Collegely wins Rep. Johnny Olszewski’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Maryland’s Second District

When asked what inspired the creation of Collegely, the students said, “The three of us thought we did everything right. We always got good grades, held a few leadership positions, and stacked volunteer hours. Then junior year came, and we started to trade our stories with friends from around the city. It became very clear to us then that some students had something we didn’t. And, surprisingly, it wasn’t better grades or more impressive extracurricular activities, but access. Access to a secret language about how to present yourself; things like which summer programs actually mattered, the right way to build a great essay, or how to turn our scattered high school years into a more compelling and cohesive story. And this knowledge never came for free, but instead from private consultants, whose rates started at thousands of dollars.

“The realization hurt even more when looking around our own hallways. Our school’s counselors wanted to help; we could see that. But they were drowning. Hundreds of students and endless paperwork meant that counselors can keep us on track with deadlines and make sure our transcripts are sent out, but the deeper questions, like how to actually stand out, were left for us to answer alone.

“So, we searched. We found websites that dumped information without context, and online forums that increased our anxiety instead of our ambition. Article after article said to ‘just be yourself.’ We never got what we actually needed: honest feedback and a clear path forward.

“So, we built Collegely. We wanted a tool to sit down with and have the conversation we couldn’t get anywhere else. A way to get to the truth, even if it was uncomfortable. So, we tested our first version on our friends. One had a 4.0 but was spiraling because she thought her activities looked forgettable. Collegely looked at her profile and told her what nobody else had: She was in these clubs as a participant, not a leader. It wasn’t cruel, just clear. And what she needed. More than useful, College is necessary. Because students deserve to know the rules of the game. All of them, regardless of what their parents can afford.”