Alison Speck is not looking forward to the weekend.
Speck, a Weinberg senior, will be sitting for the LSAT Saturday after spending all summer preparing. The exam, which is used by law schools to evaluate applicants, is offered four times during the year and the October date is the most popular. Students say they have been frazzled from studying as the exam approaches.
“This past month has been especially intense, so I’m kind of on burnout now,” Speck said. She said she took a class through TestMasters, a test-preparation center, which helped her get started.
“In the beginning it was more useful,” she said. “They gave me a lot of material and really helped me prepare.”
Laura Rawski, a Weinberg senior, also took a TestMasters class. She said she found the pacing to be the most effective part.
“I would recommend taking a class,” Rawski said. “They have activities and practice tests, so you don’t rush into everything at once.”
Most students say taking a class would be the best way to prepare for the LSAT, and test prep centers such as Kaplan offer many programs and classes to help students prepare for the exam.
Steve Marietti, director of pre-law programs for Kaplan, said the LSAT tests different specialized skills that students can hone during a test prep class. He said the reason prep classes are so popular is because of the importance placed on the LSAT by law schools.
“Law schools are extremely competitive,” Marietti said. “At some law schools the LSATs can count for up to 50 percent of admissions.”
Marietti said that in the 2004-2005 academic year, 145,258 students took the LSAT, a number near the 15-year high set in 2002-2003.
That year, more than 2,000 students from the Chicago area took the LSAT. About 440 came from Northwestern, 252 from the University of Chicago, and 232 from Loyola University Chicago.
Amir Mirheydar, a McCormick senior, has been exposed to many LSAT prep classes and speakers as the executive vice-president of Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law fraternity.
“We do a lot of co-sponsorships with major test centers like TestMasters and Kaplan,” Mirheydar said. “We also provide a lot of general info about law schools.”
Mirheydar said Phi Alpha Delta’s events are open to anyone who is interested, not just members.
He said they also offer seminars on other law-school-related topics, such as writing a personal statement for law school applications.
For most top-level law schools, applicants need a score of at least 168 out of a possible 180.
He said that he already completed a prep class, which he would recommend to anyone considering the LSAT.
“Some people think it’s pricey, but it’s worth the price when you consider the end result,” he said.
Although taking the test in October is easiest for those applying to law schools this year, some seniors choose to wait before taking the LSAT.
Weinberg junior Vik Reddy plans to take the LSAT in June, but he has already taken several practice tests and is looking into test prep classes.
“It’s quite a process,” said Reddy. “I want to be prepared.”
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