RIDE Statewide College and Career Chatbot ‘RhodyReady’ Available for High School Students

Published on Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Interactive chatbot answers questions related to college readiness and planning; students can text “Hi RhodyReady” to 401-567-2822 to get started

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is encouraging high school students to engage with “RhodyReady,” an interactive chatbot designed to support high school juniors and seniors across the state with their college and career journey. RhodyReady can answer questions related to college readiness and planning, financial aid, SAT preparedness, and/or set up reminders for important deadlines.  

In addition, Rhody’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology has the capabilities to learn and adapt real-time, allowing the chatbot to customize its answers depending on the needs and interests of the individual users. The more users engage, the ‘smarter’ Rhody gets.  

“It is our duty to ensure students have the resources they need to prepare completely and confidently for their futures,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “We’re excited RhodyReady is available to assist our students in researching essential information, right in the palm of their hand.” 

“RhodyReady is a great example of how we are thinking outside of the box and leveraging technology to better support our students,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green

. “From text message reminders to step-by-step instructions to fill out the FAFSA, RhodyReady has the ability to set students up for success. We look forward to watching this statewide tool evolve and thank Rhode Island school counselors and all in the education community working diligently to prepare students for their next chapter.” 

This winter, RhodyReady will continue guiding students towards completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is a gateway for not only federal financial aid, but also grants, scholarships, and work-study.

“Higher education leaders care deeply about college readiness and completion rates in postsecondary education,” said Shannon Gilkey, Ed.D., R.I. Commissioner of Postsecondary Education. “Engaging high school students early with tools like RhodyReady will create a positive domino effect on readiness, persistence, attainment, workforce development, and, ultimately, sustainable income for Rhode Island families.” 

Mt. Pleasant High School Counselor Rose Thorp added, "RhodyReady is hands-on and reliable in getting important information to students and their families.” 

Students and schools can engage with and learn more today by visiting RhodyReady.

Students and families may also text “Hi RhodyReady” to 401-567-2822 to get started. 

Chatbot Command Examples: 

#help retrieves a list of helpful commands 

#language will ask the user which language to use 

#teachme is a command a user can text/chat to better identify which content needs further tuning/improvement. 

#followup will prompt an email be sent to RhodyReady@ride.ri.gov for the team to answer/follow up. 

Schools with further questions may contact the RIDE Office of College & Career Readiness at RhodyReady@ride.ri.gov. For more information on the state’s FAFSA completion resources, including FAFSA Myths & FAQS, visit www.Prepare-RI.org/FAFSA.