April 5, 2011 | Kaplan Test Prep

New York, NY (March 31, 2011) – Beginning in 2015, aspiring doctors may not only face a longer MCAT, the admissions exam required by all U.S. medical schools and many Canadian medical schools, but they’ll have to learn more curriculum for it, and earlier than their predecessors – a potentially tricky predicament for underclassmen already juggling busy class schedules. A few of the key must-knows for test takers about the draft MCAT changes just recommended today by the AAMC, the exam’s administrator:

Addition of Behavioral and Social Sciences Principles Section: In an effort to assess student knowledge of the concept and identity of self, relationship to others, and sensitivity to socio-cultural differences as they relate to health and well-being, the new section will likely test concepts mostly taught in undergraduate psychology and/or sociology courses. This will be a challenge for students who typically take the exam junior year, effectively demanding they add psychology, sociology, or both to their course schedules prior to taking the MCAT. Presently, few do.
Addition of Advanced Sciences: The current MCAT tests topics in biology, chemistry and physics. The recommendations will add knowledge of cellular/molecular biology, biochemistry, research methods and statistics. This change, in concert with the other section requirements, effectively doubles the prerequisite course work for pre-med students.
Expanded Critical Thinking: The MCAT will expand beyond the current content base of the Verbal Reasoning section to incorporate ethics, philosophy, cross-cultural studies and population health.
More of an Endurance Test: Under the current recommendations, the new MCAT will likely add 90 minutes to an exam that is already 5 ½ hours long, bringing the total seat time to over 7 hours.
Writing Sample eliminated: Studies show few U.S. medical school use this to evaluate applicants.
Big Changes, Small Window: 2015 may seem far away, but the short-term implications for both pre-med students and medical education as a whole are immediate and large. Colleges face a tough task ahead in implementing a new pre-med curriculum that satisfies these new requirements that entering freshmen will have to meet to take the new MCAT.

“These are the biggest proposed changes to the MCAT in 25 years and reflect the significant changes in the practice of medicine during this time, as physicians today need to know far more than they did a generation ago,” said Amjed Saffarini, executive director, pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “The recommended changes are designed to make the test more relevant for the next generation of doctors, and rightly so. However, the increased amount of coursework that future pre-med students will have to learn in order to sit for the new MCAT would be akin to high school students having to take calculus before taking the SAT® or ACT® – certainly not impossible for these strivers, just more challenging given all their other prerequisites.”

Kaplan Test Prep stresses that while these are just preliminary recommendations by the AAMC’s MCAT review committee, it’s important to remember that past is usually prologue when it comes to their MCAT recommendations – most of what they propose at this stage comes to pass, including their plan to make the MCAT go to a computer-based format, which launched in 2007.

In 2010, 42,742 aspiring physicians applied to medical school, a slight increase over 2009.

For more information on the looming changes to the MCAT, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538. Also be sure to visit Kaplan Test Prep’s virtual pressroom at http://press.kaptest.com and follow news on the changes on Twitter: @KaplanMCATPrep

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Press Releases

March 31, 2011

Kaplan Test Prep Supports State College Readiness Initiative, Making SAT® and ACT® Prep Available to All Texas High School Juniors For Second Straight Year at Less Than Tenth of Normal Tuition for Comprehensive Course

Texas Juniors Set to Take Spring SAT or ACT Can Prep with Kaplan for Only $45

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (March 31, 2011) – In support of the Texas Education Agency’s continuing to make the SAT and ACT free this spring for all public high school juniors, Kaplan Test Prep, for the second straight year, will provide SAT or ACT prep to every Texas high school junior registered for the May or June 2011 exams for a nominal fee of $45 – just enough to cover instruction and materials costs and only nine percent of the normal $499 comprehensive course tuition. The Kaplan offer is available to all juniors, whether enrolled in public school or private school or homeschooled, now through April 30.

“We know that a growing number of Texas students are interested in attending college, which is in part illustrated by the fact that in 2010 Texas led the nation with the largest increase in the number of public school students who took the SAT,” said Kate Froseth, executive director, K-12 and college prep programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “As advocates of higher education, we hope that as many Texas high schoolers as possible take advantage of our offer, score competitively on the actual tests, get into top colleges and reach their full potentials.” In 2010, 93,000 Texas high school seniors took the ACT, a 12% increase over the previous year.

Juniors from Amarillo to McAllen, and from El Paso to Texarkana, who want to take advantage of Kaplan Test Prep’s offer can enroll in one of two SAT or ACT course options:

Classroom Anywhere™: Kaplan’s SAT and ACT Classroom Anywhere™ courses are held in a state-of-the-art virtual classroom, which allows students to participate in lessons in real-time, featuring a live video instructor and teaching assistants, in a way that replicates the physical classroom experience. Students can ask questions and interact with their teacher and other classmates using audio, instant chat, whiteboard, polling, and screen-sharing functionality. All they need is an Internet connection.
On Demand: Kaplan’s On Demand course is a flexible and convenient online option where students can self-study at their own paces, using online prep resources, with 24/7 access. Students receive the content review, test-taking strategies and practice needed to score competitively. Internet access is required.

According to the National Association of College Admission Counseling, college admissions officers rank standardized tests as the second most important factor in evaluating applicants.

Students interested in enrolling in a Kaplan program can do so at kaptest.com/texas, using promotion code TX45ONDEMAND for an On Demand SAT or ACT course or TX45ANYWHERE for a Classroom Anywhere™ SAT or ACT course.

Reporters attending the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC) conference, April 3-5, at the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, in Irving, are invited to visit Kaplan Test Prep at booth number 27 to experience an in-person demonstration of the Classroom Anywhere™ and On Demand courses.

About Kaplan Test Prep

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Press Releases

March 31, 2011

Kaplan Test Prep’s New Live Online Talk Show “The 180” will Feature a No-Holds-Barred Debate between the National Organization for Marriage and the Human Rights Campaign on Same-Sex Marriage Legalization on March 31st

Monthly Online Show Gives Pre-Law Students an Unscripted View on Today’s Hottest Legal Issues;
Viewers Can Join Debate and Have a Chance to Win Valuable Prizes

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (March 30, 2011) – On March 31, “The 180,” Kaplan Test Prep’s live, online, unscripted and uncensored legal debate show, will feature a debate between a fierce advocate and a fierce opponent of the legalization of same-sex marriage. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, one of the nation’s strongest opponents of legalizing gay marriage, whose self-stated organizational mission is “to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it,” and Brian Rice, Esq., board of governors, Human Rights Campaign, which describes itself as the nation’s “largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality,” will face off in what’s sure to be an anything-but-dull debate. Is national legalization just a matter of time? What does President Obama’s decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act mean? Following the debate, Kaplan LSAT experts will give a mathematical analysis showing test takers how and why they can know exactly what to expect on Test Day. The show will air live at 9 pm EDT/6 pm PDT at http://the180.com.

Thursday’s show will be the second in Kaplan Test Prep’s “The 180” series (for non-legal viewers, 180 represents a perfect LSAT score, in addition to its geometric meaning), which debuted February 24 on computer screens everywhere. On each show, which airs at 9:00 PM EDT on the last Thursday of every month, participants can watch experts go head-to-head on today’s most controversial legal topics, in a gloves-off debate. Then they can watch additional lively segments on the law school admissions process, including preparing for the LSAT and how to put together a strong law school application. Viewers have the opportunity to ask questions and join the discussion throughout each show. After each program, viewers can submit video responses to a just-discussed issue and win valuable prizes, including cash, Black’s Law Dictionaries and much-coveted “180” t-shirts.

“‘The 180’” gives today’s pre-law students divergent viewpoints on current headlines and topics being debated in dorm rooms, courtrooms and state legislatures across the country, from a legal perspective,” said Howard Bell, executive director, pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “We know that today’s aspiring lawyers are opinionated, passionate and eager to be a part of the discussion. ‘The 180’ provides them with a forum to learn and also air their own views on topics that will likely still be debated when they become lawyers in a few years.”

The first show focused on Four Loko, the recently banned “energy” drink and debated whether the FDA was right to prohibit the sale of the beverage or if it was a step too far. Experts also discussed hot topics in the law school admissions process, including whether now is the right time to apply to law school, given the highly competitive legal jobs market. Highlights from that rip-roaring debate between Glen Stohr, a Kaplan LSAT expert, and Elie Mystal, editor of Above the Law, a leading online blog that covers the most interesting issues and personalities in the legal industry, can be viewed at http://the180.com. Kaplan experts then delved into what’s in store for the LSAT this year. Given the big changes ahead for other graduate-level admissions exams like the GRE in 2011 and GMAT in 2012, are big changes for the LSAT right around the corner? Kaplan experts say LSAT takers can expect little if anything to change for the near future. To register for Kaplan Test Prep’s live legal talk show, “The 180,” and view previous broadcasts of the show, visit http://the180.com.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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