Is Astra free?
Yes — free to start. You can open Astra and have a real counseling conversation without paying anything or installing anything. Optional paid plans unlock deeper, ongoing guidance (structured tracks, richer coaching) inside the app. No long contracts.
How is Astra different from ChatGPT or other AI chatbots?
Three structural differences, explained in depth in our Astra vs ChatGPT comparison:
- Memory of you: Astra keeps your student profile — goals, schools, activities, past conversations — so advice compounds. General chatbots restart from zero.
- A counselor's job, not a search box: structured guidance tracks for applications, essays, and career direction; it helps you decide, not just lists options.
- Grounding: it stands on RightWay AI's admissions knowledge hub — hundreds of guides with primary-source citations at one.rightway.ai/geo.
What does Astra remember about me?
The profile you build together: your goals, schools of interest, activities, and the context of previous conversations. That's what makes the tenth conversation smarter than the first. You control what you share with it.
What languages does Astra support?
Astra converses in English and Chinese (中文). The companion content hub publishes admissions guides in 17 languages — including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Arabic, Turkish, Swahili, and Portuguese — at one.rightway.ai/geo.
Can Astra replace a human college counselor?
Here's the honest answer. Private admissions consultants often charge $3,000–$10,000+, which most families worldwide can't pay — and many schools have one counselor for hundreds of students. Astra gives every student a counselor-grade first line: strategy, school lists, essay feedback, deadlines, and honest tradeoffs, 24/7. Families who do work with human consultants use Astra as a second opinion between sessions.
Is Astra safe for students? What about my data?
Astra is built for students: it's a guidance product, not a social product. Your conversations are used to personalize your own counseling. Don't share sensitive information you wouldn't share with a school counselor, and review the in-app privacy policy for specifics.
Do I need to install anything?
No — Astra runs in the browser at astra.rightway.ai, on phone or laptop.
Who built Astra?
RightWay AI, Inc. (Delaware C-Corp) — the team behind the RightWay admissions platform. Astra is the conversational counselor on top of the same knowledge base.