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AdmitSee has raised $3.8M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at AdmitSee.
AdmitSee has raised $3.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Based in New York, AdmitSee operates a peer-to-peer educational technology platform that provides prospective undergraduate and graduate applicants with direct access to real application files, essays, and test scores. Operating as a two-sided marketplace, the company allows high school students to pay subscription fees for application files and essay reviews, while financially compensating college students for sharing their successful profiles. The platform amassed a comprehensive database of over 70,000 successful college application profiles and served a user base of more than 250,000 students seeking to improve their admissions strategies. AdmitSee secured $2.07 million in total seed funding from prominent venture capital backers including Imagine K12, Social Capital, and Founders Fund before its 2018 acquisition by global admissions consulting firm Crimson Education. The organization was founded in 2013 by University of Pennsylvania classmates Lydia Fayal and Stephanie Shyu.
AdmitSee is an edtech platform launched in 2013-2014 that builds the largest searchable database of crowdsourced college and grad school application files, including essays, test scores, extracurriculars, and peer advice, uploaded by admitted students into LinkedIn-style profiles.[2][3][5][6] It serves prospective students from diverse backgrounds, helping them make informed application decisions through real peer examples, data analytics, and personalized recommendations, while solving the "black box" opacity of admissions by democratizing access to success stories.[1][2][3] The company offers affordable subscriptions ($19.99-$49.99/month or $169.99/year) with free access for low-income qualifiers, and uses a revenue-share model where uploaders earn commissions per profile view, fostering a pay-it-forward ecosystem.[2][3][5] AdmitSee has served over 250,000 students, backed by accelerators like Y Combinator, with growth driven by data science for trends and institutional insights.[2][3]
AdmitSee emerged from founders' personal frustrations with the opaque college admissions process, where high-stakes decisions lacked transparent information or peer insights—creating "the solution we wish existed."[3] Launched in 2013 as a crowdsourced resource for application details and advice, it quickly gained traction by enabling accepted students to monetize their journeys, with early momentum from Y Combinator's edtech accelerator and growth to the University of Pennsylvania network.[2][3][6] Pivotal moments include building a database with millions of data points, introducing revenue-sharing (e.g., $10 upfront plus 50% commissions per view), and expanding to free access for aid-eligible students, humanizing admissions through real stories over prestige-driven opacity.[2][3][5][6]
AdmitSee rides the edtech wave of data democratization and AI-driven personalization in higher education, addressing information asymmetry amid rising college costs and diversity pushes.[3][7] Its timing aligns with post-2010s scrutiny on admissions equity (e.g., systemic barriers), using crowdsourcing to level the field for underrepresented students when legacy/prestige dominates.[1][3][7] Market forces like online learning booms and analytics demand favor it, influencing the ecosystem by enabling better applicant strategies, peer mentorship, and data for universities—shifting admissions from opaque to transparent and merit-focused.[2][3]
AdmitSee is poised to expand its database with AI-enhanced matching and global grad school focus, capitalizing on edtech's projected growth amid enrollment pressures and equity mandates. Trends like personalized learning and VR campus tours could integrate with its platform, amplifying influence on accessible higher ed. As it scales, expect deeper institutional partnerships and potential acquisition by larger players, evolving from niche transparency tool to admissions standard—ultimately making top schools viable for ambitious students everywhere, true to its democratizing mission.[2][3]
AdmitSee has raised $3.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
AdmitSee's investors include Founder.org, Imagine K12, Social Capital, Firework Ventures, IA Capital Group, Valar Ventures, Valor Capital Group.
Key people at AdmitSee.
AdmitSee has raised $3.8M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $1.8M Seed in October 2015.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 6, 2015 | $1.8M Seed | — | Founder.org, Imagine K12, Social Capital | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2015 | $2M Series U | — | Firework Ventures, IA Capital Group, Valar Ventures, Valor Capital Group | Announced |
