Yash Gulani has a theory about college admissions that cuts through the noise:

After getting deferred from Wharton ED and scrambling to write 22 applications over winter break, Yash learned what actually matters. The most interesting people at Brown weren't the ones with perfect resumes, they were "passionate about very niche things that would never even cross my mind." His blunt take on prestige-chasing: The pay-to-play model fills campuses with "people who want the prestige of the school, but don't really want to contribute anything to the culture." They know the track, they want the degree, but they miss the point.

Yash's experience taught him how to see through the stats myth:

What actually worked was building a profile with authentic range: STEM Side: Mayo Clinic Research Fellowship (oncology/gene therapy) Upper-level math, AP sciences, robotics Science fair participation Humanities Side: Latin Club & National Latin Society Classics and mythology deep-dive South Asian cultural studies at Brown Leadership & Service: Class President (4 years straight) Dreams Come True nonprofit Temple youth group & cultural camps

Yash's wanted his personal statement to be a cohesive story with a unique lens. He chose a perspective that would stand out and unite all the achievements and passions he'd discovered and explored in high school:

Starting from Indian cultural dance at age 3, he connected performance to leadership (class president), academics (challenging himself), and service (educating others). This wasn't manufactured, it was how he actually thought about his life. He took admissions teams on an introspective journey about who his is, how he thinks, and how he views his world. For supplements, here's what he did: ✅ Talked to students at each school ✅ Researched specific programs ✅ Connected his interests to what each school uniquely offered and demonstrated why it resonated with him

Perfect stats open doors, but authentic stories and fresh perspectives get you through them. Yash's journey from Wharton ED rejection to Brown success proves that fit beats prestige. The best application isn't the most polished — it's the most genuine reflection of someone who will actually contribute to campus culture. His parting wisdom for stressed juniors and seniors: "Everything will fall into place... that will make a great narrative for your story, because it's a genuine story." Hone your perspective. Find your fit. The rest follows.

Thinking about Brown, pre-med, or finding your fit? Here are a few things you could ask him directly: - How did you recover from your Wharton deferral and keep your motivation up? - What made Brown’s pre-med culture feel healthier than other elite schools? - How did you emphasize both STEM and humanities in your application? - What did you write about in your “performance” essay? - How can you tell if a school’s culture really fits you before applying? - What would you do differently if you were reapplying today?

The Captain Captains build community. They organize, lead, and bring people together with purpose. For Yash, leadership was about creating connections. As a four-year class president, he learned that collaboration fuels progress. “I love collaborative spaces and talking to people about different topics… Brown attracts that kind of person and perpetuates it.” His leadership style thrives where culture matters as much as achievement. The Genuine Article Genuine Articles win people with authenticity that speaks for itself. Yash’s philosophy is simple: be the same person on paper and in person. “It’s more important to be genuine than to fabricate something… when you get to that school, if the dean wants to take you out for coffee and talk about your application, and you can’t back it up, you’re gonna feel like an imposter.” His honesty is his advantage and his story reminds applicants that integrity never goes out of style.

Yash Gulani: You can tell who paid for a personality on paper, because that personality won't show in real life. I mean, it’s just… it’s really palpable. I think the most interesting people I met — at least, maybe this is just a Brown University thing — were passionate about very niche things that would never even cross my mind. Things that weren’t taught to us in school, things we never really came to interact with, at least in my upbringing. The best part of going to a place like Brown, or any elite institution, is gaining perspective from your peers and having those interactions. And I think the whole pay-to-play model is kind of ruining that — where you’re just getting a bunch of generic prep-school applicants, people who want the prestige of the school but don’t really want to contribute anything to the culture or the academic environment as a whole. They don’t really know what they want to do or get out of school — they just want the best degree possible. I understand why that rat race exists and why there’s hype around it — it does open doors — but I think there’s merit in going to a school that wants you for who you are. Xander Hastings: Yeah, fit is so overlooked. You can shoot for the name of a school, but finding a place where you’re actually going to thrive — a culture you identify with — that’s the key. When I toured Brown, I loved it. Everyone was interesting, friendly, phenomenal people. I totally saw myself in that community, and that’s something you don’t get unless you talk to real people. Otherwise, you miss out on that collaborative exchange. Yash Gulani: No, I couldn’t agree more. I think I realized this a lot after graduating, but the culture there is unmatched. It was perfect for me because I love collaborative spaces and talking to people about different topics — things I’m completely uneducated about. I got to live with ten of my best friends senior year, ranging from journalism majors to pre-meds to CS, and no conversation was boring. Coming to med school has made me appreciate it even more. I’ve met people from equally strong institutions who had horrible experiences, and I took Brown’s culture for granted. Brown attracts that kind of person and perpetuates it, which I really identify with and appreciate. Xander Hastings: Absolutely. What was your application journey like? Yash Gulani: If anyone knows me, they know I applied Early Decision to the Wharton School of Business at UPenn, because that’s where my sister went. It was the only thing I really knew. I visited once, loved it, and didn’t really know what I wanted to do in high school — which, looking back, made me a great candidate for Brown. I was always interested in STEM — robotics in middle school, upper-level math, AP sciences — and Bolles nurtured that through science fairs. I did research at the Mayo Clinic before senior year, which got me into oncology and gene therapy. I was also really involved in the Latin and classics scene in high school, interested in history and mythology, so I tried to balance both science and humanities in my application. When it came to picking schools, I did the generic shotgun: top-20s and state schools. I thought, “If you have a perfect SAT score and perfect GPA and pretty good extracurriculars, you’ll get into any school you want.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with perfect stats, what most of these institutions want are interesting stories and people they can invest in who’ll carry that curiosity forward. I never really considered Brown because I didn’t think I was a fit — I’d heard it attracted quirky, stoner hippies, and I was a straight-edge high-school student. But it was the best decision I ever made. Talking to a few people after getting in sealed it, especially since I was considering pre-med. Everyone raved about the culture — how classes were curved up and you were never really penalized for anything. That low-stress environment allowed me to thrive, whereas a pressure-cooker university would’ve made it hard to focus on extracurriculars and stand out beyond academics. Looking back, I ended up in the perfect place, even though it wasn’t my first intention. Xander Hastings: That’s fantastic. What did you write your essays on? Yash Gulani: My personal statement was about performing. I’ve been involved in my Indian community’s cultural centers as long as I can remember — started dancing at age three, then joined a team later on. That became the bridge into how I view everything as a platform to perform — whether academically, socially, having that hunger for learning but also showing, sharing, and educating. That was the thread that wove my personal statement. For supplements, I wrote about research, classics, and performing arts. I did my research on each school — talked to family friends, people who’d gone through the process, even reached out to you when I was applying to UChicago. Full-circle moment. Xander Hastings: What challenges did you face? Yash Gulani: Honestly, our high school’s college advising program was great in theory, but for the top 10% shooting for elite schools, it lacked data and insight. Counselors did their best, but we were at a disadvantage compared to prep-school applicants who treat Ivy admissions as a given. Guidance before senior year was non-existent, so I navigated through family friends and my sister’s experience — but times change fast. Someone who got into Harvard in 2014 might not even get in by 2020. On top of that, I didn’t submit any applications beyond my ED and two Florida schools. When I got deferred mid-December, I had to write twenty-two applications over winter break. I was cutting and pasting supplements; New Year’s Eve was rough. Xander Hastings: If you could do it again, what advice would you give your younger self? Yash Gulani: Rely more on your peers — reach out to people that are at these schools and really ask them what the culture is, what they value, what they love. If you don’t identify with those things, know it’s not a fit for everyone. Use that information to fuel your supplements and show that you’ve done your homework and are applying for a reason — that you could actually see yourself there. Admissions committees read thousands of generic applications a day; they can tell who’s applying on a whim. I never met anyone in my college career who was like, “Oh yeah, I don’t know how I got in.” Everyone had drive, passion, and had done their homework. It becomes apparent when you’ve achieved things and show that trajectory. I’d also say nurture relationships with teachers and mentors. Take a step back and be like, okay, I need to hone this relationship organically — not just because of the letter of rec, but because that person is mentoring you. That’s greatly overlooked. And to everyone panicking as juniors or seniors thinking they haven’t done enough: everything will fall into place. When you sit down and start listing out your activities and writing your personal statement, you really get to reflect and think — there were reasons why I did these things. Even if it wasn’t apparent at the beginning, it will become apparent after you sit down and think about it. That’ll make a great narrative, because it’s genuine. It’s more important to be genuine than to fabricate something. When you get to that school, if the dean wants to take you out for coffee and talk about your application, and you can’t back it up, you’re gonna feel like an imposter. Xander Hastings: What other extracurriculars or clubs were you involved with? Yash Gulani: Student Government, South Asian Dance Team, Latin Club, National Latin Society, National Honor Society, Mayo Clinic Research Fellowship, Dreams Come True nonprofit raising money for children with terminal illnesses, plus temple youth group and summer cultural camps. I dabbled in a lot — curiosity was my thing. Some institutions want one niche; Brown embraced range. Xander Hastings: What other schools were you admitted to? Yash Gulani: Brown, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, University of Florida, and University of Miami. I was waitlisted at a few but didn’t pursue them. It came down to Brown and Dartmouth. I’m not very outdoorsy; going to school in the mountains would’ve been tough. Also, the quarter system is harder for pre-meds — less time per course, shorter summers. Brown’s semester system and collaborative culture were perfect.