The Kentucky Kernel (University of Kentucky): “Gatton school, others accept both GRE, GMAT”
Moms & Dads: “Teens change Facebook names to hide from colleges”
The East Texas Review: “Airing one’s dirty laundry takes new meaning”
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 (September 28, 2011) – Kaplan Test Prep, the world leader in test prep, has partnered with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to improve access to and quality of post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students.
“By partnering with HACU, a champion for Hispanic success in higher education, we will provide access to quality prep programs that will open more doors and opportunities for students in Hispanic-Serving School Districts,” said Justin Serrano, President of Kaplan K12 and College Prep. “We share a common mission of furthering Hispanic success in education, which is fundamental to our nation’s economic and social success. We look forward to working closely with HACU school and district partners as they prepare their students for college.”
HACU represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in addition to K-12 Hispanic-Serving School Districts (HSSDs) across the country. Kaplan is a partner in HACU’s 25th Annual Conference in October, “25 Years of Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success,” which will feature workshops and presentations covering more than 50 topics as well as a College and Career Fair sponsored, in-part, by Kaplan. The HACU College and Career Fair is open to the public from 2-5 PM on Sunday, October 30.
“Providing tools for college-bound students to succeed is essential to increasing college-going and college graduation rates,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “As HACU celebrates its Silver Anniversary, we are pleased to count Kaplan among the supporters of HACU’s 25th Annual Conference.”
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.
About HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was established in 1986 with a founding membership of 18 institutions. Today, HACU represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This year, HACU celebrates its 25th Anniversary and will host its annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, October 29 – 31.
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According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of college admissions officers at 359 top schools across the United States, nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents from the schools surveyed have gone to an applicant’s Facebook or other social networking page to learn more about them, while 20% have Googled them. When Kaplan first began tracking the issue in 2008, only 10% of schools reported checking applicants’ social networking pages. For more complete results in PDF format, click here: Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 Survey of College Admissions Officers. Below are some key findings:
Have you ever visited an applicant’s Facebook to learn more about them?
Have you ever Googled an applicant to learn more about them?
(If “Yes” to above) Have you ever discovered something online about an applicant that negatively affected their application?
Does your school use Facebook to recruit students?
How confident are you that the SAT is an effective tool in measuring students’ future success at your school?
How confident are you that the ACT is an effective tool in measuring students’ future success at your school?
USA Today: “More college officials learn about applicants from Facebook”
U.S. News & World Report: “3 Tips for International Applicants to U.S. M.B.A. Programs”
All Facebook: “Applying To College? Mind Your Facebook Page”
FOX Indianapolis: “Study: More universities using social media to scope out applicants”
Kaplan Test Prep Survey Finds Growing Acceptance in the Practice
of Exploring Applicants’ Digital Trails
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 (September 21, 2011) – According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of college admissions officers*, nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents from the schools surveyed have gone to an applicant’s Facebook or other social networking page to learn more about them, while 20% have Googled them. When Kaplan first began tracking the issue in 2008, only 10% of schools reported checking applicants’ social networking pages. In fact, survey responses indicate the prevalence of social media vetting is likely higher, since several respondents noted that while they had not personally visited an applicant’s page, other colleagues in their office had.
Of the admissions officers who did tap into these online tools to learn more about prospective students, 12% said that what they found negatively impacted the applicant’s admissions chances. Offenses cited included essay plagiarism, vulgarities in blogs, alcohol consumption in photos and “illegal activities.”
“There’s definitely a growing acceptance by college admissions officers in the practice of checking applicants’ digital footprints, but for context, these checks are not routine and tend to happen because of a specific trigger in a particular situation, like an anonymous tip or a posting on an online forum,” said Jeff Olson, vice president of research, Kaplan Test Prep. “That said, college applicants need to be particularly mindful of what they post, and may even want to search online to make sure their digital footprint is clean.”
More prevalent is the use of social media for outreach purposes. Kaplan Test Prep’s survey also finds that Facebook and YouTube are increasingly important recruiting tools for colleges – 85% use Facebook (up from 82% in the 2010 survey) and 66% use YouTube (up from 52% in the 2010 survey) to vie for the interest of prospective students.
“The growing role of social media in the college admissions process poses potential pitfalls, but also many plusses for applicants,” said Olson. “For example, a college’s official admissions page on Facebook allows it to reach prospective students in an environment in which teens are comfortable or expert. They can take virtual campus tours, learn about academic programs and find out important admissions statistics like the average SAT or ACT scores for accepted students.”
Other key survey results from Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of college admissions officers:
For more information about Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of college admissions officers, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.
*The survey was conducted by phone in July and August 2011 as part of Kaplan Test Prep’s annual survey of admissions officers and includes responses from 359 of the nation’s top 500 colleges and universities, as compiled from U.S. News & World Report’s Ultimate College Guide and Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges. Among the colleges that participated were 38 of the top 50. The wording of some questions changed slightly from year to year.
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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U.S. News & World Report: “GRE Increasingly Accepted By Business Schools”
The Chicago Tribune: “Putting your best Facebook forward”
The Virginian-Pilot: “So what is next?”
The Cavalier Daily (University of Virginia): “Business schools accept GRE scores”
The Daily Nebraskan (University of Nebraska – Lincoln): “More business schools accepting GRE, creating more flexibility for applicants”