Teen Tech Prodigy Behind $30M AI App Faces College Rejections Despite Impressive Achievements
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Teen with 4.0 GPA who built the viral Cal AI app was rejected by 15 top universities | TechCrunch
Zach Yadegari, the high school teen co-founder of Cal AI, is being hammered with comments on X after he revealed that out of 18 top colleges he applied to, he was rejected by 15. Yadegari says that he got a 4.0 GPA and nailed a 34 score on his ACT (above 31 is considered a top score). His problem,
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A Teen Who Built an App Bringing in $30 Million in Annual Revenue Was Just Turned Down By 15 Top Colleges
Users on X suggested that Yadegari's personal statement was to blame. A high school teen behind an AI app generating $30 million in annual revenue just got rejected by 15 top colleges, including Ivy League schools like Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton. Tens of thousands of commentators on X are
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No Ivy tag needed: Rejected by Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Stanford, this teen built a multi-million dollar company
Zach Yadegari, owner of a $30 million AI company, was rejected by several elite US universities despite his 4.0 GPA. His college admissions essay questioned the need for college but later expressed a new perspective. He was accepted into Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Miami.Zach
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Exclusive | Teen tech whizzkid's company made $30m last year but he was still...
An 18-year-old with a near perfect GPA founded a business which made $30 million in its first year -- but that isn't enough to woo college counselors these days. At least that's Zach Yadegari's experience as he was rejected by fifteen out of the eighteen schools he applied to, despite a 4.0 GPA
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18-year-old millionaire CEO of AI company rejected by 6 Ivy League schools - VnExpress International
Zach Yadegari, the 18-year-old CEO and founder of a healthcare startup, revealed that he was rejected by multiple prestigious U.S. universities, including six Ivy League schools. Yadegari leads Cal AI, a nutrition-tracking app that uses artificial intelligence to analyze food images and monitor
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Zach Yadegari, an 18-year-old entrepreneur with a successful AI startup, was rejected by 15 top universities despite his 4.0 GPA and impressive business achievements, sparking debate about college admissions and the value of entrepreneurial experience.
Teen Entrepreneur's College Rejections Spark Debate
Zach Yadegari, an 18-year-old tech prodigy and co-founder of the AI-powered calorie tracking app Cal AI, has found himself at the center of a heated debate about college admissions and the value of entrepreneurial experience. Despite boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA, an impressive ACT score of 34, and a company reportedly generating $30 million in annual recurring revenue, Yadegari was rejected by 15 out of 18 top universities he applied to, including Ivy League institutions
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.The Rise of Cal AI
Yadegari's journey into the tech world began early. He started coding at age seven and had his first app in the App Store by age 12
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. His latest venture, Cal AI, allows users to take a picture of their food and automatically log the meal's calories and macronutrients. Launched in May, the app has garnered over five million downloads and more than $2 million in monthly revenue2
.College Application Controversy
Yadegari's college application essay, which he shared on social media, became a focal point of discussion. In it, he described his journey from vowing never to attend college to realizing its potential value for personal growth and connections
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. However, some speculated that his initial reluctance towards higher education might have influenced admissions decisions.Debate Over College Admissions Criteria
The rejections sparked a widespread debate about college admissions criteria and the value placed on entrepreneurial achievements. Yadegari himself expressed surprise at the outcomes, stating, "I think that entrepreneurial accomplishments may not be fully appreciated"
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. This incident has raised questions about whether traditional academic metrics adequately capture the potential of applicants with significant real-world accomplishments.Related Stories
The Changing Landscape of Higher Education
Yadegari's experience highlights a growing skepticism among young people about the necessity of a college degree for success. More than two-thirds of Gen Z believe they don't need a degree to succeed
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. This trend, coupled with stories like Yadegari's, is prompting discussions about the role of higher education in an increasingly entrepreneurial and tech-driven world.Looking Forward
Despite the rejections from Ivy League schools, Yadegari was accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, and the University of Miami
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. He remains optimistic about his future, stating that he plans to attend college primarily to build relationships, while remaining open to leaving if he feels ready to move on to the next stage of his life4
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