The Lumos Fellowship is a virtual 6 week program where you receive one-on-one mentorship from builders at top universities to build a product and get your first users.
We studied what gets students into top schools. Building real products was the common thread.
Stanford
Web accessibility app (500+ users) + education startup app (50+ schools)
Stats
IB 45/45; 1590 SAT; Valedictorian; 5s on 5 APs; IBMYP 54/56
Background
Indian international (Delhi), first gen, upper middle class
Major
CS
Honors
IMO Silver; National Debate Top 10; World Scholars Cup Top 10 Globals
Extracurriculars
Built an app for web accessibility (team of 30 ambassadors, expanded to 25 NGOs, 500+ users), built an education mobile app for underfunded schools (50+ schools, drove 15 major infrastructure improvements), AI research published in a Top 25 research journal, tutoring company teaching 100+ students (built a resource website), crowdfunding: $12,000+ raised for 4 cancer patients
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by guiding you through product plus rollout, including partner onboarding materials, a small pilot plan, and adoption tracking so you can cite concrete outcomes like users and partner organizations.
Columbia
Financial education website + thesis
Stats
GPA 9.49/10; SAT: 790 Math; 1st in class; no APs
Background
Latina, from Argentina, first-gen
Major
CS
Honors
Best GPA; Yale Young Leaders Scholarship; 3rd place Model UN; Honors Scholarship
Extracurriculars
Created a financial education website, wrote a thesis on financial education, leader of a national political org, YYGS, sex ed tutor to kids
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can guide you toward building a similar public resource site around a focused topic, then help you add the pieces that make it admissions-ready: clear structure, simple interactive tools, ease of use, and a short write-up that explains your thinking.
NYU
Mental health app + nonprofit website + published research
Stats
3.6 UW / 3.8 W; 1450 SAT; 9 APs (Macro, Lang, both CS, Calc AB, Psych, Physics NM, Stat, Micro)
Background
Asian male, upper middle class, first gen
Major
Computer science / bio (applied psych + CS double major)
Extracurriculars
Published research paper with Villanova on vaccine hesitancy data, developed a mental health app, founded a nonprofit tutoring 100+ students in third world countries, founded a school club raising $1000+ for local nonprofits, president of Chem Club, worked two jobs, varsity esports (states), Depop shop ($500+ sold), coding club officer, coded a website for their nonprofit
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by narrowing your idea into one core feature, shipping a working version, and collecting proof such as tester feedback and basic usage metrics. If you also run a nonprofit or club, Lumos can help you build a simple site that tracks impact and makes it easy for admissions to verify.
Duke
Profitable app funded by AWS + Microsoft + podcast (200k streams)
Stats
4.2; 1520 SAT (applied test optional); A Levels + IGCSEs; 5 APs (4×5, AP Stats 4)
Background
International from India, high income, LGBTQ male
Major
Electrical Engineering
Honors
Finance Olympiad State Topper; city award for e-waste; selected to speak at UN (cancelled); Oxford MUN; International Economics Olympiad Bronze
Extracurriculars
Built an app funded by AWS Activate and Microsoft for Startups (profitable with lots of daily active users), internships (top 10 tech company, EdTech NPO, crypto firm), website creator for a COVID management organization, co-founder and head of school coding club, podcast with people met on Reddit: 200k+ streams
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by teaching you how to ship with a traction mindset, then supporting a basic launch process so you can point to adoption and iteration. Lumos can also help you package results clearly, such as users, growth, and what changed over time.
Harvard
Health insurance and free healthcare website + community programs
Stats
4.8 GPA; 1600 SAT; rank #1; 9 APs (12 offered)
Background
Central California, Hispanic, FGLI
Major
Bio
Honors
USC Bovard Scholar; HSF Scholar; National Hispanic Recognition; rural recognition; QuestBridge finalist + CPS
Extracurriculars
Built a website to promote free healthcare and provide insurance resources, hosted forums discussing county problems, started program helping undocumented immigrants get health insurance, shadowing at Children's Hospital LA and local hospital, coding for early detection of cancer, president of 3 clubs, VP of 1
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by turning a community problem into a usable resource site, then adding credibility layers that matter: citations, clear user pathways, language accessibility, and evidence that real people used it.
Columbia
Website for seniors on scam avoidance + county podcast + nonprofit
Stats
3.6 UW / 4.0 W; 1490 SAT; 6 APs (Enviro, Bio, Lang, Physics, Psych, Gov)
Background
~$90k/year; Black + Hispanic
Major
Business
Extracurriculars
Volunteered at elderly care center, created a website for the elderly about scam avoidance and using newer phones, county-wide podcast about local environmental issues, started a county-wide nonprofit providing clothes for people in need, varsity tennis (3x), varsity basketball (2x), 130+ volunteer hours, 30+ job shadow hours, Free Enterprise Week internship, debate club, advanced in German, selected for a medical internship (1 of 12)
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by guiding you to create a simple, high-utility site for a specific group and then helping you distribute it through real channels such as libraries, senior centers, and community orgs so you have adoption, feedback, and proof.
UIUC
Medication app + $10K raised + internships building websites
Stats
4.4 W / 3.6 UW; 1520 SAT; 35 ACT; 10 APs (9×5, 1×4)
Background
Asian male, high income, first gen (MD)
Major
CS / Applied Math
Honors
AIME 4x; USACO Silver; SciOly NATS qualifier; IAAC finalist (Gold)
Extracurriculars
Created a medication app (NDA), Salvation Army President (raised $10,000+), CS internship at a consulting company (helped build websites) in sophomore + junior summer, math team captain + problem writer (250+ questions), boards of Science/Math/Music NHS, SciOly board, marching band drumline leader
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by showing you how to create a demo-ready health utility app and a portfolio page that communicates the work without violating privacy. Lumos can also help you gather credible proof through documentation, testing notes, and outcomes you can safely share.
UPenn M&T
40,000 lines across 10 projects + Notion alternative + 150+ blog posts
Stats
ACT 34; AP 5s: Calc BC, Micro, Macro, CS A, World History; avg 96.5/100
Background
Chinese Canadian, low-middle class, international student
Major
CS + film
Honors
Atlas Fellow ($50,000 prize, 2.5% acceptance); FBLA 4th place internationally; Canadian math champion
Extracurriculars
Quantum software + research intern (co-authored paper, peer review ongoing), educational YouTube creator (15 videos), full-stack developer: 40,000 lines of code across 10 projects, built "Scratchpad" from scratch (alternative to Notion), blog: 150+ posts (140k words), self-studied French to fluency
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by setting weekly shipping targets, forcing clean demos and documentation, and building a single portfolio hub that shows your strongest projects clearly.
Stanford
Donation website + logistics + news coverage + $100K in company donations
Stats
IB 45/45; 1580 SAT; 35 ACT
Background
India (lives in Dubai), high income
Major
Physics
Extracurriculars
Built a donation website and handled delivery logistics for free, gathered $10,000+ worth of donations and received news coverage, partnered with clothing companies and collected $100,000 of donations (Turkey earthquakes, etc.), tutoring for 5 years; donated to charity (>$5,000 donations)
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by guiding you to create the system behind an initiative, including intake forms, tracking, partner pages, and public updates, plus outreach materials that can lead to partnerships and coverage.
Stanford
iOS apps (3000+ downloads) + $700/month school app + journal citation
Stats
4.0 / 4.91 W; 1520 (790M, 730R); rank 6/800; 10 APs
Background
SoCal, Taiwanese, high income
Major
CS
Extracurriculars
iOS developer with 3000+ downloads, plant disease app cited in a journal, built an AI therapist chatbot, built an app generating $700/month for their high school, iOS developer intern: rebuilt a social media app
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by focusing on measurable outcomes and teaching basic distribution steps that drive installs and usage, plus a results summary page you can reference in applications.
IU Kelley
AI procrastination app + #1 teen business podcast globally
Stats
4.1; test optional; top 15%; 9 APs
Background
Asian American
Major
Finance
Extracurriculars
Built an app using AI to deter procrastination, founded the #1 ranked teen business podcast globally, lead gen FB ads agency ($12k in 4 months), multiple internships
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by supporting both product building and growth, including demo creation, short-form content prompts, basic funnels, and tracking so you can cite real numbers.
Columbia
SciOly resources website + college site improvement proposal
Stats
GPA 4.6; rank 1/69; ACT 36; no APs; graduating with AA/AS (67 credits, up to Calc 3, stats, gen bio, psych)
Background
Small city, white, middle class, female
Major
Mathematics
Extracurriculars
Science Olympiad president (built a website for members' resources), peer writing coach (built a website proposing improvements to the college-run site), NHS technology director (built website, managed communications)
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by turning school-based leadership into a live site or tool, then helping you document usage and impact so it reads as meaningful contribution.
UPenn
HIV/AIDS app + $45K/year tech LLC + orphanage website
Stats
4.6 W / 4.0 UW; 1510 SAT; 33 ACT; multiple APs
Background
Colorado, Indian, upper middle class
Major
Business
Extracurriculars
Developed EquinoxHealth (an app targeting people with HIV/AIDS), internships and research connected to HIV/AIDS, tech LLC earning $45K annually (CEO), built and expanded an orphanage in Uganda and built a website, founded a nonprofit helping underclassmen conduct research on STIs/HIV/AIDS
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by guiding you to create a mission-driven product plus a clear public-facing site, then present outcomes and operations in a clean way that admissions understands.
UPenn Wharton
Testing access advocacy website + LA Times + national news
Stats
4.0 UW; 1520 (790 math); 10 APs
Background
White, Bay Area, high income
Major
Business
Extracurriculars
Created a website expanding testing access in California, published in LA Times about SAT travel burden; national news and testing access podcast, economics research with a published paper, hedge fund intern, Wharton pre-college program
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by helping you create an advocacy site with data, citations, and clear calls to action, plus an outreach process and media-ready assets that make coverage more likely.
Harvard
VoluntHero volunteering platform (10k+ engagements) + AI curriculum model
Stats
3.93 UW / 4.65 W; rank 22/95; 1510 SAT (790M); 6 APs
Background
Stockton CA; Asian male; first gen; low income ($15k/year, single parent)
Major
CS + government
Honors
QuestBridge NCM finalist + CPS; hackathon 1st place ($2k); Mayor leadership award; UCSC research stipend
Extracurriculars
VoluntHero (501c3) lead developer; county-wide volunteering platform (10k+ social engagements, 100+ opportunities), built an AI model generating vocabulary lessons for 3rd graders, UCSC CS research intern (PedAnalyze), research speaker at Google-hosted event; outreach to 500+ students, mobile robotics institute program (Arduino, C++, C#)
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by guiding you through the core platform pieces, partner onboarding, moderation rules, admin tooling, and distribution so you can report credible adoption and engagement.
MIT
AI weather app for crop growers + coding YouTube (10k subs)
Stats
4.5 GPA; 1590 SAT; rank 1/231; IB HL Physics/Math/CS/Chem
Background
High income, Indian American, second gen
Major
CS
Extracurriculars
Published 3 CS/AI papers, created an AI weather app predicting trends and helping crop growers and farmland workers, built platforms and websites for local businesses, YouTube channel teaching kids to code (10k subs)
How Lumos comes in
Lumos can help you build something similar by guiding you to pick a narrow AI use case, ship a usable tool, validate with a small pilot, and package the work with a demo and documentation that makes it easy for admissions to evaluate.
Built by fellows. Real products, launched during the program.
“My Lumos Fellows experience helped me fast-track learning a variety of different tools necessary for the development of my project, and the process redefined how I approach problems and leverage current tech innovations to boost efficiency.”
Alexander Z.
Automated Market Intelligence Bot · AI-powered news scraping for VCs · Web
“As someone who's always had ideas for potential business ventures, it's extremely helpful to have someone to go to for advice on how to bring my ideas to life. I've made more progress in my business in 2 weeks than I did in 3 months, and that really goes to show how useful a program like this is.”
Reed K.
Nook · 3D room planning lifestyle app · iOS
“Lumos was a great experience for me. I was exposed to different AI tools and I learned how I could use them creatively for innovation. I also learned technical fundamentals that gave me the confidence to turn ideas into real products and apps.”
Chris L.
Study Sprint · Gamified focus and study tracker · Web
“The Lumos program pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of, providing many learning experiences that allowed me to build a fully functional app.”
Emily W.
Haven · Personal wellness and safety app · iOS
“At Lumos Fellows, I learned to push myself by testing my ideas in a fulfilling and fast paced environment.”
Rithwik S.
FoodScan · AI-powered food nutrition scanner · iOS
“The Lumos pilot program was an extremely rewarding experience! Through Lumos, I built and deployed my hyperhidrosis app, including a sweat log feature, and AI integration (using caching and cost-limiting strategies that I picked up from the course) in just over 2 weeks (which honestly surprised me). Additionally, I had very limited backend experience, so learning how to handle authentication, databases, and production deployment was a huge stretch for me.”
Archie O.
HidroCare · Personalized hyperhidrosis symptom tracker · Web
“A pretty good program if you want to learn how to push and develop apps quickly without much experience! This is a self-driven program, so it is still your work, and you have to pour in your initiative and time. The mentors are friendly, won't leave you hanging, and are open to helping students with any and every question they have, whether its technical or not.”
Arjun
Ukiyou · Cross-platform fashion search aggregator · Web
Six weeks. Idea to launch.
Week 1
Discover
Identify a real problem worth solving. You'll research your target audience, validate your idea, and design the experience.
Weeks 2–4
Build
Turn your idea into a working product. With 1:1 mentorship and AI-first tools, you'll prototype rapidly, iterate on feedback, and craft something people can use.
Weeks 5–6
Grow
Get your product into the hands of real users. You'll learn distribution, craft your narrative, and get your first users.
After week 6
It doesn't end here
Every fellow joins our alumni community - a private group where you can continue getting advice from mentors, connect with other builders, and get support long after the program wraps.
An investment in your future. At a fraction of the cost.
The old way
Coding bootcamps
10–12 weeks, no 1:1 mentorship
Admissions consulting
Won't help you build anything
The Lumos way
$3,500
for 6 weeks
With scholarship
$0 – $2,625
Merit scholarships (25–100%) and need-based financial aid (50–100%) available. We believe cost should never be a barrier.
15 hours of AI-first curriculum
Unlimited 1:1 office hour mentorship
Ship a real product with real users
Strengthen your college application
Frequently asked questions
Is financial aid and scholarship available to international students?
Yes. Both merit scholarships and need-based financial aid are available to international students.
When do I hear back on my application?
We review applications on a rolling basis and respond as soon as we can, typically within a few days to a week.
What are the start and end dates?
There are multiple cohorts throughout the year. You can see the start and end dates for the current cohort on the application form.