Uni Counsel

Inspiration

Every year, thousands of international students pay exorbitant fees for private university counselling due to the overwhelming number of universities worldwide and the lack of easily accessible information. On average, international students apply to around 30 universities, often across multiple countries. Personally, our team members applied to universities in seven different countries and had to spend a minimum of £1000 on counselling services.

To alleviate this financial and informational burden, we created Uni Counsel — an AI-powered university counselling web app designed to help students worldwide navigate the university application process more efficiently and affordably.

What it does

Uni Counsel takes input from users, such as their preferred country, subjects, tuition fees, and other criteria, and provides a tailored list of suitable universities. Users can add universities to their wishlist based on different sets of preferences, allowing them to refine their choices dynamically. The app is integrated with Claude, which helps generate university recommendations based on the given inputs.

How we built it

Frontend: Developed using React with Bootstrap for a sleek yet simple user interface.
Backend: Implemented using C++, Python, and Flask.
Database: SQLite was used for data storage and management.
AI Integration: Connected to Claude to generate university recommendations based on user input.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating multiple programming languages into a cohesive full-stack application.
Learning and implementing C++ for backend functionalities, as it was a new language for us.
Ensuring smooth communication between the frontend, backend, and AI-powered recommendation system.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully integrating various programming languages into a fully functional and user-friendly web app.
Implementing an AI-powered university recommendation system that can assist students worldwide.
Developing a scalable solution that has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of university counselling.

What we learned

Full-stack web development, from frontend UI design to backend API implementation.
Working with multiple programming languages in a single project and ensuring seamless interoperability.
The importance of designing scalable AI-driven applications for real-world use cases.

What's next for Uni Counsel

Enhanced AI Personalisation: Implement an LLM that learns from user choices and wishlist preferences to provide more refined university recommendations over time.
Expanded Database: Increase the number of universities and improve the accuracy of recommendations.
User Profile & Tracking: Allow users to save preferences, track application statuses, and receive personalised insights.
Mobile App Version: Develop a mobile-friendly version to increase accessibility for students worldwide.

Uni Counsel aims to democratise access to university counselling, making it more affordable and efficient for students across the globe!