A gem of Hidalgo County, McAllen is among the best communities to live in Texas. Residents have access to a plethora of recreational activities with its great museums, natural parks and restaurants. McAllen also happens to be a hub for bird watchers, as it features a myriad of bird species that migrate there year after year. Unfortunately, McAllen also suffers from an abnormally high crime rate. At 28 crimes per one thousand residents, citizens experience a 1 in 36 chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime. With numbers like these, it's crucial for the city to be supported by its dedicated workforce of talented lawyers.
Lawyers in McAllen earn an average base salary of $81,330, a hefty sum no doubt. It's important for lawyers to be well-compensated for their efforts — not only is their work integral in maintaining social order, it's also uniquely challenging. There's good reason why candidates go through such extensive training in order to be certified to practice law. Every case that lands on a lawyer's desk brings its own set of abstractions, and even the smallest lapse in judgment can snowball to form horrible consequences. Aside from an immovable sense of perseverance, lawyers must also possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the law obtained through years of arduous study.
With top-notch institutions like Texas Southern University: Thurgood Marshall School of Law and Southern Methodist University: Dedman School of Law, there are plenty of options for future law students to consider. There are several checkpoints along the path to becoming a lawyer, with the LSAT being a major one. This all-important exam looms over all students as a key determining factor in law school admissions departments. The LSAT is as notoriously difficult as it is critical to a future law student's success, so it's important to allocate the bulk of the weeks leading up to the exam to prepare for it. Several entities in the learning industry offer LSAT prep courses to help students' maximize their chances of success on the big exam. If you plan on taking the LSAT, an online or in-person prep curriculum is definitely worth considering. However, it's important to find the right program, and doing so tends to be a task in itself given the number of available options. To help optimize the selection process, we've compiled this list of the best online and in-person LSAT prep courses in McAllen. With over 10 years of experience in the learning sector, we know what comprises a good LSAT prep course and only recommend those that contain the following:
- Real LSAT questions and tests (Prep Tests) from previous years
- Detailed video explanations of every question type and concept
- Flexible pricing to accommodate any budget
- Some sort of support system and materials to use during and after the class
Online vs In-Person LSAT Classes
It's important to factor your preferred learning method before choosing an LSAT prep course format. No two students have identical studying habits, so no single format will be a proper fit for everyone. Generally speaking, independent learners will find all they need in a good online course, while those who prefer studying in a social setting might prefer the in-person option. There are a few inherent benefits that come with in-person LSAT prep courses — for one, you'll be connected directly with your instructor, allowing you to receive instant feedback on your questions simply by raising a hand in class. You'll also be sharing the venue with other future law students, which provides the opportunity to form study groups leading up to the big exam. Unfortunately, the benefits of this format end there. In-person courses require you to go to the classroom venue on a regular basis, which simply isn't feasible if you're balancing a number of obligations aside from your course load. Additionally, this format costs significantly more than the online alternative. Since no prospective law student is earning the big-time lawyer's salary just yet, only those with considerable room in their budgets will be eligible to register for an in-person course.
Conversely, there's a lot of good to be said about online prep courses, and this format is rapidly becoming the go-to option for the average student. By taking a reputable online LSAT prep course, students are given the same value of education as can be found in any classroom venue, and they're able to access all key materials and resources on demand. This allows you to design a study plan that's built around your lifestyle, which is invaluable for independent learners balancing busy schedules. You're sure to have many questions along the way as you prepare for the LSAT, and thanks to the optimized support network integrated into the modern online course, an LSAT instructor will provide detailed feedback to all your queries in a timely manner. Because online prep courses mirror the digital administration of the new LSAT, you'll be granted a key sense of familiarity that will serve you well in the exam room. On top of all that, this option is priced with the average student's finances in mind, which allows all students to enroll regardless of their budget.
If you'd like to read some additional input on the advantages of online learning, check out this article on the case against in-class LSAT prep courses.
Pros of an Online Course
Pros of an In-Person Course
Total freedom to schedule your LSAT prep at your own pace Instructors provide on-hand guidance to help keep you on the right path Test materials and other valuable resources are available at any time Opportunity to meet and interact with fellow prospective law students Much less expensive than in-person courses Classroom environment conducive to learning Personalized study plan to help you tackle problem areas Simulates real LSAT which is taken digitally on a tabletThe Best In-Person LSAT Prep Courses in McAllen
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
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
TestMasters Online LSAT Prep Course
https://www.testmasters.net/online-lsat-course
The TestMasters Online LSAT Prep Course gives you a chance to watch live training courses for up to 100 days before your LSAT is administered. Available for a moderate price, this course is taught by Robin Singh who holds the record for the most perfect LSAT scores. TestMasters uses a large selection of real questions from previous LSAT exams in its curriculum. Rather than creating on-demand video lessons exclusively for the online course, the TestMasters Prep Course features recorded videos from previous live classes. While the information is good, this lack of interactivity makes you feel more like a fly on the wall of a prep course rather than an active participant.
Pros:
- 160+ hours of recorded classroom training
- Uses real LSAT questions
Cons:
- More expensive than most LSAT prep courses
- Taught by an instructor who was a “natural” at the LSAT, so it can be hard to relate for those of us who need extra help
The Best Law Schools Near McAllen
LAW SCHOOL
LOCATION WEBSITEADMISSIONS EMAIL
1. Texas Southern University — Thurgood Marshall School of Law Houston, TX tsulaw.edu Kenyon.Moore@tmslaw.tsu.edu 2. University of Texas-Austin School of Law Austin, TX law.utexas.edu admissions@law.utexas.edu 3. Southern Methodist University — Dedman School of Law Dallas, TX smu.edu/Law lawadmit@smu.eduTrying to go to the best law school near McAllen? See the best law schools in Texas.