Seventeen-year-old Zach Yadegari, the co-founder of the viral AI app Cal AI, is no stranger to success. He’s built and sold startups, generated millions in revenue, and maintained a 4.0 GPA with a 34 ACT score—yet, he was rejected by 15 of the 18 top colleges he applied to, including Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia.

The reason, he and many others suspect, lies not in his academic performance or achievements—but in his college admission essay.

Who Is Zach Yadegari?

Yadegari is the teenage brain behind Cal AI, a calorie-tracking app powered by AI that reportedly hit 1 million+ downloads and is on track for $30 million in annual recurring revenue. Before that, he sold a gaming startup for $100,000.

With this kind of résumé, you’d expect him to be a shoo-in for any Ivy League or top-tier tech school. But things didn’t go as planned.

The Essay: Raw Honesty or Red Flag?

Yadegari’s college essay, which he posted publicly on X (formerly Twitter), offered an unfiltered look into his journey—from a self-taught coder with no interest in college to someone slowly realizing the value of community and structured learning.

Key points from the essay:

• He initially rejected the college path, favoring real-world success and guidance from VCs and tech mentors.
• He experienced a shift in mindset, realizing he had become trapped in a different mold—the “dropout founder” stereotype.
• He came to view college as a space to grow socially and intellectually, saying it could help him “elevate the work” he’d already been doing.

Though thoughtful and well-written, critics said the essay read as hesitant, even arrogant, portraying someone not truly excited about college but rather checking a box. One user on X remarked, “You spent 80% of the essay telling them you didn’t want to go.”

Social Media Explodes: Reactions and Rethinks

Yadegari’s tweet about his rejections went viral, amassing over 22 million views, 2,700+ retweets, and 3,600+ comments. The internet weighed in from all sides:

• Critics: Claimed the essay tone was off, arrogant, or lacked the humility admissions officers look for.
• Supporters: Slammed the college admissions system for rejecting high-achieving, entrepreneurial students.
• Observers: Noted the essay gave the impression that he hadn’t fully convinced himself that he wanted to be there.

Even Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan joined the conversation, sharing how his own college rejections stemmed from essays inspired by Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead—highlighting how “authenticity” doesn’t always align with admissions expectations.

Accepted, But Not Where He Expected

Despite the rejections, Yadegari was accepted into:

• Georgia Tech
• University of Texas
• University of Miami

Though less headline-grabbing than the Ivy Leagues, these schools have strong programs in computer science and entrepreneurship, and could offer Zach the growth environment he’s looking for.

More Than Just a Teen Founder

In a reflective moment, Zach said he now realizes that business success isn’t the ultimate life goal.

“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.”

His candid self-assessment shows rare emotional maturity, especially for someone thrust into the national spotlight at such a young age.

Takeaways from Zach Yadegari’s Story

• Colleges value demonstrated passion for education, not just career success or academic perfection.
• Authenticity matters, but so does understanding what the reader is looking for.
• College admissions are far from predictable, even for candidates with million-dollar businesses.

Yadegari’s story is a poignant reminder that admission decisions aren’t the final word on someone’s potential. He may have been rejected by institutions, but he’s already built what many college grads only dream of.