About Us

When we were applying to college in 2023, it was horrible.

We were overwhelmed by endless information. Confused by scattered requirements and deadlines. Blinded to what campus life was actually like.

Everyone around us talked about Ivy Leagues and top UCs. And when we finally chose CSULB, it felt like we had fallen short.

But we were wrong about colleges altogether.

Once we arrived, we found research labs, entrepreneurial incubators, mentors, and organizations that completely changed the trajectory of our lives — opportunities we assumed were only at “top ranked” universities. They were there, just not visible from the outside.

That's when we realized the way that students choose schools is broken. Too many students make the biggest decision of their lives without the clarity they deserve.

We get a "vibe" curated by a PR department that doesn't understand our generation, and a prestige-obsessed culture that makes us feel small for even considering a school like ours. But every school has untold potential, and the system doesn't show it.

That's why we're rebuilding the way students search for colleges.

With Upgraded, students search based on what's actually important to them: social life, organizations, and opportunities that shape who you become. Not the idea of “value” passed down by parents and peers from ranking lists.

We translate natural language into structured insight, pulled from real student experiences and campus data. We uncover culture, instant requirements & deadlines, and personalized match scores throughout the whole journey.

Not to tell you where to go.

But to show you what's important, so you can decide for yourself.

Because the right school isn't the most prestigious one.

It's the one where you will grow.

And no matter where you go, if you see the opportunity in front of you, the world is yours.

Ally & Uli