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Table A.6

Kaplan, Inc.

Company history

Kaplan, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, has

been offering standardized test preparation assistance for 60 years.

Service description

Kaplan has expanded its business to offer a multitude of educational services.

· Kaplan offers test preparation over the Internet at www.kaptest.com.

· SCORE! Prep, Kaplan's high school tutoring agency, assists students with

academic subjects and in preparation for standardized tests such as the

PSAT, SAT, ACT, and SAT IIs.

· Kaplan's after-school educational centers, SCORE! Educational Centers,

for K­10 students combine academics with a sports-oriented environ-

ment. Centers are staffed with "academic coaches," typically graduates of

top universities.a

· Kaplan's Concord University School of Law is the nation's first online law

school.

· KaplanCollege.com offers nearly 500 online professional development

courses, courses that count toward degrees, and certification courses.

· Kaplan offers employee training and educational services for employers as

well as recruiting and job placement services.

· Kaplan works directly with K­12 and postsecondary schools to improve

standardized test results, offering professional development for teachers

and advice on curriculums.

· Kaplan's brand name is leveraged for publishing books and software on

test preparation, admissions, and education.

Market penetration

Kaplan has served 3 million students in the last 60 years. Kaplan has approx-

imately 1,200 classroom locations worldwide, including 27 centers in 18

countries outside North America.b

Results

A research report done on Kaplan's behalf found that the average score

improvement was 120 points for all students who had taken Kaplan's SAT

center­based course and 140 points for students who attended all classes

and completed their homework. Almost 30 percent of students in Kaplan's

SAT center­based courses improved by 170 points or more.c

Cost

Costs for Kaplan classes vary with the service provided; however, most courses

cost roughly $800.d Costs of online services also vary but typically range

from $300 to $500.e

a

See http://www.aboutkaplan.com/.

b

Ibid.

c

Information provided by Katherine Engstrom, publicist at Kaplan, July 11, 2000.

d

Estimate obtained from http://www.kaptest.com/view/enroll/area/1,2887,557-557,00.html.

e

See http://www.kaptest.com/view/article/0,1898,3970,00.html.

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