Zach Yadegari, co-founder of the viral AI-powered calorie-tracking app Cal AI, recently took to social media to share his disappointing college application experience. Despite boasting a 4.0 GPA and a perfect ACT score (34), he was rejected by 15 out of 18 top universities.
Yadegari's high school grades and test scores are nothing short of impressive, but it seems his essay didn't quite hit the mark. In fact, many commenters on social media agreed that his writing style came across as arrogant, which may have contributed to his rejections.
As a pioneer in app user experience, Yadegari has built a successful career, generating millions in revenue through Cal AI. This wasn't his first rodeo, either – he previously sold his web gaming company for $100,000. So, why did his college applications fail to impress?
Yadegari's essay, which he shared online, revealed that he initially didn't intend on attending college. He and his co-founder had spent a summer building their app prototype at a hacker house in San Francisco, and Yadegari thought he would follow the classic path of dropping out of college to focus on entrepreneurship.
However, after spending time at the hacker house, Yadegari realized that forgoing college would mean missing out on a significant part of his young adult life. So, he decided to pursue higher education, but his essay didn't quite convey this newfound enthusiasm.
Many commenters on social media criticized Yadegari's essay, saying it came across as half-hearted and lacking in passion. Others blamed the college acceptance system for being too focused on standardized tests and grades rather than creativity and innovation.
Despite the rejections from top universities like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Duke, and Cornell, Yadegari was accepted by Georgia Tech, University of Texas, and University of Miami. His social media post about his college experience went viral, with over 22 million views, 2,700 retweets, and upwards of 3,600 comments.
In the end, Yadegari is still figuring out his next steps, but he's grateful for the opportunity to share his story and connect with others who have experienced similar rejections. "It was interesting to see many different perspectives," he said. "Ultimately, I'll never know exactly why I was turned down. At the end of the day, when I wrote my essay, I hoped admissions offices would perceive me as authentic because that's all I ever want to be."
As Yadegari navigates this new chapter in his life, he's come to realize that business success isn't the only measure of a person's achievements. "I realized that life was not just about financial success," he said. "It is about relationships, and about being a part of a larger community."