Rejected by Stanford University,17-year-old entrepreneur bags $10,000 grant on same day

At just 17, Aaryan Singh Kushwah is proving that success doesn’t always depend on a college acceptance letter. In a post that struck a chord on social media, the teen entrepreneur revealed a mix of disappointment and triumph—being rejected by Stanford University while celebrating major milestones for his startups, 9Onine and SapienIQ a couple of days ago. Among his achievements, Aaryan announced crossing 220,000 total users, achieving a 2-million-impression day, and securing a $10,000 emergent grant.

“Bittersweet day—rejected from Stanford, hit 220K total users, hit our first 2 million impression day, $10K emergent grant got approved,” he wrote. “Tough loss but gotta come back stronger. Grateful I had the opportunity to apply, grateful I felt badly about the loss. All in God's glory,” Kushwah wrote.
His post resonated with many, as comments poured in offering encouragement and praise.

One user wrote, "Crazy! God's got a plan for you, man. Don't lose momentum, keep on going." Another added, "Failure teaches you a better lesson than any university can."

Others highlighted alternative paths, suggesting Aaryan consider opportunities like Y Combinator or the Thiel Fellowship, calling them more selective and potentially impactful than Stanford.

While rejection from prestigious institutions can be a tough pill to swallow, Aaryan’s achievements reflect resilience. Many commenters celebrated his ability to focus on the positives amidst the setback, with one saying, "Congrats on the 2 million impressions and 220K users, Aaryan! Keep going..."