6. CONSIDER A TEST PREP COURSE

Whether you're still in college, or considering law school as a break from the workplace that's longer than 15 minutes for coffee and a cigarette, you're going to need to spend as much time as possible getting ready for the LSAT. And since (as test prep centers like to point out) tons of other applicants are doing it, well you should consider enrolling in a course too. LSAT prep courses are time-consuming, expensive ventures, so roll the following thoughts around your mind before committing:

The Pros
The Cons

The Pros

  • Your test prep classmates will also be busy with (gasp) other things in their lives besides the LSAT. At the least, commiseration is always welcome. If you get lucky, though, you might find some fun study partners. If you get really lucky, they might be super smart.

  • Purchasing an LSAT course means purchasing good materials - you'll have access to a wealth of sample questions and explanations, outlines, old exams that have been released, and other study guides. Better yet, course enrollment often gets you Web access to some nifty test prep resources.

  • Completing a review course requires you to also complete a series of timed, proctored LSATs from previous test administrations. Simulated test situations help soothe exam-day jitters before the big test.

  • LSAT prep instructors get to play with the Dry Erase markers for a reason: They're brilliant. They know the LSAT and can kick its ass. And for a small test prep fee you have access to their brains until test time.

The Cons

  • Test prep courses are expensive; you should plan to spend at least $900 for a comprehensive curriculum. That's big bucks, especially since you're going to have to shell out even more for LSDAS account subscription, application fees, and travel-related costs for law school interviewing.

  • Unlike SAT prep courses, LSAT prep courses are generally not organized by ability as determined by an initial practice exam. So you may spend some time daydreaming while others ask their questions (or you may feel lost as your classmates zip through questions that you find more difficult).

  • Test prep courses require you to set aside a good deal of time for instruction, homework, and practice test-taking. In most cases, the hours to which you agree are only somewhat flexible, depending on make-up instructors' class sizes and willingness to take you on. So for the duration of this course, you'll have to place dentist appointments, trips to the gym, and quality time with War and Peace on the backburner. Normally, this might not be so hard, but come university finals time, life gets tricky.

If you do decide to go with a course, you should know that Kaplan and Princeton Review are the two most popular ones. The programs are relatively similar, as are their prices. Both boast very high success rates, according to former students surveyed. Some interesting aspects about each company's offerings:

Kaplan

  • Kaplan is over 60 years old and has prepped more than 3 million students. That's a lot of free pencils!

  • The company invests over $3 million each year towards its programming. Even more free pencils

  • A $500 online LSAT prep course grants you access to 21 hours of lessons you can replay as many times as you'd like, as well as 7 full exams, and a whole lotta practice questions. Free home study kit with flashcards and 2500 pages of literature comes with the course.

Princeton Review

  • Princeton Review focuses on personal attention, promising class size will remain under 15. Special ClassSize-8 courses also run out of many test prep centers, with no more than eight students per instructor.

  • Buying a spot in a PR course also means buying their exclusive book of 17 past LSATs.

  • Free extra help sessions - in the form of scheduled one-on-one sessions with your instructor, or tutors' office hours - come with the course.

One quick tip: Purchasing a $20 Student Advantage card can save you cash on some LSAT courses and prep materials. In addition to LSAT classes offered on site, some Web-based tutoring programs can also help you prepare for the big test.

Three to check out: