College Board's BigFuture – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

College Board's BigFuture

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

app2023

68%

WISE Score

4.6

App Store

College Board's official college planning app—functional, safe, about as exciting as a spreadsheet, but genuinely useful for juniors and seniors.

College Board's BigFuture

app

Everyone, 2023

68%

WISE Score

4.6

App Store

College Board's official college planning app—functional, safe, about as exciting as a spreadsheet, but genuinely useful for juniors and seniors.

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Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

BigFuture is the app equivalent of a well-organized filing cabinet. It's not going to inspire anyone or spark joy, but if your high schooler is navigating the college application process, it consolidates a lot of necessary information in one place.

The app does what it promises: delivers test scores, helps with college search, connects students to scholarships, and provides career exploration tools. It's safe, ad-free, and reasonably privacy-respecting for a College Board product (though they already have all your kid's data anyway).

The biggest limitation is that it's only accessible to students who took specific tests and provided their phone number. If your kid qualifies, it's worth downloading. If not, you're locked out entirely.

Bottom line: This isn't media you 'consume' for enrichment or entertainment. It's a tool. A useful one, but still just a tool. For college-bound juniors and seniors, it earns its spot on the phone. For everyone else, it's irrelevant.

Age Fit

This is specifically for high school students (13+) who've taken the PSAT or SAT, so realistically we're talking juniors and seniors, ages 15-18. It's not designed for younger students or adults beyond college application age.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Straightforward educational tool focused on college planning and career exploration. No manipulative design patterns or chaotic pacing. Models goal-setting and planning behaviors. Limited interaction features keep it focused on utility rather than social comparison.

Imaginative

Primarily a utilitarian planning and information tool. Offers career exploration and college matching, which invites some discovery, but it's fundamentally a database interface with forms and checklists. No creative expression, building, or open-ended exploration. It's a necessary tool, not an imaginative experience.

Safe

No ads, no social features, no public comments or chat. Requires verified phone number from test registration, limiting access to actual test-takers. College Board is a known entity. The 'Connections' feature links students to colleges and scholarships but is opt-in and appears non-manipulative. Privacy concerns exist with any College Board product, but the app itself is functionally safe.

Enriching

Provides concrete value for college-bound students: score access, college search tools, financial aid information, and scholarship connections. Career exploration features offer meaningful guidance. For the specific audience (high schoolers taking SAT/PSAT), this delivers practical skill-building in planning and decision-making. Not entertaining, but genuinely useful.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

One-stop shop for SAT/PSAT scores, college search, and scholarship connections—all the administrative college prep stuff in one place
Free and ad-free, which is rare for educational apps these days
The Connections feature can actually surface scholarship opportunities and colleges that might be good matches
Career exploration tools help students think beyond just 'what college' to 'what do I actually want to do'
Straightforward interface means less time figuring out the app, more time planning

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What to Watch For

Only accessible if your kid took the digital PSAT/SAT through school and provided their phone number—not a general-use app
It's College Board, so they already have mountains of data on your student; this app adds to that ecosystem
The Connections feature means colleges can reach out to your kid—some families love this, others find it overwhelming
Zero entertainment value; this is pure utility, so don't expect engagement beyond 'I need to check my score'

Conversation Starters

"What colleges are showing up in your matches? Any surprises?"
"Have you looked at the scholarship connections yet? Let's see what's out there together."
"What careers are you curious about exploring? Want to walk me through what the app says?"
"How do you feel about colleges being able to reach out to you through this? Want to adjust any settings?"

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