Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter @KapTestNews, @KaplanLSATPrep

New York, NY (March 15, 2016) – With U.S. News & World Report set to announce its annual law school rankings at 12:01 am on Wednesday, March 16, both aspiring law school students and anxious law school deans will be clicking the refresh button on the rankings page into the wee hours of the morning. But the two audiences have different motivators, as Kaplan Test Prep surveys find a wide gap between how law schools and their future students feel about the rankings and the role they play in the admissions process.

According to a Kaplan survey of over 1,000 pre-law students, 73% say U.S. News & World Report’s law school rankings will be an important factor in their decision of where to apply and enroll.* But most law school admissions officers think rankings should play a less important role.  A separate Kaplan survey of 120 law schools across the United States shows that only 40% think U.S. News & World Report’s rankings should be an important factor in future applicants’ decision making processes.** In fact, over half (52%) of admissions officers agree with the statement, “I think it would be in everyone’s interests – prospective students, current students, alumni and school administrators – if there were no rankings lists at all.” In contrast, only 31% of pre-law students share the view that the rankings should be done away with.

“The U.S. News & World Report rankings have long been a part of the law school admissions process and can be helpful for aspiring attorneys as an aggregate source of data around job placement statistics, student population, academic life, and other areas of interest. But one thing we’ve acutely observed is that the actual rank ordering is often more important to law school administrators and their alumni than it should be for applicants,” said Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “We do understand why the rankings remain so important to students though, as there’s a strong correlation between a school’s ranking and starting salary. That matters a great deal to those eager to pay off their student loans. But there are so many more important factors that should go into choosing the right law school. For law schools, rankings matter because they know a high position not only attracts the strongest applicants, but also because it’s a powerful tool in securing alumni donations.  Conversely, when a law school’s place in the rankings drop, law school administrators’ jobs can be in jeopardy. Unfortunately, that’s the dark side to it.”

To speak with a Kaplan Test Prep expert on how prospective law school students can best use the rankings as part of the admissions process, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*From an e-survey conducted between October 2015 and February 2016 of 1,029 pre-law students who took a Kaplan LSAT® course. The LSAT is a trademark of the Law School Admission Council, which is not affiliated with this survey or Kaplan Test Prep.

**120 of the 205 American Bar Association-accredited law schools were polled by telephone between August and September 2015. Included among the 120 are 17 of the top 30 law schools, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) 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 as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, 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 for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, Kaplan offers new economy skills training (NEST) programs and resources designed to provide training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.
                                                                                                

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The Daily Pennsylvanian (University of Pennsylvania): “Bringing college admissions to the digital age”

The Marin Independent Journal: “Marin high school students take on new version of SAT test”

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “Students adjust to revamped SAT”

NBC – Erie, PA: “Fewer Questions, More Options on New SAT”

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “Students adjust to revamped SAT”

MONEY: “More Colleges Are Cyber-Stalking Students During the Admissions Process”

The Shreveport Times: “Study: College application process gets social”

The Plainville Citizen: “Plainville preps for the new SAT”

Admit This! (College Confidential): “The New SAT: What Test Takers Think”

CNN.com: “The new SAT: The verdict is –“

ABC – Washington, DC: “ABC7 sits down with Kaplan Test Prep’s Regional Director to discuss new SAT test”

Inside Higher Ed: “New SAT Launches”

The Chronicle of Higher Education: “What Students Said Right After Taking the New SAT”

Education Week: “SAT Test-Taking Declines in Settings Not Sponsored by States or Districts”

POLITICO: “ESSA spurs states to consider innovative tests”

Neighbor Newspapers: “Survey: Most students find new SAT straightforward”

New SAT Experience Prompts Some Students Who Hadn’t Planned on Taking the ACT® to Reconsider

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter @KapTestNews, @KaplanSATACT

New York, NY (March 7, 2016) — A Kaplan Test Prep survey of over 500 teens who took the first administration of the new SAT on March 5 found that most students (59%) generally gave the exam solid marks for having questions that were straightforward and easy to follow, though most (58%) also said they found the length of the sections tiring.* And despite the change in the essay becoming optional, 85% of students opted to complete it.

The survey also found that 56% of new SAT takers had either already taken the ACT, the other major college admissions exam, as well, or were planning to do so — but an additional 17% of test takers who were not previously planning to take the ACT said taking the new SAT prompted them to consider changing plans.

“An ongoing trend we’ve seen throughout the past few admissions cycles is the shift towards a two-test landscape, and what’s interesting is that even as some of the changes to the SAT make it more ACT-like, more students are taking both tests or considering the ACT option,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Students have been recognizing that they have more than one test option, and the shakeup caused by the SAT redesign has furthered this recognition.”  

Overall, SAT takers felt that the difficulty level of the new test fell in line with their expectations: 48% said the test was about what they expected; 30% felt the test was more difficult; and 22% felt the test was less difficult than expected. However, despite the fact that a higher percentage (41%) found the Math section more difficult than expected, the new limitation on calculator use did not seem to faze a majority of SAT takers; 56% said they felt comfortable doing math without a calculator.

When asked whether the new SAT reflected what they have learned in high school, 16% responded “Very much so,” while 56% responded “Somewhat.” Twenty-three percent responded “Not too much” and 5% responded “Not at all.”

To schedule an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep expert about the new SAT and the survey, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

For hi-res photos and B-roll of students preparing for and taking a practice test, editable video interview clips addressing new SAT FAQs, downloadable SAT sample questions and other call-outs, go to http://www.kaptest.com/sat/kaplan-sat-prep/sat-pr-press-kit.  

*Based on the results of an e-survey of 521 students who took the SAT on March 5, 2016.

SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc,  which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) 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 as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, 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 for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, Kaplan offers new economy skills training (NEST) programs and resources designed to provide training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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CBS Evening News: “High school students take new version of SAT”

Houston Public Radio: “Students Across Greater Houston Meet New SAT For First Time”

The Christian Science Monitor: Redesigned SAT: “Will it broaden more students’ college horizons?”

The Dallas Morning News: “Back to the 1,600s: New SAT makes big changes, shaves off the essay, and students seem to dig it”

The Spokesman-Review: “Revamped SAT test debuts Saturday”

The Boston Globe: “New SAT paying off for test-prep industry”

Newsday: “High school juniors across LI poised to take revamped SAT”

CBS – Augusta, GA: “The SAT is changing in a big way with a new format and scoring method”

GoodCall: “40% of College Admissions Officers Check Applicants’ Social Media Accounts”

Associated Press: “Early takers say new SAT ‘wasn’t so bad’ and not so tricky”