Bi-Weekly Interview: James Polulach

James Polulach is a relationship manager for Kaplan, the well-know test prep company that has “helped millions of students achieve their educational and career goals.” James has become a good friend and partner of the Communications Club, helping to sponsor events and provide us with test-prep course giveaways. We sat down with James to discuss how he’s built relationships with students and clubs across NYU and how Kaplan has created unique and custom sponsorship programs at universities. The interview has been edited and condensed.


How did you gain the position of relationship manager at Kaplan?

I play football (the Australian kind) and one of the people I played with worked for Kaplan. He recommended me for a position in Brooklyn that I didn’t end up getting. Then the position to work with universities in Manhattan came up and I got it. I’ve been with Kaplan for about 2.5-3 years.

What schools do you work with?

NYU, Columbia and Yeshiva

What different kinds of student clubs at NYU have you worked with?

All different kinds. Pre-professional, cultural, ethnic. I’ve found great ways to work with all different kinds of clubs.

Which clubs have you built the best relationships with (besides Comm Club of course)?

I’ve worked very closely with AMSA (The American Medical Student Association) and Beta Alpha Psi (the business fraternity). Those organizations naturally have many students who are interested in graduate school and test preparation. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with clubs like Psychology and Applied Psychology (another Steinhardt club).

What’s the ROI (return on investment) that you see from your partnerships with student organizations?

Helping host events is a great way to tap into our market and also help each club get their point-of-view across and showcase their club. Kaplan created the industry so I’m not necessarily worried about direct ROI but continuing to invest in our brand by helping other clubs.

What are the best forms of communication that worked with reaching out to clubs?

Email campaigns are definitely the best. Making sure that people are sending out emails, reaching out via Facebook, and updating their members about upcoming events is really important.

What events does Kaplan have coming up?

We will start running more events again in the spring, when it’s not cold out. There will be large practice tests for clubs and we will be working with Wasserman for some events. There will be a big pre-law event in April.


What’s going in Kaplan’s corporate world?

On a corporate level we’ve acquired other test companies that have similar preparation styles and that work well with the Kaplan brand. We’re always making sure Kaplan’s messages are being communicated effectively and that we continue to run events and build relationships with students.


You can follow Kaplan on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/KTPA_Careers


Edited by Sara Saldi

First meeting Great Success!

First off, thank you to everyone who came to tonight’s meeting. We had a truly awesome turnout, and we really appreciate your interest! Stay tuned for an amazing video from the meeting!
Update: Here is the video! We hope you enjoy it!



This is going to be a great year for Comm Club. We already have some wonderful events in the works, and we loved hearing your input. Studio tours and internship panels both had a great reception. Helping out with Steinhardt’s Undergraduate Conference and a potential partnership with the Women in Communications Club were also discussed.

We were really happy to have people approaching us after the meeting with more event ideas of their own. Remember that we are here for you guys, and we want to help you do what it is that YOU want to do. Please email us at nyucommclub@gmail.com with any ideas that you have for events

Also remember that we would love for you to write for our blog. Anything at all related to media, culture, and communication applies. It can be something as serious as a description of an advertising seminar you attended or as silly as a weekly report on Gossip Girl product placement. Remember, having something that you’ve written appear in an NYU blog can really help when you need writing samples to supplement your resume!

Since today’s time seemed to work for everyone, we are going to keep our monthly meetings on Wednesday nights in the middle of the month. Our next meeting will be Wednesday, October 14th at the same place and time (7:30pm on the third floor of Pless Hall). We look forward to seeing you all there!

We also really want to thank James and Kaplan for supporting our first meeting. Without their help it would not have been possible!

On Sunday October 4^th @ 12 at NYU (Room TBA), NYU Comm Club, in conjunction with Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions, will be sponsoring a campus-wide opportunity for students to take a practice GRE, LSAT & MCAT administered under simulated testing conditions. This Practice Test is a terrific opportunity for you to assess your test-taking skills while learning valuable strategies to help you ace the real test. Since the admissions process has grown increasingly competitive in recent years, a high score on your entrance exam can give you a significant edge!

If you are interested in attending this free event, simply email us (nyucommclub@gmail.com) with your name, email, phone # and the exam that you would like to take. Every person who registers for the Practice Test will earn the NYU Comm Club $1. So, if 50 people register for any of the tests, the club will earn $50. Not only does it benefit you but the club also!

Please share this information with anyone you know and have them email us if they are interested in attending!

Lastly, Look out for emails from us about upcoming events. Thanks again.

Sincerely,
The Executive Board

(Edited by Sara Saldi)