Our Story
Built by a student,
for students
Sesame3 started with a simple question: why is getting good college advice so hard?
I'm a high school student. When I started thinking seriously about college, I realized the options for guidance weren't great.
My school counselor is amazing — but she has hundreds of students. Private counselors? They cost more than a used car. And ChatGPT gives the same generic advice to everyone, because it doesn't actually know anything about me.
I wanted something that could actually understand my situation — my grades, my activities, what I care about — and give me real, honest guidance. Not generic tips I could find on Reddit. Not sugar-coated nonsense. Real talk about where I stand and what I should do.
So my dad and I decided to build it.
He's spent his career building products and knows how to make things work. I'm the one actually going through this process, so I know what students need. Together, we're creating the advisor I wish I had from the start.
And yes — I'm using Sesame3 for my own college applications. If it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for you.
The Team
Vansh Gutgutia
Co-founder & Chief User
High school student. The one actually living through this process. Makes sure Sesame3 solves real problems, not imaginary ones. Currently using the product to build his own college list.
Abhishek Gutgutia
Co-founder & Chief Worrier
Parent of a high schooler. Has built products for millions of users. Brings the experience to make this work. Still figuring out how to not hover.
Why We're Different
We have skin in the game
We're not a VC-funded startup chasing metrics. We're a family building something we actually need. Our success is tied to yours.
Built by a student
Most ed-tech is built by adults guessing what students want. We have an actual student making product decisions.
Privacy-first
We're not selling your data. We're not showing you ads. We built this for our own kid — we take privacy seriously.
No gatekeeping
Good guidance shouldn't cost $10,000 or require knowing the right people. We want to level the playing field.
"Yes, I'm using Sesame3 for my own college applications. And yes, I'll probably write about building it in my essays. Is that cheating? I prefer to call it demonstrating product-market fit."
— Vansh