When I started researching university iPhone applications more than six months ago, the pickings were pretty slim and the level of quality varied greatly. Times have changed. There are a slew of new university-specific apps launched in time for the fall semester. Here’s a handful at the head of the class:
The Ohio State University
The beauty of the O-H-I-O application is its simplicity. This app isn’t one crammed with news feeds, campus maps or course descriptions. It’s an application designed around being cool in the eyes of fellow buckeyes. Specifically, all it does is asks people to upload photos of themselves living the schools famous football cheer and spelling out O-H-I-O. One needs only to gather three friends (well, four if someone is going to take the picture), spell the state name using arms and legs and upload. The gallery is huge with pics from around the world. It’s very simple and, sorry Michigan fans, very cool.
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia app gets it. Why should a university dictate the information it highlights on the application when it’s just as easy to let the user decide? The UVA application asks users to define their relationship — student, prospective student, parent, etc. — and pre-populates the home screen with pertinent information. It’s audience path navigation at its best. The parent path I selected highlighted 10 features, such as UVA @ a Glance, Week in Photos, Traditions, and Admissions. There were 13 others it cut from my home screen, but they weren’t things I would have missed as a parent. But don’t freak out. Users can still get the information generated for those other audiences and customize the home screen. Hit the “+” at the top of the screen and add the features you want.
University of Georgia
I like that the University of Georgia app doesn’t try to overdo it. There are five main features and they all make sense for the mobile user — Application Status Check; Transfer Equivalency; Campus Map; People Search; and, News. The most impressive of this list was the Transfer Equivalency search. It’s robust, easy to navigate and provides pretty comprehensive list. Transferring in from the University of Alaska Anchorage? No problem. The University of Georgia can provide a complete list of the credits it’ll take and the equivalent UGA course number. It’s impressive. What I didn’t like was the campus map. It loads as a laundry list of on-campus locations. Sure, it puts your location on a related map once you choose a location, but what if I have no idea of a building’s name?
Texas State University
Add the Texas State application to the list of apps that get it. While it’s not the flashiest app out there, the information it provides caters well to the mobile student — Events, Maps, Tram, KTSW radio, Dining, Social Media, etc. It’s all the things a student would be looking for while on the go. It’s easy to navigate and integrates well with university e-mail and scheduling. The only application’s only problem may be that it’s too student-centered. Wait, is that really a problem?
Straxis
Straxis isn’t a school. It’s an application development company based in Tulsa, Okla. I’d be remiss in failing to mention the slew of university iPhone applications the company has built, such as University of Nebraska, Tulane University, University of Kansas, University of Utah, and Wichita State University to name a few. They’re all pretty slick applications with solid graphics, easy-to-follow menu items and customizable components. I’m particularly fond of the application they built for Vanderbilt University. The only problem is that after perusing two or more, they all start to feel the same.
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