College Guidance Network (CGN)

High school guidance has a math problem and AI can help. Families need support all year long but schools are only in session 180 days a year. In addition, for generations, students and families navigating the college and career planning process have struggled with uncertainty, confusion, and stress. Surging college costs, AI and job disruption is putting this into overdrive. The stakes are increasing, and reliable guidance has often been accessible only to those who could afford costly private counseling.

College Guidance Network (CGN) was created to change that reality.

By pairing the power of AI with the wisdom of hundreds of national experts, CGN has built a unique counseling solution designed to support families, schools, and colleges at every step of the journey. CGN AI is different from ChatGPT on many levels. It is trained by experts and gives relevant handouts in responses the way a real counselor would do. CGN offers a best-in-class navigation platform with a set of AI college and career tools, and personalized project plans and alerts.

AI Trained by Top Experts: At the center of CGN’s platform is Eva, its AI counseling assistant, which draws on the knowledge of more than 400 leading experts, including well-known figures such as Malcolm Gladwell; Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy; and Angela Duckworth, author of Grit. It also incorporates the insights of college presidents, education policy leaders, and industry executives who understand both the present and future of work. Grounded in this collective human expertise, Eva provides families with trustworthy, nuanced guidance that stands apart in a crowded field.

No single guidance counselor can match Eva’s breadth of knowledge. Eva helps families manage five core areas that define the postsecondary journey, including admissions strategy, financial aid and affordability, career pathways, parent-teen communication, and the impact of AI on the job market. From choosing where to apply to college to understanding how technology will reshape career choices, Eva supports students and families with insights that are timely, comprehensive and relevant, and a suite of AI tools like a college list builder, an interview coach, and an essay feedback tool.

Not Just AI: Yet Eva is only one part of CGN's three-part solution. The second component is a personalized roadmap: a project plan tailored to each student's timeline, interests, and goals ; which takes the form of detailed, time-driven checklists with timely alerts that help families know exactly what needs to be done month by month. The roadmap is available in multiple languages and is designed to be accessible around the clock, on both web and mobile platforms. Families can cross off completed tasks, receive text and email nudges to stay on track, and feel confident that they are not missing critical opportunities.

The third component is live expert programming. Every two weeks, families can attend virtual office hours with Brennan Barnard, a former admissions officer and nationally recognized expert in college admissions and career planning. These sessions bring the human element to the experience, offering timely answers to pressing questions and reinforcing Eva’s guidance with direct human expertise. The combination of AI, structured planning, and live access creates a wraparound support system unlike anything else on the market.

That foundation of trust enables CGN to extend its AI-powered guidance to families everywhere, driving better postsecondary outcomes while reshaping how opportunity is discovered, pursued, and realized.