As a professional instructor of technology, and successful 'graduate' of Binary, I must speak up in favor of the course. I took the course a year ago, and am so thankful that I did so. Thanks to this course, my score improved 11 points.
The reason I chose this program, instead of the more flashy courses like Kaplan and Princeton Review, was because it's been chosen as the ONLY test prep course for CUNY law school. Binary Solution also has received accolades from Columbia University, New York University and New Jersey City University. But more than just university recognition of the course's effectiveness, I chose the program BECAUSE it wasn't one of those flashy courses.
As an instructor myself, curriculum developer and director of technology, I have extensive experience (different subject matter) with these 'other' test prep companies. When researching a test prep for my own LSAT experience I found that what Jack calls 'home grown' is actually an accurate, straight-forward dissection of the LSAT. It might seem homegrown because the course founder herself still bothers to teach some of her own courses, instead of watering down her course by letting instructors who do not have complete mastery of the subject matter and her techniques teach her courses. And yet, she still has others teach her course: Her instructors have not only mastered the LSAT itself, but have received extensive training in mastering her formula for question deconstruction. They are national board certified teachers, with degrees in education and psychology. They are seasoned educators, something I cannot say for Kaplan, Princeton and the like. Homegrown? I think not.
Is she always on time? No. But when she is late, she more than makes up for it, not only in course content, but the time she spends afterward answering individual questions.
And class materials having diagrams... what is wrong with that?! Her books are written to instruct multiple learning styles. Hers is the ONLY LSAT prep course that even attempts to teach the different learning styles and attract multiple intelligences. Those that are visual learners much appreciate her diagrams, her auditory learners appreciate her live and digital courses, etc. Yet another reason why Binary is superior to any LSAT prep..no, any test prep company out there. Her diagrams are not mysterious to the visually and mathematically intelligent, and there is more than enough text to explain the dissection if the LSAT questions if the diagrams are not your 'thing'. Time is not spent trying to understand the diagrams, but rather deciphering the LSAT questions.
As for "Her unnecessarily convoluted explanations", frankly that's what I spent money to learn. I want someone who has not only mastered the test but actually has a formula to solve EVERY SINGLE question on this test! And she does teach how to solve every question, and if you pay attention in class and practice at home (yes there's homework, lol) you too will learn how to solve every single question on the test. You can't afford to skip the $1200 course fee and practice on your own. You'll just get a 147. You need to practice smart, not just practice hard. (Just one more... "ultra-nerdy, unnecessarily complex, in-class vocabulary"... Jack, you've obviously no intention on attending law school, huh?)
And I will concur with Lisa R. Eva is a genius. Plain and simple. She was the first to create an eLearning initiative for LSAT test prep. She's created an online community for her students to collaborate with each other and she's extremely accessible, even if she's not the one teaching the course. She still feels the pulse of the course.
Something else, the generosity of this course is amazing. It offers the student ample access to it's instructors (in person, via e-mail, webex sessions and phone), something unheard of anywhere else. It offers deep discounts to students with certain undergraduate affiliations. AND it offers a very comfortable retake fee. Not frustrating at all, not frustrating at all! read more