Parents matter. A lot. They have long held a crucial role in guiding their children through important life decisions—none more significant than the path to college and future careers. While schools can provide support through counselors, the reality is that most of the weight falls on the shoulders of parents.
A recent survey from Niche showed that parents are the No. 1 influencers for the high-stakes college and career decisions, well ahead of counselors. Though they are the trusted advisors who help navigate this often complicated process, many parents have to do this alone with limited support from schools, according to Jon Carson, founder and CEO at the College Guidance Network (CGN).
His company’s mission is to empower parents with the tools they need to effectively co-pilot their child’s future. That’s why CGN offers a conversational counseling AI assistant—a comprehensive solution with personalized roadmaps, a resource library, nudge reminders and access to guidance through year-round live events.
Giving parents the resources they need
Carson likes to compare the college and career decision-making process to a car ride:
- The student is the driver of the car. They are distracted, inexperienced and often stressed because of the challenges ahead and the lack of necessary guidance and information.
- In the back seat is the counselor, possibly stretched thin and distracted because they are managing hundreds of students; therefore, they may be unable to provide personalized support during critical moments. And they are only human, so they need time off on nights and weekends.
- The parents are the co-pilots in the passenger seat. They want to assist but have little to no support. They might feel like they’re “flying without instruments” and lack a comprehensive “driver’s manual.”
With CGN, parents can find resources to become more effective and informed co-pilots. “Parents, who are often tasked with making crucial financial decisions regarding college, need more than just good intentions—they need top expert guidance and timely advice,” Carson says. He adds that his company provides insights from college presidents, deans of admissions and financial aid, bestselling authors like Angela Duckworth and Malcolm Gladwell, family therapists and many others across more than 100 topics.
What makes CGN different
From Carson’s perspective, what sets CGN apart from other college and career guidance tools is the depth and breadth of its resources and the credibility of the professionals that underlie them. Since 2020, the company has been recruiting and interviewing leading specialists in admissions, affordability, career pathways and parent-teen dynamics—resulting in a network of over 300 people. This network is what is at the heart of its AI chatbot Expert Virtual Assistant (EVA), previously known as AVA.
Carson claims that EVA is not just another AI assistant helping students fill out applications—its scope goes far beyond that. It’s designed to help parents become better co-pilots and supplement the guidance that counselors provide without replacing them completely. The founder adds that EVA is not just reactive; it enables CGN to proactively equip families with personalized roadmaps including checklists, key milestones and insights throughout the entire process.
The AI chatbot is available 24/7, providing real-time answers and guidance when families need it the most—whether it’s a question about financial aid at 10 p.m. or advice on choosing the right major over a Sunday dinner. “The reality for most families is that conversations about college and careers don’t happen during the workday,” Carson says. “They happen in the evenings, on weekends and during vacations—times when school counselors are unavailable.”
CGN wants to fill this gap in support by offering an accessible AI solution that is more affordable than hiring a college consultant, according to Carson. The founder claims this tool has been adopted by two states and piloted in over 100 districts across the U.S. “Finally, parents have support around the biggest financial decision a family makes after buying a house,” Carson says. “They’re not flying without instruments anymore.”
