Why AI Projects Are a Must for Students Targeting Top Colleges (2026)

Gone are the days when AI was just science fiction. Today, it's a core differentiator in college admissions. For high school students targeting selective universities like MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and the Ivy League, AI projects are no longer optional extras, they're essential portfolio pieces.

At BetterMind Labs, we’ve seen how a well-executed AI project can transform a student’s application, showcasing initiative, intellectual curiosity, and real-world problem-solving skills. In this blog, we’ll explore why AI projects matter, what kinds of projects stand out, and how mentorship-driven programs like BML help students succeed.

Why AI Skills Matter in Admissions

• Top universities are investing heavily in AI: MIT established the Schwarzman College of Computing with a $350M gift, Stanford quadrupled its AI course offerings, and CMU created the first undergraduate AI degree in the U.S.
  

• Colleges reward initiative: Studies show students who complete research/internships are 1.6x more likely to get into top colleges.
  

• AI is interdisciplinary: Projects connect computer science to healthcare, finance, psychology, or sustainability, making applications multidimensional.
  

The Case for AI Projects to get Admission in Top Colleges

Admissions officers look for more than grades and test scores. AI projects help students:

• Prove problem-solving skills through real-world applications.

• Provide portfolio-ready material for essays, interviews, and competitions.

• Stand out in an increasingly competitive field where many students now have similar GPAs and extracurriculars.
  

What Makes an AI Project Stand Out

The most compelling projects are:

1. Authentic – connected to a student’s personal interests.

2. Problem-driven – tackling meaningful challenges.

3. Well-documented – showing process, iterations, and results.
   

At BetterMind Labs, for example:

• A student created an AI-powered wildfire detection system to help rural communities.

• Another designed a sentiment analysis tool to track teen mental health trends online.

• A healthcare-focused student built a disease prediction model using diagnostic imaging data.
  

These projects don’t just demonstrate technical ability they show initiative, impact, and authenticity.

Category	Examples	BetterMind Labs Case Study
Healthcare Applications	Tumor detection from MRIs, disease prediction models	Student built an early cancer detection model using imaging AI
Environmental & Climate	Plant disease identification, air quality monitoring	Student mapped urban air pollution using AI + satellite data
Social Justice & Equity	Bias detection in hiring, fake news classifiers	Student built an AI system to track mental health stressors in teens
Creative Applications	Generative AI for music/art, AI tutors	Students built generative AI music assistants in BML’s Creative AI track

Case Study: Shabad Bhatnagar

When most high school students think of artificial intelligence, they imagine robots, self-driving cars, or medical breakthroughs. But at BetterMind Labs, we also encourage students to explore how AI can revolutionize business and finance. That’s exactly what Shabad Bhatnagar, one of our standout students, accomplished with his CFO AI Assistant project.

The Problem Shabad Tackled

Managing business finances is complicated. CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) spend hours reviewing spreadsheets, tracking cash flow, and analyzing risks. For small and medium-sized businesses, this can be overwhelming and expensive. Shabad asked a powerful question:

“What if AI could act as a CFO’s assistant — making financial insights faster, smarter, and more accessible?”

The Role of Mentorship

Shabad worked closely with a BetterMind Labs mentor specializing in AI + business applications. Together, they focused on:

• Teaching him advanced financial modeling techniques.

• Guiding him on how to connect AI outputs to real-world decision-making.

• Structuring his project as a case-study style portfolio piece for college applications.

This mentor-driven approach helped Shabad bridge the gap between technical ability and business impact, something top universities and employers value deeply.

How Mentorship Makes the Difference

DIY AI projects are possible, but most students struggle with:

• Preprocessing messy datasets.

• Choosing appropriate algorithms.

• Presenting results in a professional, research-style way.
  

This is where BetterMind Labs mentorship excels:

• 1:1 guidance from industry professionals and graduate researchers.

• Step-by-step support to avoid dead ends.

• Publication-ready outcomes for research competitions like Regeneron STS or ISEF.
  

Building an Authentic Portfolio

To maximize admissions impact:

1. Pick a problem you genuinely care about.

2. Scope it to be ambitious but realistic.

3. Document the journey — not just the final product.

4. Seek mentorship to refine the project into something portfolio-ready.
   

Final Thoughts

AI projects have become an essential edge for students targeting competitive colleges. They combine technical skill, interdisciplinary awareness, and authentic passion in a way few other extracurriculars can.

At BetterMind Labs, students don’t just learn AI they create projects that matter. From healthcare breakthroughs to social impact tools, these projects become the defining achievements that set applications apart.

👉 Explore BetterMind Labs programs to see how mentorship-driven AI projects can transform your student’s college journey.