March 14, 2013

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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Press Releases

March 12, 2013

With Advanced Placement Key to College Admissions and Financial Aid Success, Kaplan Test Prep Launches AP Edge Review Courses

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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