Inside: College planning apps can be a great way to your teen to use their smartphones in a productive way that will help reduce the stress around the college application process.
Getting into college isn’t what it used to be for those of us who are parents of teenagers now. It has become WAY more complicated and requires thought and planning starting from the moment they enter high school. Honestly, in some cases even before.
High Schoolers should begin researching colleges as soon as possible so they have a clear understanding of what schools will be a good fit. Why so early?
Well, depending on how competitive a school they want to go to, what kinds of courses they take will matter and so will the grades they get. Also, if they are going to need scholarships, it’s better that they understand that early so they know what requirements they will need to meet for those as well. Both for admissions and scholarships, volunteer work is playing an increasingly important role. So, figuring out what kind of community service is right for them will be another consideration.
Related: This Is How Your Teen Can Get Service Hours From Home
As students start to narrow down their choices, next comes college visits either in person or virtually. And lets not forget about standardized testing. First comes the PSAT, and then the ACT/SAT. It’s often a good idea for students to do some kind of advanced preparation to ensure their best scores. A high score on the PSAT could lead to a national merit scholarship, while the SAT/ACT impact both admissions and merit aid.
Researching and keeping track of everything for the college planning process can easily become overwhelming. But luckily today’s technology provides lots of tools to help our teens with their college search.
We’ve put them together in a list to help make it easier!
Here are the best college planning apps for high schoolers.
Naviance Student
Compare a wide range of different colleges with just a few clicks! This helpful site and app can help teens learn more about different colleges from around the country.
YouVisit
If you are unsure where you want to attend or can’t make it there in person, YouVisit is a great option! You can virtually tour thousands of different campuses and get your own personalized tour too!
ZeeMee
This app gives high school students access to a social network specifically for colleges. By getting the app and creating an account, they can gain access to all participating colleges’ profiles. It also provides the potential to connect with universities and admissions counselors as well as other students who are applying to and have been accepted to the same colleges your teen may be applying to. There is even a roommate search option for after they’ve gotten their acceptances and made their final choice.
RaiseMe
If you are looking for ways to make college more affordable, look no further! Your teen can earn college scholarships for high school achievements with no essays! Getting good grades, taking AP courses, volunteering, and more can help your teen start college with more scholarships!
SAT Practice On Kahn Academy
The creators of the SAT have actually given Khan Academy exclusive access and advice to build a personalized practice program for anyone, anywhere. These tools are free and are a great way for your high schooler to get a jump on their SAT prep so they can maximize their performance on test day.
Evernote
While on a tour of visiting a college, teens can use Evernote to help take notes while they’re there! They can also store other materials related to each campus together including pictures of the campus, important paperwork, brochures and even receipts if needed.
Google Calendar
Your teen can keep track of deadlines, appointments, and tours on their phone, so they can make sure they don’t miss a thing! They can even set up reminders, so they don’t miss a deadline and they can also share their calendar with the family to keep everyone on track.
College Mobile Apps
If your teen knows what school you will be attending, take the time to find their app in the app store! You can sometimes find more information, get tips, maps, and so much more just from the app.
These college planning apps can not only help keep you organized but help you find scholarships and cheap textbooks for college too! These will help seniors who are about to head off to college and help students who haven’t quite chosen their college yet.
And for once they’ve been accepted and are getting ready for their first year, these college apps are a good place to start.
BookBargain
College textbooks are a huge expense when it comes to college supplies. This is a great app to use always to ensure that you are getting the best price on everything from guidebooks to college textbooks! You can even take advantage of their free kindle e-book selections too!
Rate My Professors
Rate My Professors is an excellent way for incoming college students to learn more about the teachers for the courses they will taking. Learn about which professors are the best and even the classes they teach all from the app.
Raising teens and tweens can be hard, but these popular posts that other parents found helpful might make it a little easier.
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