Law Schools

3 Tips For Choosing A Bar Review Company

Many students rush into this decision without giving it enough thought. Don’t let this happen to you.

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Choosing the right bar review company can feel more stressful and complicated than choosing the right person to marry. Unfortunately, many students rush into this decision without giving it enough thought. Many students commit to a specific bar review company very early in their their law school career because they get swept up in what other people are doing or what is popular at the moment and don’t do enough research. That is crazy because bar prep is a rather expensive purchase and an important investment in their future legal career. Don’t let this happen to you. Here are three tips to help you choose the bar review company that is best for you.

(1) Ignore the fear mongering

When I was a law student, I was shocked at how much fear there was surrounding which bar review company to choose. Once, someone even told me that I didn’t “stand a chance” at passing the bar exam unless I took one specific bar review company. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the hype and fear mongering, particularly if the people making these statements work for a bar review company. If you continue to steps 2 and 3, you won’t have to worry what anyone else says because you will feel confident in the decision that you are making for yourself based on your specific needs.

(2) Do your research

There are several different factors that you should consider when choosing the right bar review company, such as cost, number of practice questions offered, materials provided, number of essays graded, and refund policies. Here are some factors to consider on these important topics:

Cost

Bar review prep courses require a financial investment. Make sure that you set your budget and consider the options. Some bar review companies are more expensive than others, but that doesn’t necessarily make them better. That is why it is important to balance cost against all the other factors.

Sponsored

When looking for the best price for a bar review company, timing is everything. Often bar review companies will run promotions at the beginning of the semester to get students signed up early. Once you decide which bar review company you want to go with, research their sales patterns to get the best deal. Another way to keep bar prep costs down is to become a student representative for the company. You can earn deep discounts or even get your course for free!

Number of practice questions

One of the biggest factors in bar prep success is completing a large number of practice questions. Make sure that you find out exactly how many practice questions are made available for each section of the bar exam. I recommend that you look for a minimum of 2,500 to 3,000 MBE questions, 30+ essay questions, and 15+ MPT questions.

Materials

In addition to practice questions, bar review companies will provide you the law that you need to learn and memorize to pass the bar exam.  Find out how the law will be presented (videos, outlines, flashcards, flow charts, etc.) and determine whether the format(s) will work with your learning style. Don’t underestimate the importance of having the right materials for you.

Sponsored

Essay grading

Essay grading is a big part of bar prep. It is important for you to find out the number of essays that your bar prep company will grade and if there are any conditions on them grading. For example, grading only specific assigned essays or submitting a set amount to qualify for unlimited grading. Also, be sure to ask to see a sample of how they give feedback on the essays. This will help you to understand if you will actually learn from the grading and be able to improve.

Refund and cancellation policies

Finally, make sure that you don’t get accidently locked into enrolling in a bar review course by mistake. Several companies will offer you materials in your 1L or 2L year if you sign up or enroll in their course. Be sure to read your contract carefully (you are an aspiring lawyer, after all) to ensure that you won’t be on the hook for the entire balance of the bar prep program in the event you change your mind and want to go with another company later on.

Try them on for size

A great way to be an informed bar prep consumer is to try them out for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). The MPRE is taken by most law students in the 2L or 3L year and is required in many jurisdictions to be admitted as an attorney. Most of the bar review companies offer free (or very low cost) MPRE materials. It is a great idea to sign up to get MPRE materials from each bar review company that you are interested in using. Their MPRE materials are set up in a similar manner to their bar prep materials, so it will give you a good sense of what to expect out of bar prep with them.

Ultimately, the most important factor in choosing a bar review company is that you feel comfortable that they can help you pass the bar exam. So, do your research, ask a lot of questions, and take your time making your decision.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.

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