Skip to Content
App Development
7 minutes read

Academic Advising Software

By Robert Kazmi
teacher helping a student
By Robert Kazmi
App Development
7 minutes read

Academic advising software is a tool that academic advisors can use to help ensure student success at all levels of education. However, it is most commonly used in higher education and high school settings. Academic advising software is one of the most commonly used examples of a growing technology sector, EdTech

In this post, we will cover key information about academic advising software, including what it is, why it is used, the places where it is most commonly used, and common features found in these software solutions. 

What is Academic Advising Software?

Academic advising software can take on a number of different forms, but traditionally, this management software gives counselors and academic advisors a tool that helps them plan individual learning paths, course scheduling, grade tracking, and provide general support to students to help them achieve success. 

Academic advising software not only makes the course planning process more individualized but also helps advisors and faculty track student progress. This software solution can also help students plan for their future, whether that be community college or four-year colleges and universities. 

Why Use Academic Advising Software?

Many EdTech trends have come and gone, but academic advising software continues to get regular use because it has demonstrated its immense value to advisors and students alike. The time a student graduates high school and begins higher education is an important moment in their lives. Likewise, the years spent in higher education are important for future success too.

Academic advising software is used because it helps advisors guide students to course and career paths that align with their interests and skills. Many colleges and universities rely on this software in order to accurately assist students in course planning and meeting their degree requirements

These software solutions can also be used to help identify students who are struggling academically and ensure that they get the support they need to succeed. The key benefits of these solutions vary at the various levels of education they are employed at. As we explore the most common users of academic advising software, we will see more specific uses of these software tools at their specific education levels. 

Common Users of Academic Advising Software

Today, academic advising software is used at most levels of education. The most common users of this software are:

  • Advisors at K-12 schools 
  • Advisors at colleges and universities 
  • Teachers 
  • Students 

Advisors at K-12 Schools 

Academic advising at this education level is all about helping students find the subjects and future paths that they are the most interested and skilled in. Academic advisors in K-12 schools will primarily use academic advising software solutions to help students chart their future course. 

Helping students explore their options after graduation, whether it be a trade school, entering the workforce, or going to college, is a big part of the advisor job description at this education level. Software solutions help advisors keep detailed records of all their students and track their ongoing progress as they try to meet the requirements necessary for their next step in education and life. 

Advisors at Colleges and Universities

Once a student makes it to college, their relationship with advisors changes. For one, most advisors at universities have a large number of students they work with. Academic advising software helps them keep track of all the students they work with

The other major challenge that college advisors have to handle is course scheduling. In high school, students may have the ability to take a few electives, but the bulk of their coursework will be predetermined. In college, students have a lot more flexibility in their course scheduling, but they need to make sure they take the right courses at the right time in order to ensure they are eligible to graduate. 

With a lot of specialized degree options and a number of different course options, ensuring the proper courses are taken in order to earn a degree can be complicated. Academic advising software makes it easy for advisors to guide students through the required courses they need to schedule every semester. 

Teachers 

Recent EdTech apps and academic software solutions have been creating more connections for teachers and other faculty to take advantage of. For example, high school teachers can use academic advising software to manage letters of recommendation for their students and get more involved in the advising process for students who might need extra help. This extra connection gives teachers the ability to highlight students who might require more help or attention. This is valuable because teachers are at the front lines of education and have the most interaction with students. 

This extra functionality can also benefit faculty in higher education too. Pulling professors and other faculty into the academic advising software ecosystem allows them to make notes about students they are concerned with and coordinate support across departments. This is valuable in higher education settings where there can be a lot of different departments that struggle to communicate with one another.

Students

Students are the most important part of the education system, and it is good for them to also have access to academic advising software. For students, this software gives them a chance to chart their future, see what requirements they need to meet for certain degrees, careers, or college entrance. 

Young people don’t always have a clear idea about what they want for themselves. Academic advising software gives students the chance to explore their options. 

Common Features of Academic Advising Software 

The great thing about EdTech apps is that they are using HiTech advancements to deliver awesome features for advisors, faculty, and students. If your organization is interested in creating an EdTech app, it is helpful to know what features users are expecting to see. 

Typically, academic advising software includes:

  • Scheduling 
  • Predictive analytics 
  • Collaborative notes 
  • College planning 
  • Career assessments 

Scheduling 

Scheduling comes in many different shapes and sizes. This software needs to handle everything from appointment scheduling to course scheduling.

For example, academic advising software should be able to handle an advisor’s daily schedule of appointments, allow students to schedule an appointment with an advisor, help students create a course schedule for their upcoming semester, and help simulate an upcoming schedule so students can make better schedules.  

Predictive Analytics 

Software solutions are getting the most out of data these days, and academic software is no different. Predictive analytics tools can use data to help highlight at-risk students and groups. This helps advisors and teachers provide additional support and services to the ones who need it most. 

Typically, predictive analytic tools need to be custom-built to handle the unique factors present in a campus or school setting. 

Collaborative Notes 

Colleges and universities and even some larger high schools handle a large number of students. It is essential that academic advising software has collaborative note features that allow advisors, teachers, and other faculty members to communicate about specific students and share notes. 

Collaborative notes help provide better service to students and create more visibility amongst educators

College Planning 

College planning is a big part of a high school student’s life. Academic advising software should allow users to explore colleges and their requirements. Not only should students be able to see the degrees offered, the entrance requirements, and the cost, but they should also see more specific lifestyle information unique to each school. 

Career Assessments 

Academic advising software should also give students the chance to take assessments that help them find careers based on their interests and skills. Many younger people aren’t sure which path to take with their lives, and assessment features can help them discover where their interests and skills are best suited. 

These assessments can be a valuable resource in a student’s life and really help them shape their future. 

Final Thoughts 

EdTech is an exciting field of app development. If your organization is interested in creating an EdTech app or improving your existing app to keep up with modern demands, you should reach out to an app development partner

A partner can help you create impressive academic advising software with their industry experience and technical expertise.

Girl With Glasses

Want to Build an App?

Request a free app consultation with one of our experts

Contact Us