To ignite a new era of college exploration, one where you don't just visit campus, but you live it.
Where you don't just see the front-facing campus curated for visitors—but what life really looks like behind the staged tours and polished marketing. Where you gain a firsthand experience of the food, the dorms, the culture, the stress, the social scene, and can ask the unfiltered questions no tour guide will answer. We're building a reality where “I think I want this school” becomes “I know this is where I belong.”
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Amrutha Rao
Hi, my name is Amrutha, and I’m a sophomore at Columbia Engineering. When I was applying to private high schools, a “shadow day” at each school was instrumental in helping me decide not only where to apply, but also which school to choose after decisions came out. If high school shadow days are so helpful, why don’t we have them for college—an even more pivotal decision? Later, as a college tour guide, I saw firsthand how scripted tours were. There were questions I couldn’t answer and countless requests to see classes, dorms, and dining halls—things I simply couldn’t show. That’s why we built ShadowU: to bring the shadow experience to colleges and fill a gap that truly matters.
Yoon Jae Chang
Hello everyone, I’m Yoon Jae, a student at Columbia Engineering and loving every second of it (when I’m not studying). During my junior year in high school, I got to visit my brother at Columbia during his freshman year. I had an amazing time, and after that I could only dream about being a student at Columbia. This was a huge part in my decision to apply early decision here. The experience also helped me write unique college essays and definitely helped me get in. I really do believe that this should be available to everyone and help guide the tumultuous waters of the college application cycle and the eventual decision.
Daniel Heiman
Hi, I’m Daniel, a sophomore at Duke University. When I visited campus in high school, I ditched the official tour and spent the day shadowing a student instead — going to classes, grabbing lunch, and seeing Duke through their eyes. That one day completely changed how I saw the school, gave me stories and insights that shaped my application, and ultimately helped me get in. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. ShadowU is how I can help other students to have that same authentic, behind-the-scenes experience — to discover their dream school by walking in the shoes of someone living a similar future.