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

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 917.822.8190
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanSATACT

New York, NY (March 20, 2020) – With schools being closed, SAT administrations being cancelled or postponed, and college visits being postponed because of COVID-19, it’s a historically stressful time for high school students and their parents. To help make the college admissions process more manageable during this time, Kaplan Test Prep is providing students with free access for 30 days after signup to its SAT On Demand course.

This comprehensive online course taught by Kaplan experts provides students with instructional videos on test content and strategy; practice questions and explanations; and quizzes throughout each lesson, so they’ll always know if they’re on track. The instructors will also fill the lessons with words of motivation and encouragement and tips on how to stay balanced during this uncertain period. To register for the course, students can visit https://www.kaptest.com/sat/free/sat-on-demand-trial. 

“We want high school students and their parents to know that Kaplan is there for them during this time of great uncertainty. While we realize that the college admissions process is just one of many issues that families are juggling with and trying to make sense of right now, we hope that providing them with this free SAT prep course will give them one less thing to be uncertain about and provide them with peace of mind,” said Isaac Botier, senior director of college prep programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “As more and more families are affected by fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to help students and their families in the same way we’ve been successfully helping them for the past 80 plus years—by providing them with the quality resources they need to reach their educational goals.”

For the most up-to-date and accurate information about COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Kaplan also encourages everyone to listen to state and local authorities for instructions on how their specific community may be impacted by the pandemic.

For more information about Kaplan’s new free offering, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 917.822.8190.

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.

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 200 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school. Among those tests are the SAT®, PSAT®, ACT®, GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, and MCAT®. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Techstination: “Kaplan offering free online SAT test prep during Covid-19″

Inside Higher Ed: “Pre-Meds Consider Changing Their Plans Due to Stress”

The Independent Florida Alligator (University of Florida): “Pre-health students suffer from stress, survey says”

LLM Guide: “Far more scholarship dollars are flowing to star LL.M. students who have a strong academic and professional track record”

Inside Philanthropy: “Doctors Without Debt: The Billionaire Who Built Silicon Valley Joins a Growing Movement”

Also: Kaplan to Host LinkedIn Live Event with Expert Guests to Discuss Results on Monday, March 9, at 3 PM ET

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, @KaplanMCATPrep

New York, NY (March 4, 2020) – The rigors of pre-med life are taking a toll on aspiring doctors, including lowering their self-esteem and even causing them to question their career plans, according to a Kaplan survey of more than 400 pre-meds*. Almost four in 10 aspiring doctors (37 percent) surveyed say that they have “seriously considered” dropping their plans for a medical career because of the level of stress they experienced as a pre-med.

Among the experiences pre-meds shared about grappling with their decisions to pursue a career in medicine are the following:  

• “I remember crying constantly throughout the day over how unhappy I was in my major and how trapped I felt studying   biology.  I wanted to do medicine but I felt I wasn’t smart enough or good enough.”
• “I always think life would be much easier if I simply wanted an undergraduate degree. I never actually considered changing   plans, but I would constantly envy the business majors on my campus whom I watched never study without a care in the world.”
• “Pre-meds tend to be very competitive as well and constantly compare themselves to the other pre-meds, so that just exacerbates the stress and makes it almost embarrassing for a pre-med student to admit they’re stressed and seek out help.”
• “I wondered if I’m this stressed out by undergrad, how will I ever manage medical school?”

The Kaplan survey also finds that 57 percent say “self-medicating” (alcohol and other drug use) is a common problem among their pre-med peers who are trying to deal with stress.

Additionally, more than a quarter (26 percent) of pre-meds surveyed say they experience stress “pretty much always,” while 45 percent say they experience it “frequently.” Twenty-eight percent say “occasionally,” while only 1 percent say “never.” 

Dr. Jeff Koetje, director of pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep, said, “Between long hours in the lab, late nights studying for challenging courses like Organic Chem, studying for the MCAT, and thinking about how to finance medical school, life as a pre-med can be more than challenging. But when a pre-med’s stress becomes chronic and overwhelming, it’s essential they seek professional help, or at the very least speak with someone they know and trust like a family member, friend, or adviser.  It’s important that we in the medical education community be part of the solution—we need to model, for example, a cultural shift from one that emphasizes competition, to one that focuses on collaborative learning and working. The fact that nearly 40 percent of pre-meds say they almost dropped their plans to become doctors could have significant effects on the healthcare system overall, as the U.S. is already suffering from an acute doctor shortage. Burnout is also a serious problem among practicing physicians.”  

He also noted, “We are also concerned that so many pre-meds say that self-medication is a problem, as that’s not a healthy way to deal with stress and could lead to dependency issues. Pre-meds should feel supported on all levels throughout every step of the medical school admissions process. Just like these future doctors will be there for us in our time of need, we should be there for them now. Kaplan’s MCAT curriculum, for example, includes information, talks, and lessons about the importance of self-care and wellness. We want our students to know we’ve got their backs.” 

On Monday, March 9, at 3 PM ET, Kaplan will host a LinkedIn Live event to discuss results of the survey and provide pre-meds with helpful information about how to better deal with elevated levels of stress. Dr. Jeff Koetje, director of pre-health programs, will moderate the hour-long discussion, and welcome Dr. Pamela Wible, who provides free crisis support for doctors and students struggling with suicide and devotes herself to root cause analysis of physician and medical student suicide; Dr. Isaiah Cochran, president, American Medical Student Association; and Elisabeth Fassas, author of the new book, Making Pre-Med Count and a Kaplan MCAT® instructor. To tune in, connect with Kaplan’s LinkedIn page. You will then receive a push alert when the event begins.  

For more information about Kaplan’s survey results, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*Based on the results of a Kaplan e-survey conducted in December 2019—February 2020 of 414 pre-med students who took a Kaplan MCAT course.

MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Test names are the property of the respective trademark holders, none of whom endorse or 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 200 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school. Among those tests are the SAT®, PSAT®, ACT®, GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, and MCAT®. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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The Daily Tar Heel (University of North Carolina): “Students note the challenges of medical school debt and look toward tuition options”

The Daily Bruin (University of California, Los Angeles): “Whether admissions officers like applicants’ social media or not shouldn’t matter”

Find MBA: “An increasing number of ‘EQ’ tests are being added to the MBA application, to supposedly predict academic achievement and career success”

JD Journal: “10 LSAT Preparation Tips You Need to Know”

AMA Wire: “Designing your MCAT prep program? Follow these 6 steps”

The Spinakker (University of North Florida): “Kaplan survey suggests increase in law school applicants has to do with the current political climate”