Kaplan Survey Shows Many College Applicants Consider Admissions Officers Fair Game for Facebook Friend Requests

Over 70% of Admissions Officers at America`s Top Colleges Report Applicants Have
Requested Them or an Admissions Office Colleague as a "Friend" on Facebook or
MySpace
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
College freshmen are usually eager to make new friends once on campus, but it
seems many prospective freshmen are starting that process early by trying to
become "friendly" with the very people who will decide whether they become
freshmen at all. According to a new Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey* of
college admissions officers at 401 of the nation`s top colleges and
universities, 71% say that they or another admissions officer at their school
have received a Facebook or MySpace "friend request" from an applicant.

"Social networking has blurred previously-held boundaries, especially among
those who have grown with these outlets," said Jeff Olson, executive director of
research, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. "We understand that college
applicants these days are seeking any competitive edge they can, so may think
'friending' college admissions officers on Facebook will help them. But students
need to be smart about how they use social networking sites. The reality is that
at least for now, only a small number of college admissions officers actually
visit applicants` social networking sites and these visits may not always
benefit the applicant."

Currently, college applicants` Facebook profiles are not even a factor among the
vast majority of college admissions officers; only about one in ten have ever
looked at an applicant`s profile. However, some college admissions officers have
begun to see value in accepting Facebook friend requests. Admissions officers at
Hofstra University in NY proactively invite interested students to send them
friend requests at Facebook accounts specifically created for each admissions
officer to interact with applicants.

"My stance on this actually changed last year," said Jeannine C. Lalonde, Senior
Assistant Dean of Admission at the University of Virginia. "I set up a Facebook
account for the applicants to ask questions and interact with each other. I
posted a message early on saying that I wasn't going to accept friend requests
because I didn't want to see their feeds (stream of status updates that tell
your friends what you are up to). A student pointed out that she wanted my
updates in her feed because I had tied my blog and Twitter accounts to my
Facebook account. Being my friend allowed her to monitor what I was writing on
those other sites. That's when I decided to accept friend requests."

Regardless of their approach, colleges and universities are slowly beginning to
recognize the impact of social networking in the admissions process, with 21
percent of schools reporting they are developing relevant policies - up from 16
percent last year. Thirteen percent reported already having policies in place,
up slightly from 10 percent last year.

Kaplan asked the same question in similar surveys of admissions officers at
business, law and medical schools, with varying results. Admissions officers at
50 percent of business schools, 48 percent of law schools and 31 percent of
medical schools reported having an applicant send them or a fellow admissions
officer at their school a "friend request."

The results are part of Kaplan's sixth annual college admissions officers
survey. Kaplan has been surveying admissions officers from the nation's top
colleges and universities on topical issues since 2004, in an effort to ensure
that students receive accurate insight on key trends and issues to help guide
them through the admissions process. Kaplan also conducts similar surveys among
admissions officers at law, medical and business schools on admissions topics
relevant to pre-law, pre-med, and pre-MBA students.

*About the survey methodology: for the 2009 survey, 401 admissions officers from
the nation`s top 500 schools - as compiled from U.S. News & World Report`s
Ultimate College Guide and Barron`s Profiles of American Colleges - were
surveyed by telephone between July and August 2009.

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.

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:
WPO)

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Russell Schaffer, 212-453-7538
russell.schaffer@kaplan.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009