IvyOdds: Interview with Creator Shlok Sharma

IvyOdds.com is a tool to help students with the college application process. With a simple interface and a data-driven backend, it hopes to take some of the stress out of what high schoolers go through every year, all over the world.

Here is an interview with Shlok Sharma, the creator of IvyOdds.

The Interview

What does IvyOdds do?

IvyOdds is a college chance calculator. I built this to give students the best idea of what their chances are at a particular college, based on their profile.

How did the idea come about?

I applied to college a little over a year ago, and even while going through the process, I thought it was really flawed. I never really thought there was anything I could do about it then, but after taking some time, I realized that I wanted to fix one of the fundamental problems with the process — information.

Information?

For a process that's as hyped up and important as the college process, there's a lot of contradictory information out there. From college counselors at schools (the most trustworthy sources, but spread thin between students) to unreliable internet forums, the reservoir of valuable, usable information is limited.

This calculator is the first step, but it represents the idea. By providing information in a programmatic way, I want to let students take more control of the process and take a lot of stress out of it. I remember how much the college process stressed out my peers and me, and I don't want other classes to go through that.

How does it work?

Using statistical analysis and machine learning, IvyOdds estimates your chances at a particular school. It accounts for the factors colleges look at — GPA, activities, test scores, and demographics.

Who are the other competitors in this field?

In this niche particularly, there isn't really anyone that competes on the same technical level as IvyOdds. Our hope is that we eventually become the go-to choice for students when they approach the college process.

How would someone use this?

Through the website, which is constantly updated to include the best possible features for the college process. Simply enter your test scores, GPA, extracurriculars, demographics, and the college you want to check your chances for — and you'll find out whether you have a likely, medium, or unlikely chance of getting in. The whole point is to better organize your process.

Where would someone go if they have questions?

For suggestions, use this form. If you're a past high school student who wants to add to IvyOdds' dataset, use this form. And for questions, email contact@ivyodds.com.

Originally published July 2020.