Academic advising software helps counselors at higher education institutions and K–12 schools plan academic programs for students and guide students toward their postsecondary goals. School counselors use academic advising software to develop personalized degree plans and track how students progress toward graduation requirements. College and university advisors use academic advising software to boost student retention by determining which students need additional support.
Academic advising software products typically contain features that streamline the many tasks an advisor has to juggle, including meeting scheduling, course plan creation, dashboards for monitoring a student’s academic performance, and notifications that proactively flag at-risk students. Advising tools also have note-taking functions that allow advisors to keep records of meetings, make notes on a student’s progress, and schedule follow-ups. Besides planning academic programs, counselors can use academic advising software to help students tackle long-term pursuits, with career-planning tools that allow students to connect their strengths with potential career pathways and college-planning features that match high school students with best-fit colleges and universities.
Institutions often implement academic advising software alongside other systems that organize student data, such as student information systems, and software that integrates with course material, like learning management systems.
To qualify for inclusion in the Academic Advising Software category, a product must:
Be designed for use by school counselors or advisors
Allow the creation of a personalized plan for each student
Include outreach functions like appointment scheduling or messaging
Track interactions with students and their progress toward goals