Bellevue is in the Eastern region of King County in Washington State and promotes itself as a diverse and global city. Rapid changes to Bellevue since 2008 have seen the population rise and major tech companies move in. While it is now the third-largest city in Washington, it has the second-largest city center in the state. CNNMoney has recently called Bellevue the best place to live and launch a business. USA Today has also ranked Bellevue among the very best in places to reside. This makes it especially attractive for a young lawyer. The average salary for a lawyer in Bellevue is also attractive, sitting at roughly $110,000 per year.
Those wishing to study law near Bellevue will have a great option at the University of Washington School of Law. This is a well-respected school that is highly competitive – evidenced by an acceptance rate that hovers around 25%. Students who are hoping to get into the University of Washington School of Law will need to have a strong academic record. This alone won't get you into UW though. You will also need to do very well on the law school admission test, famously known as the LSAT. This is a test of enormous difficulty that instills high levels of stress in the students who take it. However, it is possible to go into the test prepared with calmed nerves and a strategy. To do this, you are going to need an LSAT prep course.
Finding an LSAT prep course isn't as easy as just firing up a search engine. Once you see how many options are available to you, it might become a bit more of a daunting search than you first expected. Not only is there the sheer number of courses available, but when you add that they are all different, it can feel impossible to know where to even begin. When you consider the importance of the LSAT for your immediate and long-term future, it places extra stress on getting this decision right. So how do you know what to be looking for?
This article will go over many of the considerations you need to be making when picking an LSAT prep course. With the information learned, you should be able to more easily confidently make a decision about which LSAT prep course is right for you. Before we dive into detail, there are several things we consider necessary when it comes to LSAT prep. Those things are:
- Actual LSAT questions and Prep Tests from prior years.
- Detailed video/in-person explanations of the types of questions you'll receive.
- A sliding scale for pricing.
- A support system and materials to help you with your prep even when you are not in class.
Online vs In-Person LSAT Prep Courses
When you start your search for an LSAT prep course, one of the first things that you should consider is where you are going to take your LSAT prep. Not only should this be one of the first things you consider, but it will also be one of the more important considerations you make. When you factor in the amount of time you will be spending on LSAT studies, it makes sense that you would want to be in a venue where you are both comfortable and able to focus. When it comes to location, you will have two main options: in-person or online. The common thought would probably place students in a classroom, but with the advanced nature of the internet, online courses are able to offer the same amount of resources and support. While both types of courses have the same goal of getting you 100% ready for the LSAT, they get there in very different ways. How do you know which one is right for you? Let's look.
Students who prefer the classroom environment are going to want to opt for in-person LSAT prep courses. With in-person LSAT prep, you will be placed in a classroom with a group of peers and an instructor. The group of peers works well as a built-in support system. You will be able to bounce ideas off of your classmates and maybe even get new insights into the LSAT. This might also help with focus as everyone in the class will all have the same goal. Class sizes are typically kept to 12 or fewer students to make sure that each student has access to the instructor. These instructors are hired for different reasons depending on the course, but each one of them has some level of expertise on the LSAT. Those interested in hiring guidelines can typically find them on the website of the course. Outside of the classroom, students will receive extra learning by way of video lessons. Some courses only offer these for the duration of the course. Courses typically run for 6-8 weeks, meeting once or twice a week during that time. This means that scheduling for in-person LSAT prep is inflexible at best. That's not the only downside to in-person LSAT prep; these courses are also incredibly expensive.
If you prefer flexibility, then online LSAT prep courses will be the way to go for you. These courses are taught via video which allows you to take these courses whenever and wherever you want. Maybe you focus better at the coffee shop down the street? Online LSAT prep allows you to turn your favorite spot into your own personal classroom. This flexibility might be especially attractive for a working professional who wants to change careers while holding down a full-time job. While you won't have a group of peers to bounce ideas off of, you will have support through email. Some courses even offer 24-hour support for those who prefer or need to study during off-hours. The flexibility of online LSAT prep is also great for students who prefer to learn at their own pace. With online LSAT prep, you never have to worry about the boredom of being ahead or the embarrassment of falling behind. On top of all that, online LSAT prep courses are significantly less expensive than in-person LSAT prep. It makes sense that online LSAT prep has become so popular, especially when you consider the accessibility, flexibility, and affordability.
Practice exams are going to be one of the most crucial aspects of your LSAT prep experience. It doesn't matter if you choose in-person or online – you need to make sure your course offers these. Practice exams are the best way to see where you stack up against the LSAT. You'll be able to see your weaknesses and develop a more coherent strategy going into your test date. Because these practice exams are actual LSATs from previous years, you will get an accurate feel for what to expect when your test date rolls around. These will be administered differently depending on the course. Some only offer a few, while others will give you as many as you'd like.
Pros of an In-Person Course:
- In-person resources such as teachers, books, and peers.
- A structured system that goes at a specific pace, allowing you to focus on one thing at a time.
- Practice tests are given in a realistic environment.
Pros of an Online Course:
- Make your own schedule.
- An expansive list of readily available resources.
- Less expensive than in-person.
- Personalized problem-solving.
- Take as many practice tests as you want.
Best Online LSAT Prep Courses in Bellevue
LSATMax LSAT Prep Course
Your secret weapon for getting accepted to the law school of your choice, the LSATMax online LSAT prep course from TestMax, is guaranteed to raise your scores. For a reasonable one-time fee, you’ll get instant access to a huge arsenal of tools to help you prepare for the exam on your own time. With countless five-star reviews across TrustPilot, Google Play, and the Apple App Store, LSATMax is clearly the best online LSAT course available.
What makes LSATMax the best online prep course for any pre-law student looking to max out their LSAT scores? First, because it’s available on both web and mobile, you will be able to access your course materials at any time. Next, unlike many online courses that use practice questions written by so-called experts, LSATMax only uses actual questions that have appeared on the LSAT. Your membership gives you access to up to 9,000 questions.
There are three LSATMax course packages available. All three contain the full LSATMax course catalog with over 100 hours of video from instructors who have all scored in the 99th percentile on the LSAT themselves. You’ll also have opportunities to get personalized help from our instructors via real-time chat, message boards and scheduled office hours Q&A sessions. All students can also access their sample questions using LSATMax’s digital LSAT simulator for an authentic experience that replicates and gets you ready for the real LSAT.
Course Packages Available:
All LSATMax packages contain the full course catalog and a subscription to LSAT Prep Plus which gets you access to every LSAT practice exam available from the LSAC. You can choose between 3 flexible packages that give you access for the length of time you need to study for the LSAT.- LSATMax 60: This package gives you 60-day access to the full LSATMax course. It is great for students who have a shorter amount of time to study before their exam or who only need to raise their score a few points.
- LSATMax 180: This 180 day access package is designed to fit the needs of most students by giving access to the course for longer than the average time spent studying for the exam.
- LSATMax 365: This package is the best value for those who have a longer time frame to study for the exam or need to raise their score as much as possible.
No matter which package you choose, TestMax offers 0% financing for up to a full year through Affirm. Remember, the earlier you begin preparing for the LSAT, the higher your scores will be.
Pros:
- Get instant access to flexible packages and pricing
- Guaranteed to boost your LSAT score or your money back
- Interactive instruction with real LSAT experts
- Digital LSAT simulator for 100% realistic test experience
Velocity LSAT Prep
Founded by two friends who met in college, Velocity LSAT Prep promises to help students “kick the LSAT in the face.” Behind the irreverent style is plenty of substance with in-depth explanations of over 9,000 authentic LSAT questions from previous tests. There is also a series of videos available that explain a wide variety of theoretical concepts that will appear on the test. Each membership lasts eight months. There’s a lot of quality material in Velocity’s LSAT online prep course, but the pricing is somewhat confusing. This is in part because the practice questions must be purchased separately, so costs can get out of hand pretty quickly.
Pros:
- Explanations for thousands of authentic LSAT questions
Cons:
- Only accessible for 8 months
- You must purchase the practice questions separately
Law School Admission Council Official LSAT Prep
https://www.lsac.org/lsat/prep
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is the organization that administers the actual LSAT, so their official prep course is definitely worth looking at. While this is one of the least expensive LSAT prep products available, there are also some large omissions. First, the LSAC only uses practice tests for their online platform, not authentic LSAT questions from past tests. Second, while access to the real test interface is a nice touch, there is little actual instruction in this package. Due to the low price and these missing pieces, this service is best used as a supplement to your study rather than your primary prep course.
Pros:
- Uses the real LSAT test interface
- Low price
Cons:
- Just the practice tests, so no instruction is included
- Practice questions aren’t taken from real LSATs
Best In-Person LSAT Prep Courses in Bellevue
Manhattan Review
Address: Seattle Teaching Center at the Sheraton, 1400 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101
Phone Number: (206) 508-1406
Link: https://www.manhattanreview.com/seattle-lsat-prep-courses/
Why they are a good choice
Manhattan Review doesn't think that forcing a way of learning on a student is effective, so they aim to teach each student the way each individual student learns best. To be able to do this, they perform evaluations on students before and during the session. This extra attention to detail can make things more difficult for the expert instructors at Manhattan Review, but in the end, it is worth it for both staff and students. Manhattan Review now has a reputation built on the success of their students, some of whom are now in the top law schools and top law firms in the country. Manhattan Review is located across Lake Washington in downtown Seattle.
TestMasters
Address: University of Washington, 4293 Memorial Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98195
Phone Number: (800) 696-5728
Link: https://www.testmasters.net/Lsat-Prep-Courses/washington-seattle
Why they are a good choice
TestMasters goes out of their way to make sure that students have all the material they need to succeed on the daunting LSAT. With TestMasters, students will receive 60 hours of classroom time taught by expert instructors who are teaching the curriculum developed by the world record holder for the most perfect scores on the LSAT. Additionally, students will receive 100 hours of extra learning via video lessons. TestMasters is also located in Seattle.
Manhattan Elite Prep
Address: Courtyard Seattle Downtown, 612 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
Phone Number: (800) 909-4292
Link: https://www.manhattaneliteprep.com/lsat-seattle-prep-course-class/
Why they are a good choice
Manhattan Elite Prep is the best option for busy students. While they offer a 6-8 week course, where they have made their reputation is their week-long and weekend crash course. Because of the abbreviated schedule, teaching the LSAT is that much more difficult. This is why Manhattan Elite Prep hires the very best instructors. Manhattan Elite Prep is also located in Seattle.
Best Law Schools Near Bellevue
University of Washington School of Law
Location: Seattle, Washington
Website: https://www.law.uw.edu
Admissions Email: lawadm@uw.edu
Seattle University School of Law
Location: Seattle, WA
Website: https://law.seattleu.edu
Admissions Email: lawadmis@seattleu.edu
Gonzaga University School of Law
Location: Spokane, WA
Website: https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-law
Admissions Email: admissions@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
Interested in the best law schools near Bellevue? Check out the best law schools in Washington.