Going to Law School in a Recession? Get a Good LSAT Score b

If you don't know by now that you need a good LSAT score to have a competitive law school application, consider yourself officially informed. LSAT scores have always been an important piece of the application process. This is due to several factors, but one of the main reasons is that GPAs vary widely across schools and majors. How does an admissions committee member compare a Classics major with a 3.3 from New York University with a physics major with a 2.9 from Alabama State University? The LSAT provides a standard whereby law schools can evaluate students from different schools on the same test.

You may also be aware of the fact that interest in law school is soaring. LSAC Director of Communications Wendy Margolis confirmed that in 2009-2010 more people took the LSAT than in the history of the test--over 170,000.

What does this mean for law school hopefuls? At least two things. (Three if you count eating an entire tub of chicken while watching Glee.)

1. Decide if you really want to go to law school.

With more applicants than ever, rising tuition fees for a JD, and a flattening legal job market on the other end, it's important that you know the law is for you. There are many different ways to practice law--from working at a BigLaw firm with a six-figure salary and no free time to speak of, to being a solo practitioner. Find out what appeals to you before committing yourself to significant debt through resources like Vault career profiles (scroll through to find the attorney profiles) or your school career center to find out if you want to practice law.

2. If you want to go, get a good LSAT score.

As legal jobs become increasingly competitive, graduating from a prestigious law school can help you in the job market, and the better your LSAT score, the better your chances of admission at premier law schools. In addition, high LSAT scores can add up to things like fee waivers and scholarship offers, so a good LSAT score can offset your education costs, too.

So now that you know how important the test is, how do you get a good LSAT score? You can study on your own, in a class, or not at all, but I recommend checking out Blueprint: The Movie 2.0. As one of the owners of the company that created it, I can objectively say that it is the best thing to hit the world since the internal combustion engine. New for September 2010, it features approximately 60 hours of high-definition, streaming videos and is entirely animated with hand-drawn illustrations. You can check out some samples of Blueprint: The Movie 2.0 here.

At $799, it's also a cheaper option for students who can't afford the over $1,000 other online courses can cost. That way you can get a killer LSAT score and use that tub of chicken to celebrate going to a great law school.

Post by Jodi Triplett of Blueprint LSAT Preparation. Blueprint offers live LSAT classes and its newest online course, Blueprint: The Movie 2.0.