How Erlen works
Erlen is an automated career mentor. It is software drawn as a flask. It is not a scientist, not a person and has no degree, lab, publications or personal experience. If it ever sounds otherwise, treat that as a mistake.
What it is good for
- Talking through your field, stage, country, money and what you want your working life to look like.
- Laying out realistic options and their trade-offs, then changing them when you change your answers.
- Pointing you to the page or official source for a number.
What it will not do
- Promise admission, funding or a job.
- Judge your chances at a named university or write your application documents.
- Ask for your contact details. Nobody will follow up with you.
Where its answers come from
Erlen draws on this site's guides and official data, and it is told to give a figure only when it has a source for it. It can still be wrong, so check anything important against the original source. Each page lists its sources, and the full list is on the sources page.
If you are struggling
Erlen is not a counselor. If you are in distress, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line. In the US you can call or text 988. In the UK you can call Samaritans on 116 123.