Mumbai Teen Gets Rejected By Stanford, What Happened Next Will Blow Your Mind

Aaryan Singh Kushwah, a 17-year-old entrepreneur from Mumbai, reflected “bittersweet” after getting rejected at Stanford University on December 14. But despite the rejection, the teen’s achievements tell a story of a future so bright that he could celebrate great milestones in his entrepreneurial journey along with the rejection.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kushwah shared his day of mixed emotions. While receiving a rejection email from Stanford, he also recorded 2 million online impressions, attracted over 2.2 lakh users to his analytics platform, and secured a $10,000 grant from Emergent Ventures—all within 24 hours.

“Tough loss but gotta come back stronger. Thanks that I got to attempt. Thanks that I feel lousy about the loss. All good things come in God’s good glory,” Kushwah posted on his social media about this whole incident.

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As expressed by Richard H. Shaw, the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Stanford, “I am very sorry to let you know we are unable to offer you admission to Stanford,” stated in his rejection email. He underlined the thoughtful consideration given to the application, adding, “We were inspired by the hopes and dreams your application represents. We were humbled by the talent, commitment, and heart you bring to your academics, extracurricular activities, work, and family responsibilities. In simple terms, we wish we had space in the first-year class.

Shaw further said that the decision was not easy and explained Stanford’s policy does not have a way to appeal it and effectively closes the door for this cycle.

Although the rejection was disappointing, Kushwah is optimistic about his future. His entrepreneurial ventures include creating ’90nine’, which he describes as “India’s largest student-led internet journalism and publishing agency,” and the Mumbai Debate Society. His efforts brought in recognition and financial support via this fellowship grant, so victory is not so far for him.

The updates of Kushwah, in dual terms, represent both the struggles and triumphs of his journey, highlighting the resilience needed to turn obstacles into opportunities.