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TOP PICKS | 24 TOOLS
Career and College-Prep Apps and Websites
Top Picks
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Careers and Interests
VJS Junior
Get kids excited about careers with videos and interactive animation
Bottom line: This video-heavy platform is best used as a supplementary activity to get students to explore their interests and related vocations.
Grades: K–5
Price: Paid The per-student price is based on enrollment or number of students you want to serve. The company will provide a customized quote upon request.
Thrively
Cool assessment targets kids' strengths; sprawling content overwhelms
Bottom line: A great starting point for conversations about students' strengths; skip some of the digital content.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free, Paid Thrively Starter is free. Classroom Pro is $59 per year and includes additional assessments, playlists, courses, analytics, and PD. School Pro is $799 per year and adds SIS integration.
Mindprint Learning
Expert feedback and tools designed for individual learner profiles
Bottom line: This impressive tool uses normed digital assessments to create a specific learning profile and provide authentic tools for individual learners.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free, Paid There's select free content. Starts at $10 per student for assessments; contact for details.
TryEngineering
Helpful but aging engineering career site caters to all
Bottom line: This one-stop shop is best used for helping teachers plan engineering lessons and getting students involved with the community.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
KidsThinkDesign
Projects inspire creativity; a place for kids' sharing would boost fun
Bottom line: A go-to site for teachers looking for well-presented project ideas; kids will need opportunities to share work locally.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Engineer Girl
Female engineers give girls career advice on this visually appealing site
Bottom line: Empowering tool encourages girls to explore engineering but is mostly static and best-suited for choosing courses and looking at colleges.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
JA My Way
Resource-filled prep site gets students making real decisions, plans
Bottom line: This is a fantastic, hands-on experience featuring practical advice and planning tips that'll satisfy many -- but not all -- students.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Roadtrip Nation
Outstanding site motivates kids to follow dreams, work hard
Bottom line: Incredibly inspirational, fun, and helpful guide for kids trying to figure out a sustainable, happy future.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $20-$25 per student $25 per student for the high school "Experience" curriculum, including workbook; $20 per student for the middle school "Exploration"
VirtualJobShadow
Resource-filled career and college planning site can feel overwhelming
Bottom line: Teachers and students willing to invest some time will find tons of resources in this one-stop shop for nearly all things career-, college-, and interest-related.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Paid The price per student is based on enrollment or number of students served. The company will provide a personalized quote upon request.
Couragion
Individualized STEM career exploration targets students' values
Bottom line: Students identify career values and use them to evaluate STEM options.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Paid Annual education subscription starts at $15 per user. Volume discounts are available upon request.
Pairin
Robust personality survey for students results in real-world insights
Bottom line: For educators who have the time, drive, and buy-in, this program is a great data-analysis and character-development tool.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Pairin offers discounts to educational organizations, and a more robust program is included in the subscription price. The educational subscription includes discounts for multiple users, training for staff, student and teacher tips, a curriculum focused on 55 social skills, teacher professional development, and at-risk analysis.
Portfolios, Scholarships, and College
Pathbrite
Create, organize, assess sleek digital portfolios
Bottom line: A simple PBL tool that promotes digital literacy and lets kids create flexible, accessible digital portfolios.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Bulb
Slick portfolio tool has cool features, limited feedback options
Bottom line: A neat tool for publishing online, possibly better suited to teacher content creation than student publishing.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid The free version supports 10 pages and 2 GB of storage. Bulb+, which adds unlimited pages and storage as well as Google Classroom integration, is $30 per year or $3 per month. There's also a school- or district-wide version that's $2-$3 per user with more administrative support.
Credly
Great how-to content, flexible features boost digital badge tool
Bottom line: A useful tool for issuing digital badges.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid Free; $1,495 per year for the Premier plan, which includes expanded features.
C'reer
Free app helps kids refine career search, connect to universities
Bottom line: For students who are unsure where to begin, this app helps jump-start the college and career application process.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
Great for some college-bound kids; too much pressure for others
Bottom line: While it offers resources for kids headed to college, it's hard to envision them actually wanting a LinkedIn profile.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free, Paid
RaiseMe
Proactive tool lets students earn scholarship money in high school
Bottom line: This tool takes some mystery out of the financial aid process, and the ability to earn early may motivate financially strapped or otherwise reluctant students to dream bigger.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
The College Fair
Useful app for students beginning the college admissions process
Bottom line: Guides high school students (and teachers and counselors who want to help them) who are unsure about how to navigate the search for the right college.
Grades: 10–12
Price: Free
Scholly
Find scholarships, preview college essays with pay-to-search tool
Bottom line: An approachable tool that empowers students to face the overwhelming task of financing their college educations.
Grades: 11–12
Price: Free, Paid Paid accounts are $2.99
SAT and Test Prep
Quizlet
App to find, create, use digital flashcards; website is better
Bottom line: A convenient way to find, create, and review digital flashcards, which have all the advantages and disadvantages of paper flashcards.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free, Paid For $1.99 per year, users can upgrade to Quizlet Go to remove ads and gain access to premium themes.
SAT
Trustworthy, practical SAT prep from the makers of the test
Bottom line: Kid will gain confidence as they review practice tests, videos, and SAT advice.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free, Paid Online practice questions, study tips, and a practice test are available for free on the site. Students can also purchase the "Official SAT Online Course" for $69.95 or choose from several study DVDs and books for $21.99-$31.99.
Albert
Flexible, interactive test-prep practice for high school and beyond
Bottom line: A variety of question types and on-the-spot analytics help teachers individualize test-prep practice.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free to try, Paid $11-$59 per subject for individuals; $325-$500 for classrooms with 40-100 students; $1,250-$1,750 plus $5 per seat for schools.
College Passport - SAT Edition
Good SAT review, iffy college-search guidance
Bottom line: A neat concept with useful features, but the college search's tonal bent and content undermine the app's seriousness.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
SAT Word Slam
Creative SAT prep mixes humor with well-researched word lists
Bottom line: Laughing while learning proves effective for learning words in this witty vocab app.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free - $3.99