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Kids Find One More Reason to Ask for a New Cell Phone: A Higher SAT Score
NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- If you think your kids have tried every variation of the "I need a cooler cell phone" speech, think again. The Princeton Review and wireless application developer VOCEL have partnered to distribute a new cell phone application, The Princeton Review's Prep for the SAT. The application, available today for Verizon cell phone users (and soon for other carriers' platforms), is the latest tool designed to help raise SAT scores.
"For parents and students looking for every competitive edge for school and college admissions, a cell phone can now deliver another new way to learn: early, often, everywhere, and in bite-sized pieces. We've honestly been surprised at just how excited students are about the idea of SAT preparation via their mobile phones," said Andy Lutz, Vice President of Program Development for The Princeton Review. "Anything has a bit more cache when it involves the phone."
Taking advantage of a unique patent-pending push technology from VOCEL, The Princeton Review can deliver content to college-bound teens on their phones at any time that fits students' schedules. Students can now use their mobile phones to get interactive, hands-on practice, strategy and tips in much the same way that they'd play a game or download a ring tone. Once downloaded, content resides in the phone, so you can access your test prep even if there's no phone signal.
The content focuses on the New SAT that students will take for the first time this spring. It offers practice drills and immediate explanations for questions on a single subject such as grammar or algebra, or timed practice exams across Reading, Writing, and Math. Graphics, vibrations, and sound effects help make the lessons compelling. A special feature even allows parents to be notified about their student's progress by phone or email.
"Hype aside, our application appeals to serious students," said Lutz. "We didn't try to build some cheesy cell phone SAT game, but rather to create a robust application that delivers straight-forward SAT prep for use in students' spare time." The Princeton Review chose to tailor this service to standard cellular phones because research shows that research shows that about half of American young people (ages 13-17) are expected to have a cell phone by the end of 2004, making them much more ubiquitous among teens and college students compared to PDAs and other handheld devices.
VOCEL uses QUALCOMM's BREW solution to incorporate its cutting edge SMS "push" technology into this innovative application. The unique part of this technology is that students can choose their test prep schedule. "My 15 year old son is not yet disciplined enough to study for the SAT on his own," said Carl Washburn, CEO of VOCEL. "This technology is a godsend-SAT practice questions are automatically being sent to his phone throughout the day. The practice questions are impossible to ignore. Now he is answering SAT practice questions each day without my having to nag him to study," said Carl Washburn, CEO of VOCEL.
The Princeton Review Prep for the SATmobile phone application is currently available through Verizon's Get It Now catalog. It costs $5.75 per month, but the application will be available for free to all students enrolled in The Princeton Review Prep for the SAT classes.**
Reporters can call for review units, screen shots, or additional demographics about both the cellular phone and the test prep environments.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a pioneer in the world of education. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York City, the Company offers classroom and online test preparation, as well as private tutoring, to help students improve their scores in college and graduate school admissions tests. The Company's free website, http://www.princetonreview.com/, helps over half of university-bound students research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for their higher education, and helps hundreds of colleges and universities streamline their admissions and recruiting activities. In addition, The Princeton Review works with school districts around the U.S. to measurably strengthen students' academic skills by connecting ongoing assessment with professional development and instruction and by providing districts with college and career resources for both students and guidance counselors. The Company also authors more than 190 print and software titles on test preparation; college and graduate school selection and admissions; and related topics.
About VOCEL
VOCEL, Inc., a privately held publisher of wireless applications based on its patent-pending push technology. For more information, please visit VOCEL at http://www.vocel.com/.
* For a complete list of supported phones visit Vocel.com.
** Students will supply their own phones; The Princeton Review provides
the content at no charge.
The Princeton Review
CONTACT: Harriet Brand, Director of Public Relations of The PrincetonReview, +1-212-874-8282, ext. 1091, or harrietb@review.com
Web site: http://www.princetonreview.com/http://www.vocel.com/
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