Correll to Use His Winnings to Pay Off Student Loans,
Finance Graduate School, and Buy a Bicycle

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 14, 2013) –Justin Correll, a student at the University of Florida’s college of engineering and native of Jacksonville, is the winner of Kaplan Test Prep’s annual Where Will You Take You $25,000 Sweepstakes.  Kaplan created this national sweeps about 10 years ago to offer college students and young professionals – many of whom aspire to enroll in graduate, business, law or medical school – a chance to start their own business, pay off student loans or pay tuition to earn that higher degree.  Justin’s name was selected at random out of thousands of entries from across the United States and Canada.

It’s been a long, but worthwhile road for Justin to get to this point in his career.  After graduating high school, Justin enrolled in college, only to quit after one semester to enroll in a trade school instead. After receiving his electrician’s license and working a few years, Justin came to realize the importance of a college degree in meeting his professional goal of becoming an engineer, so he enrolled at Florida State College, a community college in Jacksonville.  He then moved to Gainesville in spring 2012 with his wife, where he enrolled at the University of Florida that summer to study engineering.  Enter Kaplan.

Justin explained that a Kaplan rep had been handing out sweepstakes forms around campus. He eagerly signed up – though the friends he was with didn’t. “They thought nobody ever wins these kinds of things,” Justin laughed.  And oh, how they were wrong.  A couple of months later, while Justin was sitting on a campus bench mentally preparing for a phone interview for a potential summer internship, his phone rang.  Not recognizing the New York area code, but thinking it could be another internship possibility (he applied to several), he picked up and got the exciting news that he won Kaplan Test Prep’s Where Will You Take You $25,000 Sweepstakes…which he says he completely forgot he even entered.

“Winning this money gives me the freedom to fully pursue my career and education goals without worrying as much about how much it will all cost. My options are so much broader now. It has really changed my life,” said Justin who is financing his BA through Pell grants and loans. “I want to pursue a master’s in engineering to secure a job in which I’ll be working on something innovative.  I want to come up with new ideas about how to better use technology and energy.  I want to be driving these ideas.”  Justin says he is particularly passionate about renewable energy.

Justin plans to take the GRE, the graduate school admissions exam required by most programs, and enroll in a top program in 2015, the year he graduates from the University of Florida.

As for what he’ll do with the $25,000, Justin says, “I plan to use most of it to pay off student loans and bills, but the first thing I am going to buy is a nice bicycle.”  Ever the energy conservationist, Justin says, “Soon I can just finish class and hop on my bike to go home.  No more bus.“

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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National Jurist: “Your Golden Ticket to Passing the Bar”

Getting into graduate school is not getting any easier – in fact for many programs, it’s only becoming more competitive.  According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2012 survey of graduates school admissions officers, 30% say the admissions process for the 2012-2013 year was more competitive than for the previous cycle; 60% say the level of competition remained the same; none said it was less competitive.

Also: Over 80% of graduate school admissions officers also told us that comparing  applicants who submited scores from the new GRE to those who submit scores from the old GRE wasn’t difficult.

For more complete results in PDF format, click here.  Below are some other key findings:

Out of every 10 applicants to your program, how many on average apply while still undergraduates?

• Less than 1 in 10: 6%
• 1 in 10: 3%
• 2 in 10: 9%
• 3 in 10: 7%
• 4 in 10: 11%
• 5 in 10: 21%
• 6 in 10: 7%
• 7 in 10: 11%
• 8 in 10: 8%
• 9 in 10: 6%
• Almost all: 9%

Compared to 4 years ago, has this proportion…

• Increased significantly: 4%
• Increased slightly: 17%
• Stayed about the same: 55%
• Decreased slightly: 5%
• Decreased significantly: 0%
• I don’t know/was not here 4 years ago: 19%

Have you ever Googled an applicant to learn more about them?

• Yes: 16%
• No:: 74%
• Not sure: 11%

Have you ever visited an applicant’s social networking page like Facebook to learn more about them?

• Yes: 15%
• No: 75%
• Not sure: 11%

(Asked only of those who answered “Yes” to the previous two questions) Have you ever discovered something online about an applicant that negatively impacted their application?

• Yes: 12%
• No: 75%
• Not sure: 14%

U.S. News University Directory: “Fewer Students Applying to Law School” 

SI Parent: “Navigating the College Financial Aid Process” 

Stack:”10 Ways to Score Better on the SAT or ACT”

The Globe and Mail: “The homework you need to do before you apply for an MBA program”

U.S. News University Directory: “SAT Myths Debunked”

“The Financial Times: “Applying for an MBA programme”

The Guardian: “Choose the right MBA course”

Responding to the reality that the toughest job market for new lawyers in 20 years may be the new normal for the foreseeable future, law schools are taking unprecedented steps to course correct.  According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2012 survey of law school admissions officers, 51% of law schools have cut the size of the entering class; 63% said the reason was the contraction of the job market in the legal industry.  And more cuts may be on the way; of the law schools that have not cut the size of their entering classes, 28% say they will likely do so for the current application cycle.

For more complete results in PDF format, click here.  Below are some key findings:

Which would you say is the MOST important factor in the admissions process?  Is it…

• LSAT score: 63%
• Undergraduate GPA: 25%
• Personal statement: 10%
• Relevant work experience: 2%
• Letters of recommendation: 0%

In order to make graduates more “practice ready,” some schools have made changes to their curriculum.  Which of the following best describes where your school stands in this regard?

• We’ve already implemented changes to our curriculum: 68%
• We’ve decided to make changes to our curriculum, but haven’t implemented them yet: 5%
• We are considering making changes to our curriculum: 9%
• We have no plans to make any changes to our curriculum at this time: 18%

Have you ever Googled an applicant to learn more about them?

• Yes: 47%
• No: 50%
• Not sure: 3%

Have you ever visited an applicant’s social networking page like Facebook to learn more about them?

• Yes: 36%
• No: 61%
• Not sure: 3%

(If “Yes” to either of the previous two questions) Have you ever discovered something online about an applicant that negatively impacted their application?

• Yes: 28%
• No: 69%

Available for Interview: College Financial Aid Expert

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 (January 17, 2013) – For two million-plus college applicants and millions of current college students, how to afford tuition is always top-of-mind, particularly in an economy where many household incomes have remained stagnant.  Competition for much-coveted financial aid remains as fierce as the admissions process itself. Below are three key tips in the race for money – which unofficially kicked off January 1 with the opening of FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – with advice on how to successfully navigate the financial aid frenzy:

• Tip #1: Apply for FAFSA, and apply early.  Many students neglect to apply for FAFSA money because they assume their parents earn too much. Wrong approach.  Billions of dollars from FAFSA – which includes everything from Pell Grants, to work-study opportunities, to Federal Stafford Loans, and more – are awarded to millions of students of all economic backgrounds.  While it is needs-based and lower income students may benefit the most, students from varying financial situations can receive aid.  FAFSA can be completed online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Submitting a FAFSA doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get college financial aid, but not submitting one guarantees you won’t.  You have nothing to lose and the potential to gain.  And since FAFSA is a first come, first serve source, the sooner you apply, the better.
• Tip #2: Treat the hunt for scholarship money like a part-time job.  Many students miss out on scholarship opportunities because they simply don’t apply or invest enough quality time looking for available money. You don’t necessarily have to be a 4.0 student or have achieved a perfect 2400 on the SAT or 36 on the ACT – though that certainly helps! College and scholarship help site Cappex.com estimates that there is $11 billion in merit aid from colleges.  And according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, students’ scores on the SAT and ACT are leading factors in securing merit aid.  There are also thousands of niche scholarships available for those who aren’t necessarily at the head of the class: left-handed students; individuals with the surname Gatlin; women who are over 5’10″; anybody under 4’10”; and duck callers – they all go to college too! Visit your school’s guidance office and sites like www.findaid.com to see what’s out there. You can even start banking scholarship money as early as freshman year. The more money you have by the time acceptance letters come, the more options you’ll have since your ability to pay will be less of an issue.
• Tip #3: Don’t view a financial aid offer as a final offer. If your dream school offers you a financial aid package but it’s not enough, negotiate.  Unlike FAFSA offers, which are non-negotiable, financial aid packages awarded directly by colleges can be considered first offers, not final offers.  Since they’ve already accepted you, they more than likely will work with you. Respectfully tell the college why you are a “must have” student or how your family’s financial situation may have changed to warrant more aid.  The worst they can say is no.

“You cannot think about college today without thinking about how to pay for it.  With college tuition continuing to rise, it’s more important than ever for students and their parents to be savvy consumers and act strategically to increase their chances of securing strong financial aid packages,” said Jieun Choe, executive director of college admissions and K-12 programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While many students may find it necessary to take out loans to pay for college, it’s always preferable to secure scholarships instead, which unlike loans, do not have to be paid back. It will be enormously more beneficial for students to graduate college owing as little money as possible, especially when loans carrying interest add to the full cost of tuition.”

Facts about college costs:

• In 2012-13, average published tuition and fees for public four-year colleges and universities for in-state students is $8,655 – up from $8,256 in 2011-2012.  For full-time out-of-state students, the cost is $21,706, up from $20,823 the previous academic year.
• At private, nonprofit four-year colleges and universities, average published tuition and fees for 2012-2013 stand at $29,056, up from $27,883 the previous academic year.
• For the current academic year, full‑time undergraduates at public four year institutions receive an estimated average of $5,750 in financial aid.  At private, nonprofit institutions, the average is $15,680.

For more information or to arrange an interview on the college financial aid process, please contact Russell Schaffer at: 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.  Students and their parents can find additional information and strategies on the college financial aid process at:  http://www.kaptest.com/College/Home/college-admissions-zone-financial-aid.html

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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