Imagine being 18 years old, running a multimillion-dollar tech company, managing a team spread across four continents, and still trying to finish high school homework. Now imagine applying to some of the most prestigious universities in the world—and getting rejected by almost all of them. Sounds like a plot twist, right? Welcome to the real-life story of Zach Yadegari.

From Coding Prodigy to Tech CEO

Zach’s love affair with technology started early. By age 7, he was already a coding prodigy, binge-watching YouTube tutorials and teaching himself how to build apps. At 12, he published his first app, Speed Soccer, and by 14, he launched Totally Science, a gaming website that attracted over 5 million users during the pandemic and sold for six figures when he was just 16.

But Zach didn’t stop there. Frustrated with clunky calorie-tracking apps that required tedious manual input, he co-founded Cal AI in 2024—a revolutionary app that uses artificial intelligence to estimate the calories and nutritional content of your food just by snapping a photo. No more typing or guessing!

Within months, Cal AI exploded in popularity, racking up over 5 million downloads and generating around $30 million in annual revenue. Zach leads a team of 17 employees across multiple time zones, juggling business calls late into the night while still maintaining a 4.0 GPA at Roslyn High School on Long Island.

The Ivy League Rejection Rollercoaster

Despite his jaw-dropping achievements, Zach applied to 18 colleges—including all eight Ivy League schools plus Stanford, MIT, and Duke—and was rejected by 15 of them. Yes, the same schools that turn away a teen running a multimillion-dollar startup.

How did this happen? Zach scored a 34 on the ACT and had impeccable grades, but he believes that admissions officers don’t fully appreciate entrepreneurial success. His college essay, which questioned traditional views on education and celebrated his independent spirit, sparked a viral debate online—some said it was too blunt, others praised his honesty. In a tweet, he shared his application letter, expressing how he initially didn’t want to go to college.

Shortly after receiving the rejections, Yadegari took to social media to make his frustration public. In an open letter addressed to all three Ivy League institutions, he challenged the very structure of their admissions processes.

“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?” he wrote.

Zach took the rejections in stride, tweeting, “I wanted to cultivate a community. I guess it’s their loss. I’ll find somewhere else to do it.”

Zach Yadegari is currently running Cal AI, an AI-powered nutrition and fitness app that allows users to take pictures of their meals to estimate calories and nutritional content using artificial intelligence. The app has achieved over 5 million downloads and is projected to generate $30 million in revenue in 2025.

He manages a team of 17 employees across four continents, balancing this with finishing high school at Roslyn High School on Long Island. Despite his young age, Zach has built a successful business that is rapidly growing and innovating.

Zach chose to attend the University of Miami to combine college life with his entrepreneurial ambitions, seeking a traditional social experience he missed while building his startup.

He is actively working on improving Cal AI, including plans to add features like scanning body composition from photos to enhance the app’s capabilities.

What’s Next for Zach?

Far from slowing down, Zach is already planning new features for Cal AI, like scanning body composition from photos. He’s a perfect example of Gen Z entrepreneurship—tech-savvy, ambitious, and unafraid to challenge the status quo.

His story raises big questions: Are elite colleges ready to value unconventional success? Can entrepreneurship and academia coexist in the same applicant? Zach’s journey suggests the future of education might need to catch up with the innovators it hopes to nurture.

Zach Yadegari’s tale is inspiring, a little ironic, and fun—a reminder that sometimes, the biggest wins come from forging your path, even if the traditional gatekeepers don’t immediately recognize your genius.