-W -9 -W w 4B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Mgazine - Thursday, October 3, 2002 Applying to grad school means high costs The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazis E3 ELITE ENTERTAINMENT EXPOSIT I By Megan Murray For the Daily Three-hour classes twice a week, four-hour practice tests on Saturday mornings, review exercis- es ... are these the answers to high- er standardized scores? Even with- out the added costs and time required for test preparation, the application process for grad ua t e "students school itself can be daunt- prepare in ing. From the MCAT to the and Comm GRE to the LSAT, stu- while takii dents often prepare well advantage in advance through prep services o1 courses, prac- tice tests and help here i course books. Have these campus'.E prerequisites become stan- Career Center Grad dard or even required for high standardized tests scores? Review courses offered by Kaplan Test Prep and Princeton Review guarantee increases in standardized test scores through their online courses, private tutor- ing, small class courses and prac- tice guides. According to Princeton Review, the average increase for the GRE is 212 points, seven points for the LSAT, and eight points for the MCAT. They guarantee satisfaction and increased scores or offer the course again for free. "My prep course for the LSAT was extremely helpful. I had sig- nificant increase in scores based on practice exams and need to imeaningful pitted ways ng .of ffered to on - Tom Lehker uate Student Director would recom- mend it to anyone plan- ning on tak- ing the LSAT," said LSA senior Jeff Rich. The cost of preparation can weigh heavily on students. Kaplan Test Prep has a variety of teaching serv- ices offered, with the cheap est option being online tutor- serious disadvantage if you don't," said LSA senior Liz Zambricki. Along with the costs of the prepa- ration, students need to sacrifice large amounts of time for attending classes and taking practice tests. According to Zambricki, she studied for four months prior to the test with up to 10 - 12 hours a week outside of her prep class. In addition, she took five practice tests that took seven hours on a Saturday. "My score from the practice test to the real exam went up from about the 60th percentile to the 94th percentile. I would recom- mend the course, but people need to do the work to get the results. Just going to class won't do the job," added Zambricki. According to the Career Center (formerly Career Planning and Placement) there are many oppor- tunities on campus to assist in the application process beyond the prep classes. The center sponsors events and information fairs where admissions officials from schools all over the country attend to pro- vide information and applications. The Career Center offers coun- seling where application essays and personal statements can be cri- tiqued. In addition, the center has extensive web resources and links to many graduate school programs and informational websites. "There are many ways to prepare for standardized tests such as the LSAT and GRE. The Career Center provides information about the many options because the amount of preparation needed is dependent upon each students needs," said Tom Lehker, Career Center gradu- ate student director. "Students need to prepare in meaningful and committed ways while taking advantage of services offered to help -here on campus," added Lehker. Beyond-the costs of preparation, the actual standardized tests and applications add on to costs. Registration fees, are $175 for the MCAT, $105 for the GRE, and $90 for the LSAT. Many students choose to take the tests multiple times to improve their scores as well, which quickly makes the procless expensive. ing for $499. A small classroom course ranges from $1,099-$1,299, while a private tutor can be as expensive as $3,999. "I took the Princeton Review MCAT prep class, which was $1,600. Obviously, it was a lot of money, but since practically every- one takes a course, you are at a ANDY TAYLOR-FABE - THE EuPHio QUESTION LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT CABLE (COM)CAST THE FIRST STONE ... I believe this band sucks big time. BILLBOARD TOP 10 1. Believe, Disturbed - We believe that we will be dis- turbed if we have to listen to this album. Zing! 2. Home, Dixie Chicks - No one likes you. 3. Let Go, Avril Lavigne - Get your damn hair out of your face. 4. Nellyville, Nelly - One glove: Quirky but interesting. Band-aid: Not cool. 5. The Eminein Show, Eminem - We hope the Elvis comparisons are true and that Shady ends up with a gut, singing showtunes in Vegas. 6. Ludacris Presents Disturbing Tha Peace: Golden Grain, Various Artists - Oh, good. A compilation. Joy. 7. Stanley Climbfall, Lifehouse - This seems like it would lend itself to a dirty joke ... 8. Come A way with Me, Norah Jones - If we see one more video on the beach, we're going to poke our eyes out. 9. Paradise, Kenny G - Is this a cruel joke? 10. Unleashed, Toby Keith - God bless America: Land of the stupid songs about xeno- phobia and racial intolerance. ere are plenty of things to be mad about in this world. Between our government's collective hard-on for a war. (Motto: Well, we've got to use our cool new weapons on someone) and the plummeting economy, there are some pretty legitimate reasons to be upset. But the current recipient of most of my malice and ill-will is not the IMF or the oil companies, but the dreaded Comast, lord of the Engler- granted fiefdom of southeast Michigan. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of visiting Comcast's office in Ann Arbor, let me briefly describe the sur- roundings. First of all, I've seen bank vaults that were less pro- tected. There is a thick barrier of plexiglass between you and the drone at the desk, and the only possible contact is through a little speaker. If you need to pass something to them, there is a "Silence of the Lambs"-style drawer for security. (Remember, nothing but soft paper -- no pencils or pens.) Why, you ask, does Comcast need such extensive security for dealing with such highly sensitive and dangerous mer- chandise as remote controls and digital cable boxes? Because the only people who ever actually have to go down to the Comucast office are people who are really, really pissed off. They are either about to have their cable disconnected because they "haven't paid their bills in six months" or they have spent approximately 54 hours on the phone arguing about their charges and listening to a customer service repre- sentative who sounds like he has been drugged reading a script and refusing to give out any actual information. So the extra protection is actually somewhat warranted, for there is an increased likelihood that some incensed subscriber will grab the nearest weapon (e.g. a hatchet) and head down to the office. "You think digital cable is broken up into small pieces? I'll show you!" Can you imagine if other businesses took a cue from Comcast and fortified their offices this way? Picture this: You happily head down to the DMV to renew your license on your 21st birthday. After you make your way over the moat, past the archers and through the boiling oil, you are met by a full cavity search. It's a bleak future. But I digress,.. I would like to preface this next part by saying that I fully understand that cable installation is more art than science, and that especially in Ann Arbor, where the wirgin campus housing dates back to the Eisenhower administration. (How many of you have houses with those rotating black light switches -- all two-prong outlets - and lose power every time you do something crazy like use more than one burner at once?) There is no way to predict exactly how long appoint- ments wiltake. I understand that Welcome Week is very hec- tic and can be very ugly for businesses such as Comcast. However, it's not as if they didn't have time to plan for this. ("Oh crap, is it September already?") There is no excuse for being put on hold for an hour listening to Muzak versions of Rick Astley tunes followed by a surly and unintelligible oper- ator telling you that "the service technician will definitelv show up somewhere between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., so you should try to be there the whole time." OK, maybe it's true that Idon't have anything better to do and can and will skip class whenever I please, but how do they know that I don't have a real job and actual responsibilities and duties aside from cash- ing checks from my parents. And if you don't like using the phone, try the website - a wealth of information. This will show you how little Comncast thinks of us, because their expla- nation of how digital cable works reads like they paraphrased Mike Teevee's conversation with Willy Wonka. One of my friends, upon hearing my lengthy and colorful list of grievances against Comcast, said he found it amusing that I could harbor such deep resentment for this company and what it represents and still remain a customer. He thought that if I really despised them that much, I should stop using their services and free myself from their Vader-like grip on the cable market. He also subtly implied that I was something of a hyp- ocrite for patronizing a business that I consider to be more vile than all of the James Bond villains rolled into one. First of all, my criticisms of Comcast are not part of some damn-fool idealistic crusade against big business and evil cor- porations in general. My motives are purely selfish. So don't look at me like I'm a member of S.O.L.E. who was caught drinking an iced mochaccino from Starbucks while jogging in a Nike jumpsuit on his way to go shop at Kohl's. And second, just what am I supposed to do without cable and Internet? Sure, I can still watch "The Sunpsons" on (shudder) network TV but what about my thrice-daily dose of "Law & Order" (the good ones, when Chris Noth was still on), those sinful and delicious hours of Phil Hartman-era "Saturday Night Live." the enlightened commentary and tough love of retired sheriff John Bunnell, C.W. Jensen et al on "World's Wildest Police Videos" and let's not forget the Zeus in the pantheon of TV gods, "The Sopranos." Oh, there are alternatives, you say? I could always get a satellite dish (ha ha) or get DSL from Ameritech (Oh, stop, you're killing me). Oh, I suppose next you'll suggest that I "quit watching so much TV" and "enjoy my life." Unfortunately, I am not strong enough to carry on this fight myself We need a hero, someone who does not have the coax- ial monkey on his back, to be the champion of the cause. If you find him, let meknow.I'll be at home watching "Future Guns." -AndV can be reached at andytal@umich.edu. S 4 The cost of grad school applications will empty your wallet. EMMV~ArFOSDICK.r/LDily D~i - istCoehIi1,( Students, Faculty, and Staff mention this ad and receive 150/ off any entree Szechuan, Hunan & Mandarin Specialties Dine-in or Carry-out Expires 1 2/1 5/02 Not valid with any other offer rwI M-Th11:30-10 Fri & Sat 11:30-11, Sun 12-11 Last Half-Hour k Carry-Out Only Once the testing is completed, students still face the task of com- pleting the applications, which gen- erally include personal statements and essays. Applying to multiple schools continues to increase costs with all of the application fees. "I am in the process of applying and filling out my applications. In the end, my application fees will be over $500 added onto my $1,100 prep course," said Rich. Part of the application process for medical school requires in-per- son interviews for each applicant. Financial aid and assistance is See GRAD SCHOOLS, Page 5B W LIBERTY Z * SZE * CHUAN BIG M WEST S*ad-um CAR s WASH W. STADIUM4 2161 W. Stai0 (near Stadium & Liberty 769-5722 open 7 cLaye a wee I I Only one country in the Middle East allows all of its citizens to openly speak their minds. Israel. g oldbnd k QUALITY DRY CLEANING & SHIRT SERVICE 332 Maynard (Across from Nickels Arcade) 668-6335 i NEED A LOAN? Federal Perkins Loans: i 'A need-based loan available only to students and the low interest I rate of 5 percent begins only ' after the student finishes school. I ' Administered through school ' I financial aid offices, students' I have 10 years to repay these' ' loans. I I f 10 Federal Stafford Loans: | ' Subsidized Stafford Loans are ' need-based and subsidized by the government. Students do not' start paying until six months' after finishing school. The inter-' est rate is around 7.59 percent. ' Unsubsidized Stafford Loans' are not need-based. Most stu-' & who fill out a FAFSA are eligible but interest is accrued' while in school. Interest pay- ' ments may be deferred until' after school.I U Home Equity Loans: ' These loans are often good' options for families interested in financing students' schooling.' They have low interest rates and . usually mean an interest deduc- tion on your taxes. They also can be spent not only on tuition but * large items like computers or* travel expenses. S -- www.princetonreview.com CD PRICE-FIXING LAWSUIT SET- TLED - A federal anti-trust lawsuit filed in 2000 against five major U.S. distributors and retailers has been settled out of court for $143 million. The lawsuit accused Universal Music & Video Distribution, BMG Distribution, WEA Distribution, EMI Distribution, Sony Music Distribution, Musicland, Tower Recolds and Trans World Entertainment of conspiring to inflate CD prices and reducing com- petition and discounts between 1995 and 2000. The settlement did not require an admission of guilt from any of the defendants, and so far, the majori- ty of the companies have denied that any illegal actiuvity took place. The money from the settle- WHAT'S NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT ment will be distributed among the 41 states involved in the lawsuit and will be used to pay legal fees for the lawsuit as well as to compensate consumers who were overcharged during the period in question. PEPSI TO ATTEMPT SPACE REAL- ITY SERIES -- Pepsi is in the process of creating a reality series in which contestants will battle it out to see who gets to go on the Russian Soyuz shutle and end up on the International Space Station. Zap2it.com reports that Pepsi will be putting up $35 million for the project, which includes the $20 million for passage required by the Russian space agency. The idea for the show is not a new one. "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett was working with NBC to produce ...... . . .. . ... . .. .. .. . ... .. .......... .. . . .. ....... .. . . ... . ...... . .. .. . .. ... ... _ .. _ . . .. . . . .. a reality show called "Destination Mir," but the project was stopped in the planning phases when prob- lems began to plague Mir. In other celebrity space news, Lance Bass is apparently still interested in going up in Soyuz and will contin- ue to try to raise the $20 million. MOTLEY CRUE SINGER CHARGED WITH BATTERY - Billboard reports that Vince Neil, lead singer of the '80s hair band, was finally charged with misde- meanor battery for an April 28 altercation outside of the Rainbow Room in Hollywood during which he allegedly punched record pro- ducer Michael Schuman in the face several times, causing him to fall and fracture his elbow. The two had supposedly never met. IHE O.J. ALL STAR OF THE WEEK ho Invest in Democracy. Invest in Peace. Invest in EMINEM The rapper, along with such artists as Britney Spears and P.O.D., has joined an advertising campaign designed to discourage illegal down- loading of music. Eminem said, "... if I'm putting my heart and all my time into music, I expect to get rewarded fo that ... anybody can just throw a com- puter up and download my music for free. It could kill the whole purpose of making music." How noble. Israel. Sponsored by the Israel-Michigan Public Affairs Committee