ESAI

ESAI is an AI-powered platform designed to assist students with college admissions by offering tools for essay writing, school matching, and scholarship discovery. Founded by Julia Dixon, it aims to make higher education accessible by providing affordable, AI-driven guidance. The platform includes a free plan with basic tools and a Pro plan with advanced features, serving over 500,000 students as of September 2025.

The Story Strategist tool helps students brainstorm and refine personal narratives for college essays, using prompts to spark ideas. The School Match Maker analyzes user inputs like academic interests and budget to recommend suitable colleges. The Supplemental Essay Assistant provides tailored suggestions for school-specific essays, while the Scholarship Guide identifies funding opportunities based on user profiles. The Essay Draft Editor offers feedback to polish drafts, ensuring clarity and impact.

ESAI’s strengths include its affordability compared to traditional advisors and its gamified interface, which makes the process engaging. The platform’s AI tailors suggestions to user inputs, creating a personalized experience. However, the interface can be slow to navigate, and the AI’s suggestions may feel generic without detailed user input. The Pro plan, while comprehensive, requires a paid subscription, which may not suit all budgets. Competitors like CollegeVine and Crimson Education offer similar tools, often with human mentorship, which ESAI lacks.

A notable feature is the gamified experience, which encourages users to complete tasks through progress tracking. The platform’s focus on affordability makes it accessible to a wide audience, but users must invest time in providing detailed inputs for optimal results. ESAI does not write essays for users, emphasizing authenticity in applications.

To get the most from ESAI, start with the free plan to explore tools like the Story Strategist. Provide detailed inputs to ensure tailored suggestions. Use the School Match Maker early to narrow down college options. Combine ESAI’s feedback with external reviews from teachers or peers for polished applications.