When we examined the college application process, one pain point stood out above all others: the recommendation letter. We’ve been in the shoes of students who dream of applying to multiple universities, yet hesitate to burden their recommenders with the repetitive task of uploading the same letter over and over. Too often, this hesitation leads students to apply to fewer schools—and in turn, miss out on opportunities.
StellarRec was born from that very experience. We know firsthand what it feels like to approach teachers and professors for strong recommendations, while feeling guilty about asking them to submit to 15 or even 20 universities. Yet as competition for top schools grows fiercer each year, casting a wider net is often essential to finding the right fit.
That’s why StellarRec streamlines the process, making recommendations simple, efficient, and stress-free—for both students and recommenders. With just one upload reaching unlimited schools, the barriers fall away, empowering students to apply boldly and confidently.
To bring this idea to life, we worked hand-in-hand with Kiro, speaking in natural language and leaning on its enthusiasm and vision. With gentle guidance and some behind-the-scenes cleanup, we transformed those conversations into a product we’re proud to present to the gallery and the judges. And this isn’t just theory—one of us will be using StellarRec in real time during the Fall 2026 admissions cycle!
Over the past month, we’ve learned that identifying small but meaningful problems—and then harnessing the vast potential of AI to solve them—can lead to exponential results. StellarRec is proof that when human creativity meets AI-powered execution, the result is not only functional, but transformative for the user experience.
And the timing couldn’t be better. With the U.S. higher education market projected to grow from $211 billion in 2024 to $669 billion by 2034 (Precedence Research), the opportunity is clear: by delivering productivity and workflow tools like StellarRec, we can enhance the student journey, save time, reduce friction, and create a more equitable and accessible application process for the next generation of students.
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