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 (September 27, 2016) — Kaplan Test Prep issued the following statement from Lee Weiss, vice president of Kaplan’s college admissions programs, about the annual SAT scores report released this morning by the College Board:

“This scores report shows another decline in average test scores, which can likely be attributed to the expansion and diversification of the test taking pool, a trend we’ve seen for several years. While that trend is notable, keep in mind that it only applies to the old SAT, which is no longer being administered. At this stage what students and parents are really thinking about is the current SAT, and we know there’s a lot of uncertainty about it as this is new territory for students, guidance counselors and colleges as well.”

(The scores report only takes into account scores from the old SAT, which expired in January. It does not take into account performance on the new SAT, launched in March, for which there is no publicly released score data yet.)

Weiss pointed to several results from Kaplan’s college admissions officers survey showing the jury is still out on the new SAT*:

• Mixed Views on Whether it’s a Better Measure: Just 29% of college admissions officers survey say the new SAT will help them better evaluate applicants’ ability to succeed in their school than the old one did; 31% say it won’t; and 40% are not sure.
• Skepticism on Essay Section: Only 4% of college admissions officers surveyed say their school will require the new SAT’s optional essay section; 21% say they recommend applicants submit it, but don’t require it; but the most popular policy, at 75%, is to not require or recommend students take it.
• Increased Popularity of ACT®: Nearly half (49%) report more applicants submitting ACT scores compared to previous years, with 63% of this subset reporting the increase as “significant.” A plurality of admissions officers (43%) also say there is an increase in the number of applicants who submit scores from both exams.
• Confidence in Evaluating Old vs New Scores: Nearly two thirds (65%) of admissions officers are confident in the ability of a concordance table to compare scores from the old SAT to scores from the new SAT and ACT and evaluate applicants; 17% say they are doubtful; and 18% aren’t sure.

“It’s great that students are adapting to the new SAT, as we hear many questions from them and their parents about how colleges will evaluate the new test. From what admissions officers are telling us, they are still figuring out what is in the best interests of their schools when it comes to the new SAT,” Weiss said. “The good news for students is that everyone involved — the test maker, admissions officers, administrators — has a vested interest in getting it right.”

To speak with a college admissions expert at Kaplan Test Prep, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*For the 2016 survey, admissions officers from 374 of the nation’s top national, regional and liberal arts colleges and universities – as compiled by U.S. News & World Report — were polled by telephone between July and August 2016.

The 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.  The PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse this product. The 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 100 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.

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Introduction of Live, Interactive Program Supports Growing Popularity of the ACT: Survey Finds 49% of Colleges Report More Applicants Submitting ACT Scores than in Prior Years

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

Press Contacts: Ed Colby, ed.colby@act.org, 319.337.1147
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 646.467.2241
Twitter: @ACT, @KapTestNews

Iowa City, IA / New York, NY (September 26, 2016) — Results from Kaplan’s 12th annual survey of admissions officers from the nation’s top colleges and universities across the United States show that nearly half (49%) report more applicants submitting ACT scores compared to previous years, with 63% of this subset reporting the increase as “significant.”* In the face of the test’s growing popularity, ACT, Inc., maker of the ACT® test, and Kaplan Test Prep, the world leader in test preparation, today launched ACT® Kaplan Online Prep Live — a groundbreaking ACT preparation program offering live instruction, with the ability for students to interact with master teachers and have their questions answered in real time. This new program is designed to bolster the learning that takes place every day in the classroom, which is essential to college and career readiness and to preparing for the ACT.

The program is provided for free to low-income students who register for the ACT with a fee waiver and available to other students for $179 — a significantly lower cost than traditional prep programs.  The product will also include recorded sessions that students can access on demand at any time, and on any device.  

A survey of 2,500+ Kaplan students shows that students value live instruction for its immediacy, engagement, and personalization.  Informed by feedback and results from multiple student pilots, ACT® Kaplan Online Prep Live will be the only program to combine:

• Official study resources and assessments from ACT that help students focus on the academic skills that are important for success in college and career
• Access to Kaplan Test Prep’s master instructors, available for questions and help
• Real full-length ACT tests and real practice questions from official ACT tests
• Live sessions and on demand videos available on any device students choose, from desktop to laptop to mobile
• A social community of teachers and peers to offer answers, support and encouragement outside of classroom hours
• Essay grading technology to score students’ Writing Test submissions

The program combines Kaplan’s unparalleled expertise in test preparation, learning science, digital learning and live instruction with ACT’s extensive research and experience in measuring college and career readiness. For more information on ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live, go to www.act.org/onlinepreplive.

All four-year colleges and universities across the country accept the ACT test, which was taken by nearly 2.1 million 2016 high school graduates — a record 64 percent of the U.S. graduating class — making it the most widely taken college admissions exam in the nation.  For the 2014-2015 academic year, ACT provided ACT test fee waivers valued at $34.4 million to more than 700,000 low-income students.

“We know that great teaching  is critical to improving student outcomes in school and beyond, and we want to make sure that all students have access to quality learning opportunities,” said Suzana Delanghe, chief commercial officer for ACT. “This ground-breaking program will help students master the skills and knowledge they need not only to perform their best on the ACT, but also to succeed in college and career.”

“Our college admissions officers survey results support a trend we’ve been seeing in recent years, which is that more students are taking the ACT.  Separately, our research shows that students value the immediacy, engagement and personalization of live instruction over static, one-dimensional videos.  We wanted to deliver this type of teaching to ACT takers in a way that makes the best preparation available at the lowest cost possible,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “We couldn’t be more pleased to deliver a truly world-class program that makes our best instructors accessible to all students.”

Kaplan is the exclusive, official partner for live, online prep for the ACT test.

ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

*For the 2016 survey, admissions officers from 374 of the nation’s top national, regional and liberal arts colleges and universities – as compiled by U.S. News & World Report — were polled by telephone between July and August 2016.

About ACT, Inc.

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is the nation’s leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality achievement assessments grounded in more than 50 years of research and experience. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions that empower individuals with insights to succeed from elementary school through career. To learn more about ACT, go to www.act.org.

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 100 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.

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

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanBarReview

New York, NY (August 31, 2016) – Kaplan Bar Review issued the following statement on the changes the National Conference of Bar Examiners made to the Multistate Bar Examination that were announced today, to be implemented in February 2017. The exam will change from having 190 scored questions and 10 unscored questions to having 175 scored questions and 25 unscored questions. The total number of questions overall will remain at 200.

“We know that MBE scores have declined to their lowest point in decades, as have bar passage rates on the whole. These changes are designed to norm the exam. The good news for students is that the changes don’t appear to impact the test’s content or difficulty level — this is about scoring and skill. With fewer questions being scored, it means each one carries greater weight, so answering correctly becomes that much more important. Since the changes aren’t about content, it means that test-taking skills — critical reasoning and analysis — will play a greater role in the new exam. That’s where effective bar prep becomes a distinct advantage. We also think it’s important to note that with a reduced number of scored questions, there is a natural dilution of questions per subject and topic. Property law specifically for February is being expanded in scope of coverage, yet there will be fewer scored questions. This means the chances of seeing what test takers have memorized and mastered goes down, but the importance of being a good test taker goes up.” — Christopher Fromm, executive director of bar prep programs, Kaplan Bar Review

To schedule an interview with a bar exam expert at Kaplan, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

About Kaplan Bar Review

Kaplan Bar Review (www.kaplanbarreview.com) provides full-service bar review programs in 51 jurisdictions (all 50 states and Washington, DC). Additionally, Kaplan Bar Review offers supplemental preparation for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE).

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Students Can Prep and Participate at www.kaptest.com/psatlive

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 (August 30, 2016) – For many high school students, the PSAT/NMSQT® is more than practice for the SAT® or ACT® — it’s the first meaningful step on their path to college, as a high PSAT score can attract notice from colleges and open the door to scholarship opportunities. In an unprecedented move to help students achieve their best PSAT scores, Kaplan Test Prep is launching the first ever free, live PSAT preparation program beginning October 1, with lessons that cover every section of the exam. Free for all students, Kaplan’s PSAT Prep Live will give the 3.8 million students who take the PSAT annually groundbreaking access to live interactive instruction online, taught by master teachers who can answer their questions in real time.

“The PSAT is the kickoff to the college admissions process, and a great score can get students on the college radar for recruitment and scholarship money,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “With $180 million in National Merit scholarships awarded to top-scoring PSAT takers, we want to help students achieve their best possible PSAT scores, which is why we decided to make our best teachers available for free. We’re excited to provide all students with engaging, motivating content delivered live from dynamic, expert teachers, which will give them the ability to ask and have their questions answered in real time — within a community of other motivated PSAT preppers.”  

The eight, one-hour live lessons will begin livestreaming on Saturday, October 1, 4:00-5:00 pm ET and run through Monday, October 17, and include four Math Test lessons and four lessons dedicated to the Reading Test and Writing and Language Test. Among the eight lessons are two Advanced lessons (one Math, one Verbal) geared towards students who are competing for National Merit® scholarships. Each lesson will run live twice, with recordings available for students who were unable to attend or for students needing a refresher.

For more information, go to www.kaptest.com/psatlive.

The 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.  The PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse this product. The 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 100 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. 

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

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7548
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanMedical

Intensive August 27-28 Weekend Seminar Will Prepare Medical Students
Who Are About to Enter the Residency Match Process

http://kaptest.com/residencyprepbootcamp

New York, NY (August 11, 2016) — Driven by increasing medical student demand for guidance and resources to assist in the competitive Main Residency Match Program® (“The Match”), Kaplan Medical is launching its first-ever Residency Prep Boot Camp at its flagship center in Midtown Manhattan.  The intensive two day weekend program will be held on August 27-28 and is designed to provide medical students who plan to participate in the matching process this September with expert insight, practice and guidance on navigating the increasingly competitive process.

The Boot Camp sessions will be conducted by industry experts, and will detail everything a medical student needs to know to maximize their chances of securing the residency program of their choice. Sessions will include several live interview practice sessions; sessions on personal statements; and how to select the right residency program. Program directors, residents and expert physicians will also be on hand to participate in panel discussions and speak with aspiring physicians. The keynote will be given by Dr. Malcolm Reid, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

The matching process remains at an elevated level of competition because the number of residency slots has not kept pace with the number of students who have graduated in recent years from medical school. While graduating more medical school students may lessen the effects of the continuing doctor shortage (projected to be between 46,000-90,000 by 2025, by the Association of American Medical Colleges), these MDs cannot practice independently without residency experience. In the most recent cycle, 42,370 registered applicants, the highest number ever, competed for 30,750 positions, according to the National Resident Matching Program®.

“Kaplan Medical has dedicated many decades of first-in-class resources, expert faculty and superior curriculum with the sole intent of assisting each and every medical student in their path to residency,” said Daniel Nelson, global executive director and boot camp chair, Kaplan Medical. “We are so excited to launch our inaugural boot camp to help medical students achieve their dreams of practicing medicine.”

To speak with a Kaplan spokesperson about Residency Prep Boot Camp, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. Medical school graduates interested in enrolling can visit http://kaptest.com/residencyprepbootcamp. The Kaplan Midtown Center is located at 131 W. 56th Street, between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue.

USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Kaplan.

About Kaplan Medical

Kaplan Medical is a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 100 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.

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

Press Contacts: Michael Tague, michael.tague@kaplan.com, 212.974.2785
Twitter @KapTestNews, @ThisIsMetis

New York, NY (July 19, 2016) –  Data science training provider Metis’s bootcamp has become the first and only data science training bootcamp in the U.S. authorized to enroll international students with M-1 visas, which allow non-U.S. students to attend technical and vocational programs in the U.S. International students who are already in the U.S. on an F-1 visa may also transfer to Metis.

Currently operating in New York City and San Francisco, Metis’s bootcamp program is the data science industry’s only accredited intensive data science bootcamp.

Metis’s curriculum combines projects-based data science design with the proprietary learning science and assessment insights of global educational services provider Kaplan, which owns Metis. The Metis Data Science Bootcamp is a full-time, twelve-week intensive experience combining traditional in-class instruction with realistic projects. Students use real data to build a five-project portfolio to present to potential employers. Upon graduating, students will have completed rigorous training in machine learning, programming in multiple languages, data wrangling, project design, and data visualization.

Metis applicants must have a background in programming and statistics. Under the competitive admissions process, prospective students submit written applications, with top applicants invited to complete challenges and a video interview. Metis offers a $3,000 scholarship for women and underrepresented minority groups.

The role of data scientist ranks as the best job in the US on jobs website Glassdoor’s 2016 list. About 45% of data scientists work outside of the US, with hotbeds of data scientists in countries like India, the Netherlands, and Israel, according to LinkedIn data.

About Metis

Metis (www.thisismetis.com) is a leading provider of data science skills training for individuals and businesses. Part of Kaplan Test Prep’s New Economy Skills Training unit, Metis delivers training programs designed by world-class practitioners and runs the industry’s only accredited intensive data science bootcamp. Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

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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 (June 6, 2016) – A majority (56 percent) of law schools have no plans to adopt the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law’s controversial new policy allowing applicants to submit GRE scores instead of LSAT scores, according to a recently conducted Kaplan Test Prep survey of admissions officers at 125 law schools across the United States.* Just 14 percent say it’s something they plan to adopt, while 56 percent say it’s something they don’t plan to do. The remaining 30 percent say they are unsure. The University of Arizona’s law school announced their decision to begin accepting the GRE earlier this year after conducting research with Educational Testing Service, the GRE’s administrator. The validity of this research is now being evaluated by the American Bar Association, the organization that accredits the nation’s 200 plus law schools.

“Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any great enthusiasm by law schools to adopt the GRE as an alternative to the LSAT, which isn’t too surprising considering that law schools tend to be judicious, wanting to see all evidence and research before making an important decision like this,” says Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “What’s particularly interesting is that nearly a third of law schools say they are unsure if they will accept the GRE, as opposed to simply being against it, which suggests that the pro-GRE movement has room to grow. We’ll be watching developments closely so that pre-law students have the most accurate and up-to-date information to make good decisions.”

In a recent interview that Marc L. Miller, the dean of the University of Arizona’s law school, gave to Bloomberg Law, he stated the reason behind the admissions change was to find “a greater number of high-quality applicants with the widest range of life, educational, and professional backgrounds.” Results from Kaplan’s survey support this view. Eight in 10 admissions officers say that law schools that accept the GRE might do so because they “want a more diverse pool of applicants and students.” But admissions officers say there are other, less altruistic reasons law schools may allow applicants to submit GRE scores. Eighty-four percent say law schools that adopt the GRE may do so because they are “concerned about filling seats because of dropping/stagnant application numbers.” And 70 percent say it could be because U.S. News & World Report doesn’t yet factor GRE scores of accepted students into their rankings — this would allow law schools to admit potentially less qualified students without immediate consequences.

The survey also found that while 70% say the LSAT is the “more appropriate test” for admissions, 53% law schools don’t want the American Bar Association to explicitly mandate that law schools can only accept the LSAT; 38% would favor this, while 9% are uncertain.

“The fact that most admissions officers don’t want the ABA to prohibit schools from accepting the GRE implies that they are in favor of letting law schools experiment in new ways to help revitalize the legal education landscape,” said Thomas. “For now, our advice for pre-law students is to take the LSAT, unless the only law school you plan to apply to is the University of Arizona’s. Quick adoption of the GRE by many other law schools, especially top tier ones,  seems unlikely right now.”

To speak with a Kaplan Test Prep law school admissions expert about the survey, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*125 of the 207 American Bar Association-accredited law schools were polled by telephone in May 2016. Included among the 125 are 15 of the top 25 law schools, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

All test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan.

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

Press Contacts: Ed Colby, ed.colby@act.org, 319.337.1147
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 646.467.2241
Twitter: @ACT, @KapTestNews

Low-Income Students Will Have Free Access to Program Offering Top-Quality
Live Online Instruction from Two Industry Leaders

San Diego, CA (April 18, 2016) — ACT, Inc., maker of the ACT® test, the nation’s most popular college readiness test, and Kaplan Test Prep, the world leader in test preparation, today announced a collaboration to create the only online ACT preparation program offering live, content-based instruction from teachers. The program will be available at no cost to low-income students and to all students at a significantly lower cost than traditional prep programs. Kaplan will become the exclusive, official partner for live, online prep for the ACT test.

The new program, ACT® Kaplan Online Prep Live, will give students access to live, online, content-based courses taught by master teachers who can answer student questions and provide interactive instructional help in real time. The platform also will include recorded sessions that students can access on demand on any device.

The program will combine Kaplan’s unparalleled expertise in test preparation, learning science, digital learning and live instruction with ACT’s extensive research and experience in measuring college and career readiness. It will focus on developing students’ academic skills and knowledge.

The program will cost less than $200 and will be provided for free to low-income students who register for the ACT with a fee waiver. It will be available in the fall.

All four-year colleges and universities across the country accept the ACT test, which is taken by more than three million students annually, making it the most widely taken college admissions exam in the U.S.  For the 2014-2015 academic year, ACT provided ACT test fee waivers valued at $34.4 million to more than 700,000 low-income students.

“We know that great teaching helps to improve student outcomes in school and beyond, and we want to make sure that all students have access to quality learning opportunities,” said Marten Roorda, ACT, chief executive officer. “This ground-breaking  program will help students perform their best not only on test day, but also in the classroom. We saw the need for a high-quality, engaging, live teaching experience that connects students with expert instructors through virtual classroom technology. Kaplan is the only organization with the instructional experience and digital expertise to deliver such a quality program with both synchronous and asynchronous learning options, deliverable on any device.”

“With more students now taking the ACT, we wanted to make the best preparation available at the lowest cost possible,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Our programs are based on extensive research that shows what works with high school students. We know that many learn best when they have two-way interactions with teachers and peers.  Students not only need engaging instruction, but also the ability to ask questions and interact with a caring, motivating, and dynamic expert teacher.”  

Informed by feedback and results from multiple student pilots, ACT® Kaplan Online Prep Live will be the only program to combine:

• Official study resources and assessments from ACT that help students focus on the academic skills that are important for success in college and career
• Access to Kaplan Test Prep’s top expert instructors, available for questions and help
• Real questions from a full-length ACT test
• Live sessions and on demand videos available on any device students choose, from desktop to laptop to mobile
• A social community of teachers and peers to offer answers, support and encouragement outside of classroom hours

Free live streaming teaching events will also be available to students. The first event, “Understanding Your ACT Scores and What to Do Next,” will be held on Saturday April 30, 2016, 2:00-3:00 pm EDT and will focus on helping students understand their ACT score reports.

ACT and Kaplan Test Prep will be hosting a live online press conference today at www.act.org/news/announcement at 12:30 pm EDT / 11:30 am CDT / 9:30  am PDT.

®ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

About ACT, Inc.

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is the nation’s leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality achievement assessments grounded in more than 50 years of research and experience. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions that empower individuals with insights to succeed from elementary school through career. To learn more about ACT, go to www.act.org.

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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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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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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