HS Cred: Democratizing High School Credentials
We connect ambitious students and universities seeking reliable academic data.
Seeking $180k to scale our proven STAKE-PITCH-MINT process.
HC
by HS Cred
The Problem
Transcript Lottery
Student A school: 30 AP courses, research labs, dedicated college counselors.
Student B school: 3 AP courses, no physics teacher, one counselor for 350 students.
Same intelligence, same drive. Students deserve a fair chance regardless of which school they drew.
Testing Mirage
Students spend hundreds of hours preparing for standardized tests that barely predict college success. A single Saturday morning exam determines their future, while their actual thinking skills—creativity, collaboration, complex problem-solving—remain invisible to admissions officers.
Assessment Vacuum
With 2,000+ colleges abandoning standardized tests, universities are flying blind.
They're making life-changing admissions decisions using inconsistent GPAs and essays written by professional coaches. Talented students have no reliable way to showcase their true academic potential.
Wasted Expertise
Master teachers abandon classrooms for administration, becoming mediocre managers instead of inspiring educators. Retired educators want to make a difference with their experience but have no way to easily do so.
The Solution
A Level Playing Field
Every student can now build a gold standard transcript—regardless of where they attend. Each credit is validated by their teacher plus four independent experts, with clickable links to view the actual work behind every achievement.
Thinking Beyond Test Scores
Instead of cramming for exams that barely predict college success, students demonstrate mastery through performance-based assessment. Our approach aligns with cutting-edge brain science showing that deeper learning correlates with project-based work—preparing students for a digital economy that values authentic capability over test scores.
Transparent Data
Universities can finally see how students actually think through verified work samples instead of relying on inflated GPAs and coached essays. Our radical transparency eliminates information asymmetry—every credit links directly to the student's thinking process, giving admissions officers the high-resolution data they desperately need.
Experts, Unleashed
Master teachers stay in classrooms doing what they do best while earning up to $36k annually for just 5 hours weekly of remote assessment work. Retired educators re-engage their passion by giving public school students access to elite-level evaluation.
How It Works
"Student Work, Validated by Experts"
HS Cred addresses a critical gap in college admissions by providing verifiable credentials that transcend high school boundaries.
1
01 Browse Credits
Explore credits posted by Colleges and matching their academic goals and interests.
2
02 Create and Submit
Produce authentic academic work guided by clear rubrics. Your teacher approves it, then independent experts evaluate for publication.
3
03 Build Your Portfolio
Earn verified credentials showcasing your actual thinking. Each credit links to your proof-of-work—no more transcript lottery.
Creating a New Category: Academic Capital
HSCred isn't just entering an existing market—we're creating an entirely new category of assessment that addresses a critical gap left by the decline of standardized testing.
The Assessment Vacuum With 1,900+ colleges going test-optional and parents increasingly opting out of standardized testing, there's a massive unmet need for reliable academic credentials. Students in Queens have never been able to earn credits from elite institutions in Tokyo—or anywhere else—based purely on the quality of their work.
Beyond Traditional Assessment What we're building goes far deeper than academic measurement. We're introducing #AcademicCapital—a new form of digital-native assessment that predicts who becomes a creator versus a consumer in the attention economy. Each credit isn't just a grade; it's a non-transferable NFT representing verified intellectual work product.
$6.4B+
Annual Market
College readiness assessment
6.5M+
Students
High school juniors and seniors annually
2K+
Colleges
With test-optional admissions policies
6M+
International Students
Seeking US high school credentials
Competitive Advantage
Current Alternatives
- College Board (SAT/AP): Limited correlation with success
- Mastery.org: Relies on internal teacher evaluation
- IB Programs: Requires extensive school-wide adoption
- Traditional Credits: Susceptible to grade inflation
Our Advantages
- Prestigious institutional credentialing
- Multi-tiered quality assurance protocol
- Universities see actual work, not just numbers.
- Student-Led Process
- Low overhead decentralized structure
Business Model
Traction & Growth Plan
Achieved
Platform development complete
($200K investment)
($200K investment)
Launch Phase (0-6 months)
Complete first 10 Colleges onboarding
$180k Seed Investment
Tuning Phase (6-24 months)
Scale to 20+ Colleges nationwide
Process first 2,000+ credit applications
$820k Second Seed Round
Scaling Phase (24 months)
100,000 credit applications processed
50 Student search memberships sold
Expand to International Markets
Profitability (year 5)
5k per month credits processed
Introduce Web3 student incentives
Achieve operational profitability
Unicorn (year 7)
Reach $1B valuation
Global college readiness standard
Strategic Seed Investment Opportunity
Partner with us to transform the college admissions landscape while tapping into a lucrative market at the convergence of educational technology, assessment innovation, and expanded college opportunity. Our revolutionary approach addresses critical pain points for students, educators, and institutions alike.
$180K
Initial Seed (2026)
4.5X value per dollar compared to second round
50X
Projected ROI
At under 1% market penetration
#AcademicCapital Pioneers, Apply Below
4.5X Advantage Opportunity Closes August 31, 2025