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Indian teen, 17, shares Stanford rejection email, finds strength in 'bittersweet day' with major milestones
17-year-old Indian teen shared his Stanford rejection on X, highlighting achievements like 220k users, 2M impressions, and a $10k grant approval.
In a turn of events, a 17-year-old Indian teen, shared his Stanford University rejection email on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, sparking a wave of encouragement. Using the handle @aaryankushwahh, Aaryan Singh Kushwah, posted three images—one showing the rejection email, while the other two highlighted impressive analytics related to his entrepreneurial journey.
(Also read: ‘Thanos of LinkedIn’: Profile with Oxford, Harvard and Stanford degrees goes viral)
A bittersweet milestone
Kushwah’s post was shared with the caption:
"Bittersweet day, rejected from Stanford, hit 220k total users, hit our first 2 million impression day, $10k emergent grant got approved. 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."
The Stanford rejection email, addressed to Kushwah, conveyed the university’s regret at being unable to offer him admission while praising the promise and dedication reflected in his application. The letter, signed by Richard H. Shaw, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, noted, “We wish we had more space in the first-year class,” and emphasised the competitive nature of the selection process.
Despite the disappointment, Kushwah’s analytics showcased impressive milestones: achieving 220,000 total users and surpassing two million impressions in a single day. Additionally, he announced approval for a $10,000 emergent grant.
Check out the post here:
Internet's reaction
The post has grabbed attention on social media, amassing over 62k views on X. In the comment section, many applauded Kushwah’s resilience and celebrated his achievements despite the setback.
One user commented, “Crazy! God's got a plan for you, man. Don’t lose momentum, keep on going!” Another wrote, “GL for other unis, bro. Congrats on 200k!”
(Also read: Indian origin student on rejection from Stanford University: 'I'm going to change the world')
Others shared similar experiences and offered support. “I feel you, man, went through something similar. It’s all a blessing in disguise—excited for God’s plan for you!” read another comment.
Some took a lighter approach, with one user quipping, “You mean you already dropped out of Stanford? Congrats! Looks like it’s going well for you already!”
