Live, Online, Interactive Event on Tuesday, May 7, at 8 PM EDT Will Give Pre-Law Students
a Closer Look at What’s Real and What’s Not about Law-Themed Movies

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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (May 3, 2013) – From “My Cousin Vinny” to “Legally Blond” to “12 Angry Men,” the field of law has inspired many a Hollywood plot — and there’s a lot of fact and fiction to go around.  On the May 7 episode of The 180 – Live, Kaplan Test Prep’s live, online talk show exclusively for pre-law students, Kaplan experts will delve into the authenticity of legal issues represented in well-known films and name “The Most Authentic Legal Movies of All Time.”  Lights dim at 8 PM EDT, so make sure to register today and log on a few minutes early to grab your virtual seat.

“From war crimes in ‘Judgment at Nuremberg,’ to family law in ‘Kramer vs. Kramer,’ to military justice in ‘A Few Good Men,’ to employment law in ‘Philadelphia,’ to criminal law in ‘Chicago,’ some of the most impactful and entertaining movies of our times were deeply seated in the law,” said Jeff Thomas, director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep and longtime host of The 180.  “Our show will be a fun, informative discussion about movies with themes strongly, if humorously, based around the law to identify which are most representative of what actually happens in the classroom and the courtroom.  If you are a pre-law student who loves films, this is a must-attend event.  We encourage all those who attend to sound off about their own opinions too. For this event, everyone is a critic.”

The program will also include an active Twitter chat with the hashtag #The180.

To register for the free event, students can visit http://blog.the180.com/about/the-180-live/.  Students can also follow Kaplan LSAT on Twitter at @KaplanLSATPrep.  For journalists who want to cover the event, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

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.

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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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (April 26, 2013) – With the upcoming changes to the MCAT and new breakthroughs in medicine happening on a regular basis, these are exciting times in both medical education and healthcare.  To ensure that today’s pre-meds receive the most accurate and up-to-date information on the medical school admissions process and the issues they’ll face in their future profession, Kaplan Test Prep will hold its fourth annual live, online Medical School Insider event on Monday, April 29, beginning at 8 PM EST.  The two-hour event will feature an all-star panel of experts, including: Leila Diaz, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Diversity, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine; Dr. Kathleen Kolberg, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies for the College of Science and Health, University of Notre Dame; Paul T. White, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Dr. Elizabeth Wiley, President of the American Medical Student Association.

Among the topics to be discussed at Kaplan Test Prep’s Medical School Insider event:

• Which factors matter most in the medical school admissions process.
• What admissions officers really look for in a personal statement.
• How to make sure that your application gets noticed.
• What the changes to the MCAT coming in 2015 mean for current pre-med  students and future test takers. (For more information on the MCAT changes, students can also visit www.kaptest.com/MCAT2015.)
• How the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) may    affect the future of healthcare and the medical profession.

There will also be a question-and-answer segment during which attendees can interact with panelists and each other. The program will include an active Twitter chat with the hashtag #MedInsider.

“Medical School Insider is a must-attend event for the tens of thousands of college students and young professionals who are considering becoming doctors,” said Owen Farcy, director of pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep, who is moderating the event and responsible for revising Kaplan’s MCAT curriculum to meet the new content demands of the 2015 MCAT. “Pre-meds will leave Medical School Insider not only equipped with vital information about the medical school admissions process, medical education and healthcare trends, but also with a renewed sense of purpose about achieving what has been, for many of them, a lifelong goal.”

Med School Insider is Kaplan Test Prep’s most widely attended pre-med event, with thousands of students logging on to participate every year.  To date, over 3,000 pre-meds have already registered for the 2013 event.

To register for the live, online event, visit www.kaptest.com/pulse.  If you are a reporter or blogger interesting in covering the event, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

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.

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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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (April 16, 2013) – Angry Birds, Temple Run, Draw Something…all fun apps, but none prepare increasingly busy teens for the critical college admissions test, like Kaplan Test Prep’s new Kaplan’s SAT Quiz U, now available for download for the iPhone and iPad in the iTunes store at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id607250447.

Here’s how it works.  Students get free, short diagnostic quizzes with Kaplan’s SAT Quiz U for each of the three sections of the exam: Math, Critical Reading and Writing.  Each diagnostic will identify students’ areas of strengths and weaknesses in that section, then students can download (for 99 cents each) targeted practice packs for the areas most challenging to them to improve their score on Test Day.  Each practice pack provides students with about 40 questions arranged in timed 3-5 minute quizzes.  After students have mastered the questions, they can move on to the next step for high scorers and download the Challenge Pack ($1.99), which focuses on the highest difficulty questions that students will see on the SAT’s Math, Critical Reading and Writing sections.

The feature-rich app was developed on Arcadia Apps, a software platform that enables content providers to publish highly interactive and engaging educational apps. For example, in lieu of paper and pencil, students can simply use their fingers or a stylus to draw on the workspace next to the question to work out the right answer. A built-in calculator can easily be pulled up as students work through the problem. Students will also learn Kaplan strategies taught by Kaplan teachers through detailed video answers and explanations for all questions.

“Kaplan Test Prep has always sought to make test prep as accessible as possible and with students rarely leaving home without their iPhone or iPad, Kaplan’s SAT Quiz U gives them the portable, fast-paced, prep they need to get ready for the SAT almost anywhere they want, when they want,” said Eitan Dantzig, director of online SAT and ACT prep, Kaplan Test Prep. “We speak with our students on a regular basis and we know this is the kind of app that will help them balance their responsibilities in both their academic and social lives.”

Wens Gerdyman, co-founder of Arcadia Apps, added, “We worked with Kaplan to add adaptive feedback and  game mechanics to make the student experience more engaging. Add Kaplan’s top-notch problem sets and instructions, and you have an app that is guaranteed to help students improve their understanding and ultimately their test scores.”

Kaplan was the first test prep company to bring SAT prep to iOS devices back in 2007.  Prior to that, Kaplan provided students with portable prep delivered to their smartphones.  Since then, the test prep company has provided students with a series of other SAT and ACT apps for their mobile devices, including Flashcubes.  Later this year, Kaplan will make Kaplan’s SAT Quiz U available for Android devices.  And for students who want prep for the ACT, that’s coming too – Kaplan’s ACT Quiz U will launch this summer.

In 2012, more than 1.66 million students in the class of 2012 took the SAT, making it the largest class of SAT takers in history in the exam’s nearly 90-year history.  According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a student’s score on the SAT (or ACT®) remains the third most important factor in the college admissions process, just behind grades in college prep courses like Advanced Placement.

*SAT is a registered trademark of 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. 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 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.

About Arcadia Apps

The Arcadia Apps (www.arcadia-apps.com) software platform allows content providers to launch high-quality apps in a scalable manner for iOS, Android OS, and the web. The platform allows content providers to produce professional looking, highly interactive apps in iTunes App Store and Android marketplaces. The cloud-based Learning Object library supports graphics, exercise sets, and video clips and tutorials. Founded in Silicon Valley, Arcadia Apps is one of the leading providers of mobile education software platform.

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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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (April 11, 2013) – The employment stats don’t paint a pretty picture for pre-law students looking ahead, but flexibility about their future career and their passion for it is driving them forward. According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey* of more than 200 pre-law students, 50% say they plan to use their law degree in a non-traditional legal field. Of that 50%, nearly three out of five (58%) said the current job market for lawyers factored into this decision. Forty-three (43%) percent of survey respondents overall said they plan to use their law degree to pursue a job in the business world rather than in the legal world—which helps explain why 42% said they’d likely pursue an MBA if they weren’t already pursuing a JD.

The growing interest in non-traditional legal jobs comes on the heels of the latest report from the American Bar Association which shows that just 56% of 2012 graduates secured long-term, full-time jobs that required bar passage—a 1% increase over the class of 2011.

Other results from the Kaplan Test Prep survey of pre-law students:

• Most students say they’re motivated to go to law school by passion, not money: 71% say the primary reason they are applying to law school is “to go into a career I am passionate about.” Only 5% listed salary potential as the primary reason.
• Passion only goes so far, without financial assistance: 43% say they are likely to postpone or alter their plans to attend law school if they don’t get the financial aid package they were hoping for. That line of thinking aligns with advice proffered by graduating law school students: in a separate Kaplan Bar Review survey** of third-year law students, 87% say a law school’s financial aid package should play a significant role in helping pre-law students determine where to enroll.

“We’ve always encouraged pre-law students to think about how to finance their legal education and what they can do with their degree, but with the recent contraction in the job market for lawyers, it’s clear that students are more concerned than ever about the financial investment in law school and are seeking assistance to ensure that they’ll get a strong return on that investment,” said Jeff Thomas, director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep.

“Also, in addition to putting greater focus on prioritizing and planning, pre-law students are increasingly considering non-traditional career options. While we’d always counsel students to go to law school with the intent to practice law, society is filled with lawyers in all types of positions—politicians, lobbyists, authors, law enforcement officials, executives at professional sports leagues, and more—which shows that law degrees can be applied to a broad range of career options.”

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

*The online survey was conducted in February 2013 of 228 pre-law students who took a Kaplan LSAT course.
** The online survey was conducted in February 2013 of 264 law school students who took a Kaplan Bar Review course.

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.

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Available for Interview: A Kaplan Test Prep Expert Can Explain the State of College Admissions
and What the Options Are for Accepted, Rejected and Waitlisted Students

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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (April 10, 2013) – It’s the season of agony and ecstasy for college applicants and their supportive parents. But while many have succeeded in getting into their top picks in a year of record low acceptance rates (e.g. Harvard at 5.8%, Yale at 6.7%, Princeton at 7.3%, Columbia at 6.9%, and University of Pennsylvania at 12.1%), many more applicants are coping with the disappointment of rejection or being in waitlist limbo, wondering what to do next. Meanwhile, even those accepted to their top choice schools are grappling with difficult financial aid-influenced decisions.

What should students do and how can parents be supportive of their efforts? Kaplan Test Prep’s experts offer these words of advice for some common scenarios during the college admissions season:

• My top choice school rejected me! Where do I go now? It’s a major disappointment, but with many of the nation’s most competitive schools announcing record low acceptance rates this cycle, you are in good company. Life’s fate will not be determined by having earned more “yes’s” than “no’s.” Ideally you’ve applied to multiple places, including “safety schools,” which should mean you do have options. Focus on your available choices and look at their financial aid packages. Consider whether the school is a “fit” for you academically and for your lifestyle. If cost is a major consideration, you may want to factor in geography with regard to travel expenses.

• I’ve been waitlisted. Do I wait? The last thing you should do if you are put on a waitlist is wait. Submit new, relevant information to the college admissions office: midterm grades, awards, new leadership roles, etc. Show them why you are a “must-have student.” It is still tough to get off the waitlist, but taking some concrete steps may increase the odds. However, be conscious that you not go overboard, as you don’t want to cross the line and harass the admissions office. According to a recent National Association for College Admissions Counseling survey, about 55% of waitlisted students opted to remain on the list, and on average, 31% of them were eventually accepted, though it varies widely by school. At the most competitive schools, just 17% made it off the waitlist. In the meantime though, definitely consider the schools that did say “We want you now.”

• I got into my top college choice. But, what if they didn’t give me enough financial aid? Learn the art of the bargain. Unlike FAFSA offers, which are non-negotiable, financial aid packages awarded directly by colleges are. Since they’ve already accepted you, they more than likely will work with you. Respectfully tell the college how your family’s financial situation may have changed or how your activities since applying warrant additional aid; the worst that can happen is the request is denied. And, parents, discussing family finances with your child isn’t always easy, but this is an important situation for you to be as honest as possible. It could really pay off.

• I got into several of my top schools, but how do I decide which one to attend? This is a good situation to be in, but that doesn’t mean the decision will be easy. Refer to the list of factors you considered when you first applied. See how well the colleges that have offered you admission meet those requirements. If paying for college is an important factor, evaluate their financial aid packages. The best way to make the final decision is to visit (or revisit) the campuses that are still in the running. Then, discuss it with those who know you best and make an informed decision on a school about which you are excited.

To arrange an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep expert who can expand on this advice for students and parents, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

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.

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Surprise! Today’s Teens Overwhelmingly Prefer Pencil and Paper to Computer

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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (March 28, 2013) – It’s no surprise that teens and their parents have differing views, but on the topic of shaking up the SAT, high school students are decidedly — and surprisingly — more “old school” than their parents.  In a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey, teens showed an overwhelming resistance to moving the test from paper and pencil, with 81% of teen respondents* against the SAT going digital, while 65% of their parents supported a change to a computer-based format.**  (NOTE: The SAT administrator has so far only signaled unspecified changes to the test’s content, not its format.)

Following an announcement from the SAT administrator that major as-yet unspecified changes are in store for the test, Kaplan Test Prep surveyed high school students and parents about whether they think the SAT needs to be changed.  Nearly half of parents responded they believe it does (45%), compared to 39% of surveyed high school SAT takers.  In contrast, just 19% of surveyed parents think the exam should stay as is, versus a near double percentage (35%) of surveyed SAT takers who opted for no change.  Remaining survey respondents were ‘unsure’.

The most notable difference between student and parent views were in the responses to the question “Do you think the SAT should change from its current paper-and-pencil format to a computer-based test?”  A strong majority of parents (65%) would favor the change in format, while only 10% of students responded yes.  Today’s generation of teens, raised on computers and digital devices, expressed an overwhelming preference for sticking to a paper and pencil test (81%), raising concerns about being able to do ‘scratch work’ on math problems, lack of typing proficiency for essay writing, the challenges of looking at a computer screen for four hours, and potential technical difficulties.  A sampling of comments:

• “With a paper test, it’s much easier to write down your work and thought process on scrap paper, which would be considerably more difficult to do on  a computer.”

• “It is easier to think with a paper in front of you. Computers, even if you can’t do anything else on them, are distracting and make students want to do other things. I like to write on papers and be able to see the whole reading passage, not scroll down a page.”

• “Because it’s just so much easier to take that way… And its faster. You can flip back and forth pages much easier, and everyone knows that it’s much easier to take a test when you can write on it. An online SAT would be a nightmare.”

• “Because staring at a computer screen for a four hour test is not healthy for one.”

In contrast, parents believe their kids prefer computer, citing “quicker results” and noting “kids feel more confident at a computer screen these days,” “most kids are used to computer,” “kids are of the computer age and it is more relevant to them.”  One parent in favor of going to a computer-based format said, “I think that’s the direction this world has taken and it would be easier to make changes this way.”  That theme of modernization was common among parents in favor of the switch.  Parents who opposed any change expressed concern that without a paper trail, answers and tests could get lost.

Aside from strong support for going to a computer-based format, parents in favor of changing the SAT vary widely in opinion on what exactly should change.  The strongest recurring theme was that the test content needs to be relevant with the times: “Topics more relevant to the new economy,” “Not sure, but it should keep up with the times,” “more relevant questions,” “Questions that are more modern,” “our tests need to be updated & modern,” “more questions that reflect today’s society,” “should be changed every few years as the world progresses to update” were among the many comments in this vein.  Another recurring theme expressed by parents, but far more so by students in favor of SAT change, is the desire to see the test shortened.  “Make it shorter” was echoed repeatedly throughout the comments, with many students advocating elimination of the essay section.

Jeff Olson, Vice President of Data Science at Kaplan Test Prep, noted that the earliest cohort to potentially be impacted by a new SAT would be the class of 2016, or today’s freshmen, who may see an SAT aligned to Common Core Learning Standards.  “While the SAT administrator has not given specifics on proposed test changes, all indications are that a new SAT will see content that’s aligned to Common Core Standards and put a greater emphasis on college readiness skills,” said Olson.

For more information about the upcoming changes to the SAT and Kaplan Test Prep’s survey, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. For updates on the changes, visit www.kaptest.com/satchange.

SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

*From a Kaplan March 2013 e-survey of 396 students who took a Kaplan SAT course and took the March SAT.

**From a Kaplan March 2013 e-survey of 302 parents whose high school children will take or have taken the SAT or ACT®.

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.

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How Much Emphasis Should Students Place on the Rankings in Deciding Where to Apply?

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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (March 12, 2013) – It doesn’t have the glamour of any of the recent Awards shows, but when U.S. News & World Report announces its annual graduate school, business school, law school and medical school rankings today, many students (and anxious deans) will digest every word and data point to help them make important decisions. But should they? Recent Kaplan Test Prep survey results show that experience can give students different perspectives.

• A 2012 Kaplan Test Prep survey shows that for pre-law students, rankings can be a dealmaker or deal breaker.  When asked, “What is most important to you when picking a law school to apply to?”, 32% cited a law school’s ranking; followed by geographic location at 22%; academic programming at 20%; and affordability/tuition at 13%.  A law school’s job placement statistics came in at 8% – a low percentage that could signify that pre-law students believe a school’s overall ranking will easily land them a job.  When asked, “How important a factor is a law school’s ranking in determining where you will apply?” 86% said ranking is “very important” or “somewhat important” in deciding where to apply to.
• Apparently, though, three years of law school, debt and job hunting may cause aspiring lawyers to reprioritize.  Among new law school graduates, only 17% of respondents to a recent Kaplan Bar Review survey selected law school rankings as their top answer to “Which of the following factors would you tell prospective law students should be the most important when picking where to apply?” Instead, nearly half recommend prioritizing either a law school’s job placement rate or its affordability/tuition.

“The U.S. News rankings have long been a part of the school search process and can be helpful as an aggregate source of data around student population, academic life, job placement and other considerations. But the actual rank ordering of schools is a debatable measure that’s often more important to schools and their alumni than it should be for applicants,” said Jeff Olson, vice president of data science, Kaplan Test Prep. “Whether a school ranks 12th or 24th in the rankings won’t matter in the long run. Ultimately, students should apply to programs that are the best overall ‘fit’ for their academic, career, financial, and lifestyle goals and needs.”

In 2012, over 1 million students and aspiring professionals took the GRE®, GMAT, LSAT or MCAT as admissions prerequisites to get into graduate, business, law and medical school, respectively.

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

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.

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The Live, Online Courses Will Combine Industry-Leading Content Review and Test Taking Strategies to Give Students Confidence and Prepare Them for Test Day

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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (March 11, 2013) – With the expense of college weighing heavily on the minds of many high school students and parents, scoring well on Advanced Placement (AP) exams can be an effective strategy for defraying tuition costs, as high AP scores can earn college credit — leading to fewer courses required for graduation and fewer semesters to pay for.  Consider this: according to the College Board, in 2012-13, average tuition and fees for public four-year colleges ranged from $8,655 for in-state students and $20,823 for out-of-state students, while average tuition and fees for private, non-profit four year colleges was $29,056.

To help students score well on AP exams, Kaplan Test Prep has launched AP Edge Review courses — interactive, live online, 3-hour review classes taught by Kaplan-certified, expert teachers in Kaplan’s Classroom Anywhere™ environment.  Offered for English Language and Composition and Calculus AB, the courses include instruction on test-taking strategies, and key concepts, timed practice, and in-depth-review of answers and explanations.  Students also receive Kaplan’s book of key topics, quizzes and practice tests and can access the full course recording for further review to prepare for Test Day.

“While AP classes in school provide students with the content they need for the AP exams, Kaplan’s AP Edge Review classes will supplement school learning with review and test-taking strategies that are critical to doing well on the tests — selecting the best answer, expressing themselves concisely in essays  and managing their time efficiently,” said Mark Freidberg, General Manager and Vice President of college admissions and pre college programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t have to be enrolled in an AP course to take an AP exam.  We encourage all students who want to strengthen their college applications and potentially reduce tuition costs to prepare for and take at least one AP exam.”

In 2012, more than 3.7 million AP exams were administered, including over 2 million unique test takers.  Of exams that were administered last year, 444,000 were English Language and Composition exams and 267,000 were Calculus AB exams.  AP exams for 2013 begin in early May and last through the month’s third week. The fee for each exam is $89 for U.S. and Canadian residents and $117 for students who live elsewhere.

For more information about AP resources, students, parents and educators can visit www.kaptest.com/AP.

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.

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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
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (February 20, 2013) – Don’t expect to get a doctor’s appointment quicker or spend less time in the waiting room of your primary care physician anytime soon. According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of 543 pre-medical students*,  just 32% say they plan to become primary care physicians after earning their MD, while 68% say they plan to become specialists (i.e. cardiologist, neurologist, anesthesiologist, etc.). Of the 68% who plan to become specialists, 86% say the main reason is “academic/personal interest;” only 2% cited “better salary,” although specialists are known to make significantly more than primary care physicians.

This lack of interest in pursuing a career in primary care is troubling news for Americans at a time when the projected shortage of primary care physicians is expected to balloon from 9,000 today to about 65,000 over the next 20 years.  The main reasons for the shortage: doctors from the Baby Boom generation are rapidly retiring and their fellow Baby Boomers increasingly need medical care as they age.  Medical school enrollment is actually up over the past few years, but not at a fast enough clip to stem the tide.

The medical education community, led by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which represents all 141 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian allopathic medical schools, has been preparing for the physician shortage by taking several measures: building new medical schools around the country and expanding the number of seats for new students at existing medical schools—with a goal of 30% by 2015, which will result in an additional 5,000 new MD’s annually. Medical schools are also exploring the possibility of shortening medical school from its current four years to three years, so doctors go into practice quicker. This would be popular among aspiring doctors: 71% of pre-meds in Kaplan’s survey said that all other factors being equal, they’d be more likely to attend a three-year program than a four-year program.

“This is among the most exciting times in both medical education and healthcare in generations,” said Owen Farcy, director of pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “With the Affordable Care Act set to take full effect in 2014 and patient demographics changing rapidly, the need for more primary care doctors will only intensify.  While pre-meds say that the main reason they are set on becoming specialists is because of their personal or academic interest, we also think earning potential is understandably a key factor considering how much debt most medical school graduates are saddled with. It’s not about greed, but rather about getting their financial lives in order.” Farcy also notes that shaving a year off of medical school could save students as much as $50,000 in tuition and fees.

Farcy points out that 2015 is important, not only because it’s the year the AAMC hopes to meet its medical school expansion goal, but also when the AAMC will launch the new MCAT, the medical school admissions exam required by nearly every accredited medical school across the United States and Canada. Changes to the new MCAT include the addition of subjects in the behavioral and social sciences, advanced science concepts in biochemistry and molecular biology, and expanded critical thinking throughout the exam.  While the writing section has already been eliminated as of this year, the additional content will make the 2015 MCAT more than an hour longer than the current exam—going from 5 ½ hours to roughly 7 hours.

For more information about the upcoming changes to the MCAT, including advice for current pre-meds about how they will be impacted, visit www.kaptest.com/MCAT2015.

To schedule an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep medical school admissions expert, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com  or 212.453.7538.

*The survey was conducted via email in January and February 2013 of 543 pre-med students who took a Kaplan Test Prep MCAT course.

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.

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Kaplan EdTech Accelerator will host 10 technology startups focused across education sectors—from K-12 to higher ed and more—for intensive three-month mentoring and development program in New York City in summer 2013

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

Ken Brown, ken.brown@kaplan.com, 212.974.6228
Twitter: @KaplanNews

New York, NY (February 18, 2013) - Kaplan, Inc., the global education services company and largest subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO), announced today the launch of the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, powered by TechStars, an intensive three-month mentoring and business development program for 10 startup companies, in collaboration with TechStars, a nationally recognized startup accelerator.

The Kaplan EdTech Accelerator will select startups using technology to create products and services across the broad spectrum of education including K-12, higher education, professional education, lifelong learning, and other areas.  TechStars will invest $20,000 in each company accepted into the program.

The Kaplan EdTech Accelerator is the first corporate sponsored accelerator focused exclusively on the education sector, using TechStars’ mentor-driven, deep immersion model. TechStars has completed 15 accelerator programs and its selected companies have attracted more than $285 million in funding in the past six years.

The Kaplan EdTech Accelerator will host the startups, to be chosen by application, at its offices in New York City’s West Village neighborhood from June to September 2013. They will be mentored by industry leaders, such as Kaplan, Inc. Chairman and CEO Andy Rosen, TechStars founder and CEO David Cohen, Washington Post Company Chairman and CEO Don Graham, noted venture capitalist and Foundry Group Managing Director Brad Feld, and many notable founders of ed-tech companies, including Jose Ferreira of Knewton and Eren Bali of Udemy.

Additionally, Kaplan will provide the startups with office space and facilities, and other resources as they work to build their companies and products. This support includes access to Kaplan’s proprietary “Kaplan Way for Learning” program, which harnesses the latest learnings from the fields of science, instructional design, and technology to support the development of highly effective, evidence-based learning products.  Kaplan also has tremendous reach in education with more than one million students enrolled annually, relationships with 300-plus U.S. school districts, more than 20 university partners worldwide, and thousands of corporate customers.

The program will culminate in Demo Day, when the startups’ founders will present for an elite group of angel and venture investors and education industry influencers, with the goal of securing funding to grow their companies.

“We’re thrilled about partnering with TechStars to launch the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator,” said Andy Rosen, Kaplan, Inc. chairman and CEO. “Kaplan’s mission is to provide students around the world with the best, most efficient means to achieving their educational goals. Ongoing cultivation of new innovations from all across the sector—in ways like this accelerator program—is embedded in our company’s history.”

From its start, Kaplan has pioneered notable education innovations. It has, for example, launched the first wholly online law school in the U.S.; built its online university into one of the country’s largest higher education institutions; and, more recently, created mobile delivery systems for its test prep and professional education customers, a new prior learning assessment service for adult learners, and an innovative, large-scale online instructional platform, KAPx. Kaplan will be making available as mentors several of those Kaplan professionals who have driven many of these innovations.

The application deadline is April 14, 2013. Selected companies will be contacted in late April, and the program will begin in June.  Further details and the application for the program are available at KaplanEdTechAccelerator.com.

About Kaplan

Kaplan, Inc. is a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools, and businesses. Kaplan serves students of all ages through a wide array of offerings including higher education, test preparation, professional training, and programs for kids in grades K through 12. Kaplan also operates an active venture capital fund, Kaplan Ventures, which invests in and supports early-stage education companies.  Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO) and its largest division. For more information, please visit www.kaplan.com.

About TechStars

TechStars was founded in 2006 and is backed by over 75 different venture capital firms. Consistently rated the #1 startup accelerator in the world, TechStars executes an intensive 90-day, mentorship-driven program for entrepreneurs. For each program, ten companies are selected from a large pool of applicants. The selection rates for a TechStars program are lower than an Ivy League school at 1%. TechStars offers programs in six locations: Boulder, Boston, New York, Seattle, Chicago, and the Cloud program in San Antonio. In addition, TechStars offers the same successful model to corporations such as Nike, Microsoft and Kaplan, Inc. as “powered by TechStars” programs.

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