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, @KaplanGMATPrep

New York, NY (March 31, 2017) — Leaders of American business schools continue to believe in their ability to better prepare their students for business management roles than their European and Asian counterparts, even as European and Asian business schools continue to stay competitive in the global rankings. Of the nearly 125 U.S. business schools surveyed by Kaplan Test Prep in its annual admissions officers survey, almost all (97%) think American business schools better prepare their students for the business world than European business schools do*.  This indicates a slight increase from 95% in 2014, the last time Kaplan asked this question. In comparing themselves to their Asian counterparts, practically the same percentage of U.S. b-school admissions officers (96%) believe American business schools are stronger, which also shows an uptick from 2014, when it was 92%.

When asked why they believe business schools in the United State are stronger than those in Europe and Asia, admissions officers often cited accreditation, portability and cachet, seemingly keeping American students in mind when coming to their conclusions:

• “American MBA degrees are more valuable around the world. That might speak to what the world thinks. The curriculum might be the same but a U.S. degree sells better.”
• “Business education is very location-centric, so you want to go to a school near where you’re planning to launch your career because their connections will be strong in that area.”
• “As long as the school is accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the degree carries about the same weight, but without any concrete evidence, I think American schools are a little better.”

This high degree of confidence comes as the European-based INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires), with campuses in France, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, remains the number one ranked program for the second year in a row, according to The Financial Times’s global rankings, with London Business School and Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge also continuing to rank well. Some business school admissions officers who were surveyed, however told Kaplan that they couldn’t offer an opinion on European or Asian business schools, however, because they didn’t know enough about programs outside the United States.

Kaplan’s survey comes at time of great change in business school admissions trends, as political events in the United States and the United Kingdom may prompt many prospective MBAs around the world to consider attending business school elsewhere.  And in India, a blockbuster report last year found that fewer than one in 10 graduates from business schools on the subcontinent are “employable,” causing many Indians to seek a second MBA degree abroad.

“With the job market expanding and salaries rising, an MBA at a top ranked business school with a strong global reputation remains a sound investment, regardless of location,“ said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-graduate and pre-business programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “It’s important to consider that if you attend a business school overseas and its brand isn’t well known outside that particular country, you could be at a disadvantage when seeking employment back home or in another nation. Reputation matters with global employers and that needs to be part of aspiring MBAs’ decision-making process.”

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

*The survey was conducted between August 2016 and October 2016 of admissions officers at 124 business schools in the United States. Among the 124 business schools are 5 of the top 25, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

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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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

New York, NY (March 22, 2017) — College admissions officers offer this advice to parents of college applicants: Let your child sit in the driver’s seat. According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of admissions officers at over 350 colleges across the United States, 75 percent say parents should only be “somewhat involved” in the admissions process, stepping in only when their child asks them*. Only one in five (18 percent) recommend parents be “very involved,” guiding their child every step of the way; just one percent say be “extremely involved,” suggesting parents take care of everything themselves. On the other end of the spectrum, only six percent say parents should be “not very involved,” and less than one percent say “not involved at all.”

As one admissions officers explained: “Parents should be very involved in coaching and advising in the actual decision making, but it’s also important for students to be the ones most engaged in the process and in contact with the admissions officers.” Another admissions officer shared: “Students need to make the transition into college, where they’re going to need to be independent, so we appreciate when students take ownership.” Other admissions officers indicated that an ideal area for parents to be involved in is the financial aid process.

But when has a parent overstepped their boundaries or violated norms in the college admissions process? Admissions officers offered a long list of things NOT to do, which could inadvertently harm their child’s chances of getting in. Among the anecdotes:

• “I once had a parent call pretending to be the student, but I had met the student before so I knew how their voice sounds. I called the student’s cell phone after to suggest that her mom not pretend to be her and call other schools because that’s fraud.”
• “We’ve had parents make their students sign waivers so that the parent can speak to anyone on campus regarding them.”
• “We have plenty of ‘helicopter parents’ who are overly involved. We’ve had parents who wouldn’t let the student speak in meetings even when we tried to engage the student specifically.”
• “There have been parents who’ve called requesting to change their child’s major because they don’t want their child in that major.”
• “In some cases we’d get duplicate records due to parents and students both trying to complete parts of the application without talking to each other.”

“At Kaplan Test Prep, we believe parents can play a constructive role in their child’s admissions process, whether accompanying them to campus visits, making sure they meet application deadlines, and helping them fill out necessary financial aid paperwork. But in other areas, it’s most beneficial for parents to let their child take the lead, including deciding where to apply, letting them speak for themselves when talking with admissions officers, filling out their own applications and ultimately deciding where to enroll,” said Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions and K-12 programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “The college admissions process will have its ups and downs, so it’s crucial that parents and their kids establish good communication lines with each other, which could result in better outcomes and even turn it into a fun, bonding experience.”  

For a short video illustrating the survey’s findings, click here. And to read a blog post on Kaplan’s college admissions blog College: Admission Possible, visit here.

To interview a college admissions expert at Kaplan, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

*For the survey, 354 admissions officers from the nation’s top national, regional and liberal arts colleges and universities – as compiled from U.S. News & World Report – were polled by telephone between July and August 2016.

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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Visit www.kaptest.com/prepathon to Register

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

New York, NY (March 16, 2017) – Kaplan Test Prep will hold the industry’s first-ever free, live, online ACT Prepathon on Saturday, March 25, between 12 PM ET and 6 PM ET to help students get ready for the April 8 Test Day. This innovative prep event will feature live expert instruction from some of Kaplan’s most highly rated teachers and its open format will allow students to come and go as needed, staying for whatever amount of time they feel is valuable for them. During every 60-minute or 30-minute segment, a Kaplan instructor will coach participants through different content areas of the ACT: Reading, English, Math and Science. Students will be able to ask questions in the chat and receive responses in real-time, engage with instructors, and interact with peers. They are encouraged to share their experiences on Twitter using the hashtag #ACTPrepathon.

Kaplan is the exclusive, official partner for live, online prep for the ACT test.

“We know from working with tens of thousands of high school teens annually that successful test prep relies not only on practice and teaching good strategies, but also on the interaction that comes from engaging instruction from outstanding teachers,” said Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While the Prepathon is not a substitute for comprehensive studying, it will give ACT preppers the opportunity to hone their skills, build their confidence, and enjoy the excitement of a live event in the process. Participants can count on our expert instructors demystifying some of the ACT’s hardest question types to help them earn every point they can on this high stakes exam.”

Nearly 2.1 million students—close to two-thirds (64%) of graduating seniors—from the class of 2016 took the ACT, an all-time high. Results from Kaplan’s most recent college admissions officers survey show that nearly half (49%) report more applicants submitting ACT scores compared to previous years, with 63% of this subset describing the increase as “significant.”*

While this is Kaplan’s first prepathon for the ACT, its recent free, live, online prep events for the SAT® and PSAT® attracted tens of thousands of enthusiastic students. Among the comments and quotes from participants included:

• “I had a ton of fun learning I wish you guys were my actual teachers on a daily basis. THANK YOU. Love everything ;)”
• “Thank you all. The 6 hours were well worth it. Glad I stayed for the whole thing.”
• “Just wanted to say kudos to everybody who has worked hard to make this run smoothly and to teach all of this to us!”
• “You all have made these 6 hours a lot of fun!”
• “WHOO! Thanks so much! Everyone helped me feel super prepared!”

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

*For the 2016 survey, admissions officers from 374 of the nation’s top national, regional and liberal arts colleges and universities – as compiled by U.S. News & World Report – were polled by telephone between July and August 2016.

ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. 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. PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation which were not 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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