BrightRoute

BrightRoute: A Next.js + Node.js career-guidance web app for Rwandan A-Level students.

🌐 Live Application: bright-route-frontend.vercel.app

🎥 Demo Video: Watch on Google Drive

🔗 Project Resources

• 🎨 Design & Mockups: View on Figma
• 📐 System Architecture: View on Excalidraw
• 💻 Source Code: GitHub Repository

📋 What is BrightRoute?

BrightRoute is a smart platform that helps Rwandan A-Level students find the perfect university programs and career paths. Think of it as your personal academic advisor that never sleeps!

🚦 How BrightRoute Works (Simple Explanation)

1. Upload Your Transcript
   Students upload their school transcripts (PDF, Word, or even a photo/scan). The system reads and understands the subjects and grades automatically.

2. AI Reads Your Results
   BrightRoute uses smart AI to "read" your transcript, just like a human would. It figures out your subjects, grades, and what you're good at.

3. Get University Recommendations
   Based on your results and interests, BrightRoute suggests university programs in Rwanda that fit you best. The recommendations are personalized for each student.

4. Ask Career Questions
   There's a chat feature where you can ask questions about careers, programs, or what to do next. The AI gives you helpful, easy-to-understand answers.

5. Everything is Automatic
   You don't need to enter your grades by hand. Just upload your document, and the system does the rest—analyzing, suggesting, and answering your questions.

6. Safe and Private
   Your information is kept secure and is only used to help you find the best study and career options.

🌟 Key Features

• Smart Document Reading: Upload any transcript format and let AI do the work
• Personalized Recommendations: Get university programs that match your strengths
• Career Chat Assistant: Ask questions and get instant career advice
• Easy to Use: Simple, clean interface that works on phones and computers
• Rwanda-Focused: Specifically designed for Rwandan education system

🛠 For Developers

What We Built With

Frontend (What Users See):

• Next.js with TypeScript for a fast, modern website
• React for interactive components
• Tailwind CSS for beautiful, responsive design
• Shadcn/UI for professional-looking components

Backend (Behind the Scenes):

• Node.js with Express for the server
• PostgreSQL database to store information
• Prisma for easy database management
• JWT for secure user authentication

AI & Smart Features:

• OpenAI for understanding documents and answering questions
• Langflow for advanced AI workflows
• Tesseract.js for reading scanned documents
• PDF parsing for extracting text from documents

Where It Lives:

• Vercel for hosting the website
• Neon.tech for the database
• AWS S3 for storing files
• Railway for AI services

Project Structure

BrightRoute/
├── frontend/          # The website users see
├── backend/           # The server and AI logic
├── tests/             # Making sure everything works
└── docs/              # Documentation

🚀 Getting Started

For Students (Using the App)

1. Go to bright-route-frontend.vercel.app
2. Create an account or sign in
3. Upload your transcript
4. Get personalized recommendations!

For Developers (Running Locally)

Prerequisites:

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• PostgreSQL database
• Git

Setup:

# 1. Get the code
git clone https://github.com/Aristote-code/BrightRoute.git
cd BrightRoute

# 2. Install everything
npm run install:all

# 3. Set up environment variables
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
cp frontend/.env.local.example frontend/.env.local
# Edit these files with your settings

# 4. Set up the database
npm run db:migrate
npm run db:seed

# 5. Start the app
npm run dev

What This Does:

• Frontend runs on: http://localhost:3003
• Backend runs on: http://localhost:5000

🧪 Testing

We make sure everything works properly:

• Unit Tests: Testing individual pieces of code
• E2E Tests: Testing the whole app like a real user
• Mobile Testing: Making sure it works on phones

🤖 AI Features Explained Simply

Smart Document Reading

• What it does: Reads your transcript like a human would
• How: Uses AI to understand different document formats
• Result: Automatically extracts your subjects and grades

Intelligent Recommendations

• What it does: Suggests university programs that fit you
• How: Analyzes your grades, subjects, and interests
• Result: Personalized list of programs you're likely to get into

Career Chat Assistant

• What it does: Answers your career and education questions
• How: Uses AI trained on education and career information
• Result: Instant, helpful answers to your questions

📊 Database (What We Store)

We keep track of:

• Users: Student accounts and profiles
• Transcripts: Uploaded documents and parsed data
• Universities: Information about Rwandan universities
• Programs: University courses and requirements
• Applications: Student applications to programs

🔐 Security & Privacy

• Secure Login: Your account is protected
• Private Data: Your information stays private
• Safe Uploads: Files are scanned and stored securely
• No Sharing: We don't share your data with others

🚀 Available Commands

# Development
npm run dev              # Start everything
npm run dev:frontend     # Start just the website
npm run dev:backend      # Start just the server

# Building
npm run build           # Build for production

# Testing
npm run test           # Run all tests

# Database
npm run db:seed        # Add sample data
npm run db:studio      # View database in browser

📈 What's Next

• Mobile App: Native app for phones
• More Universities: Expand to more institutions
• Advanced AI: Even smarter recommendations
• Career Tracking: Follow your career progress

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Built with ❤️ for Rwandan students seeking career guidance and university program matching.