Becker’s Hospital Review: “Report: 86% of future physicians find pre-med culture ‘too competitive'”
Also: Nearly One in Five Pre-Meds Have Heard
About or Been Personally Bullied By Other Students or Even Professors
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 (April 20, 2017) — Between long hours in the lab, late nights studying, early mornings in class, and volunteer work in a clinic, life as a pre-med can be intense. Results from Kaplan Test Prep’s new survey of MCAT® students backs this up: 86 percent of future doctors think pre-med culture is “too competitive.” So competitive, in fact, that a significant minority—19 percent—say they have been bullied, or know others who have been bullied, within a pre-med academic setting.
When asked to share examples of hypercompetitive behavior from their pre-med experience, students shared the following anecdotes:
In some cases, the behaviors crossed the line from ‘highly competitive’ to ‘abusive;’ examples that students shared include:
“Healthy competition among pre-meds is to be expected, as the medical school admissions process remains fierce, with less than half of all applicants gaining admission. But it’s clear from our survey that some of what goes on can be downright abusive. There is never an excuse to bully or put down your fellow students. Additionally, pre-meds should know that in medical school, this kind of behavior is frowned upon, as the academic atmosphere is much more collaborative than competitive according to our own research,” says Eric Chiu, executive director of pre-medical programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “We encourage students who feel they are being unfairly targeted by their peers or even their professors to talk with their pre-med advisor or a trusted member of the administration. And if you see someone else being bullied, do what’s right and stand up for them. We must all be part of the solution.”
For a short video illustrating the results of the survey, click here.
For more information about Kaplan’s survey results, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.
*The survey was conducted by email in January 2017 of 273 pre-med students who prepared to take the MCAT with Kaplan Test Prep. MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges, which is not affiliated with Kaplan or this survey.
MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges, which is not affiliated with Kaplan or this survey.
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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Also: Kaplan Survey Reveals Reasons Why Students Take AP Courses
Register at www.kaptest.com/APprepathon
New York, NY (April 19, 2017) — To help students get ready for two of the most widely taken Advanced Placement exams, both administered in May, Kaplan Test Prep will hold its first-ever free, live, online Prepathons for AP U.S. History, on Saturday, April 22, between 1 PM and 5 PM ET, and AP Biology, on Sunday, April 23, between 1 PM and 5 PM ET. Accessible at www.kaptest.com/APprepathon, the events will allow high school students the opportunity to learn from some of Kaplan’s most highly rated teachers and ask questions about the tests, get answers in real-time and engage with fellow teens getting ready for ‘Test Day.’ The Prepathons’ open learning structures will allow students to come and go as needed, staying for whatever amount of time they feel is valuable. There will also be an important social aspect to the events: AP U.S. History event participants can share their experiences on Twitter using the hashtags #APUSH and #Prepathon; AP Biology event participants can use #APBio and #Prepathon.
AP tests continue to grow in popularity: 1.1 million high school students from the Class of 2016 took at least one AP exam, compared to 645,000 AP test takers 10 years ago. And this year, 66 percent of colleges and universities awarded credit for students who scored at least a three out of a possible five on an AP test.
New Kaplan research helps explain why more high school students are taking AP courses: 80 percent say because “it will help my GPA and better position me for college applications;” 61 percent say “to earn college credit in the hopes of graduating early and/or saving money on tuition;” 60 percent say “to build the academic skills necessary to succeed in college;” 54 percent say “to avoid taking introductory courses freshman year of college;” 49 percent say “I want to distinguish myself from my peers:” and 26 percent say because “most of my peers are taking it.”
“If you are taking the AP exams in U.S. History and Biology in May, spending some time with Kaplan this weekend during our Prepathons will be both fun and academically rewarding. Not only will you learn the most important content tested on the exams and become better equipped with test taking strategies, but you’ll go into Test Day with more confidence, which can make a big difference in how you perform,” said Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions and K-12 programs, Kaplan Test Prep.
While this is Kaplan’s first Prepathon for AP exams, its recent Prepathons for the SAT® and ACT® and free PSAT® Prep Live course attracted tens of thousands of enthusiastic, engaged students.
For journalists interested in interviewing 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 www.kaptest.com/APprepathon.
*For the survey, 138 high school students who prepared for the SAT and ACT with Kaplan were polled by email between March and April 2017.
AP® is a registered trademark of the College Board. SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. None of the aforementioned trademark holders were involved in the production of, and do 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.
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Also: Most Law School Grads Feel Underwaterin Debt; Split on Online Learning
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 (April 12, 2017) — Law schools might want to reconsider who they let in…according to their own alumni. A new Kaplan Bar Review survey of nearly 350 recent law school graduates shows that almost two-thirds (64 percent) think law schools should raise their academic standards—which would include higher LSAT® scores and GPAs—when deciding who gets in*.
These results come at a time of both introspection and infighting among law schools about who’s to blame for the low bar passage rates for some state bar-specific exams and the lowest Multistate Bar Examination scores in recorded history. In recent years, many law schools have begun to admit students with lower LSAT scores and GPAs than they previously had because of the multiyear slump in applications. In addition, to boost application numbers and diversify the pool of prospective students, a handful of law schools now allow applicants to submit scores from the GRE®— the exam traditionally used for graduate schools and more recently business schools— instead of the LSAT, though the jury is still out on what the results may be.
“There’s a certain irony to our survey results,” says Tammi Rice, vice president, Kaplan Bar Review. “On one hand, law school graduates recognize that perhaps getting into law school has become easier than in previous years, but on the other hand, though they may not realize it, these lower academic standards might have played a role in why they got in. With the number of LSAT administrations on the upswing this cycle, some law schools may have more applicants to choose from, which means they might become more selective. This is a trend we plan to continue watching.”
The survey also found that among law school graduates who carry student debt, 42 percent described the amount as “manageable,” but 58 percent described it as “unmanageable.” Exactly 50 percent of law school graduates say they are satisfied with the amount of financial aid their alma mater provided them, while the other half of law school graduates say they are not satisfied.
Additionally, Kaplan Bar Review found that recent law school graduates are split on the issue of increasing the number of distance (online) credit hours that law schools be allowed to offer, currently capped at 15. Of those surveyed, 50 percent think the American Bar Association, the organization that accredits the nation’s more than 200 law schools, should “significantly increase” the number of credit hours, while 50 percent are against it. In 2014, the ABA upped the permitted number from 12 hours to 15 hours. Schools that are out of compliance with the ABA on this rule, or any, might risk losing their accreditation.
“Student debt continues to understandably be a concern for law school students. We encourage all students and prospective students to be as thoughtful as possible when thinking about how to finance their legal education. For instance, consider tuition, and anticipated starting salary at the law school you plan to attend or are currently attending. Those numbers are publicly available and aspiring attorneys should do this important research,” added Rice.
For a short video illustrating the results of the survey, click here.
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 February 2017. It includes responses from 346 law school graduates from the class of 2016.
LSAT® is a registered trademark of the Law School Admission Council, which neither sponsors nor endorses this product. GRE® is a registered trademark of the Educational Testing Service, which neither sponsors nor endorses this product.
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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