17-Year-Old UCLA Student Launches ClassSwap to Simplify Course Enrollment

Joseph Borna, a 17-year-old student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has launched a new platform called ClassSwap to help students navigate the often chaotic process of enrolling in the courses they need. The platform aims to connect students who are trying to switch classes or sections with those who have a compatible need, streamlining the enrollment process and reducing the frustration associated with full courses and long waitlists.

Borna, who faced these challenges firsthand, saw an opportunity to create a solution that would benefit his peers.

ClassSwap operates by allowing students to list the class they currently have and the class or section they are trying to get into. When another student has a compatible need, ClassSwap facilitates the connection, making it easier for students to switch classes or sections. Additionally, the platform provides students with alerts about relevant enrollment opportunities, ensuring they don't miss out on the courses they need.

The platform is currently focused on several campuses, including UCLA, Santa Monica College, the University of Southern California (USC), and California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Borna sees ClassSwap as a valuable tool that fills a gap left by existing college tools, which are often limited to providing information about course catalogs, professor reviews, and scheduling.

"But when that class is full, students are often left refreshing a page or asking around. ClassSwap starts where those tools stop."

The timing is crucial during registration and the opening weeks of classes, when students are frequently adding, dropping, and switching courses. The more students from the same campus who participate, the more useful the network becomes. Borna's platform is designed to make the enrollment process more organized and efficient, ultimately helping students get into the classes they need.

ClassSwap is available at [ClassSwap.org](ClassSwap.org).