WHY A HIGH SCHOOLER BUILT THIS
BalanceBoard was built by a high school student — not a startup, not a company, not an adult who vaguely remembers what school was like. A student who was dealing with the exact same problems and couldn't find an app that actually fit.
The honest version of how this started
Sophomore year, I burned out. Not dramatically — it happened slowly. I was keeping up with everything, until I wasn't. Assignments started slipping. Sleep got worse. I stopped caring about things I used to care about. By the time I realized what was happening, I'd already been running on empty for weeks.
The worst part wasn't the workload itself — it was that I couldn't see it coming. I had no way to look at a week and know that it was going to wreck me before it did. And every app I tried treated school and mental health like two completely separate things, which doesn't match how it actually works. When you're drowning in homework, your stress goes up. When your stress is through the roof, your homework gets worse. They're the same problem.
So I built something. Started as a personal project just to solve my own problem. Added Google Classroom sync because copying assignments manually was the first thing I stopped doing when I was overwhelmed. Added the wellness check-in because I wanted early warning instead of crash-and-burn. Built the study planner because a homework list without a plan is just a longer source of anxiety.
It was always built by a high school student, for high school students. That's not a marketing angle — it's literally the reason the features are what they are.
What BalanceBoard actually is
Homework tracker
Syncs with Google Classroom so your assignments show up automatically. No copying things over manually.
Study planner
Block study sessions alongside your homework deadlines so you're not cramming the night before.
Wellness check-in
A daily 10-second check-in on stress, sleep, and mood. Builds a picture over time so you catch burnout early.
One place for both
Your academic load and your wellbeing on the same screen — because they affect each other constantly.
What this is not
- —Not therapy, not a medical tool, not a replacement for talking to an actual counselor.
- —Not built by a company that ran a focus group with twelve teenagers and called it "research."
- —Not designed to be addictive — there's no streak anxiety, no guilt for missing a day.
- —Not a perfect app. It's built by a student in high school, actively being improved.
Frequently asked questions
Who built BalanceBoard?
BalanceBoard was built by a high school student who was frustrated with existing homework and study apps that didn't fit how high school actually works. The app started as a personal project and grew from there.
Is BalanceBoard actually built by a student?
Yes. It started as a personal project to solve a real problem — juggling AP classes, extracurriculars, and trying to stay sane. The whole thing was built by a high schooler who was living the same problem the app is trying to solve.
Why did a high school student build a wellness app?
Because I burned out sophomore year without seeing it coming. I realized that homework trackers and wellness apps were treated like two separate things, but they're the same problem — when you're overloaded, your stress goes up. I wanted one place that could see both.
Is BalanceBoard still being actively developed?
Yes. Features are added based on what students actually need — mostly from feedback and from my own experience still being in high school.
Try it yourself
Free for students. Takes 30 seconds to start. No credit card, no trial period on core features.
Get started free →Read the student blog or learn about the wellness features.