NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With the number of college applications in record territory – over 2 million and growing – and last year’s top schools reporting unprecedented low acceptance rates, today’s college-bound students and their families face an admissions landscape more challenging than ever. To make matters even more daunting, today’s teens face not only the traditional challenges of high-stake admissions tests like the SAT and ACT, figuring out how to cover tuition, and deciding whether to study away or close to home – but also new issues such as increased depression, eating disorders and mental illness; rising gas prices; and the possibility that some schools may soon allow students to carry guns on campus to address security concerns.
Combining the leadership of 70 years of college admissions expertise with the journalistic excellence of the nation’s top newsweekly magazine, the 2009 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get into College" Guide – on sale August 18 – provides an in-depth guide to navigating the increasingly complex college admissions landscape. From guidance on the admissions process (What should you do if you are waitlisted?) to insights on school trends (How are religious schools tackling controversial social issues? How are colleges addressing emerging environmental concerns?), the 2009 Kaplan/Newsweek “How to Get into College” Guide is designed to help college-bound students and their families by illuminating issues, challenges and opportunities that await them all the way from the application process through their college senior year.
This year’s guide also features “The 12 Hottest Rivalries in the Country" – highlighting 11 pairs of top schools and one trio of competitive colleges with strong similarities that often create competition within the same applicant populations. While some rivalries are classic and some are newer, in every case, as with most successful American institutions, the competition fuels each to strive to be greater.
- Old Ivies: Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) vs. Yale University (New Haven, CT)
- Bay Area Giants: University of California – Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) vs. Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
- American Warriors: Annapolis (Annapolis, MD) vs. West Point (West Point, NY)
- For Women Only: Smith College (Northampton, MA) vs. Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
- Social Activists: Guilford College (Greensboro, NC) vs. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH)
- Catholic Powers: Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA) vs. University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN)
- Consortium Jewels: Amherst College (Amherst, MA) vs. Pomona College (Claremont, CA)
- Science Magnets: California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA) vs. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
- Big Hoosiers: Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) vs. Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
- Midwest Stars: University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) vs. Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
- Historically Black: Howard University (Washington, DC) vs. Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA) vs. Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)
- Cinematic Enclaves: Tisch School of the Arts at NYU (New York, NY) vs. USC School of Cinematic Arts (Los Angeles, CA)
In addition to the "Rivalries" list, the guide also contains invaluable admissions information revealed in such articles as "Reality Check," in which a leading admissions officer explains how students who try to “game the system” are only hurting themselves; "From the President’s Office,” in which longtime Barnard College President Judith R. Shapiro (who stepped down in 2008) reflects on how the college experience and admissions process has changed – from the tech revolution to "helicopter parents”; and “A Rush to Go Global,” in which readers will learn why study abroad programs continue to flourish despite the geopolitical climate and economic downturn. And in the keynote essay, an incoming college freshman has “The Final Word” as he shares lessons learned from his personal odyssey through the marathon known as the college admissions process.
The 266-page guide will be available in bookstores and can also be ordered on Kaplan’s Web site (http://www.kaptest.com/store) or by calling toll-free 1-800-KAP-ITEM.
About Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
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 and software, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and college and graduate admissions consulting services.
About Newsweek
Founded in 1933, Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, culture, science and technology, and arts and entertainment. Headquartered in New York, Newsweek has 20 bureaus located in the U.S. and around the globe. In addition to its U.S. edition, Newsweek publishes three English-language editions overseas and is the only news magazine with six weekly local-language editions—in Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Arabic Chinese and Russian. Newsweek’s worldwide circulation is more than 3.5 million and a total readership of more than 21 million. 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.
Newsweek.com, launched in Oct. 1998, offers daily news updates, Web-only columns from Newsweek’s top writers, photo galleries, audio and video reports from correspondents, podcasts, mobile content and archives as well as all content from the weekly print edition. The site has won more than 20 awards since 2002 and has been nominated twice for a National Magazine Award.
