OpenAI previews College Planner for ChatGPT for Teens

OpenAI previewed a forthcoming College Planner for ChatGPT for Teens, which it says will organize application requirements, deadlines, tasks and financial-aid steps for students applying to multiple colleges. The company described the feature as coming soon but did not provide a launch date.

The initial experience is being designed for US high-school students in grades 10–12 who plan to attend a four-year college. Students will be able to return to a single plan, update their progress, view a timeline, see what work remains and ask ChatGPT what individual requirements mean or how to get started, according to OpenAI.

Financial aid will also be part of the planned workflow. OpenAI said the planner will help students understand aid requirements, track deadlines for each school and explore scholarships and application-fee waivers. The announcement did not explain where the tool will obtain application requirements and deadlines or how that information will be updated and corrected.

OpenAI positioned College Planner as organizational support to be used alongside counselors, advisers and families, not as a substitute for them. The company said decisions such as where to apply and what to do next remain with students and the people guiding them. OpenAI has separately outlined youth AI safety proposals for Australia.

Hundreds of thousands of US teens already use ChatGPT each week for college-planning work, the company said, including researching schools, managing applications and deadlines, and understanding financial aid. OpenAI did not disclose a methodology or independent audit for that usage figure.

Over time, OpenAI said it plans to expand the planner to more countries and cover two-year colleges, technical colleges, trade schools and other postsecondary paths.