Kaplan Launches First-Ever Online College Admissions Course, Broadening Access to High School Students Worldwide

www.kaptest.com Becomes One-Stop-Shop for Test Preparation and Admissions Services

New York (January 5, 2000) -- Kaplan, the nation's premier provider of educational and career services, has launched the first-ever online college admissions course at www.kaptest.com. Providing the broadest array of test preparation and college admissions courses on the web, kaptest.com is a one-stop-shop for college-bound students now offering: an SAT exam prep course; a college admissions course (launched today); application essay review; and a range of free services such as financial aid advice, virtual college tours, customized college search engines and links to services for applying to college online. Kaplan will also add Advanced Placement (AP) test preparation courses to kaptest.com in spring 2000.

Kaplan's innovative online admissions course follows the fall launch of its in-center college admissions course, which debuted on the East Coast and will roll out nationally in the spring of 2000. Both the online and live courses provide students with the knowledge and organization that is essential to successfully navigate the college admissions process in an increasingly competitive environment.

"Kaplan's revolutionary online course guides students through the often intimidating and confusing college admissions process, the competitiveness of which has reached a fever pitch," said Sharon Miller, vice president and general manager for kaptest.com.

The number of high school seniors who consider themselves college bound has surged ñ 67% today as compared to 50% twelve years ago ñ and more students are competing for a relatively stable number of places in freshman class rosters. Miller adds, "with such a huge number of students applying to college each year, students need an extra edge to impress admissions committees. kaptest.com provides that edge."

Kaplan draws upon its 60-plus years of experience and reputation with college applicants to offer a convenient and flexible option for students worldwide preparing for entrance to American colleges. Busy high school students can access kaptest.com anytime, anywhere, getting admissions guidance between extra-curricular activities or upon returning home from an after-school job. In addition, with a record half a million (490,933) international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities in 1999, the online course provides such students access to a comprehensive curriculum that will help them better understand the American college admissions process.

Moderately priced at $299, Kaplan's online admissions course consists of eight multimedia sessions covering every aspect of the admissions process including: strategies and advice for creating and narrowing a target list of schools; completing college applications; ensuring successful college interviews; and securing great letters of recommendation:

Unlimited access to more than 20 hours of multimedia lessons (i.e. split screen of video and web-linked slide show)

Email help from Kaplan admissions experts, who respond within 24 hours or less

Email review of the Personal Statement essay by a Kaplan Essay Expert

Free access to Scholastic Registry, an online service that helps colleges find and recruit students

Supplemental material including: a comprehensive lesson book; a parent's guide to the course; organizational worksheets; a CD-ROM; a college guide; a sample college application and a financial aid book and user's guide.

The curriculum for both Kaplan's online and in-center admissions courses was developed with input from a special admissions advisory panel, made up of college admissions officers, guidance counselors and independent educational consultants. The panel collectively has over 100 years of admissions experience, working with thousands of students and schools including Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, Brown, Yale, Columbia, New York University and Oberlin. This panel trains Kaplan's admissions consultants, and will advise Kaplan on an ongoing basis.

kaptest.com launched in September, offering GMAT, GRE, LSAT, NCLEX-RN and CPA exam preparation courses online, and adding an online SAT preparation course in early December. Kaplan has partnered with Paul Allen's APEX Online Learning to provide AP Test Prep courses, which will launch in the spring of 2000. Response to the site has dramatically exceeded company expectations. Students from countries such as Pakistan, Australia and China have enrolled in kaptest.com courses, demonstrating kaptest.com's reach as well as the demand for increased access to America's admissions services.

About Kaplan, Inc.

Kaplan, Inc. (kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Its divisions include Test Preparation and Admissions (www.kaptest.com); SCORE! Learning Corporation, offering after-school programs for kids and resources for parents and kids through eSCORE.com (www.escore.com); Kaplan Professional educational programs for adults; and KaplanCollege.com, a distance learning division which includes Concord University School of Law. Kaplan is the majority shareholder in BrassRing Inc. (BrassRing.com), which combines recruiting, career development and hiring management services for employers and employees. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.

Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965

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