Day 4·Market analysis
Slides, Business Model & Exploring US College Majors
Granola Notes — posted after classRegistration
[PLACEHOLDER — QR code activation instructions for Tuesday's visit] [PLACEHOLDER — lunch plan confirmation] [PLACEHOLDER — note-taking prompts for Tuesday's visit]
Part 1: Finish the Business Model Canvas
The professor just walked through all six blocks. Now build yours.
Before you start: open a new Gemini conversation. Paste in this order:
- Your complete Day 1 worksheet
- Your complete Day 2 problem statement doc
- Your Day 3–4 worksheet with everything from Day 3 filled in and Day 4 empty
Then run each prompt below one at a time, in the same conversation. Fill in your worksheet as you go.
Block 1 · Who You Serve
This is already done — it's carried directly from your problem statement. Copy it from your Day 2 doc into the worksheet. No prompt needed.
Block 2 · Who Pays
Based on everything above, who would realistically pay to fund a solution to our problem — a government agency, a grant, a nonprofit, a subscription, or something else? Is the payer the same person as the user, or different? Why does that matter for how we'd build this? Two to three sentences. Be specific — name the type of funder, not just "the government."Block 3 · Value Proposition
Write our value proposition in one sentence. Not a list of features — one outcome the user would actually notice because this exists. Format: "[Specific user] can now [do something they couldn't do before / avoid something that used to hurt them]."Block 4 · Key Partners & Channels
For a solution to our problem: - Who do we need on our side to make this real? (city agency, nonprofit, platform, regulator) - How would people actually find out this exists and start using it? In public service, the partner is often the channel too — name that if it applies to us. Two to three sentences.Block 5 · Cost Structure
What would it actually cost to build and keep running a solution to our problem? Think about: - Technology and hosting - People needed to maintain it - Data, compliance, or legal costs - Translation or accessibility if relevant Keep it to three to four bullet points. Be specific, not vague.Block 6 · Revenue & Funding Streams
Based on who pays (Block 2), describe exactly where the money comes from. Is it a grant, an annual government contract, a subscription, or something else? Does this funding renew automatically, or does it have to be won again each year? What does that mean for how stable this solution would be? Two to three sentences.Reconcile
Here are our six blocks: [paste your completed BMC]. Here is our SOM from Day 3: [paste your SOM number and source]. Does our funding source actually support that SOM number? If our funding is one grant or contract, is our SOM capped by that budget rather than by total demand? Name the gap honestly if there is one. One paragraph.Part 2: Build Your Slide Deck with AI
Don't build the slides manually. Once your worksheet is complete, use this prompt to generate your deck.
Step 1 — paste your full context into Gemini or Claude, then run:
First paste in this order:
- Your Day 1 worksheet
- Your Day 2 problem statement doc
- Your completed Day 3–4 worksheet (all parts including BMC)
Then run:
Based on everything above, write the content for our pitch deck. The deck has 5 slides and will be presented to city officials or investors in a 5–7 minute live pitch followed by Q&A. Write each slide as: - A short headline (one line, specific — not generic) - 3 bullet points maximum, one sentence each - A note on what visual or data point would strengthen this slide The 5 slides are: Slide 1 — The Problem Who is affected, what specifically goes wrong, and one real number that proves this matters. This is our Day 2 headline sentence made visual. Slide 2 — Market & Competitors TAM/SAM/SOM with our sanity-check number. Who's already trying to solve this and why our angle is different. Reference our differentiation map if relevant. Slide 3 — Our Solution What we're building in AI Studio and what it actually does for the user. Not a feature list — one clear outcome. Include a placeholder for our live demo moment. Slide 4 — Business Model Our six-block canvas compressed into one slide. Who we serve, who pays, value proposition, key partners, cost, funding. Flag the reconcile finding if our SOM is capped by funding. Slide 5 — Impact & What's Next What changes if this works, who benefits, and what equity considerations we've thought through. What would need to be true to scale this beyond year one. Keep language plain. Imagine a city official reading this — not a tech conference. Flag any claim that isn't backed by a source we already found.Step 2 — review as a team before building
Read the output out loud together. For each slide ask:
- Could this apply to any team's project, or is it specific to ours?
- Is every number sourced?
- Would a city official find this credible, or does it sound made up?
Rewrite anything that's vague before you touch Google Slides.
Step 3 — build it in Google Slides
Take the copy into Slides. One section per slide. Keep it visual — the slides support your spoken pitch, they don't replace it.
Step 4 — generate the slides automatically
Once you're happy with the content, run this in the same conversation:
Now convert the slide content above into a Google Apps Script that will automatically create this presentation in Google Slides. Requirements: - 5 slides, one per section above - Clean, minimal design — white background, dark text - Slide title in large bold text at the top - Bullet points below, left-aligned - Include the visual/data note from each slide as a speaker note, not on the slide itself - Name the presentation "[Your Team Name] — Final Pitch Deck" Output only the Apps Script code, nothing else.Then:
- Go to script.google.com
- Click New Project
- Delete the default code and paste what Gemini gave you
- Click Run → authorize when prompted
- Check your Google Drive — the presentation will be there
Open it, review every slide, and edit anything that doesn't look right. The script gives you a starting point, not a finished deck.
Step 5 — create the slides in Gemini Canvas
Run this in the same Gemini conversation:
Create a Google Slides presentation from the slide content above using Canvas. 5 slides, clean and minimal design, dark text on white background. Slide titles bold and large. Bullet points left-aligned. Speaker notes for each slide using the visual/data notes from above.Gemini will open a Canvas panel with the presentation. Review each slide, make any edits directly in Canvas, then export to Google Slides from the top right of the Canvas panel.
Part 3: Start Thinking About Day 5
Tomorrow you start building an actual AI prototype. Before you leave today, spend 10 minutes on this as a team:
Here is our problem statement and business model canvas: [paste both]. What's the simplest possible AI tool that would address the core pain point? Not a full product — just the one interaction that matters most. What would a user say to it, and what would it say back? Give us 2–3 options, one sentence each.Write down whatever comes up. Day 5 is for building it.
US College Majors: A Starting Point
3:00–4:00pm
This section is a reference — you don't need to memorize it now. Use it as a starting point for your own research after the program.
A few things worth understanding before diving in:
How US Undergraduate Education Works
Before looking at specific programs, five things that work differently than you might expect:
You don't declare your major before you arrive. At most US universities you spend your first two years taking courses across different subjects, then formally declare your major at the end of sophomore year. You are not locked in by what you write on your application.
A major is only part of your degree. Roughly 10–15 courses out of 40 total required to graduate. The rest are electives and general education requirements. You can major in Computer Science and still take economics, design, or public policy. Double majors and minors are common and don't require extra years if planned carefully.
You can change your major. In China, switching majors after admission is difficult and rare. In the US it is normal — many students change once or twice. If you're unsure what to study, that is not a reason to delay applying.
Rankings measure universities, not programs. The US News overall ranking tells you about graduation rates, faculty resources, and research output — it does not tell you how strong a specific program is. Michigan State ranks around #80 overall but has the #1 supply chain program in the country. Always research the specific program within the university, not just the institution's name.
The application timeline is earlier than you think:
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 11th grade (now, if applicable) | SAT/ACT prep, start college list, think about essay topics |
| Summer before 12th grade | Draft your Common App personal statement (650 words, takes 2–3 months to get right) |
| September–October of 12th grade | Request recommendation letters (give teachers 6–8 weeks minimum) |
| November 1–15 | Early Decision (binding) and Early Action (non-binding) deadlines |
| January 1–15 | Regular Decision deadlines for most schools |
| March–April | Decisions arrive, compare offers carefully |
| May 1 | National Decision Day — deadline to commit |
One thing international students often miss: financial aid exists for international applicants but varies enormously by school. A small number of schools — MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton — are need-blind for international students and meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. Most schools are not this generous. Research each school's international student aid policy specifically before applying.
Areas of Study
Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence
What you study: algorithms, software systems, machine learning, AI, data structures, programming languages. Most CS degrees are flexible — you choose subfield concentrations in your later years.
Why it matters for what you built this week: everything you did in AI Studio, Gemini, and the differentiation tool is applied CS. If this week felt natural to you, CS is worth seriously considering.
Top programs (US News 2026 undergraduate CS ranking):
| School | US News Rank | Notable For | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | #1 (tied) | AI, robotics, research depth | mit.edu |
| Carnegie Mellon | #1 (tied) | AI, systems, HCI | cmu.edu |
| Stanford | #3 | Silicon Valley network, entrepreneurship | stanford.edu |
| UC Berkeley | #4 | Public flagship, strong research | berkeley.edu |
| UIUC | #5 | Top-5 CS, 44% acceptance rate | illinois.edu |
| Georgia Tech | #6 | Public school, strong industry pipelines | gatech.edu |
| University of Washington | Top 10 | Seattle tech scene, AI research | uw.edu |
Hidden gems:
- UIUC (already above) — worth repeating: #5 CS nationally with a 44% acceptance rate. Most international students overlook it because it's not in a major city, but Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and NVIDIA all recruit heavily from there.
- San José State University — ranked outside the top 250 overall, but top-40 for CS ROI because of its Silicon Valley location. Claims to be the #1 supplier of CS graduates to Silicon Valley. NASA research partner. Much lower admissions pressure than the schools above.
- University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) — Chicago's only public research university, top-75 nationally for ROI, strong CS and data science programs, significantly easier to get into than UIUC.
Engineering
What you study: depends heavily on subfield. Mechanical, electrical, civil, biomedical, chemical, aerospace, industrial, environmental — each is a different degree with different coursework. Most schools require you to specify a subfield when you apply.
Subfield matters more than most students realize. Georgia Tech has the #1 industrial and systems engineering program in the country (25 consecutive years), the #1 environmental engineering program, and the #1 biomedical engineering program — but is #3 overall. If you know your subfield, research that ranking specifically.
Top programs (US News 2026 undergraduate engineering ranking):
| School | US News Rank | Notable For | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | #1 | Strongest across all subfields | mit.edu |
| Stanford | #2 | Interdisciplinary, Silicon Valley | stanford.edu |
| UC Berkeley | #3 | Top public, strong research | berkeley.edu |
| Georgia Tech | #4 | #1 industrial, biomedical, environmental | gatech.edu |
| Purdue | #5 | Aerospace, mechanical, nuclear | purdue.edu |
| Carnegie Mellon | #7 | Robotics, CS-engineering crossover | cmu.edu |
| UT Austin (Cockrell) | #7 | Strong public option, petroleum, civil | engr.utexas.edu |
Hidden gems:
- WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) — top-35 nationally for ROI and career outcomes. Every student completes a real-world project with a company or government agency as a graduation requirement — not a thesis, an actual deliverable. Boston-area location. CollegeVine ranks it top-10 underrated for engineering.
- Stevens Institute of Technology — Hoboken, NJ (directly across from Manhattan). STEM training that rivals the Ivy League according to multiple rankings. Strong finance-technology crossover programs given the NYC proximity. Often overlooked internationally.
- University of Houston — top-50 nationally for engineering ROI, top-200 overall. Strong in chemical, petroleum, and mechanical engineering. Guaranteed admission for students in the top 10% of their high school class.
Business, Finance & Economics
What you study: accounting, finance, marketing, management, operations, entrepreneurship. Business is one of the most common majors for international students at US universities.
Important admissions note: some top business programs are direct-admit from high school (Wharton, NYU Stern, Notre Dame). Others require a second internal application during your sophomore year (Berkeley Haas, UVA McIntire, UNC Kenan-Flagler). If the business school is your goal, research the specific admissions pathway — getting into the university doesn't guarantee getting into the business school.
Top programs by specialty (US News 2026):
| Specialty | #1 Program | Other Top Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | Wharton (Penn) | NYU Stern, MIT Sloan, Michigan Ross |
| Supply Chain | Michigan State Broad | Penn State Smeal, MIT Sloan |
| Accounting | UT Austin McCombs | Illinois Gies, BYU Marriott |
| Entrepreneurship | Babson | MIT Sloan, Stanford |
| International Business | South Carolina Moore | NYU Stern, Wharton |
Hidden gems:
- Indiana University Kelley School of Business — consistently top-10 for undergraduate business, often ranked above schools with much more famous institutional names. Strong placement in investment banking, consulting, and accounting. Finance specialty ranked top-5 nationally. The overall university is mid-tier but the business school significantly outperforms it.
- Michigan State Broad — #1 supply chain program in the country, year after year. If supply chain, operations, or logistics is your interest, this outranks every Ivy League school in that specialty.
- George Mason University — one of the most influential economics departments in the US (home of two Nobel laureates in economics). Comparable career outcomes to GWU and American University at significantly lower cost and with less competitive admissions.
Data Science & Statistics
What you study: probability, statistical modeling, machine learning, data analysis, visualization. Closely related to CS but more focused on working with data than building systems.
Why it's increasingly important: almost every field — medicine, finance, government, social science — now needs people who can analyze data. A statistics or data science degree is unusually flexible in terms of career options.
Top programs:
| School | Notable For | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Mellon | Statistics and ML depth | cmu.edu |
| MIT | Quantitative rigor, research | mit.edu |
| Stanford | Statistics + industry connections | stanford.edu |
| Columbia | NYC location, finance and tech applications | columbia.edu |
| University of Michigan | Strong public option, broad data science program | umich.edu |
Hidden gem:
- University of Rochester — small research university, strong quantitative and statistics programs, historically more generous with financial aid for international students than many comparable schools. Often overlooked because it's not in a major city.
Public Policy & Civic Tech
What you studied this week is directly relevant here. Public policy at the undergraduate level means understanding how governments make decisions, how programs are funded and delivered, and increasingly, how technology shapes both.
Important to know: most dedicated public policy programs are at the graduate level (master's or PhD). At the undergraduate level, look for Political Science, Public Affairs, or Urban Studies degrees with a technology or data focus.
Notable programs:
| School | Notable For | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | DC location, government and international relations | georgetown.edu |
| American University | DC location, federal agency internship access | american.edu |
| University of Michigan Ford School | Top-ranked public policy, strong data focus | fordschool.umich.edu |
| NYU Wagner | Public administration, urban policy — you're already here | wagner.nyu.edu |
| Princeton School of Public and International Affairs | Most selective, strongest research | spia.princeton.edu |
Hidden gem:
- American University in Washington DC — less well-known internationally than Georgetown or GWU, but DC location gives direct internship access to federal agencies, NGOs, think tanks, and Congress. Strong for anyone interested in government, civic tech, or international policy work.
Design & Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
What you study: varies significantly. Pure design programs focus on visual communication, product design, and UX. HCI programs combine design with psychology and computer science — how humans interact with technology.
Important to know: the best design programs in the US are often at art schools, not universities. RISD and Parsons are more respected for pure design than most Ivy League schools. If you want design + technology combined, look for HCI programs specifically.
Notable programs:
| School | Notable For | Website |
|---|---|---|
| RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) | Most respected pure design school in the US | risd.edu |
| Parsons School of Design (The New School) | NYC location, fashion and product design | newschool.edu/parsons |
| Carnegie Mellon HCI | Gold standard for design + technology combined | hcii.cmu.edu |
| Georgia Tech | Strong CS + design crossover | gatech.edu |
Hidden gem:
- Northeastern University — one of the fastest-rising schools in the US by employer reputation and admission competitiveness. Strong combined CS + design programs, and the mandatory co-op program (paid work experience built into the degree) is among the best in the country for connecting students to real jobs before graduation. Rising star for 2025–2026 according to multiple ranking sources.
Useful Links for Your Own Research
- US News Best Colleges — start here for overall and program-specific rankings
- US News Rankings by Program — find rankings for CS, engineering, business, etc. specifically
- College Scorecard — official US government data on graduation rates, earnings after graduation, and financial aid by school
- Common App — the application platform used by most US universities. Create an account to start exploring schools and requirements.
- CollegeVine — free chancing calculator, school list builder, and guides by major
- CSRankings — CS-specific ranking based on faculty research publications, useful as a supplement to US News for CS specifically
One More Thing
The work you've done this week — decomposing a problem, doing real research, understanding who you're building for and who funds it — is exactly what strong US college applications look for. Not just grades. Evidence that you can do something real.
Use this week in your applications.
For deeper reading on any of these areas, use the links in the Advanced Reading section above. US News and College Scorecard are the two most reliable public sources for comparing programs by specific major and outcomes.