Imagine getting into the law school of your dreams. Quite a relief, isn’t it? Before you get accepted, you need to score high on the LSAT. It’s no secret. Law school is a numbers game. Where you score is where you go. LSAT scores are used to decide not only who gains admission, but also which students will receive scholarships. In other words, your LSAT score can be worth tens-of-thousands of dollars!
For admissions, the LSAT is the strongest indicator of how an applicant will perform in their first year of classes. More than it, it reflects an applicant’s likelihood of passing the bar. To boost their LSAT scores, many applicants turn to LSAT preparation. In a nutshell, LSAT prep teaches students how to approach the exam. That way, they can maximize their score and be more competitive in landing a coveted spot at a top law school.
A PLATFORM WITH STUDENT REVIEWS
To get the most from LSAT prep, applicants must figure out which courses produce results – and which ones are designed specifically for their learning style. Unfortunately, there is a lack of transparency between what different LSAT preparation classes claim to offer – and how that effectively translates to high scores and law school admission. This can leave students spending money on a course that doesn’t bring out their true potential. To bridge that gap, I created LSAT Prep Courses, a community that provides real reviews of LSAT courses from real students so you can better choose from LSAT prep options.
As technology has advanced, you can find customer reviews for almost anything at the touch of a button. Yelp and Google Reviews exist for customers to rate restaurants and businesses. Journals rank and review universities. However, there is a lack of customer reviews when it comes to LSAT preparation courses. LSAT Prep Courses addresses this gap.
Why does this matter? Many law school candidates spend hundreds of dollars –sometimes thousands – on LSAT course preparation. The amount can be even higher if you opt to take the LSAT a second time to earn a higher score. For that reason, it is important for students to have an accurate idea of the product they are getting in return – particularly when there are free alternatives available.
LSAT Prep Courses focuses on compiling a list of LSAT preparation courses available throughout the country, gathering testimonials from students who went through these LSAT preparation courses, and ranking them. In addition, we provide the cost of the programs on their website. Having all this information in one place makes it easier for you to determine which program will be most beneficial at the correct price point. Here are some examples of student reviews given on the LSAT Prep Courses platform, with firms ranked based on the average of student firms:
Top 5 LSAT Preparation Courses- According to Students | ||
Course | Cost | Student Review |
1. 7Sage | LSAT Starter: $179 LSAT Premium: $349LSAT Ultimate: $549LSAT Ultimate+: $749 |
“I would have paid double at least had I known the increase that I would get from this class. I have ZERO complaints, besides not knowing about it prior to my first test.”
“7Sage was exceptionally helpful with my preparation for the Logic Games section of the LSAT. Their detailed explanation videos for every single prep test available was invaluable as I learned to play the game that is the LSAT.” |
2. PowerScore | On Demand: $175/month
Advanced Course: $350 Accelerated Course: $395 Live Online: $995 In Person: $1385 Private Tutoring: Starting at $175/hour |
“I highly recommend taking the $1,000 online course (completely worth the investment). Highly recommend it!”
“The books are very structured and organized, and break down the material so that it is much more simple to understand, as compared to other LSAT prep books I tried” |
3. Manhattan Prep | CrunchTime: $49/workshop
Interact LSAT Course: Starting at $375 Live LSAT Course: Starting at $1399 Private Tutoring: Starting at $245/hour |
“Manhattan was the perfect combination of affordable, convenient, and effective. I wanted to do well on the LSAT, but I did not want to spend thousands of dollars on prep. Manhattan was priced very reasonably and had a lot of resources accessible from anywhere.”
“I paid for a private tutor, which I think was a lot better. Overall, I think there’s a reason Manhattan Prep is ranked as highly as it is. However, it’s also incredibly expensive. You pay for what you get, I suppose.” |
4. Blueprint LSAT | Online: $199/month
Live Online: $1299 Classroom: $1399 ($1599 in large market areas) Tutoring: Starting at $1600 for Supplementals and $1899 for Complete Packages |
“Excellent program. The online platform is brilliant and allowed me to target issues I was having with timing and certain types of questions. The instruction was equally impressive.”
“Only a 7 point increase, but working and going to class and having a life is a tough balance. I was happy with the instruction.” |
5. testmasters.net | Online LSAT Prep: $1150
Live LSAT Prep: $1650 Private LSAT Tutoring: Starting at $175/hour Platinum Private LSAT Tutoring: $9750 |
“It was great, the teachers were super energetic and super caring. They were very good about practice test simulations and also tracking my overall performance.”
“I gave it three stars because I had to take the program twice. I did not get my expected score the first time around but I did the second. It all depended on the professor so I would definitely ask for reviews on the professor before signing up for a class.” |
Editor’s Note: Student reviewer profiles are available on the site.
ENTIRELY FREE
Compare this to the traditional way that applicants scour for information on LSAT prep. When you type in “LSAT prep courses” to Google, pages of search results appear. To make matters worse, almost all the course websites make the same claims. For example, they’ll boast that they raise students’ scores by 10 points on average or rank as the best LSAT prep course available, ad offer free practice material. Question is, how do you discern which claims are valid? This is where LSAT Prep Courses comes into play. It acts as the proverbial “one-stop-shop.” With information on LSAT prep courses, the interview process, and profiles of the students who actually wrote the reviews, the site makes it faster to find information about various courses.
That’s particularly important with free courses. While most LSAT preparation courses offer a “free trial” so students can see if the teaching style is a fit – the ‘entirely free’ course is a new phenomenon. The Khan Academy, for example, generated a lot of interest when it debuted its ‘free’ LSAT prep course. That begged a question: “If Khan Academy LSAT prep is free, is there any reason to pay for other LSAT prep courses?”
Turns out, there were plenty of reasons!
Based on student feedback on the site, we found that paid programs help students more than free programs – and worth the extra money. According to student reviewers, the
Khan Academy offers great additional practice to paid programs but is not strong enough on its own. It lacks access to live personnel who can give you more tailored feedback than can a computer, and it lacks the variety of practice questions offered by paid courses.
BIG NAMES DON’T MEAN HIGHER LSAT SCORES
Many applicants seek out LSAT test prep from big-name companies such as Princeton Review, Kaplan and Barron’s. While their names inspire confidence, none made LSAT Prep Courses’ Top 5 list. This is because these big-name companies tend to be more expensive, with fewer offerings than lesser-known companies. For example, Barron’s LSAT test prep only comes in the form of a hard copybook. While you have access to online practice exams with real and made-up LSAT questions, carrying around a book can be inconvenient. In addition, there is no way to have any sort of discussion with fellow test-takers or tutors if questions arise.
Compare that to a smaller company like 7sage, which took the #1 spot. 7sage’s aim is to level the playing field for students unable to afford private tutors or prep from large companies. 7sage offers a plethora of free materials, a variety of courses at various price points, and a guarantee if you are not happy with your LSAT score after completing the class. In addition, there is a discussion board where you can interact with tutors and have specific questions answered.
The world of LSAT test prep is a complicated one. With so many different courses offered around the country, it can feel impossible to find the best fit. When spending money on a program, students deserve to have access to honest reviews and testimonials about the quality of the program. Hopefully, with more transparency, students will be able to find the best fit program for themselves and gain entrance to the law school of their dreams.
About the Company: LSAT Prep Courses is a student-based rate and review website for LSAT Prep Test companies. We also offer Law school application advice along with interviews by Law School Admissions professionals.
About the Author: John Karageorge is the founder of several graduate school focused rate & review websites, including; lsatprepcourses.org, mbainsight.com and formerly graduateprograms.com