Along with the explosion in the number of smart phones in the hands of high school students, comes an abundance of apps to help them with needed tasks. CollegeApp® is the first and only interactive college search tool available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Users build a version of their ideal college characteristics using an avatar with rotating body parts that correspond to attributes such as size, location, cost, Greek life, and selectivity. The resulting list of colleges that match the chosen characteristics appears along with updated college information. You can even save your favorites and email the list to parents and advisors. With data on 600 of the most selective colleges in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, CollegeApp® helps to narrow a starting list from hundreds to a manageable number for further research. To get your copy, click on http://itunes.apple.com and search for CollegeApp.
Apps for test preparation are also widely available. You can practice daily with the Official SAT Test Question of the Day, even getting explanations of why an answer is correct. Improve your vocabulary and score higher on the SAT or ACT critical reading sections with SAT Vocab by MindSnacks or SAT SmartVocab. Both programs use games to increase your word power. SAT Flashcards offers over 5000 easy-to-use flashcards designed to aid studying for standardized tests. All of these are great for times when you have a few minutes to spare and want to make the most of your available time.
StudyBlue Flashcards lets you make your own flashcards for quick review of concepts or class notes. This is another good way to maximize your study time.
The Blue Tags Pocket Schedule App allows you to organize and keep track of all of your classes, assignments, and upcoming exams in an easy to view weekly schedule. A notification feature makes sure you don’t miss an assignment.
From McGraw-Hill AP comes 5 Steps to a 5, questions and detailed explanations that mirror the topics, format, and degree of difficulty found in actual AP exams. You can customize the App for your needs, and study just the topics that you want to review.
All of the Apps described above are available for free at the iTunes App Store. Some have upgraded information available for a few dollars more, but try out the free version first.
