Frequently asked

Questions, answered plainly.

No hedging, no fine print buried three clicks down. If something here isn’t clear, that’s on us; tell us and we’ll fix the answer.

How it works

The loop, what makes it different, and what one session looks like.

What is Premise?: Premise is a college and career guidance mentor for high-school students. It helps you turn confusion into clearer direction, realistic options, and small actions worth trying. You name what feels unclear, see two to four paths with their real tradeoffs, and pick one low-stakes thing to test this week. It's sensemaking before planning, the part that comes before college lists, essays, or scholarships.
How is this different from a regular AI chatbot?: A few things set it apart. It remembers what you actually said and did, every line visible and yours to correct, instead of starting cold each time. Every line of its guidance is marked: a signal, an inference, or an assumption to check, and a theme has to point to at least two real experiences before it counts. And it holds back by design: a suggestion only shows if it can say why it fits you, what evidence it used, what it tests, the tradeoffs, and a concrete next step. Otherwise it isn't shown.
How does the loop actually work?: You share what's unclear. Premise reflects the patterns and separates evidence from assumption, then offers a few realistic paths. You pick one small thing to try, with a clear plan and a fallback, do it, and mark the outcome in one tap: tried it, unclear, or didn't happen. Every reflection visibly changes what comes next, and what you learn updates a profile you can see and correct.

What it won't do

The hard lines, and why they exist.

Will Premise tell me my chances of getting in?: No. Premise never predicts admissions odds, ranks schools by prestige, or estimates your likelihood anywhere. That's a line we hold on purpose. Chance calculators reward anxiety and teach you to chase a number instead of figuring out what actually fits you. Premise is a guidance mentor, not an admissions service.
Does it write my essays?: No. Premise won't draft or edit your application essays. Your words stay yours. If essay support ever ships, it's limited to brainstorming and reflection on your own real evidence, never drafting or editing the essay itself.
What else does Premise refuse to do?: No fake passion projects or "start a nonprofit to look good." No generic "do research, join clubs" filler. No personality types or destiny claims. No unsupported factual claims about programs or salaries; high-stakes facts route to official sources. These are deliberate limits, not missing features.

Your data & safety

What we collect, the age check, safety, and deleting it all.

What data do you collect?: As little as possible. Signing up is a handful of questions about what feels unclear, what you've enjoyed or noticed, and what limits to respect, answered before any account exists. Premise never asks for your GPA, test scores, transcripts, documents, exact income, immigration status, or parent contact info. Not when you sign up, not in the free loop.
Is there an age requirement?: Yes. Premise is for ages 13 and up. You enter your birthday before any personal info is collected; if you're under 13, we say plainly that Premise is for ages 13 and up, with no workaround.
How does the AI work, and is it safe for a teenager?: Premise has firm limits built in. It marks what it's unsure of instead of bluffing, asks before sensitive areas like money or family, and keeps advice short enough to act on. We check both what you write and what it says back, and anything flagged goes to a real person, never an automatic ban. Premise is not a mental-health provider: if a message suggests crisis, self-harm, or abuse, it stops giving guidance and shows real human resources: the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text) and the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741).
Can I delete my data?: Yes, yourself. At launch your settings page has a "Delete my account" button that confirms by email and purges your rows, and a "Download my data" button that exports your profile, chats, experiments, and reflections as JSON. No support ticket required.

Pricing & access

Free, Plus, and how Access keeps cost from being the blocker.

Is Premise really free?: Yes, and the free version is meant to feel real: a personalized Direction Snapshot, evidence shown plainly, three mentor replies, one action experiment, and one reflection that updates your profile. It's a one-time starter with no monthly reset and no card to begin. Enough to get a genuine result on its own.
What is Premise Plus?: Plus is $19/month for room to keep working: 100 mentor replies a month, four deeper guidance sessions, and three snapshot refreshes. Experiments and profile updates are included, not metered separately. It's offered after you've seen the free value. No card to start.
What is the Access Program?: Access exists so cost isn't the reason a student can't get guidance: reduced-cost and free places with the same model quality as Plus. The application is a short form with a couple of sentences about your situation; no tax forms, pay stubs, FAFSA documents, transcripts, or proof of hardship. When applications open, we read each one and let you know if you're in. Asking for support is normal.

What Premise is not

A plain list, so there’s no ambiguity about what you’re signing up for.

Still have a question? Start free and ask Premise directly, or reach us at support once you're in.