April Spotlight: The Overlap Project
Course registration can be a frustrating process, especially when trying to balance major requirements, electives, and general education credits. Students often struggle with finding the right classes that fulfill multiple requirements while avoiding scheduling conflicts. To simplify this process, Overlap was created—a web-based tool designed to visualize course overlap and streamline academic planning.
"I built Overlap because I was tired of the guesswork in course registration. Now, students can see their best options in seconds," founder Alan Solis Elrod shared.
By leveraging Python and Dash, Overlap provides an interactive heatmap that helps students, advisors, and administrators easily explore how different courses intersect.
Driving Cost Savings & Academic Efficiency
Many universities face financial strain when students take unnecessary extra semesters due to poor course planning. Overlap tackles this issue by making it easier to identify courses that satisfy multiple credit requirements, optimizing students’ paths to graduation. With widespread implementation, this tool could save universities millions annually in unnecessary advising, administrative support, and delayed degree completion.
For students, the savings are just as significant. Reducing time to graduation by even a single semester could save an individual $15,000 to $40,000+ in tuition and living expenses, while ensuring they enter the workforce sooner.
"Before Overlap, I spent hours manually cross-referencing spreadsheets. Now, I see everything in one place—it’s a game-changer," one student noted.
Current Development
Overlap is currently being developed for Georgia Tech, UIUC, UNC, and NC State, expanding its reach to help more students streamline their academic planning. By simplifying course selection and identifying the most efficient paths to graduation, Overlap reduces the stress of registration and ensures students maximize their credits without unnecessary delays. As the platform grows, discussions are ongoing with university administrators to facilitate its integration and optimize its impact on academic advising.
Bringing Overlap to new campuses also means refining its functionality to meet different schools’ requirements. Each institution has its own course structures, general education categories, and degree pathways, making adaptability key. With continued development, Overlap aims to provide an intuitive, data-driven tool that not only benefits students but also reduces administrative workload, helping universities improve efficiency in course planning and advising.