I get this question from students ALL THE TIME...and I have some pretty strong opinions about it.
But, first off, prep courses I would NOT recommend are.....
Kaplan and Princeton Review
Why not?
Because they don't require their instructors to have gotten super-high LSAT scores on an actual LSAC-administered LSAT PrepTest.
As you might know by now....it's one thing to take a PrepTest by yourself (reduced stress knowing it's not the real thing, bathroom breaks, no proctors circling around, etc.)
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And it's a VERY different thing to take the LSAT for real when the stakes are:
* where you'll go to law school
* what you'll tell friends and family
* whether you'll have to study more and retake
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Not only that, but last time I checked, Kaplan only requires its instructors to have scored in the 90th percentile on the LSAT (around 164-165)....which is perfectly respectable for most people, but not the kind of expertise you probably want your LSAT guru to have.
I'd say you want your LSAT instructor to have scored at LEAST a 170, if not a 173+ (99th percentile) on an actual LSAT PrepTest.
So, my answer to the question of which LSAT course is best --- aside from mine, obviously :) ---
is....
What matters more than the company providing the course is the instructor you'll actually be working with.
You need someone who's knowledgeable, experienced, engaging, able to answer random questions on the fly, and go off-script to address the actual needs of the students.
You also need an instructor who can strike a balance between the needs of the "slower" and "quicker" students. Unfortunately, most classes contain students of all different ability levels (people shooting for simply 150+ and others shooting for 170+). In a class, you need an instructor who doesn't cater solely to one group or the other.
Ideally, if you take a course, you should be able to speak with the instructor before starting the class, get references, and sit in on a sample class actually taught by that instructor.
If you do take a course, it's good to give yourself plenty of time after the course to review things more thoroughly on your own before taking the exam itself.
Why?
Sometimes people fall behind with homework during a prep course, especially in classes where they assign a TON of it. You might just more time to let things digest,
This assumes you'll be motivated/have time to study more after the course ends. If that sounds like you, it's worthwhile to give yourself more time afterward, but it really depends on you/your personality/your schedule and other obligations.
You can use the extra time to review what you learned, fill in any conceptual gaps, and get used to taking full sections and tests. Some courses focus a lot on doing questions by type, so I typically recommend spending any extra time on full practice tests and timed sections, catch-up, and reviewing weak areas.
(Every major course now uses real LSAT questions from past tests, so you don't need to worry about that.)
If you have any questions about joining my LSAT courses (created by me, personally, after I scored 175 on an ACTUAL LSAT), just reach out and I'll get back to you as soon as I can :)
-Steve Schwartz - Creator of LSAT courses
Recommended Resources:
1. LSAT Courses
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2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.
3. LSAT Cheat Sheets
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.
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