New York, NY (April 14, 2010) – In support of the Texas Education Agency’s recent announcement that it will make the SAT and ACT college admissions tests free this spring and early summer, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions is stepping up with a unique offer of its own.  The leading test prep provider will provide comprehensive SAT or ACT prep to every Texas public high school junior registered for the May or June 2010 exams for a nominal fee of $45 – just nine percent of the normal $499 program cost; just enough to cover materials and shipping costs.  This is the first time Kaplan has ever provided its SAT and ACT program at such a steep discount to a statewide student population. 

“We are committed to helping students succeed, so when we heard that the Texas Education Agency was making such a significant commitment to encouraging students to take the SAT and ACT exam this year, we wanted to do our part in supporting this effort,” said Justin Serrano, senior vice president for Kaplan’s college prep programs.  “We know that Texas students dream big when it comes to their futures, and we recognize the critical role that preparation plays in test day success.  It’s important that as advocates of higher education that we all do our part to encourage more young people to take these exams, score competitively, graduate from college and make the most of their lives.”

According to the National Association of College Admission Counseling, college admissions officers rank standardized exams as the second most important factor in evaluating student applications.

The SAT and ACT courses will be delivered to participating students via Kaplan’s Live Online platform, which will allow high school juniors from El Paso to Texarkana, and from the panhandle to Brownsville, to benefit from Kaplan's interactive, live video instructor-led SAT or ACT prep from school, home or anywhere they can access the Internet.  Kaplan's Live Online courses are held in a state-of-the-art virtual classroom, which allows students to participate in lessons in real-time in a way that replicates the physical classroom experience. Students will be able to ask questions and interact with their teacher and other classmates using audio, instant chat, whiteboard, polling, and screen-sharing functionality. 

Students interested in enrolling in this program can do so at www.kaptest.com/college, using promotion code TXSATPREP for SAT or TXACTPREP for ACT, between now and May 1.

Reporters attending the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC) conference, April 18-20 at the Omni Hotel in Houston, are invited to visit Kaplan at Booth number 24 to experience an in-person demonstration of the Live Online course. 

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 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.

Russell Schaffer
russell.schaffer@kaplan.com
212.453.7538