An exceptionally eco-friendly city, Sioux Falls is home to more than 70 parks and greenways, including the renowned Falls Park. The city has made a great effort to preserve its historical sites and environmental splendor, though it does fall a bit short in terms of its crime rate. With a crime rate of 33 per one thousand residents, citizens in Sioux Falls face a 1 in 30 chance of becoming a victim for either violent or property crime in any given year. While this doesn’t place the city among the nation’s most dangerous communities, it does highlight a demand for a strong workforce of dedicated lawyers.
Lawyers in Sioux Falls earn an average base salary of $84,739, which is nothing to scoff at. It’s important for lawyers to be properly compensated for the work they do, since they play a key role in maintaining social order. We all have an idea of the challenges that come with being a lawyer, but only those who actually practice law for a living are familiar with the difficulties of the job. Each case that lands on a lawyer’s desk brings a unique set of requirements, and even the smallest lapse in focus can produce a devastating chain of consequences. In order to build a successful career, a lawyer must possess an adaptable wit and unwavering work ethic. Additionally, all lawyers must come equipped with an encyclopedic knowledge of the law acquired through years of hard study.
With top-notch institutions like University of South Dakota School of Law and Creighton University School of Law close by, there are plenty of options for prospective law students to consider. The path to becoming a lawyer is notoriously challenging, but there are plenty of rewards to be gained following law school graduation. Of course, before being eligible to apply to law school, students must first take their LSAT. This all-important exam serves as the gatekeeper between students and the law schools of their dreams.
Since it’s such a key consideration in law school admissions departments, many students choose to prepare for the LSAT by enrolling in a reputable prep course. Whether taken in the traditional classroom format or online, a good LSAT prep course can help maximize your chances of scoring in a high percentile on the big exam. Finding the right provider can be a task in itself given the number of available options, which is why we’ve put together this list of the best online and in-person LSAT prep courses in Sioux Falls. With over ten years of experience in the learning sector, we know what comprises a good 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 consider your optimal learning style before choosing an LSAT prep course, since no two students learn in an identical fashion. Independent learners are better geared toward online courses, while those who prefer studying in a social setting will likely benefit from the classroom venue. With an in-person LSAT prep course, you’ll have the advantage of being in the same room as your teacher. This allows you to receive instant answers to your questions simply by raising a hand in class or seeing your instructor afterwards. Additionally, you’ll be connected with other future law students, which allows you to form study groups if that suits your preferred learning style.
Nevertheless, these benefits come with two considerable downsides. For one, in-person LSAT prep courses require you to bring yourself to the classroom on a regular basis, which simply isn’t feasible for students balancing hefty work and personal obligations aside from their schoolwork. On top of that, the in-person option is much more expensive than the online alternative. Since you’re not yet earning the big-time lawyer’s salary before even being accepted into law school, making such a big financial commitment will be uncomfortable to say the least.
On the other hand, online LSAT prep courses are convenient, affordable and offer the same quality of information as can be found in any classroom venue. If you’re an independent learner who values the freedom to form your own study plan over the benefit of being in physical proximity to your instructor, you’ll definitely appreciate what’s on offer in an online course. This format gives you access to all key materials and resources on-demand, which allows you to study whenever and wherever you choose to.
Despite the fact that you’ll be learning independently, you’ll never feel abandoned thanks to the impressive support networks built into the modern online course, a professional LSAT instructor will deliver in-depth feedback on all your queries in a timely manner. The online format also mirrors the new digital administration of the LSAT, so you’ll gain a key sense of familiarity that will come in handy on test day. Since online courses are offered at a much lower rate than the in-person alternative, this option is open to all future law students regardless of their budgets.
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 tablet |
The Best Online LSAT Prep Courses in Sioux Falls
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
Alpha Score LSAT Prep
One of the few options for basic, affordable LSAT prep, Alpha Score offers a good selection of study materials for a reasonable price. There are over 50 hours of video lessons from instructors, each with at least 5 years of experience teaching LSAT prep courses. There is no live content, but you are able to ask questions to your instructor via messaging on the member’s area of the website. Membership to the Alpha Score LSAT prep course lasts for 12 months before you need to renew to keep access.
Pros:
- 50+ online lessons and tutorials
- Reasonably priced
- Long-lasting access
Cons:
- Only 10 official LSAT-licensed practice tests included
- No live instruction is available
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
The Best In-Person LSAT Prep Courses in Sioux Falls
Kaplan Test Prep
Address: Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178
Phone Number: +1-800-KAP-TEST
https://www.kaptest.com/study/locations/lsat/omaha/ne/
Unfortunately, the Sioux Falls area isn’t very well served when it comes to in-person LSAT prep courses. We recommend that students in the area strongly consider online prep courses, because you’ll need to drive a few hours to Omaha for the closest option. Thankfully, Kaplan has been producing prep courses for almost 100 years, so if you cans pare the time you know you’ll be making the trip for a reputable course. Their courses are taught by some of the best instructors in the business, and the huge library of on-demand videos and a nearly unlimited variety of practice tests will allow you to go as deep into prep work as you desire. Kaplan also offers a money-back guarantee, so any repeat test-takers can have the assurance that they’ll get a full refund if their score doesn’t improve.
The Best Law Schools Near Sioux Falls
| Law School | LOCATION | WEBSITE | Admissions Email |
| 1. University of South Dakota School of Law | Vermillion, SD | usd.edu/law | law@usd.edu |
| 2. University of Nebraska College of Law | Lincoln, NE | law.unl.edu | lawadm@unl.edu |
| 3. Creighton University School of Law | Omaha, NE | law.creighton.edu | BarbaraKayeMiller@creighton.edu |
Trying to go to the best law school near Sioux Falls? See the best law schools in South Dakota.
