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CGN’s AVA: Bringing 24/7 “Enhanced Expert AI” Guidance to College and Career Planning and Success

Sept 10, 2024 — College Guidance Network (CGN), is excited to unveil its latest innovation: AVA, “an expert for everyone, all in one place.” AVA is a trusted conversational AI platform that takes the power and capability of AI and puts it in the hands of families, counselors, and ultimately, students to help guide them on their college and career journey.


Co-founder Jon Carson, explains, “Our solution is the first of its kind. It gives families access to guidance on nights, weekends, and vacations when counselors are typically not in the building." CGN’s AI counseling assistant, AVA, is trained by over 300 trusted experts across 110 topics related to college and career readiness, including admission processes, financial aid, career pathways, and family dynamics.


AVA’s unique capabilities are further enhanced through its integration with the CGN’s personalized Roadmap solution which provides tailored guidance, checklists, nudge reminders, and a personalized project plan for students and their supporters—ensuring that they know what to do, when to do it, and how and why from top experts at every stage of their journey.


Responding To A National School Counseling Challenge


CGN’s personalized AI Roadmap solution was developed in response to the pressing challenges facing schools, educators, and parents, including a looming fiscal cliff affecting resources and jobs, a teen mental health crisis increasing demands on and for counselors, and anxious parents amplifying pressure at all levels of K-12 education.


Many families navigate these complex processes without the necessary tools. School counselors are working harder than ever, but most have overwhelming caseloads, leaving little time to engage with students and their parents. The rise of misinformation in this digital age further complicates matters, making it increasingly important for families to have access to reliable, high-quality content from trusted experts.


Additionally, the complexities and high stakes of college and career decisions exacerbate the stress and obstacles impacting students. While school counselors do their best to provide support and reliable guidance, families need and want more, specifically 24/7 access on nights, weekends, and vacations. CGN democratizes this access.


The Stakes Are High


Over one-third of students are dropping out of college or defaulting on loans, while 52% of college graduates find themselves underemployed within a year of graduation, according to The Burning Glass Institute. CGN is addressing this issue head-on by providing families with the trusted support and resources they desperately need to turn things around. That is what AVA delivers–accurate, expert-led guidance that empowers students to make informed decisions that lead to better educational and career outcomes.


The integration of AVA AI with personalized Roadmaps is set to transform how families navigate the complexities of college and career decision-making,” asserts Dan Domenech, former Executive Director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). “This solution equips school districts with the trusted tools they need to guide families through high-stakes decisions with confidence and clarity.” AVA is more than just an AI chatbot


AVA represents a fundamental shift in how guidance is delivered; CGN calls it “Enhanced Expert AI.” AVA is available 24/7, year-round, ensuring that students and parents have continuous access to high-quality support whenever they need it. By combining AI-driven assistance with comprehensive workflow management and expert content, AVA provides parents and students accurate and timely guidance across a wide array of topics, translated into nine different languages. CGN’s content library which powers both AVA and personalized Roadmaps covers 110 topics across four main content categories.


  • College admission

  • College affordability and financial aid

  • Career pathways

  • Parent-teen family dynamics


CGN also provides live content programming that consistently features appearances by renowned experts, including Malcolm Gladwell, Angela Duckworth, Angel Perez (CEO of NACAC), Sal Khan, Steve Spinelli (President, Babson College), and many others. This exceptional lineup of speakers provides students and families with access to some of the best minds in college admissions, career pathways, and family dynamics, ensuring they receive top-tier advice and insights.


CGN’s AVA will empower parents, students, counselors, and schools with the right information right on time.


About CGN

Founded in 2019, CGN has rapidly become the premier source for college and career readiness with several digital tools and over 300 experts contributing across 110 topics and 2,600 content elements, mostly in video format. CGN is a team of parents, recent college graduates, counselors, and technologists with the explicit mission of democratizing expertise for college and career decision making for families, schools, and, ultimately, students.


For more information, please contact:

Brennan Barnard

Media Relations, CGN

Phone: 603-545-4828

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