Consumer Reports: “Yes, Colleges Check Applicants’ Social Media Posts”
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, @KaplanBarReview
New York, NY (August 16, 2017) — Law school graduates from the class of 2017 don’t object to prospective employers scoping them out on social media. According to a new Kaplan Bar Review survey of over 700 aspiring attorneys, 78 percent think that it’s “fair game” for prospective employers in the legal industry to visit job applicants’ social networking profiles like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to help them make hiring decisions*.
Law school grads who think it’s appropriate for employers to vet prospective employees using social media shared the following opinions:
Those who object to prospective employers using social media this way opined:
Additionally, 66 percent of recent law school graduates say that it’s acceptable for a state bar’s fitness and character committee to visit law license applicants’ social networking profiles to help them make decisions about who gets admitted to the bar.
Just 7 percent of survey respondents say that they would be concerned about prospective employers or a state bar’s fitness and character committee finding posts that would negatively impact their nascent careers.
“Our survey finds that tomorrow’s lawyers are not only fine with prospective employers and state bar examiners looking at their social media trails, but it many cases think it’s a good idea because it may be necessary to protect the legal professional and individual legal practices,” said Tammi Rice, vice president, Kaplan Bar Review. “We know that aspiring attorneys are not a shy group, but given that many of the people who might make or break their legal careers could be seeing what they post, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. We encourage a healthy exchange of ideas and the right to express yourself, but it’s not without risk when it comes to your livelihood. You don’t necessarily have to share everything.”
To schedule an interview about Kaplan Bar Review’s survey results, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.
*Kaplan Bar Review conducted the survey via email in July and August 2017. It includes responses from 714 law school graduates from the class of 2017.
About Kaplan Bar Review
Kaplan Bar Review (www.kaplanbarreview.com) provides full-service bar review programs in 51 jurisdictions (all 50 states and Washington, DC). Additionally, Kaplan Bar Review offers supplemental preparation for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE).
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Kaplan is Now the Official Partner for Live Online Prep for the GED® test
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)
Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, Kaplan, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538,
Twitter: @KapTestNews
Danielle Wilson, GED Testing Service, publicaffairs@GEDtestingservice.com, 202.805.1835,
Twitter: @GEDtesting
WASHINGTON, DC (July 27, 2017) — GED Testing Service and Kaplan Test Prep have partnered to deliver the market’s first-ever official, live online preparation for the GED Testing Service. These mobile-friendly online programs will prepare students for the General Educational Development (GED) exams — a group of four subject tests that comprise the country’s leading high school equivalency certification. The partnership also establishes Kaplan as the official partner for live online prep for the GED test.
GED Live™ will for the first time offer adult education programs the opportunity to incorporate live online instruction into their education programming, which will be particularly useful to meet the needs of independent learners, working adults or adults in more rural communities. The GED Live™ program provides teacher-led, interactive learning and GED preparation to students studying for the GED test. This new product offers users convenient access through a computer, tablet or smartphone. GED Testing Service and Kaplan will be working closely with adult educators to make the GED Live™ program sufficiently flexible to best integrate the learning into adult education classrooms.
“In adult education we are continuously being asked to do more,” said Valerie Fischer, director of adult education for North Dakota. “This interactive live program from GED Testing Service and Kaplan Test Prep gives us the flexibility to offer both classroom use and independent access to our adult learners; it’s nice to have multiple avenues to support them as they prepare for the test.”
Online and blended learning have proven to be necessary and helpful options to help adult learners. In a recent survey conducted by GED Testing Service of 600 educators, 81 percent report losing GED students due to scheduling and logistics issues. Most survey respondents would like to see a blended learning model of in-classroom and online education, as they see this option helping to address scheduling and logistics challenges. Live focus groups are planned for adult educators in August and September 2017 to demonstrate the range of capabilities and gather feedback on how best to leverage GED Live™ within their programs.
“Colleagues from adult education programs across the country have been asking for our assistance to help them recruit and retain students. This partnership with Kaplan will provide educators with a valuable new tool that will allow them to meet the needs of students with schedules that might preclude regular class attendance and to attract students from outlying areas where regular classroom attendance proves difficult,” said Randy Trask, president of GED Testing Service.
“We’re excited to partner with GED Testing Service to help more adult learners pass the GED exam, so they can secure higher paying jobs and create better futures for themselves and their families,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of K-12 and college admissions programs for Kaplan Test Prep. “In an increasingly competitive global economy, America needs the most educated workforce possible and Kaplan remains committed to helping everyone reach their full potential. We’re excited about launching our new course later this summer and working with GED Testing Service to help even more adult learners succeed.”
More than 800,000 learners created a GED account and started studying for the test(s) during 2016. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median usual weekly earnings of someone without a high school diploma is only $493, compared to a median usual weekly earnings of $678 for someone who does have a high school degree. The BLS also reports that those without a high school diploma have the highest unemployment rate of any educational attainment group, at 6.1 percent, compared to those with a high school diploma, at 4.7 percent.
GED Live™ will be available for purchase on GED.com beginning in early fall. For more information about GED Live™, go to http://bit.ly/GEDLivePrep. For information about GED students and data on their study needs, go to bit.ly/GEDLiveInfographic. Kaplan currently offers GED test prep books and an online, self-paced study program.
Visit www.ged.com for more information about the official GED test program. To take the GED test, you must register with an official GED testing center. There are more than 3,400 testing centers across the United States and Canada operated by community colleges, local school boards, and adult education centers.
About GED Testing Service
The GED test has opened doors to better jobs and college programs for more than 20 million graduates since 1942. The GED test is accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers. As the creator of the one official GED test, GED Testing Service has a responsibility to ensure that the program continues to be a reliable and valuable pathway to a better life for the millions of adults without a high school diploma. GED Testing Service is a joint venture between the American Council on Education and Pearson.
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 100 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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1 Comment
More Questions, More Explanations, More Personalized Analysis
for the Must-Pass Licensing Exam
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)
Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanMedical
New York, NY (July 27, 2017) — Kaplan Medical, which annually prepares thousands of aspiring doctors for the USMLE® series of medical licensing exams, is rolling out a more engaging and effective Step 1 program designed to provide test takers with an enhanced, assessment driven study plan to help them maximize their prep time. Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan includes 2,100 exam-style questions and explanations; two full length simulated exams; one mini-simulated exam; 26 mastery assessments; 150 warm-up questions; a customized study plan with recommendations; and between 40-70 hours of interactive videos, based on the individual student’s performance.
“Among all the three Steps of the USMLE, Step 1 is considered by many to be the most challenging, regarded as one the hardest academic hurdles for aspiring practicing doctors to conquer. Our proprietary research shows that top preppers follow certain study patterns and habits, and so key design elements of our Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan leverage our findings to increase prep effectiveness,” said Dr. Chris Cimino, Chief Medical Officer, Kaplan Health programs. “We are excited about launching the enhanced course widely, as early adopters have told us how it can really be a gamechanger for students looking for a structured study plan.”
The USMLE Step 1 is a one-day computer exam taken by most medical students at the end of their second year of medical school. It is also taken by thousands of international medical graduates (IMGs) who wish to practice medicine in the United States. The Step 1 includes 280 multiple-choice questions and spans 8 hours of testing, broken down into seven 1-hour blocks of 40 questions each. The USMLE Step 1 emphasizes basic science principles, specifically anatomy, behavioral science, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. Interdisciplinary areas such as genetics, immunology, and nutrition are also tested.
In 2016, approximately 42,200 medical school students took the USMLE Step 1, including 17,600 IMGs. The passage rate for graduates of American medical schools was 94 percent, while the passage rate for IMGs was 72 percent.
For more information about Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan, please visit www.kaplanmedical.com/integratedplan. For students who need a less robust prep program, Step 1 Qbank also remains available.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Kaplan or this course.
About Kaplan Medical
Kaplan Medical (www.kaplanmedical.com) is a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 and a complete array of books, 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. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.
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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
New York, NY (July 20, 2017) — Kaplan, the world leader in test prep, is branching beyond its core business of preparing students for high-stakes exams, expanding into academic support to help college students and high school students who are taking college-level courses, such as AP® courses, succeed in the areas they consider to be the most challenging: science and math. The new services, which are available online, including on mobile devices, offer students help from Kaplan’s expert teachers right when and how they need it, whether it’s working on challenging homework problems or preparing for exams.
Kaplan’s expansion into the academic help space is a natural move for the company, which has 50 years experience in preparing students for the GMAT® and GRE®, which test students’ quantitative skills, and the MCAT®, which has a major focus on basic sciences.
This fall Kaplan will offer academic help in four subjects: three science options—ChemHelp (General Chemistry), OrgoHelp (Organic Chemistry), and PhysicsHelp—available to all students and colleges and universities seeking to provide supplemental programs; and AlgebraHelp, which is designed for colleges and universities to use as a supplemental program in developmental courses.
The programs’ live, online “office hours” approach allows students to get help from a Kaplan STEM teacher and learn from their peers in real-time. This convenient format lets students attend office hours from anywhere with an Internet connection. Teachers will also be available outside of office hours via live chat and email. Short instructional video clips and practice questions allow students to get practice in areas where they are most in need at any hour of the day.
Kaplan AlgebraHelp is an innovative new way for universities to provide supplemental instructional support to help their hardest-to-reach students succeed. The American Association of Community Colleges recently bestowed AlgebraHelp with its AACC Annual Convention Innovations Award, applauding its application of live online and tutoring expertise that Kaplan has developed into the critical area of developmental math.
“AlgebraHelp was created with the idea of helping algebra students, some of whom have not taken a math class in several years, improve their skills. Helping first year college students succeed here may increase universities’ freshman retention rates, an important indicator of a school’s academic success and a metric that factors into a school’s rankings,” said Brandon Jones, vice president, Kaplan Test Prep. “We have a team of dozens of experienced academics and learning scientists working on these courses to ensure maximum results for our students and partner schools. We’re excited to complement the work of college faculty by providing live help to students as they work through problem sets and prepare for exams. Our math, chemistry, and physics experts can help students in real-time during out-of-class hours. In addition, targeted video clips and practice questions help students hone in on their weak areas.”
In a Kaplan survey which asked over 200 undergraduate college students which courses they found to be the most challenging*, Math and Chemistry received the most responses, with 28 percent and 23 percent, respectively. Biology came in at 14 percent; Physics at 12 percent; Humanities at 10 percent; Social Sciences at 8 percent; and “others” at 5 percent.
“Grades in science and math courses, often taken early in college, can have long-term implications for students who want to attend medical school or want a career in health sciences. Performing poorly in these areas, especially in the first or second year, can hurt students’ cumulative GPAs, set them behind, and even discourage them from their chosen career paths — and with the United States suffering from a major doctor shortage, we cannot afford that,” added Jones.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in STEM fields grew by 10.5 percent, or 817,260 jobs, between 2009 and May, compared to just 5.2 percent net growth in non-STEM areas. The same report finds that national average salary for all STEM occupations was $87,570, nearly double the national average salary for non-STEM occupations, at $45,700.
For more information about Kaplan’s new offerings in the academic support space, contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.
*Kaplan surveyed 209 undergraduate students via email in April 2016.
All test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. 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 100 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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