Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTesNews, @KaplanGMATPrep

New York, NY (October 21, 2014) – Acceptance of the GRE as an admissions alternative to the GMAT among U.S. business schools has reached critical mass, according to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2014 survey of business school admissions officers.* According to the survey, 85% of MBA programs now give students the option to submit a score from the GRE (historically the admissions exam for non-business graduate programs) instead of a GMAT score. This percentage has steadily increased year-over-year since Kaplan first began tracking the issue in 2009, when only 24% of business schools said they accepted the GRE.

The caveat in wider GRE acceptance: Still only a trickle of MBA applicants are submitting a GRE score instead of a GMAT score. Over half of the admissions officers surveyed said that just one in ten or fewer applicants took this admissions path last application cycle, representing a slight uptick from Kaplan’s past surveys. But is this apprehension from applicants warranted? Additional Kaplan data shows that 78% of MBA programs say scores from both tests are viewed equally, but 18% of MBA programs say applicants who submit a GMAT score have an advantage over applicants who submit a GRE score.

“The trendline for business schools that accept the GRE as an admissions alternative to the GMAT has been unmistakable over the past five years. What was once seen as an almost exotic admissions policy by business schools has become nearly ubiquitous,” said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Our advice to prospective MBAs is if all the business schools they plan to apply to accept the GRE in addition to the GMAT, then contact those schools and find out if they have a preference for one exam over the other. We also advise students to take the GMAT if some of the schools to which they intend on applying do not accept the GRE. While the GRE is widely accepted, the only exam that is universally accepted is the GMAT.”

For more information about Kaplan Test Prep’s 2014 survey of business school admissions officers, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*For the 2014 Kaplan survey, admissions officers from 204 business schools from across the United States – including 11 of the top 30 MBA programs, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report – were polled by telephone between August and September 2014.

GMAT® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council™. Kaplan materials do not contain actual GMAT items and are neither endorsed by nor affiliated in any way with GMAC. GRE ® is a registered trademark of the Educational Testing Service, which neither sponsors nor endorses 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 operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTesNews, @KaplanGMATPrep

New York, NY (October 9, 2014) — According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2014 survey of admissions officers at over 200 business schools across the United States*,  60% say that an applicant’s score on the GMAT’s Integrated Reasoning section (launched in June 2012) is not currently an important part of their evaluation of a prospective student’s overall GMAT score.  This represents a slight uptick from Kaplan’s 2013 survey, when 57% said an applicant’s Integrated Reasoning score was not important.  Despite that finding, Kaplan’s survey also finds that 50% of business schools pinpoint a low GMAT score as “the biggest application killer,” confirming that applicants still need to submit a strong score overall. And because GMAT takers receive a separate score for the Integrated Reasoning section, poor performance on this section cannot be masked by stronger performance on the Quantitative, Verbal or Analytical Writing Assessment sections of the exam.

“The fact that a majority of MBA programs are still not currently placing great importance on the Integrated Reasoning section of GMAT is somewhat understandable since they may want to gather additional performance data before fully incorporating it into their evaluation process.  It’s important to remember that because GMAT scores are good for five years, many applicants in 2012, 2013 and 2014 probably submitted scores from the old GMAT, which did not include the Integrated Reasoning section.” said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep.  “As more and more applicants submit scores from the current GMAT over the next couple of years, business schools may decide that Integrated Reasoning performance should play a more critical role.  Until that time though, Kaplan strongly advises MBA applicants not to discount the importance of preparing for and doing well on the Integrated Reasoning section. Similar to how not scoring well on Integrated Reasoning cannot be masked  by good performance on other sections because it receives its own separate score, doing well on Integrated Reasoning can set you apart from other applicants in a positive way. Use it to your advantage.”

For more information about Kaplan Test Prep’s 2014 survey of business school admissions officers, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*For the 2014 Kaplan survey, admissions officers from 204 business schools from across the United States – including 11 of the top 30 MBA programs, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report – were polled by telephone between August and September 2014.

GMAT® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council™. Kaplan materials do not contain actual GMAT items and are neither endorsed by nor affiliated in any way with GMAC.

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 operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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Powered by Kaplan, Squla online learning program motivates U.S. children in
grades K-6 to learn and achieve

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538, Twitter: @KapTestNews
André Haardt, andre@squla.com, 347.783.6835

New York, NY (October 8, 2014) —  Squla, a leading European children’s learning technology company, and global education leader Kaplan have joined forces to bring Squla’s unique game-based K-6 learning program into the homes of U.S. elementary school children. The partnership integrates Kaplan’s highly effective content into Squla’s proven game-based learning program.

Squla is an online learning program for children in grades K-6 that improves learning outcomes through fun, engaging play. It combines adaptive curriculum-based content in math, language arts, reading, social studies and science with a rich multiplayer gaming experience.

Squla is specially designed for use outside of the classroom.  Through its highly engaging interface and its lively, creative game elements, the program motivates children to learn using play patterns they enjoy.  Squla transforms after-school screen time into an opportunity to cultivate academic achievement and learning at a child’s individual pace.

“Squla’s powerful approach to learning through fun, combined with its ability to leverage after-school time to bolster educational development and achievement, aligns well with Kaplan’s student-driven mission ,” said Mark Freidberg, vice president and general manager of college prep and K-12 programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Their passion for engaging K-6 learners around curricular content, expertise in educational app development, and heritage in online allow us extend our proven test preparation content into the home. We are thrilled to be working with Squla in growing Kaplan’s K-6 test prep activities.”

“We’re excited to partner with Kaplan and leverage their deep expertise in student readiness to improve learning outcomes among U.S. elementary school children,” said André Haardt, founder and CEO, Squla. “Squla is designed to engage children and inspire their curiosity for knowledge anytime, anywhere. With the addition of Kaplan’s educational content, Squla will be even more effective in improving student performance in school and on standardized tests.” Benefits include:

• Kaplan content integrated in thousands of multimedia quizzes, games and activities that align with a child’s grade level
• Curriculum aligned to Common Core State Standards for each grade level and across multiple subjects
• Engaging multiplayer features— within a safe, 100% ad-free environment accessible via Mac, PC, iPad® or Android™ tablet
• Fun, real-world rewards that motivate kids to play, learn and achieve
• Weekly reports and a mobile app for parents to monitor and encourage a child’s progress

Squla is accessed through premium home memberships that can be purchased online at www.squla.com as well as through its apps for iPad® and Android™ tablets. All customers receive a free 30-day trial offering unlimited access to Squla’s comprehensive educational program.

About Squla

Squla is a children’s consumer learning company with operations in New York City, Amsterdam and Warsaw. It was founded by a team of education experts, technologists and game developers. Wired UK named the company one of “Europe’s 100 Hottest Startups”. Squla was launched in The Netherlands in 2010 and in the US and Poland in 2014. It is backed by angel investors and Bertelsmann AG subsidiary RTL Ventures.  For more information, visit www.squla.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. Additionally, Kaplan operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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