Entrance Exam Prep Courses
There are many professional companies that
offer specialized courses designed to improve
your performance on entrance exams such as
the GRE or LSAT. Several philosophy faculty have
worked for these companies and so we have an
inside perspective. One perennial question is
whether or not you should pay for a prep course.
These courses often cost $1000+ and do not always
improve your performance. On the other hand, for
some students, they do make an important
difference. The question of whether you
should pay for a professional prep course has no
definitive answer. Here are some things to take
into consideration:
- How important is it that you improve
your performance on the entrance exam?
If your practice test came back with a
high score, then you may not need to
improve much. If on the other hand, your
score is disappointing, you may need to
do all you can to improve your chances of
being accepted to an excellent school.
- How likely is it that you will prepare
regularly without taking the prep course?
Paying $1000 for a course is like paying
for therapy: the expense insures that
you'll take it seriously. There's nothing
you'll learn in a prep course that you
could not have learned on your own--but
that's just it, 'on your own'. If you are
disciplined and focused, you can improve
your score without the expense of a prep
course, but only if you are
disciplined and focused.
- Do you have access to a large bank of
practice exams? One of the chief
advantages of taking prep courses is that
you take many practice exams. Most
national companies have all of the past
exams ever created in their offices,
available for you to take. That can be an
important asset if you take advantage of
it and take regular practice exams. This
is especially true for computerized
exams.
No prep course can radically improve your
score. A prep course will help you do your best,
but there are no tricks or secrets. You should
have a reasonable expectation that your score
will improve, but within limits. Sometimes, a
small improvement is very important. Other times,
it makes little or no difference.
If you decide to take a prep course, choose a
reputable company. Be wary of one-day workshops
and quick courses. Look for a course that lasts
many weeks and includes many practice exams. Make
a commitment to not only attend every class, but
to spend 10 hours a week outside of the class
studying and preparing. Preparing for a
graduate exam is like a second part-time job.
Both Princeton
Review and Kaplan
are reputable companies. You should explore their
websites and take advantage of their free
orientation sessions.
You can find a lot of free information about
preparing for the GRE and LSAT at the GRE
LSAT Logic Workbook Internet Edition site.
Finally, the Philosophy Department's Career Lending Library has
several useful books.
Top of Page
|
