be to tilt your schedule towards our materials. If you are going to take the PR in-person course, then I'd focus your time on doing practice tests and questions with them.

I hope this helps, but I realize that it can't be a perfect answer just yet. Hopefully it's at least a step in the right direction, though! Thanks!

[elgawli]

Thanks for your response, all what you're saying is making sense now.

I kinda regret that I haven't taken the online course with PowerScore, but it's too late because to cancel my PR course, I am gonna lose about $300, so think imma stick to it but study mainly from PS books.

Thanks a lot

[Dave Killoran]

Hey E,

Did you happen to get the private message I sent you a few days ago? If not, please let me know.

Thanks!