Even though this year looks very different for students planning to attend college next year, some things never change. Typically, colleges and universities want to receive applications this month for students who want to enter college next fall. And students who plan to take the SAT or ACT exams should plan on taking them twice — once in the spring of their junior year and again in the fall of their senior year. That gives students the opportunity to get their best score, and it also requires a lot of planning and prep.
So – we’ve rounded up some useful apps to help navigate the process. All are available at Apple Appstore and Google Play.
SAT: Practice, Prep, Flashcards
The SAT is the most widely used college admissions test in the U.S. and this is one of the best apps. It includes full-length practice tests, lots of questions from the different subject areas, and an extensive database of flashcards as study aids. Students can track their progress over time and get feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.
ACT Online Prep
Many high schoolers choose to take the ACT instead. ACT test-takers can use a calculator for all the math questions (you can’t do that for the SAT) but, unlike the SAT, the ACT also includes a science section. This app includes a practice test that automatically generates personalized study suggestions, lots of practice questions, and detailed explanations of answers.
College Search Guide
It’s important to find colleges that suit your kids’ interests and preferences. This is the most comprehensive app, letting you search among most of the 7,000 colleges in the U.S. You can search by type of college, degrees offered, campus environment, cost, acceptance rates, distance from home, and other variables. The app also has a list of the top 100 colleges across different categories.
YouVisit Colleges
Once they’ve narrowed down the search, it’s an excellent idea to visit the colleges they’re most excited about to really get a sense of what these colleges have to offer. When that’s not possible, you can get a visual preview and virtual tour of more than 500 colleges across the country.
Scholarships.com
For most parents the biggest concern isn’t which college to send their kids to, but how to find the money for it. After all, college tuition is getting higher and higher every year. This is the largest and most widely used scholarship app, with a database of more than 3.7 million scholarships; and it is continuously expanded and updated. Your kids list their academic interests and accomplishment and are then matched with scholarships for which they’re eligible to apply.
Khan Academy
College work isn’t high school work. It’s much, much harder. As your kids are getting ready for college, they should stay up-to-date on their academic knowledge. If they’re a little rusty in one or more subjects, encourage them to download this app. It has 10,000 video tutorials on all the major academic subjects as well as in-depth articles and interactive exercises.
My Study Life
Once your kids arrive at college, this easy app lets them keep track of all their homework assignments and exams. They can also use it to set reminders so that they get alerts before any particular task is due.
Flashcards with Cram
When your kids sit down to study, flashcards can be a useful study tool. This app gives access to more than eight million flashcards on all the major academic subjects. They can also create their own flashcards, using text and images, and share them with study partners. They can go through entire sets of flashcards when they study or hide flashcards they already know for more effective studying.
Mint: Personal Finance & Money
For many kids, college is the first time in their lives they get to experience real independence, and that includes budgeting their money. If you don’t want them to call you every time they run out of money, encourage them to download this money-management app. It lets them track their expenses, see the balances on their checking and savings accounts, and create realistic budgets.
Check out our other articles related to going to college:
Posted in: Education, Youth & Teen
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