Xircle – Create Social Circles, an app made for college students by college students!
Who knows what’s better for students than students themselves? With a goal to enhance the university experience for San Jose State students, five members of the community came together to develop an app that’ll help increase inclusivity and make socializing easier. Through months of research and revising prototypes, co-founders Seema Vora, Surabhi Gupta, Annabel Kusumo, Nanar Boursalian, Isita Bagayatkar developed the app, Xircle – Create Social Circles, to connect like-minded students together.
From an Idea to Reality
Back in 2019, CEO of Xircle LLC Seema Vora, noticed that many of her peers were having a difficult time finding people to connect with within their new school environment. In search of a solution to solve this universal problem of navigating through new communities, she put together a team of passionate students that she met in SJSU’s Software and Computer Engineering Society, who took advantage of their spare time during quarantine to make a positive difference in their community. The development of this app started as a hackathon project made by co-founders Seema Vora, Surabhi Gupta, and Nanar Boursalian in December 2020. Xircle LLC started its initial formation in January, along with 2 other co-founders Isita Bagayatkar and Annabel Kusumo. After 8 months of using their technical skills to develop this software, Xircle – Create Social Circles officially launched on August 17, 2021 with 300 users in a span of 2 weeks. Currently, it is only open to San Jose State University students, however, their mission is to expand to universities nationwide!
How does Xircle work?
Xircle – Create Social Circles utilizes smart, well-tested algorithms to match people together based on their interests and study styles. To find peers with similar interests, you will be asked a variety of questions, such as your ambition, music interest, career goals, favorite forms of entertainment, values, classes, etc. to make the most accurate matches. You’ll be able to see other’s interests and study habits, as well as being able to message directly on the app. To understand how to use the app, I’ve a simple step-by-step on how to get started:
Step 1: Download Xircle – Create Social Circles on the app store and register for an account if you have not done so already.
Step 2: Input all of your information.This involves your name, major, department, profile picture, and a short description about yourself!
Step 3: Choose between 2 features: Find Friends or Find Study Group. You can access both options on the app after setting up your profile.
Step 4: Get matched with study buddies and friends!
Being surrounded with people of similar interests and mindset plays a big role in your life because they can motivate you to be the best version of yourself! Personally, I believe this app is very well thought out and is solving a real-world problem. Currently, I am studying abroad in South Korea and was recently matched with someone studying in India! The algorithm is truly amazing, and you’ll never know who you’ll meet because they could potentially be your life long friend! Seema Vora, Surabhi Gupta, Annabel Kusumo, Nanar Boursalian, and Isita Bagayatkar have worked very hard to build a better community for us, please support them by downloading the app! Xircle LLC is also looking to expand their team, so contact them at contactxircle@gmail.com if you are interested!