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12-week builder programme · Limited spots

Build things. Stand out. Get in.

Top universities reject thousands of students with perfect grades every year. What they are looking for is evidence you can create something. Join 11 other ambitious teenagers and build a real project that makes your application unforgettable.

Apply to join ⚡ Limited spots available
Learn more
12
Students per cohort
12
Weeks to ship
3
Scholarships available
Imperial College London Physics Graduate
2 Companies Built AI & Clean Energy
AWS Investment For Candela Power
Octopus-backed Startup Currently at Metris Energy
Aryan D. Khedkar

Aryan D. Khedkar

Founder, First Ascent

Your Mentor

I've done what I'm teaching you to do.

I studied Physics at Imperial College London, built two companies before turning 21, and now work at one of the UK's fastest-growing clean energy startups.

At 21, I built Higher You, an AI journaling app. Won multiple hackathons, onboarded early users, and learned more about building products in 6 months than in 3 years of university lectures. The experience taught me how to ship fast, talk to users, and iterate based on real feedback.

After graduating, I started Candela Power, a solar energy trading platform. Secured investment from AWS through their startup programme. Built the technical infrastructure. Pitched to investors. The company taught me how real businesses work: sales, operations, partnerships, and the hard conversations nobody warns you about.

Today, I'm at Metris Energy, a startup backed by Octopus Energy and led by a Forbes 30 Under 30 CEO. I work directly with enterprise customers, engineers, and leadership, seeing firsthand how a well-funded startup scales.

First Ascent exists because I wish someone had shown me how to build at 16, not 21. The skills that actually matter for top universities and careers aren't taught in school. I'm here to change that.

Imperial College London

BSc Physics

#2 in the World rankings

Higher You

AI Journaling App

Multiple hackathon wins

Candela Power

Solar Energy Trading

AWS Startup Investment

Metris Energy

Customer Success

Octopus Energy backed

The Problem

Good grades aren't enough anymore.

Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, Stanford, IITs... every top institution is flooded with students who have perfect scores. The question they're really asking is: "What have you actually done?"

What most students do

Collect credentials

Another Olympiad. Another certificate. Another "leadership position" in a club that meets twice a year. Admissions officers have seen it all. It doesn't tell them anything about who you are or what you can do.

What stands out

Build something real

A project that solves a real problem. Something you can demo, explain for 20 minutes, and show what you learned. This is what admissions tutors remember. This is what gets you in.

Here's the truth: The student who built an app to help local farmers track crop prices will beat the student with five more certificates every single time. Universities want creators, not collectors.

Free Download

The Project Playbook

A 5-page guide on how to build something real that makes top universities take notice. Everything I learned from building 2 companies, distilled into actionable steps.

  • Why 95% of "project ideas" fail (and what actually works)
  • The 5-question test for finding real problems worth solving
  • 7 projects you can build without writing any code
  • The PBLR framework for talking about your project in applications

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PDF Download 5 pages of actionable advice. Takes 10 minutes to read.

The Programme

12 weeks. One real project. A story nobody else has.

You'll work alongside 11 other ambitious students. Weekly calls keep you accountable. The cohort keeps you motivated. By the end, you'll have shipped something real.

Weeks 1-4

Discover & Validate

Find a problem worth solving. Not a random app idea, but something real that affects people you know.

  • Identify 3 potential problems
  • Interview 10+ potential users
  • Validate demand before building

Weeks 5-8

Build & Ship

Create the smallest version that works. No code required. Get it in front of real users.

  • Build MVP in 2-3 weeks
  • Launch to first 10 users
  • Collect real feedback

Weeks 9-12

Iterate & Present

Improve based on feedback. Document everything. Craft the story for your applications.

  • Iterate based on data
  • Create project portfolio
  • Application story ready

Every week, you'll have:

A structured rhythm that keeps you shipping, not just planning.

Group Session

90-minute live call with the cohort. Teaching, hot seats, and peer feedback.

Community Access

WhatsApp group for daily check-ins, questions, and peer support.

Weekly Deliverable

Something concrete to show. No hiding when everyone else is shipping.

What You'll Walk Away With

Skills that compound for life.

This isn't just about one project. It's about learning how to build, which is the single most valuable skill in the modern economy.

A real project

Something you built from scratch that solves a real problem. Not a tutorial project. Not a class assignment. Yours.

A compelling story

The narrative for your applications: what you built, why it mattered, what you learned. Interviews become easy.

Your first network

11 other ambitious teenagers who are also building. Your first "founder friends." These relationships compound.

Builder mindset

The ability to see problems as opportunities. To ship instead of plan. Skills most people don't develop until their 20s.

For Parents

Your child has 95%+. So do thousands of other applicants. What makes them stand out?

I understand the concern. You want your child to get into a great university, build a secure career, have options. "Building projects" might sound like a distraction from what matters.

This programme is for students who already have strong academics. Grades are the foundation. But when every applicant to Oxford or MIT has a 95%+, the question becomes: what makes your child different?

I graduated from Imperial College London with a Physics degree. Then I built two companies and now work at a venture-backed startup. The degree opened doors. The building skills made me valuable.

This programme works alongside academics, not instead of them. 5-10 hours per week is enough to build something meaningful, and the skills transfer directly to university coursework and future careers.

What your child gets:

A differentiated application with a real project they can discuss in depth during interviews

Mentorship from an Imperial graduate who has built companies and works in the startup ecosystem

A peer group of 11 ambitious students who will push them to do their best work

Practical skills in problem-solving, communication, and execution that last a lifetime

1 Full Scholarship + 2 Partial Scholarships

The top applicant receives the full programme free. Two runners-up receive 50% off. If you're exceptional but cost is a barrier, apply anyway.

Merit-based selection

Apply Now

Join the next cohort.

I'm selecting 12 students who have the academics sorted and are ready to build something real. Strong grades are expected. What I'm looking for beyond that is ambition, curiosity, and willingness to do the work.

  • 1

    Submit your application

    Fill out the form. Tell me about yourself and what you want to build.

  • 2

    Fit interview

    If your application stands out, I'll invite you for a 20-minute call to see if we're a good fit.

  • 3

    Join the cohort

    Selected students join the next cohort. Top 3 applicants receive full scholarships.

Application Form

Depending on your capability, you might write the app in 5 minutes or in 30 minutes. Secret: those who take more time and give more thought usually succeed. I read every application personally.

Fill out application form

The form will open in a new tab. I'll respond within 48 hours.

Investment

Pricing

12 students per cohort. Selective admission. Monthly payments available. Top 3 applicants receive scholarships.

Early bird pricing: Apply in the next 7 days and save $50 on any plan.

Merit-Based

Scholarships

Free / 50% off

1 full + 2 partial

  • Top applicant: full programme free
  • 2 runners-up: 50% off
  • Selected on application quality
  • Same experience as paid students
Apply now

Builder Programme

$200/month

$600 total for 12-week cohort programme

  • 12 weekly group sessions (90 min)
  • WhatsApp community access
  • Frameworks & templates
  • Application positioning help
  • Alumni network access
Apply now

Builder + Coaching

$300/month

$900 total for 12-week programme + 1:1 support

  • Everything in Builder
  • 4 individual coaching calls
  • Personalised project guidance
  • Priority async support
  • Full application review
Apply now

Questions

Before you decide.

"I don't have any ideas."

Perfect. The first month is entirely about finding problems worth solving. Most "ideas" people have are bad anyway. You'll learn to see opportunities others miss.

"I don't know how to code."

You don't need to. Many successful projects use no-code tools, or aren't software at all. The goal is to solve a problem, not to write code.

"Why a cohort instead of self-paced?"

Building alone is hard. Building with 11 others who are all shipping every week? That's momentum. The peer pressure is the feature. You can't hide when everyone else is making progress.

"I have board exams coming up."

This requires 5-10 hours per week, and the skills transfer directly to better thinking and communication. Most students find it complements their studies rather than competing with them.

"Will this actually help my application?"

A real project you can discuss for 20 minutes beats every generic extracurricular. Admissions officers remember the student who built something. They forget the one who listed "leadership positions."

"What if I don't get selected?"

I'll give you feedback on your application and let you know what would make you a stronger candidate for a future cohort. No one is rejected forever.

Ready to build something real?

12 students. 12 weeks. 3 scholarships. Applications close when the cohort fills.

Apply now Have questions?

Or email me directly: aryankhedkar100@gmail.com

Apply Now