Partnership Provides Low-cost Online SAT Preparation to Disadvantaged Students through Kaplan’s Web Site, www.kaptest.com

Virginia (March 20, 2000) – Kaplan, the world leader in test preparation, has partnered with PowerUP’s Northern Virginia partner, the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), to provide SAT preparation to economically disadvantaged youth through Kaplan’s test preparation and admissions Web site, www.kaptest.com. This spring, motivated high school students, chosen by area guidance counselors, will take kaptest.com’s comprehensive online SAT prep course at the Gum Springs Virginia PowerUP Computing Center, which provides computer access to underserved young people. The Gum Springs Center is one of the first of hundreds of computing centers that PowerUP, a nonprofit partnership of more than a dozen major corporations, nonprofit organizations, and federal agencies, will launch as part of a multimillion dollar initiative to help disadvantaged youth succeed in the digital age.

Kaplan will donate a large portion of the course tuition and will help train Americorps volunteers at the Gum Springs Computing Center, founded by PowerUP, NVTC and the Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services. In providing access to kaptest.com’s nationally recognized test preparation course, the initiative strives to help motivated, economically disadvantaged high school students raise their SAT scores, understand the importance of test scores in the college admissions process and master test-taking techniques and other skills to help them prepare for college level academics.

"This exciting partnership demonstrates the opportunities for online community outreach programs," said Sharon Miller, vice president and general manager of kaptest.com. "We created kaptest.com to expand access to Kaplan’s test preparation courses. Through our partnership with NVTC, we can reach underserved students and provide them with the technology and industry expertise that they need to reach their educational goals."

The digital divide between students in different school districts is steadily growing. Only 39 percent of classrooms in the nation’s poorest schools (where more than 70 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) have Internet access, compared to 74 percent of classrooms in the nation’s more affluent schools (where less than 11 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch). As the divide widens, the need for organizations, both private and governmental, not only to give underserved children access to technology, but also to teach them how to use it, increases. Through community outreach efforts such as the SAT preparation program at Gum Springs Computer Center, Kaplan hopes to reach these students and communities and help close the gap created by a lack of technology.

The Gum Springs Computer Clubhouse is supported by a partnership that includes Northern Virginia’s technology industry, local government and community organizations. The center serves children in the Route 1 corridor of Alexandria and is designed to enable children to complete their homework utilizing computer resources, engage in academic research and explore the larger world of the Internet under adult supervision.

About PowerUP

PowerUP, a national initiative headed by AOL chairman and CEO Steve Case, is a unique partnership of nonprofit organizations, major corporations and federal agencies. PowerUP works to give underserved children access to technology and guidance on how to use it. Based in schools and community centers around the country, PowerUP provides young people with access to the wide range of content and information on the Internet and helps them develop additional skills they need to succeed.

About kaptest.com

Kaptest.com is a one-stop-shop for college-bound students, now offering: an SAT exam prep course; a college admissions course; application essay review; AP test prep for five popular AP exams; 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. kaptest.com also offers test preparation for GMAT, GRE, LSAT, NCLEX-RN, CPA and USMLE exam preparation courses online. Since its launch last September, response to kaptest.com has dramatically exceeded company expectations. Students from countries such as Pakistan, Australia and China have enrolled in its courses, demonstrating kaptest.com’s reach as well as the demand for increased access to admissions services to American schools worldwide.

About Kaplan

Kaplan's Community Outreach Programs provide educational resources and opportunities to thousands of economically disadvantaged students annually. Kaplan joins forces with numerous nonprofit groups, educational institutions, government agencies, and other grass-roots organizations on a variety of local and national support programs. These programs help students and professionals from a variety of backgrounds achieve their educational and career goals.

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; 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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