WeLight
Empowering Students through AI to Navigate Higher Education Applications with Confidence
Project Overview
WeLight Tech, part of the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, aims to transform China’s $2.5B college application consulting market by expanding information access for the over one million Chinese students who aspire to study abroad each year.
WeLight is an AI-powered web platform that supports applicants throughout their graduate school/PhD admissions journey: from academic program selection and personalized preparation guidance to essay review and mentor matching. Each feature addresses a specific friction point while contributing to a unified, personalized experience. By combining AI assistance with human mentorship, the platform helps students navigate complex international application processes more efficiently and affordably.
Industry
AI, Education
Duration
1 Year (2023-2024)
Role
Founding Designer, working with data, development, and business teams
Responsibilities
MVP Design, Design Team Management, Design System, Cross-Team Collaboration
AI Chatbot
Problem
Traditional application onboarding relies on long, repetitive forms that are time-consuming and discourage completion.
Solution
WeLight GPT replaces static forms with a conversational AI onboarding experience that incrementally collects users’ academic background, work experience, and goals. Instead of static forms, it turns a typically long and tedious process into a guided, conversational experience.
Value
- Reduces friction and improves completion rates
- Helps users better articulate their experiences
- Creates a structured data foundation for personalization across the platform
AI Profile & Program Match
Problem
Applicants lack visibility into what makes a competitive profile and where they realistically stand. Choosing where to apply is overwhelming, with limited clarity on fit and competitiveness.
Solution
The AI Profile Matching feature connects users with past applicants who share similar academic and professional backgrounds. By surfacing where these applicants were admitted, it helps users better assess their own chances and prioritize where to focus their time and effort. Users can also reference successful profiles to identify gaps and opportunities, gaining insight into how to strengthen their own applications.
The AI Program Matching feature recommends programs aligned with a user’s profile and goals, categorized into reach, match, and safety tiers to support strategic decision-making. Each program is supported by a centralized information page that consolidates key details: program overview, application requirements, events, and student outcomes, allowing users to efficiently evaluate and compare options in one place.
Value
- Helps users assess their application strength more realistically and guides them where to focus time and effort
- Enables strategic application planning and increases confidence in decision-making
Matched Profile Information
Matched Program Information
Essay Management
Problem
Managing multiple essays across programs is disorganized and difficult to track.
Solution
The Essay Management feature groups essay materials by program with version history for each draft, allowing users to organize, iterate, and track progress.
Value
- Keeps application materials structured and centralized
- Supports iterative writing and reflection
- Reduces confusion across multiple submissions and increases precision and clarity during preparation
AI Essay Editing
Problem
Applicants often lack clear, contextual feedback on how to improve their essays.
Solution
The AI Essay Editing feature provides targeted feedback on users’ application materials by analyzing writing content and tone, personal background, and program-specific preferences. It highlights strengths and areas for improvement, helping users understand how well their essays align with expectations and where they can improve.
Seamlessly integrated with Essay Management, users can edit, iterate, and save new versions in place, making the revision process more efficient and structured.
Value
- Highlights strengths and gaps in writing
- Improves alignment with program expectations
- Enables fast iteration through integration with essay management
Personal Dashboard Tracking Progress
Problem
Applicants struggle to manage deadlines, requirements, and progress across multiple applications.
Solution
The Personal Dashboard serves as a centralized hub that connects all features and helps users track their application progress. It surfaces key deadlines for each program, while an automatically generated application checklist outlines requirements and visualizes progress through completion indicators. A built-in to-do list allows users to manage tasks and set email reminders.
Value
- Keeps users organized and on track
- Provides a clear view of progress and priorities
- Connects all features into a cohesive workflow
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