The Stanford Reject
All it takes is one "yes"
During my final year at the University of Toronto, I applied to Stanford’s Bioengineering program. True to form, Stanford kept it short: three sentences, one rejection. It was the only grad school and program I applied to.
In response, I’ve drafted a “1-Year Plan”—a 365-day journey focused on building, engaging with real users, and creating tangible value (From April 30, 2025 to April 30, 2026).
Stanford said no. This blog will track whether they were right—or very, very wrong.
The 1-Year Plan
Methodology (Skip to Bottom for active projects)
1
Discover
With no institutional backing or deep resources, I’m staying pragmatic—no moonshots like therapeutics or complex medical devices (yet). Instead, I’m focused on identifying practical, overlooked problems within the research, healthcare, and biotech pipelines. These are the inefficiencies, gaps, and friction points that professionals face daily.
2
Engage & Prototype
Once a problem is defined, I shift into build mode—quick MVPs, tested directly with end-users. Thanks to the lower regulatory barriers in these areas, I can deploy fast, gather feedback, and iterate rapidly to shape solutions that actually fit real-world needs.
3
Deploy
With user-validated MVPs in hand, the final step is launch—getting the product into the hands of the people who need it most. The focus here is distribution, traction, and making sure the solution doesn’t just exist—but delivers real value.