TOP PICKS | 23 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Couragion
Individualized STEM career exploration targets students' values
Bottom line: Students identify career values and use them to evaluate STEM options.
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.
Keys to Your Future
College and career readiness course helps students think and plan ahead
Bottom line: This site will build high school students' future planning skills, but the design falls a bit short of offering a truly compelling learning experience.
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.
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.
Credly
Great how-to content, flexible features boost digital badge tool
Bottom line: A useful tool for issuing digital badges.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.