
Apply HN: An Automated Undergraduate Advisor and Diploma Management Tool - lettergram
I would like to make an automated undergraduate advisor to improve: undergraduate advising, teacher feedback, registration, and diploma management.<p>My first prototype: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;easy-a.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;easy-a.net&#x2F;</a><p>We&#x27;ve had 670 users join in the last 3 weeks.<p>Problem:<p>If anyone has attended a university you know how challenging it can be navigate getting a degree. There are supposed to be advisors who help you, mentors, fellow students, etc. However, more often than not, you end up missing a class here or there, or take an <i>unnecessarily</i> difficult semester.<p>I went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champain (UIUC) for a Computer Science degree and we had one undergraduate advisor for over 1200 students. The advisor was great, but he easily worked 12 hours a day, and you had to force yourself in to see him. Even then, he couldn&#x27;t answer many questions because he simply didn&#x27;t know everything.<p>Solution:<p>My last semester at UIUC our UIUC advisor I was trying to find an interesting way to teach people about FOIA requests[1]. So I decided to make Easy A (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;easy-a.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;easy-a.net&#x2F;</a>)! I FOIA requested the university, and was able to build a website that displayed grade distributions, but also <i>and much more interestingly</i> predict future grades. Then, with users adding a little more information, I was able to predict the estimated workload[2].<p>The current goal is to partner with the university (as opposed to Koofers or RateMyProfessor), in order to create a more streamline solution to undergraduate advising, teacher feedback, registration, and diploma management.<p>Importantly, this would benefits to the university because it reduces dropout rate, and improves student throughput. Similarly, students are happier with better grades, an improved registration process, and diploma management.<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;austingwalters.com&#x2F;dont-be-a-fool-foia-your-school&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;austingwalters.com&#x2F;dont-be-a-fool-foia-your-school&#x2F;</a><p>[2] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;austingwalters.com&#x2F;building-easy-beta&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;austingwalters.com&#x2F;building-easy-beta&#x2F;</a>
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ModernMech
Very good idea. Are you making the data you've obtained through FOIA open?

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lettergram
Thanks!

Every FOIA request and associated data is available at a link at the bottom of
this page:

[http://austingwalters.com/foia-
requesting-100-universities/](http://austingwalters.com/foia-
requesting-100-universities/)

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garoh
Good idea. I've used ratemyprofessor and wondered why schools don't just
create a more transparent system of providing more info about the professors
(not necessarily ratings)

