January 24, 2016

The Inquisitr:”Record Number of College Admissions Officers Now Use Social Media as Criteria”

The Bowling Green Daily News: “For young people, maintaining positive social media presence is key”

January 22, 2016

The Michigan Daily (University of Michigan): “40 percent of college admissions officers review online profiles”

KTEN-TV (NBC – Denison, TX) “More College Admissions Officers Checking Students Social Media Pages”

January 21, 2016

WLUK-TV (FOX – Green Bay, WI): “More colleges checking applicants’ social media sites”

EdTech Magazine: “Survey: 40 Percent of Admissions Officers Check Student Social Media Posts”

The Michigan Daily (University of Michigan):” 40 percent of college admissions officers review online profiles”

Examiner.com: “Does social media affect college admissions, how to prepare your profiles”

January 19, 2016

Network World: “Data scientists have the hottest job in America”

January 18, 2016

U.S. News & World Report: “How Parents, Teens Can Make Use of New PSAT Scores”

The New York Post: “Hey, kids — colleges see your social-media profile”

The Daily Mail: “How your Facebook profile can get you into college: Recruiters reveal ‘trigger points’ they use to select students”

WWLP-TV (NBC-Springfield, MA): “Study: More admissions officers checking applicants’ social media pages”

Money Talks News: “Hey, College Applicants: Guess Who Is Checking Out Your Facebook Page”

January 15, 2016

ChicagoInno: “Did You Just Apply To College? Time To Clean Up Your Facebook”

Kaplan Medical-Chicago Announces Private Simulation Center Now Available for Public Rental

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

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7548
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanMedical

Chicago, IL (January 15, 2016) – Driven by increasing demand for clinical simulation centers by health-related businesses, Kaplan Medical will be opening its once-private Clinical Skills facility in the downtown Chicago Loop to help companies, such as research, product development, medical device and pharmaceutical firms, that require medical professional training in a simulated physician office setting. One of only a few commercial simulation centers in the Midwest, the Kaplan Medical Chicago Center for Medical Simulation is now available for rental, based on availability.

“Kaplan Medical has spent nearly 13 years bringing our best-in-class Clinical Skills preparation to medical students from all over the world – and we look forward to continuing to serve these students at our three Simulation Centers nationwide,” said Daniel Nelson, Executive Director, National Sales, Kaplan Medical. “Additionally, recent changes to our Clinical Skills program enable us to also serve our valued Medical community with their clinical skills simulation needs.”

The Kaplan Medical Chicago Center for Medical Simulation is fully separated from the Kaplan Medical test prep facility. Some of the Center’s features include:

  • 12 state-of-the-art simulated patient rooms with audio and video recording capability – each including all necessary tools for a standard office visit
  • Master faculty viewing room allowing trainers to view all 12 rooms concurrently
  • Computers outside of each patient room that allow for trainee feedback immediately  after each training session
  • Additional classrooms for larger group training and pre-and-post simulation
  • A full simulated physician’s office including waiting area

The Center also partners with a large number of Standardized Patients within the Chicago area who have been trained in multiple patient scenarios, if Standardized Patients are needed to simulate health symptoms.

To speak in greater detail with a Kaplan spokesperson about Kaplan Medical Chicago Center for Medical Simulation’s rental availability and offerings, please contact Karen Arnold at 312-241-5300 or karen.arnold@kaplan.com.

About Kaplan Medical

Kaplan Medical 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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January 14, 2016

POLITICO: “Will the redesigned SAT be a boon for ACT?”

The Chicago Tribune: “What’s in that bottle? More colleges check applicants’ social media pages”

Bloomberg: “You Can Be an Idiot on Social Media and Still Get Into College”

Inside Higher Ed: “Admissions Officers Check Applicants on Social Media”

THE Journal: “Admissions Officers Turn to Social Media for Fuller Picture of Student Applicants”

The News Courier: Study: “40 percent of college admissions officers check social media profiles”

The Boston Globe: “New SAT paying off for test-prep industry”

January 13, 2016

MONEY: Lots More College Admissions Officers Are Checking Your Instagram and Facebook

SocialTimes: What Do College Admissions Officers Look for on Facebook Pages

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Survey says college admissions officers peek at applicants’ posts on social media

WTOP-AM (Washington, DC): Survey: Admissions officers really do look at social media

Kaplan Test Prep Survey: Percentage of College Admissions Officers Who Check Out Applicants’ Social Media Profiles Hits New High; Triggers Include Special Talents, Competitive Sabotage

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

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter @KapTestNews, @KaplanSATACT


New York, NY (January 13, 2016) —
Kaplan Test Prep’s most recent survey of nearly 400 college admissions officers across the United States finds that the percentage of admissions officers who visit applicants’ social media pages to learn more about them has hit a record high of 40% — quadruple the percentage who did so in 2008, when Kaplan first explored this issue.* For context, out of those who do so, 89% say they do so “rarely” while only 11% say they do so “often”. And the percentage of admissions officers who say they have Googled an applicant to learn more about them has remained relatively stable over the past two years, at 29%.  

But what are the triggers that prompt admissions officers to look beyond the traditional elements of the application (GPA, standardized test scores, extracurriculars) and turn to Google and Facebook? Admissions officers mentioned several trigger points, both positive and negative:

  • Interest in Talents: Some admissions officer say they will visit an applicant’s social media page — often by the applicant’s own invitation — if the applicant mentions a special talent, for example, such as being a musician, artist, poet, writer, or model. In fact, 42% of admissions officers reported an increase in such invitations compared to two year ago.
  • Verification of Awards: Citation of particularly distinguished or noteworthy awards can sometimes trigger an admissions officer’s online search for independent verification; as one officer noted, something “out of the norm.”
  • Criminal Records or Disciplinary Action: Some admissions officers say that if an applicant mentions they have a criminal background or a record of disciplinary action, they will do some online digging to get more details.
  • Scholarships: Students applying for special scholarships can come under greater scrutiny, as schools want to ensure those receiving the scholarships are fully deserving; extra due diligence can come in the form of online checking. .
  • Admissions Sabotage: Anecdotally, admissions officers say they occasionally get anonymous tips about prospective students pointing them towards inappropriate behavior. They’ll sometimes dig online to see if it has merit.

Kaplan’s survey also found that social media can cut both ways. Thirty-seven percent of admissions officers say that what they’ve found about an applicant positively impacted his or her application — and an equal percentage say that what they found negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances. Positive findings included discovery of undisclosed leadership roles or community service, while negative findings included criminal offenses, photos of drug or alcohol use, racial prejudice or inappropriate behavior.

“The growth of social media hasn’t made college admissions process a whole new ballgame, but it’s definitely changed the rules,”said Yariv Alpher, executive director of research, Kaplan Test Prep. “What you post online can and may be used in your favor or against you, so it’s important to think about what you share. When in doubt, the best strategy may be to keep it to yourself.”

For a 30-second 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.

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

*For the 2015 survey, 387 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 2015.

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 90 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. Additionally, Kaplan operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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