Finding and applying to global universities can be time-consuming and overwhelming. But a handful of mobile apps can help ease the process for prospective international students wanting to explore and prepare for college overseas.
Here are some must-have mobile apps to keep prospective international students on track and in the know.
1. Searching for universities: Students searching for a global university can use free apps to help with the process.
The Schoold app, for instance, lets users search for more than 3,000 U.S. schools, says Allison Winston, the company’s vice president. They can search by name, location, major or career and view enrollment stats such as student-to-faculty ratio, diversity, average starting and midcareer salaries for each major, cost of attendance, available scholarships and grants, and loan information. They can also chat live with experienced coaches.
[Read about four things international students should look for in a U.S. college.]
Indian national Manasvi Jindal, an architecture major at Amity University in India, used Schoold to search for graduate programs in the U.S. After filling out her profile, she says the app presented colleges in her field and information on schools’ various programs.
“The best thing was that you’re able to see prospective colleges on the basis of fees, admission chances and salary,” says Jindal. “The average salary is mentioned, which helps me better choose a college in terms of future prospects.”
Jindal says the Schoold app and other sources led her to aim for admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she hopes to earn a master’s in architecture.
The YouVisit app is another resource for students searching for schools. The app offers users self-guided virtual reality tours with 360-panoramic views of more than 1,000 universities in the U.S., Canada and other countries.
For students interested in studying in the United Kingdom, the UKStudyMap app provides a map of the U.K. that displays all the universities and colleges. Students can search for U.K. institutions by subject or location.
2. Preparing for English-language tests: Before international students can apply to universities in English-speaking countries, they are often required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the International English Language Testing System exam, both of which measure students’ English proficiency.
Ukrainian national Kateryna Yarova says she found the free Magoosh TOEFL Vocabulary Flashcards app particularly helpful for strengthening her English language skills and preferred it over other similar apps.
[Learn four ways international students can prepare for the TOEFL.]
“It not only provides definitions of words but also gives examples of their use in sentences, which is especially beneficial for non-native speakers of English,” says Yarova. “In addition, it doesn’t overwhelm with all possible meanings of a word, focusing only on the main one that is most likely to be found in the TOEFL context.”
Yarova recently applied to Ball State University in the U.S. and hopes to study nursing this spring.
The TOEFL app she used “was really helpful for me as it contained literally all the words that I was asked about in vocabulary questions of the actual TOEFL test,” says Yarova.
She also found other free and paid apps — such as Brainscape, Vocabulary.com and Merriam-Webster Dictionary — helpful for studying English.
Likewise, there’s the free Speaking Master for the TOEFL Test app, which helps students prepare for the speaking section of the exam by allowing them to record and then listen to their voice saying the English words.
For students preparing for the IETLS exam, one free app to consider is IETLS Vocabulary — ILVOC, which helps them practice vocabulary words and includes exam tips, writing and reading examples, and audio for each word.
Another free vocabulary practice app is the British Council’s IELTS Word Power, which prepares users for the exam with practice questions and sound clips.
3. Applying to schools: Students naturally have many questions about the process of applying to schools. The Admission Table app is one free resource that provides real-time university admissions counseling and features more than 1,000 universities in many countries.
Although the Schoold app also offers counseling, Indian national Supreeth Akki says he chose the Admission Table app because he wanted to apply to graduate schools in Germany and the former app focuses on U.S. schools.
Manish Katyan, co-founder and CEO of Admission Table, says the app uses a combination of chat bots and human admissions counselors to answer questions, such as programs offered, tuition costs, test score requirements, application fees, deadlines and living expenses.
Akki says counselors helped him with the application procedures to eight German universities and one U.S. university. They also helped him polish his CV, or resume, and guided him through the process of writing his statement of purpose, correcting any grammatical errors, as well as advising him on what his professors should express in their letters of recommendation.
“They also helped me with visa procedures because there were lots of things we need to submit for the visa like the affidavits,” says Akki.
International students looking at U.S. colleges and universities, as well as 18 other countries, can also consider using Common App onTrack, a companion to The Common Application, which allows students to stay on top of the application process. Students can use the app to view a list of the schools that accept The Common Application, see their submission status, keep track of the requirements and receive deadline reminders.
“Everyone is so busy in their lives,” says Jindal, the Amity University student. “Apps are the go-to solution for when you need constant updates about your favorite universities or need quick information about a new one.”
See the complete rankings of the Best Global Universities.
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Must-Have Apps for Prospective International Students originally appeared on usnews.com
