May 17, 2017

The ABA Journal: “Law school applicants will soon have option to take LSAT more frequently”

Kaplan Test Prep to Hold National Practice Test Weekend for the SAT® and ACT® on May 20-21

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, @KaplanSATACT

Free, Online Practice Test and Personalized Feedback Help High School Students
Get Ready for Competitive College Admissions Process

Register at https://www.kaptest.com/practicetestweekend

New York, NY (May 16, 2017) — This coming weekend, Kaplan Test Prep will host National Practice Day Weekend (Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21), which will feature free, online events to help high school students get a jump start on preparing for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams.

Participants will be able to take a practice test, with realistic practice SAT and ACT questions, and then receive a personalized performance analysis, showing them in what areas they did well and where they need more practice. Additionally, live presentations by Kaplan experts will provide students and their parents with an overview of the exams, how they’re used in the admissions process, and why students should consider taking both the SAT and ACT exams.

“Kaplan’s experience teaching hundreds of thousands of students and analysing test results confirms that practice–and more practice–makes all the difference in achieving SAT and ACT scores that students need to gain admission to the college or university of their choice,” said Victoria Adams, director of college prep programs, Kaplan Test Prep.

Achieving the best score possible on an entrance exam is critical as the nation’s top schools are accepting record low or near record low percentages of applicants (i.e. Harvard at 5.2 percent, Columbia  at 5.8 percent, Yale at 6.9 percent, Brown at 8.3 percent, and UPenn at 9.2 percent). The difference often is a student’s scores on the SAT or ACT, which remain one of the most important admissions factors.

“At Kaplan we believe that if you’re planning to take only one of the two tests, the best strategy is to take practice tests for the SAT and ACT, see which one you score better on, and then put all your energy into that test. Every college and university across the country accepts scores from both exams, so performing well on either test will be equally advantageous,” added Adams. “In a competitive college admissions process that has only grown fiercer the past few years, every additional point on the exams can make a differences and National Practice Test Weekend is a great opportunity to get started on the road to success on Test Day.”

Differences between the exams include:

  • Length: The SAT is 3 hours and 50 min (with optional Writing Test); the ACT is 3 hours and 25 minutes (including the optional Writing Test). Kaplan encourages all students to take the Writing Test for both exams, as many of the top colleges require it.
  • Sections: The SAT includes Reading, Writing and Language, and Math sections; the ACT includes English, Reading, Math and Science sections.
  • Scoring: The SAT is scored on a 400-1600 scale; the ACT is scored on a 1-36 scale. Neither exam has a wrong answer penalty.

For more information about the top reasons to take a practice test for the SAT and ACT, read this article on Kaplan’s blog, College: Admission Possible.

For journalists wanting to arrange an interview with one of Kaplan Test Prep’s college admissions experts, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. To register for the event, go to https://www.kaptest.com/practicetestweekend.

SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. None of the aforementioned trademark holders were involved in the production of and do not endorse these events.


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.

                                                                                                   # # #

May 16, 2017

Entrepreneur: “10 Social Media Tips for Students to Improve Their College Admission Chances”

Legal Skills Prof Blog: “Law Grads Want Stricter Admissions Standards”

May 9, 2017

Inside Higher Ed: “College Board Releases Data on Khan Tutoring”

May 8, 2017

Associated Press: “In college test prep industry, cheaper options available”

Education Week: “College Board Reports Score Gains From Free SAT Practice”

EdSource: “Free Khan Academy SAT tutorials boost scores, study finds”

May 4, 2017

U.S. News & World Report: “3 Signs You’ve Chosen the Wrong Law School Reference”

Specialized High School Admissions Test to Undergo Major Changes; Kaplan Test Prep to Hold a Series of Free SHSAT® Practice Events Across All NYC Boroughs to Help Middle Schoolers Get Ready

Students Can Register for the May 13, May 20, and May 21 Events at https://www.kaptest.com/shsat5

New York, NY (May 4, 2017) — The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), the only criterion for admissions to eight of the nine New York City Specialized High Schools, launches its biggest changes in over 20 years in fall 2017. To help ensure that eighth graders across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island who want to attend one of these top schools have an opportunity to succeed, Kaplan Test Prep will hold a series of free SHSAT practice events across all five boroughs. Held five months before the actual test administration, this will be one of the first opportunities students will have to gain exposure to what they’ll encounter on Test Day. Every student who participates in one of the 60-minute practice test events will also receive a detailed score report highlighting strengths and weaknesses, so they know how to prepare.

Among the biggest changes to the SHSAT:

  • Timing: The new SHSAT will be three hours, 30 minutes longer than the old exam. This will increasingly make the exam one of endurance.
  • Answer Choices: On multiple choice questions, test takers will now see four possible answers instead of the old exam’s five.
  • Math: The old exam’s math section was entirely multiple choice; the new exam will include multiple choice, but also grid-in questions, and have more focus on word problems.
  • ELA (formally Verbal): The new exam will not include “scrambled paragraphs” questions, which gave students 5 sentences, and then asked test takers to put them in the right order to form a cohesive paragraph. The exam is also dropping logical reasoning questions. The new SHSAT will include nonfiction reading comprehension and revising/editing passages and stand-alone questions.

“We know from working with thousands of New York City middle schoolers every year that scoring well on the SHSAT and getting into your top school choice relies heavily on practice and planning,” said Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While the the practice events are not substitutes for comprehensive studying, it will give aspiring Specialized High School students the opportunity to hone their skills, build their confidence, and figure out which sections they need to focus on. With the biggest changes since the 1990s set to hit the exam this fall and fierce competition to get in, practice is more important than ever.”

The SHSAT is administered by the New York City Department of Education and is only available to New York City residents in the 8th grade. 9th grade students may also choose to take the 9th grade version of the SHSAT for a very limited number of seats that may become available at the Specialized High Schools.

In 2016, approximately 28,000+ students took the SHSAT; less than 20% of those students were accepted to a New York City Specialized High School.

For journalists wanting to arrange an interview with one of Kaplan Test Prep’s SHSAT experts, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. To register for one of the May events, go to https://www.kaptest.com/shsat5.

SHSAT® (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is a registered trademark of the New York City Department of Education, 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 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.

                                                                                                         # # #

April 27, 2017

ABC – Nashville: “School fights posted to social media can be barrier to college admission”

April 25, 2017

Inside Higher Ed: “What Comes After Whittier Shutdown?”

April 24, 2017

101.5 (New Jersey – FM): “How some parents ‘help’ their kids get in to NJ colleges…and wind up hurting”