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Unrecruited Varisty Athlete
530,000 students compete as Varsity or NCAA athletes in the United States.
You've probably seen the daunting Ivy League acceptance rate of 4%. The biggest mistake you can make? Trying to be "well-rounded."
Here’s the truth: The 4% acceptance rate doesn’t apply equally. If you have an outstanding academic record and a world-class extracurricular, your chances jump to 90%. If you don’t stand out, your odds drop to near zero.
Prequel helps students build startups, publish books, create viral content, conduct published scientific research and secure elite internships - all before they turn 18.
Our Summer Cohort is now accepting applications.
Forget building a generic passion project or joining the same extracurricular clubs that millions of other students do. If you want a solid chance of acceptance at a top school, you need to build a world-class, stand-out masterpiece project—one that Ivy League admissions officers can’t ignore.
"Well-Rounded"
PathCompete against 100K+ students
Unrecruited Varisty Athlete
530,000 students compete as Varsity or NCAA athletes in the United States.
Win a
Hackathon
20,000+ high school students participate in Hackathons in the US each year.
School
Newspaper
Editor
76% of high schools have school newspaper publications or student-run blogs.
FBLA
Chapter
President
Over 500,000 students participate in clubs like FBLA, HOSA, JA and BPA.
Volunteer
for a
non-profit
4M+ students volunteer and fundraise at least $500 for a charity or non-profit in the US.
Unrecruited Varisty Athlete
530,000 students compete as Varsity or NCAA athletes in the United States.
Win a
Hackathon
20,000+ high school students participate in Hackathons in the US each year.
School
Newspaper
Editor
76% of high schools have school newspaper publications or student-run blogs.
FBLA
Chapter
President
Over 500,000 students participate in clubs like FBLA, HOSA, JA and BPA.
Volunteer
for a
non-profit
4M+ students volunteer and fundraise at least $500 for a charity or non-profit in the US.
Prequel's
Standout PathCompete against < 1000 Students
Built a Mountain Bike Park
Built a mountain bike park business raised $3.2M and earning $500k/year.
UATX inaugural class
Intern at a
VC-Backed
Startup
Got a paid internhship at a VC-backed med-tech startup that has raised $170M USD.
Duke University (6% acceptance rate)
Published a
Children's
Book
Series
Shreeya published a full children's book series to teach students about STEM topics like aerodynamics and computer science.
Columbia University (4% acceptance rate).
Raised 1.6 M for
his Tech
Startup
Built a technology startup and raised $1.6M funding round led by Arielle Zuckerberg
MIT (4% acceptance rate)
Raised $1M for
Charity
Raised $1M to launch an education program for 50,000 Ukrainian refugee children.
Northeastern (6% acceptance rate)
Built a Mountain Bike Park
Built a mountain bike park business raised $3.2M and earning $500k/year.
UATX inaugural class
Intern at a
VC-Backed
Startup
Got a paid internhship at a VC-backed med-tech startup that has raised $170M USD.
Duke University (6% acceptance rate)
Published a
Children's
Book
Series
Shreeya published a full children's book series to teach students about STEM topics like aerodynamics and computer science.
Columbia University (4% acceptance rate).
Raised 1.6 M for
his Tech
Startup
Built a technology startup and raised $1.6M funding round led by Arielle Zuckerberg
MIT (4% acceptance rate)
Raised $1M for
Charity
Raised $1M to launch an education program for 50,000 Ukrainian refugee children.
Northeastern (6% acceptance rate)
Prequel Explore is an 8-month program designed for middle school students who want to develop real skills, build confidence, and create meaningful projects—all while exploring what they love.
You don’t have to wait to "grow up" to make an impact. In Prequel Foundations (Months 1-3), you’ll build the skills to turn your passion into a high-impact project that stands out in college admissions.
By the end of your first three months, you will:
“I’m building a contract-free record label that allows musicians to retain the rights to their music”
“I invented a product and struck a deal with a $200m company”
“I revolutionized crop irrigation and got into Stanford”
Create value, solve real problems, and build ventures that matter. You’ll go beyond theory and launch real projects that make an impact. You’ll master budgeting, cash flow, AI-driven solutions, marketing, and sales—the core skills every successful entrepreneur needs.
SESSION
DESCRIPTION
Build Something That Matters
Skip the theory—learn how real businesses tackle problems. Master hypothesis testing, market research, and business models to validate your idea.
MVP Mastery
Stop waiting. Turn your idea into a working product—fast. Use AI and no-code tools to launch your MVP and start gaining traction immediately.
First 10: The Sales Sprint
Turn your project into a customer magnet by mastering sales and launch strategies, cold emails, and partnerships to land your first customers.
Making Money Moves
Make your project financially sustainable by developing a clear pricing, revenue, and long-term growth strategy—whether it’s a business, nonprofit, or media venture.
The best product doesn’t always win; the best distribution does. Your ideas are only as powerful as the people they reach. At Prequel, you’ll learn how to build an audience, attract the right customers and mentors, and create a brand that opens doors.create a world of endless opportunities.
SESSION
DESCRIPTION
Your First 1,000 Followers
Define your niche, craft a content strategy, and establish yourself as an expert. Learn how to attract your first followers and turn them into a loyal community.
The Viral Blueprint
Master visual storytelling, video content, and digital marketing to make your ideas spread. Get industry feedback, pitch your work, and learn how to capture attention at scale.
Connect & Conquer
Great ideas need great mentors. Learn how to pitch yourself, land high-value advisors, and build credibility that unlocks life-changing opportunities.
The future belongs to those who don’t just use AI but master it to create original ideas, build fast, and stand out in a crowded world. At Prequel, you’ll learn to think beyond AI, challenge conventional wisdom, and execute like a founder.
SESSION
DESCRIPTION
AI’s Everywhere—What Makes You Different?
In a world flooded with AI-generated content, your original thinking is your edge. You’ll develop a bold perspective, challenge the status quo, and craft ideas that get noticed.
Build Fast, Build Smart
Stop overthinking—launch now. Use AI and no-code tools to build a product, from landing pages to web apps, without waiting for perfection. Learn by doing.
Be The Expert
Become the go-to authority in your niche. You’ll refine your online presence, build a personal brand, and craft a long-term strategy that positions you as an industry leader.
Learn how to create value, solve real problems, and build ventures that matter. You will learn to balance a budget and project cash flows, build technical solutions using no-code and AI, and get comfortable with selling, marketing, and negotiations.
Build Something That Matters
Forget the theory—this crash course shows you how businesses solve real problems. You’ll learn the fundamentals like hypothesis testing, market research, business models, and customer personas. Through hands-on activities and analyzing real case studies, you’ll define your project type—whether it’s a business, non-profit, or media—and conduct user research to validate your idea. By the end, you'll have the tools to turn your idea into a real-world project.
MVP Mastery
In this workshop, you'll learn how to turn your ideas into real products—fast. Using AI and no-code tools, you'll define your MVP strategy and launch your first version, getting your project off the ground in no time.
First 10: The Sales Sprint
In this workshop, you'll learn how to turn your project into a customer magnet. From creating a launch plan to using outreach strategies like cold emails and partnerships, you’ll experiment with sales tactics to secure your first customers.
Making Money Moves
:In this workshop, you’ll learn how to make your project not just work—but thrive financially. Whether it’s a business, non-profit, or media project, you'll map out your financials, pricing structure, and sustainability plan, then integrate it into your Masterpiece Memo. By the end, you’ll have the financial strategy to make your project a real success.
The best product doesn’t always win; the best distribution does. At Prequel, students learn how to get their ideas out there, attract the right customers and mentors, and build a loyal following. This is how you create a world of endless opportunities.
Your First 1,000 Followers
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to position yourself as an expert and start growing a loyal audience. You’ll define your content pillars, set up your accounts, and craft a solid content plan to attract your first followers and create meaningful connections. By the end, you’ll have the foundational skills to build a real audience that supports your work.
The Viral Blueprint
Be an ambassador for your favorite company. Create a marketing video for your favorite product and have the company use it.
You’ll learn essential visual and video communication skills, how to grab and hold attention, and digital marketing fundamentals. By pitching to companies, you’ll also get an opportunity to see your ideas come to life, understand how businesses operate, and receive feedback from the industry.
Connect & Conquer
Great ideas need great mentors. This week, you’ll learn how to connect with high-value advisors who can help you level up. You’ll research potential mentors, craft outreach messages that grab attention, and set up meetings with people who can open doors for your project. By the end, you'll have secured your first advisor and built the credibility you need to push forward.
AI is taking over entire teams, and the future belongs to those who can harness it to amplify their abilities. At Prequel, we teach students how to go beyond what AI already knows—creating new insights, thinking for themselves, and staying agile in a fast-moving world. This isn’t just about using AI; it’s about mastering it to stay ahead of the curve.
AI’s Everywhere—What Makes You Different?
In a world where AI can create content in an instant, what makes you stand out is offering something truly original. This week, you’ll learn how to think differently by developing your own unique perspective that challenges the usual way of thinking. You’ll build a system to organize your research and ideas, then dive deep into your topic to find that fresh angle. By the end, you’ll have a bold, original viewpoint that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Build Fast, Build Smart
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to rapidly build and launch a product using AI and no-code tools. The goal? To move from idea to action without getting bogged down in perfectionism. You’ll pick a small project—whether it's a landing page, web app, or automation tool—and rebuild it using AI tools. If you're already working on your masterpiece, you can dive right into building something related. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to execute quickly and get your project off the ground fast.
Be The Expert
In a world overwhelmed by information, standing out means becoming the go-to expert in a specific area. This week, you’ll learn how to build your personal monopoly by dominating a niche that aligns with your expertise. You’ll refine your online presence, develop your personal brand, and create a long-term strategy for authority-building that keeps you at the top of your field. By the end, you’ll have a plan to not just participate in your industry—but own it.
Over eight months, you’ll refine, scale, and monetize your masterpiece while building deep expertise that sets you apart as an industry leader. The core lessons stay the same, but each cycle pushes you further, helping you sharpen your skills and expand your impact.
In Scale, you will:
Learn how to create value, solve real problems, and build ventures that matter. You will learn to balance a budget and project cash flows, build technical solutions using no-code and AI, and get comfortable with selling, marketing, and negotiations.
SESSION
DESCRIPTION
Crack the Customer Code
Get inside your customers’ minds by conducting user research, analyzing behavior, and gathering real feedback. Learn to spot patterns, uncover pain points, and refine your product for real impact.
Product Upgrade Lab
Your product is live—now it’s time to level up. Use user research to refine features, enhance usability, and reposition for a stronger market fit.
Profitable by Design
Your idea is solid—now make it sustainable. Refine your revenue streams, pricing strategy, and business model to drive long-term growth and profitability.
Pitch Perfect
Level up your sales game by mastering the perfect pitch, closing deals with confidence, and turning leads into loyal customers. Use direct outreach strategies to refine your approach and drive real results.
The best product doesn’t always win; the best distribution does. You will master the art of getting noticed, attracting the right people, and building a loyal audience.This is how you create a world of endless opportunities.
SESSION
DESCRIPTION
Growth Engine
Aanalyze and optimize your customer journey, identifying weak points, boosting conversions, and testing new distribution channels. Whether it’s refining messaging, improving landing pages, or experimenting with new platforms, this session is all about maximizing impact.
From Zero to Viral
Position yourself as an expert, craft compelling content, and implement proven strategies to attract and retain followers. You’ll develop a personalized growth plan, ensuring your audience is not just bigger—but more engaged and valuable.
Growth Hacks Lab
Run real-time experiments on audience engagement, revenue models, and distribution channels. Using data-driven insights, you’ll refine your approach, double down on what works, and pivot where needed.
AI won’t replace you—unless you let it. At Prequel, you’ll go beyond AI-generated insights, think independently, and stay ahead in a fast-moving world. Master AI as a tool to multiply your impact, automate smarter, and outthink the competition.
SESSION
DESCRIPTION
AI Breakthroughs in Action
Test and apply the latest AI tools that are reshaping industries. Whether it’s automation, content creation, advanced analytics, or new creative applications, you’ll experiment with cutting-edge tools and learn how to integrate them into your work.
From Opinions to Authority
Sharpen your thinking and refine your unique point of view—one that challenges the norm and makes people pay attention. You’ll learn how to frame your expertise in a way that resonates, communicate ideas with impact, and position yourself as a go-to voice in your field.
Learn how to create value, solve real problems, and build ventures that matter. You will learn to balance a budget and project cash flows, build technical solutions using no-code and AI, and get comfortable with selling, marketing, and negotiations.
Crack the Customer Code
Get inside your customers’ minds! In this session, you’ll conduct user research, analyze customer behavior, and gather real feedback to refine your product. Learn how to spot patterns, uncover pain points, and turn insights into action.
Product Upgrade Lab
Your product is live—now make it better. Using user research, you'll define and implement the next iteration, whether it’s adding new features, improving usability, or repositioning for a stronger market fit.
Profitable by Design
Your idea is solid—now let’s make it sustainable. You’ll refine your revenue streams, pricing strategy, and overall business model to ensure long-term growth and profitability.
Pitch Perfect
Time to level up your sales game. Learn how to craft the perfect pitch, close deals with confidence, and convert leads into loyal customers. Through direct outreach strategies, you'll refine your approach and drive real results.
The best product doesn’t always win; the best distribution does. At Prequel, students learn how to get their ideas out there, attract the right customers and mentors, and build a loyal following. This is how you create a world of endless opportunities.
Growth Engine
Your marketing funnel is the key to growth—so let’s make it work. You’ll analyze and optimize your customer journey, identifying weak points, boosting conversions, and testing new distribution channels. Whether it’s refining messaging, improving landing pages, or experimenting with new platforms, this session is all about maximizing impact.
From Zero to Viral
An engaged audience creates unlimited opportunities. Learn how to position yourself as an expert, craft compelling content, and implement proven strategies to attract and retain followers. You’ll develop a personalized growth plan, ensuring your audience is not just bigger—but more engaged and valuable.
Growth Hacks Lab
Growth is about testing, learning, and iterating fast. In this session, you’ll run real-time experiments on audience engagement, revenue models, and distribution channels. Using data-driven insights, you’ll refine your approach, double down on what works, and pivot where needed.
AI is replacing entire teams, and the future belongs to those who can harness it to multiply their capacity. At Prequel, we teach students how to go beyond what AI already knows—creating new insights, thinking for themselves, and staying agile in a fast-moving world. This isn’t just about using AI; it’s about mastering it to stay ahead of the curve.
AI Breakthroughs in Action
AI is evolving fast—are you keeping up? In this rotating session, you’ll test and apply the latest AI tools that are reshaping industries. Whether it’s automation, content creation, advanced analytics, or new creative applications, you’ll experiment with cutting-edge tools and learn how to integrate them into your work.
From Opinions to Authority
Bold ideas open doors. In this session, you’ll sharpen your thinking and refine your unique point of view—one that challenges the norm and makes people pay attention. You’ll learn how to frame your expertise in a way that resonates, communicate ideas with impact, and position yourself as a go-to voice in your field.
World-class outcomes don't happen overnight. Success at Prequel comes from consistent action and real-world application.
Here's what students can expect to achieve in our middle school program, Explore, and over the course of our year-long high school program (Foundations, which takes three months to complete, and Scale, which takes nine months to complete).
Discover your passions, build confidence, and develop real-world skills—without pressure.
By the end of middle school, you will have:
A 60-second elevator pitch – Master public speaking, communication, and confidence.
A broken world record – Learn goal setting, resilience, and problem-solving in just 4 weeks.
A podcast with 3 expert interviews & 100 listeners – Build authority, network with professionals, and create impactful content.
A functional web app with 100 users – Gain technical skills, self-learn, and adapt based on real-world feedback.
A profitable business ($100+ in revenue) – Understand entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and market testing.
A college application plan with your Masterpiece as the centerpiece
A fully developed business plan & roadmap for scaling your project
1,000+ engaged followers on a chosen social platform
1 expert on your Board of Advisors
A validated Masterpiece with real-world results:
Refining, scaling, and monetize your project to create real-world impact.
Creating original, world-class insights that AI can’t replicate
Building authority, expanding your reach, and attracting meaningful opportunities.
Becoming a self-sufficient creator, ready to tackle any project or challenge
After Prequel Scale, you’ll have built something impressive—something that sets you apart from your peers and strengthens your college application. But standing out isn’t enough to reach a 75% chance at top schools. That level of success is reserved for those with truly world-class projects.
That’s where Prequel Beyond comes in…
Reaching the top 1% in your field—and a 75% chance at Ivy League acceptance—takes long-term commitment. Prequel Beyond is for students ready to push further, scale their impact, and achieve truly elite outcomes.
In this phase, you’ll grow your project to 100,000 to 1,000,000+ users, dollars in revenue, or measurable impact.
Depending on the nature of your project, here are some paths to achieving these outcomes
What’s not world-class: Self-published authors, school newspaper or local editors
Whether you join in Grade 6 or Grade 11, your journey will be tailored to help you make the biggest impact possible with as much time as you have before college applications.
Business and Entrepreneurship
AI-First Learning
Audience and Distribution
Elle’s High School
Journey
Mathew's Middle School
Journey
Completed Passion and Purpose Workshop:
Discovered her interest lies in changing the toxic online culture of teen dating.
Completed College Conquerer Workshop:
The youngest student to ace a Parsons Fashion Course.
Completed First Profit Workshop:
Built a Twitter analytics platform for creators and earned $200.
Completed Develop Deep Expertise Workshop:
Developed a mindmap and became an expert on teen dating.
Grew to 100,000 followers on TikTok.
Launched an AI chatbot MVP with 10,000 monthly messages.
Launched a full app on the app store with 2k downloads (launched at end of year).
Grew to 200,000 on TikTok.
Focused on getting users & monetization.
Generating publicity (Today Show, Boston Globe).
GRADE 6-8
Find Your Passion
Define your passions
and Ikigai and create a vision board.
Communication Skills
Create a 60-second
elevator pitch about your passions.
Record Breaker
Find a world record
you can beat,
building confidence
& grit.
Your First App
Bring your first app
to life with no-code,
AI & other tools.
Your first 100 Users
Learn about marketing
and get your first 100 users on your platform
for feedback.
First Profit
Learn about market
research, product design, business financials and earn $100 on your first business.
Creators Studio
Create and publish a piece of creative work online, achieving at least 100 downloads, reads, or likes.
GRADE 9
GRADE 11
Build a 1000-person fan base on your chosen social media platform.
Create a board of advisors with at least three experts in your field.
Depending on your masterpiece, any of:
• 100 paying customers• $10K in revenue
• 10,000 person fan base
• 3 partnerships
• 100,000 signatures on your petition
• Run a pilot for at least 100 people
Students take their masterpiece to the next level, join the top 1% of their field, and have a 75% chance of making the Ivy League.
Entrepreneurship
• Start a business making $300K
• Start a nonprofit that raised at least $250K
• Found a venture-backed startup that raised at least $500K
Example
GRADE 10
Ivy XuFounder and CEO, Prequel
Students and parents love Prequel and the program's ability to help them achieve world-class outcomes.
As a current student in the Prequel program, I've found it to be an incredible experience filled with mission-driven activities like beating the Harvard Mt. Everest Simulation and interviewing inspiring CEOs. The excitement of what's next always keeps me engaged and eager to learn.
The program has given me the opportunity to connect with classmates who share my enthusiasm and motivation. Together, we've formed a supportive and dynamic community where teamwork and collaboration thrive.
During my time at Prequel, I've gained invaluable skills in building a portfolio, running a business, and networking, among many other areas. The enthusiastic teachers make every class not just educational, but incredibly enjoyable.
I recommend Prequel to anyone ready to explore innovative ways of applying their knowledge to real-world projects.
As a mother witnessing the transformative power of the Prequel program on my daughter, I am filled with awe and gratitude. This remarkable program not only kindles her sense of exploration and wonder but also cultivates her critical thinking skills in ways I could have never imagined. Watching her work collaboratively with other students to tackle challenges has been a joy to behold, as it fosters a strong sense of teamwork, adaptability and agency.
I am beyond impressed the transformation Prequel has given my son. Not only has it increased his confidence and thirst for knowledge in topics that are beyond a 12 year old but has peaked interest for the holistic understanding of world issues. Areez was always interested in tech but he has learned the journey and pathways tech is inter-related; can debate; promote a business; and most importantly be a global citizen. Thank you Nadim and Zain the program is beyond my expectations and is truly fostering global leaders.
My kids love Prequel Explore. They make learning fun and interactive by playing games, working in groups etc. I like that the curriculum is really catered towards the kids. It is not stagnate and boring where you hear a lecture for so long. They break it up and about every 10 minutes they are moving it along to another activity. The stuff taught here is not the stuff the teach in school. It is more real-world preparation. I would highly recommend.
A great community of children with incredible mentors to understand important life concepts.