This is usually the time of year that I start seeing the prospective groups of college students beginning to tour the UMass Amherst campus, where I teach. They’re not hard to spot. They’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and usually traveling with their parents.
And, they usually get lost.
“Lost Parent Syndrome” usually consists of parents standing and pointing at a map and sometimes spinning around in circles trying to figure out exactly where they are on a very large campus.
In an effort to ease the process, a good number of universities, mine included, have their own personal apps — finding them is just a Google search away.
At my alma mater, The University of Arizona, the mobile app allows you to determine your spot on campus and find specific buildings. The app also features maps to self-guided tours and a link to courses. I checked out their journalism courses, which gave incredible detail, including the name of the professor teaching the course as well as their phone number and e-mail address.
The college search process can be an intimidating one, but the key to mitigating stress levels is to find a way to break the experience down to a personal level, and many of the apps out there are successful in doing that.
Here’s a quick summary of some of the resources available out there.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges
The Fiske Guide, compiled by Edward B. Fiske, the former education editor for the New York Times, is available both in paperback and PDF format and has a mobile application available on iTunes for $19.99. The app offers a “beyond-the-book functionality” which includes the ability to organize application deadlines while exploring the features of schools competing with one another for your child’s interest.
College Confidential
This website allows you to help filter your child’s college selections by location and suggested areas of study. There is an “Ask the Dean” section which features some basic questions posed by apprehensive high school students and their parents. The site has free mobile applications as well, but the iTunes version has not received favorable recommendations.
Peterson’s College Guide
This is a fairly comprehensive site covering all levels of the college experience, including undergraduate, graduate school and continuing education. Peterson’s has free mobile apps but the website is a gold mine of information, including a timeline for parents and students letting both know where the high schooler should be at each point during his or her high school career.
Steve Fox, Digital First Media
