OpenAI: College Planner and Study Tools for Teens

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Key Takeaways

1OpenAI is preparing College Planner to help high school students structure their applications

2New study tools are being rolled out, including multi-photo PDF capture on iOS and flashcards

3ChatGPT for Teens shows an average usage time of less than 15 minutes per day and strong use of learning features

4A three-year partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital aims to involve youth in AI design starting in the 2026–27 school year

💡Why it matters — OpenAI is focusing on educational support for teens with dedicated tools and directly involving young people in the evolution of its services.

OpenAI details the use of ChatGPT by those under 18 and prepares College Planner, an assistant for tracking college applications. The company is also rolling out multi-photo capture in PDF format and flashcards, and is collaborating with Boston Children’s Hospital to incorporate young voices into AI design.

A program at Boston Children’s Hospital mobilizes 22 youth in 2026–27

OpenAI is supporting the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and its Student Advisory Council over three years to gather direct feedback from young people on the integration of AI into their lives and to give them a role in its design. For the 2026–27 school year, the Lab plans to bring together around 22 students divided into two groups: about 12 young people aged 14 to 18 will work on digital wellness projects in their communities, and around 10 aged 16 to 20 will focus on creating AI chatbots and emerging technologies.

Concrete study tools are coming: multi-photo PDFs on iOS, Android in preparation

According to OpenAI, some students could spend several hours photographing and transferring their notes to ChatGPT. Continuous capture now allows users to take multiple pictures of notes and automatically compile them into a single PDF, ready to be sent to ChatGPT. This option is available on iOS, with an Android version in development. OpenAI also plans to add flashcards to help teenagers study: a student can upload their notes or choose a topic, and ChatGPT will generate study cards or quizzes based on the content.

College Planner announced to structure applications and financial aid

OpenAI plans to soon add College Planner to ChatGPT for teenagers. This tool is designed to help organize the practical steps of college applications, without replacing personal choices of institutions. The goal is to make support more accessible, regardless of financial means, in addition to local advice. College Planner will consolidate requirements, deadlines, tasks, and financial aid steps for the schools on the student's list, with progress tracking, a calendar, and the ability to ask questions at each stage. It will also help understand study financing by tracking each school's aid deadlines and exploring scholarships and fee waivers.

Controlled usage: an average of less than 15 minutes per day, integrated reminders

ChatGPT for teenagers includes reminders to encourage breaks. According to OpenAI, the average daily usage time remains below 15 minutes. Less than 2% of teenagers use the platform for more than three consecutive hours, and in nearly half of the discussions where a break reminder is displayed, an interruption or end of the conversation occurs within the next five minutes. OpenAI compares these figures with an average of five hours per day on social media and describes ChatGPT as a tool intended for learning, creation, and creativity, as opposed to passive scrolling.

Declared adoption and reach: 1.2 billion users and massive academic usage

ChatGPT for teenagers is automatically applied to accounts identified as having users under 18. OpenAI claims that young people use it to learn, explore ideas, and solve problems, and publishes initial usage results. The company claims a total of 1.2 billion users and emphasizes the need for tools tailored to the diversity of backgrounds and resources. The service is presented as designed to promote critical thinking and deeper knowledge. OpenAI reports an additional 2.7 million messages related to learning among those accessing the teen version, widespread use of tools, and popular prompts centered on idea development, draft feedback, and evidence checking. In one week, nearly 1.2 million teenagers used Learning Visualizations and over 180,000 used Study Mode. In the United States, hundreds of thousands of young people are said to use ChatGPT each week to prepare for higher education: planning applications, tracking deadlines, researching schools, and understanding financial aid. OpenAI indicates a desire to continue learning from teenagers, families, and educators, and to practically verify the effectiveness of protections as the service evolves.