If you haven't purchased the iPhone for your college-bound teen you might want to consider it. More and more colleges are using iPhones to keep students up-to-date on assignments and college-related announcements. One school, Abilene Christian University, is giving students Iphones when they are accepted. It seems they recognize the value of this handheld technology.
If your college-bound teen, or even you, have an iPhone, here are some great apps to help you navigate the college maze courtesy of My College Guide and one of my own:
CollegeApp-FREE
CollegeApp contains 600 of the most selective colleges in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Users build a version of their ideal college characteristics using an avatar with rotating body parts that correspond to attributes such as sie, location, cost, Greek life and selectivity. After the selections have been made, a list of colleges appears that match these chosen characteristics. The results page includes the most updated specifics self-reported by each college so that the information is accurate, current and pertinent. A map appears to show location with a direct link to each college website. If you’re not interested in the avatar angle, you can get right to work by using the search feature created for parents, counselors and educational consultants.
GradeTracker-$4.99
Does your teen need a certain grade point average to get into their dream school, or to receive a college scholarship? The Grade Tracker app provides a simple and sophisticated way to keep track of the current GPA, using an illustrated graph to show your progress. The tool keeps track of grades for each class over the course of a semester, and can show you what effect the next test score will have on the overall grade.
Homework-$.99
This course management app can replace the need for a day planner, allowing your teen to take note of all of their upcoming assignments, quizzes, and tests, with the simple click of a button. Bonus: the app can even store the teachers' contact details--so you can easily jot off emails to your favorites when it comes time to request letters of recommendation.
SAT Vocab Challenge-$.99
Created by none other than the test prep maestros at the Princeton Review, this comprehensive app lets your teen turn any spare minute into an opportunity for vocabulary cramming. The Vocab Challenge offers a variety of timed multiple-choice vocab challenges, featuring 250 of the words most frequently used in the SAT. It's an ineffable way to expedite your edification. (Didn't quite get that? You need this app.)
College Application Essays Pro-$9.99
Is your teen struggling when it comes to summing up your life story in 500 words or less? For most students, the personal statement is the most difficult part of the college application process. This group of four related apps makes it easier, providing a virtual writing tutor inside your iPhone. The tools can help your teen to define the writing assignment, and help them come up with an outline for the essay. Then, if you'd rather not type up your entire essay on your phone, you can email your notes to your home computer. It won't actually write your essay for you, but it's a close second.
iCollege Guide-$.99
Lots of research goes into choosing a college, but you probably don't feel like carrying around a heavy reference book all day. Instead, the iCollege Guide app can provide you with all the information you need about schools in the United States, so it's easy to check out colleges' stats during your lunch break or any time you have a free minute. The app provides tons of details on over 3,000 schools, and allows you to bookmark your favorites to come back to later.
Pack & Go-$.99
Finally, the time has come. Your teen has applied to schools, made the choice, and it's time to go. All that's left to do is pack up all their prized possessions and head off to the new dorm. Well, your phone can help with that, too. With the Pack & Go app, you can create comprehensive packing lists from the common items listed in its database, or add your own. The app lets you create as many custom lists as you wish, including "to do" lists to cover all those last-minute errands before your bon voyage. Once you've arrived at school, you can clear your packing list--and create a new one for your first visit home.
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