U best for grad test prep

by: Jake Garfield on September 14, 2011

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Representatives from private test preparation companies, such as Kaplan, are often on campus trying to convince students that the path to graduate school runs through their high-end courses, tutoring and materials. Less visible are the U’s own test-prep courses, offered through the Department of Continuing Education, which provide competitive instruction at a much better value.

When I took a free Kaplan-sponsored LSAT practice test February, where they force you to sit through their sales pitch on the dire necessity of taking one of their classes, I was ready to drink their Kool-Aid and sign up. But the $1,399 price tag for the on-site course forced me to explore other options.

Searching for a less-expensive alternative, I looked at the U’s own LSAT prep course, which I never saw advertised, that offered the same length course with virtually the same number of classroom hours for only $750. My wallet made the decision, and I went with the U’s course, worried that the lower price would mean receiving less than I would have with a private company.

The small class touched on very skill needed to prepare for the LSAT. Study materials consisted of previous official LSAT tests, the perfect tool to practice for the real thing.
Our instructor, Julie Jensen, a graduate of the U’s College of Law and a former Kaplan instructor, had years of experience. My scores improved dramatically over the course of the class.

It seems there should be a catch to enrolling in this significantly less-expensive prep course—but there isn’t one, Jensen said.

“We are the cheapest program around, not because we are inferior, but because we are a nonprofit,” she said. “Our goal is simply to serve the community, and we therefore can afford to offer the same great prep at a lower price.”

Kaplan, a for-profit company, offers extra study resources that come with the higher cost.
“We are the leader in the entire industry and have been doing this the longest,” said Eric Siegel, a Kaplan adviser. Kaplan gives its students more study questions, online instruction and official written explanations for the answers of practice questions, he said. Kaplan also has its students take a mock LSAT one week before the actual test with perfectly simulated testing conditions, something not offered by the U’s course.

Some students might find such additional resources helpful, but I personally would not have had the time or the power of concentration to use any more study materials than those already given to me. Although a full-length, simulated test one week before the real thing might be helpful for some, I feel that it would have only added stress, rather than improve my skills.

The nonprofit nature of the U classes, like the school as a whole, reduces the cost, and I can personally attest to the quality of the teaching in the LSAT program. Any student looking for help in getting to graduate school should consider the values at the U before committing to a private program.

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Posted by Jake Garfield on Sep 14 2011. Filed under Columns, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.