Grad School Anyone?

[juniorgrrl]

When a test-prep course says they can help you raise your scores x many points, what range is it in. For example my SATs were a 1420 (combined from 2 different test dates). Could they have helped me get a 1500+?

I'm wondering if its worth it to take an LSAT course. I've taken it once, and I have a 157/180, which is the 75th percentile. I'd love to get a 165+, but I'm guessing there's some sort of bell curve that their "guaranteed score improvement" points goes on. Anyone take an LSAT course? How did it work for you?

[newbie]

Originally posted by juniorgrrl:
When a test-prep course says they can help you raise your scores x many points, what range is it in. For example my SATs were a 1420 (combined from 2 different test dates). Could they have helped me get a 1500+?

I'm wondering if its worth it to take an LSAT course. I've taken it once, and I have a 157/180, which is the 75th percentile. I'd love to get a 165+, but I'm guessing there's some sort of bell curve that their "guaranteed score improvement" points goes on. Anyone take an LSAT course? How did it work for you?

Juniorgrrl, wow - 1420!!!! Smartie !! Well, you know what, I'm being completely serious here - you could have gotten a 1600 (which is the highest score) if you had taken Kaplan! Here's the thing that I totally forgot to mention in my previous post. My friends and I NEVER did our SAT homework like we were supposed to - and I'm kinda regretting it now, as I still want a higher score, but anyway, even without doing ANY Of the homework, our scores dramatically increased 200 points, some ppl increased by 220 points, some even have increased by 240 points! It's almost ridiculous - but in a highly GREAT way .

So if you do your homework - can you believe how many points you can increase by? . (I'm starting to do my SAT homework now...hopefully my scores will improve even more .)

ABout the LSAT - my sis is thinking about law school, and she is in the same range as you, I think. She is going to take Kaplan for sure, as Kaplan helped her tremendously many years back for the SAT. Her friends who are in law school took Kaplan for LSAT preparation and they recommended it to her!

[sigmagrrl]

Originally posted by juniorgrrl:
When a test-prep course says they can help you raise your scores x many points, what range is it in. For example my SATs were a 1420 (combined from 2 different test dates). Could they have helped me get a 1500+?

I'm wondering if its worth it to take an LSAT course. I've taken it once, and I have a 157/180, which is the 75th percentile. I'd love to get a 165+, but I'm guessing there's some sort of bell curve that their "guaranteed score improvement" points goes on. Anyone take an LSAT course? How did it work for you?

OK, what's funny is that I took the LSAT prep class at Kaplan and FAILED THE TEST MISERABLY!! BUT, there were issues in my life then that would make the test results null and void and not Kaplan's issues. But their class was ok...

[amycat412]

I'm thinking about grad school for Fall 2002. PHd in Creative Writing at USC--my fav undergrad professors run the program, and I know I would LOVE it. There is a small part of me though that would love to apply for the MFA in Filmic Writing at USC's film school too.

Great timing, fall 2002--I will have my undergrad USC loans 75% paid off, which is what I always said I needed to do before adding onto them some more! ha ha

[SilverTurtle]

I took my GREs last December. I didn't do as well as I would have liked, a little above average, but I also did zer0 preparation for them (unless you call taking a few practice questions on the GRE web site preparation).

I can't imagine taking a class to help me do better, but that's just me. I am planning on retaking them this fall/winter, so maybe I'll pick up a Kaplan book and see what I learn.

For anyone interested, it seems to me that it's a lot harder to get your application stuff together once you're out of school an out of that environment for awhile. I mean, I have to call profs for recomendations, then go meet them. I have to stop by the school for copies of my transcripts. There aren't those helpful profs who *know* about this stuff right there at my disposal (although there are a couple I can call up still, thank god!) So if you have the slightest thought you might want to go on w/ your education, I recommend doing it while still an undergrad.

Although I am enjoying not taking tests or writing papers, and the "real world" experience is a plus. I just wish I had taken care of some of the legalities before leaving school.

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SilverTurtle

Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative & Performing Arts

[delta1902]

I am so glad that I found this post!! I am taking the GRE on Aug 4th and I have done everything to prepare for it. However, I am so scared that I am sick . Does anyone have any advice?