Kaplan And Newsweek Announce
Sixth Annual High School Essay Competition
To Honor Nation's Top Young Writers

Judges Include NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg, CNN Correspondent Maria Hinojosa, and Children's Defense Fund President and Founder Marian Wright Edelman

New York -- Kaplan Educational Centers and Newsweek magazine invite high school students from across the country to enter the 2000 Kaplan/Newsweek "My Turn" Essay Competition. Ten outstanding young writers will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for college. The ten winners and 20 honorable mentions will have their essays published in the Newsweek Education Program book: "My Turn Essays: Student Perspectives," which will be distributed at high schools nationwide. This year's judges include award-winning NPR special correspondent Susan Stamberg, CNN correspondent Maria Hinojosa and Children's Defense Fund president and founder Marian Wright Edelman.

"We are committed to helping students get into college," said Jonathan Grayer, Kaplan's president and CEO. "This contest not only helps students finance their education, but it serves as a forum through which they can voice their opinions on key issues and share experiences that have shaped them."

"Our goal is to honor the best and brightest of the nation's young writers," said Richard M. Smith, chairman and editor-in-chief of Newsweek. "And we hope this contest will encourage all students to develop their writing talents."

Students are asked to submit a 500-1,000 word essay on a topic of their choice that shares an opinion, experience or personal feeling. Entries must be accompanied by an official entry form and postmarked by March 1, 2000.

For a complete entry packet, including official rules and official entry form, students should contact their guidance counselor, call Kaplan at 1-800-KAP-TEST, or visit the Kaplan web site at www.kaplan.com.

About Newsweek

Founded in 1933, Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, society, science and technology, and arts and entertainment. Headquartered in New York, Newsweek has 21 bureaus located in the U.S. and around the globe. Newsweek's circulation is more than 3.2 million in the U.S. and more than 4 million worldwide. Newsweek's total U.S. audience exceeds 19 million and 22.5 million worldwide. The magazine appears in more than 190 countries. Newsweek holds more National Magazine Awards, given by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), than any other newsweekly.

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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