Zach Yadegari, 18-year-old millionaire CEO of AI company, sends open letter to Harvard, Yale and Stanford after failing to get admission

Zach Yadegari , an 18-year-old entrepreneur and CEO of the AI company Cal AI , has sparked widespread debate after sharing an open letter addressed to Harvard, Yale , and Stanford on social media. The letter comes in response to his rejection from these prestigious institutions, despite his impressive credentials, including a 4.0 GPA, a 34 ACT score, and a startup generating $30 million in annual revenue.

The open letter shared by Zach Yadegari

In his letter, Yadegari expressed disappointment over the admissions process, questioning whether traditional metrics of success are still valued by elite universities. He highlighted his journey as a self-taught coder who began programming at the age of seven, launched his first app at 12, and built a thriving AI company during his high school years. Yadegari emphasized that his entrepreneurial achievements and academic excellence reflect his dedication and potential.

https://t.co/5wK7aCEYod pic.twitter.com/3ZQ1EbZDg1

— Zach Yadegari (@zach_yadegari) April 2, 2025

The young CEO also addressed the broader implications of his rejection, stating, "If someone like me, who has demonstrated both academic and professional success, cannot gain admission, what does this say about the accessibility and inclusivity of higher education?"

Read Zach Yadegari’s open letter here
Yadegari disclosed the list of universities that rejected him and shared his college admissions essay on X. In his essay, he admitted that he initially viewed higher education as unnecessary. He recounted starting his coding journey at the age of 7, launching his first app by 12, and successfully exiting an online gaming business by the time he was 16.

My personal statement pic.twitter.com/X0SOwcpMzU

— Zach Yadegari (@zach_yadegari) April 1, 2025

18 years old
34 ACT
4.0 GPA
$30M ARR biz

Stanford ❌
MIT ❌
Harvard ❌
Yale ❌
WashU ❌
Columbia ❌
UPenn ❌
Princeton ❌
Duke ❌
USC ❌
Georgia Tech ✅
UVA ❌
NYU ❌
UT ✅
Vanderbilt ❌
Brown ❌
UMiami ✅
Cornell ❌

— Zach Yadegari (@zach_yadegari) April 1, 2025

“You don’t need an Ivy League degree…”, commented users

Yadegari's posts quickly went viral, garnering millions of views and sparking a heated discussion about the college admissions process. While many praised his accomplishments and criticized the universities for overlooking a candidate of his caliber, others speculated that his admissions essay, which initially questioned the necessity of college, may have influenced the decisions.

Despite the rejections, Yadegari has been accepted into the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Miami , both highly regarded institutions.

Honestly though, is college for startup founders? The skills you are seeking are not to be found in college. To its core, college should be for people who fundamentally want to further research and science, not job seekers. You're clearly on your way without it, do they need you?

— gooberman (@gooberdieck) April 1, 2025

this is such an insincere take and argument - you had all the extra curriculars and grades (assuming unweighted GPA) but you didn’t get into all the schools because you made a very poor character essay

it came off as arrogant and prideful with no real genuine interest in…

— arun (@xprunie) April 2, 2025