Georgia Tech Era (2024–present)

Category: History Period: Fall 2024 – present Last updated: 2026-04-06

Overview

Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology) is where Jack transferred in Fall 2024, studying Computer Science with a focus on AI and embedded systems. The transfer was his stated biggest achievement of 2024. Located in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia Tech is consistently ranked among the top CS programs in the United States.

The Transfer

Jack fought for the transfer to Georgia Tech — the word “fight” is used in his annual review: “transferring to Georgia Tech” as an achievement, with the implicit understanding it wasn’t automatic. Transfer admissions to GT’s CS program are competitive.

His reasons, documented in the January and February 2025 reflections: - Better engineering environment than previous college - Proximity to serious students and career opportunities - A fresh start socially - A chance to not repeat the Cupertino mistake — to recognize exceptional people and actually engage with them

The Reality vs. the Expectation

The January–February 2025 entries are a reckoning. Jack transferred expecting environment to fix things. It didn’t fix things immediately:

“I’ve been here for a short time, so I haven’t found the right circle. But that’s the same with Cupertino. Honestly, the Georgia Tech culture might not be the worst. Why would you want ultra cutthroat anyway?”

This is a significant admission. Jack’s idealization of high-intensity environments starts bending against reality. “Why would you want ultra-cutthroat anyway?” is a question he would not have asked at age 17.

And yet the loneliness persisted: > “I don’t know many people in this environment and feel a bit lonely.” > “I felt like there are infinite things to do and am overwhelmed where to start.”

Academic Direction

In November 2024, Jack met with James Preiss — a PhD robotics advisor who recommended: - Understanding robotics as shifting from math models to ML - Taking ME (Mechanical Engineering) and EE (Electrical Engineering) courses

This suggests Jack was actively building out his academic trajectory at GT to support AI/robotics work, not just coasting through CS requirements.

Boston Period (March 2025)

At some point in early-mid 2025, Jack spent time in Boston — possibly as part of an MIT SIPB collaboration, a hacker house, or a startup sprint. The “Boston & The Future” reflection (March 2025, 3 Stars) documents this period. It coincides with his MIT connection (SIPB Arc Project).

CSA Dynasty and Insomnia Cookies (March 2025)

A 1-Star reflection from March 9, 2025 titled “CSA Dynasty & Insomnia Cookies” suggests involvement with the Chinese Students Association at Georgia Tech (“Dynasty” is a common CSA event name) and a late-night Insomnia Cookies run. This is the only reference to a specific extracurricular social activity at GT.

The Atlanta Running Context

By early 2026, Jack’s fitness log references Atlanta-area running and gym sessions. His running has adapted to the Atlanta terrain (hills, trails) from the flat Cupertino garage circuits of 2021.

Fin’s Dreams and Life Accomplishments (August 2025)

A 2-Star reflection from August 31, 2025 titled “Fin’s Dreams & Life Accomplishments” introduces a person named “Fin” — likely a friend or collaborator at Georgia Tech, possibly a housemate. The entry appears to be about conversations Jack had with Fin about big-picture goals and ambitions.

What Georgia Tech Provided

Despite the early frustrations, the Georgia Tech years were when Jack: - Completed the most intensive period of customer discovery (25+ interviews) - Assembled the Agentdex team (Arman Mahjoor, Karthik Jandhyala) - Had his deepest advisor conversations (James Preiss, Kunal Gupta) - Wrote the Walk In The Park Framework framework - Published “Vending Machine Dreams” on Medium - Launched AgentDex (April 2026) - Got involved with MIT SIPB

Related

• Cupertino High School
• Nostalgia Burnout Georgia Tech
• Escapism Georgia Tech
• Loneliness And Sacrifice
• James Preiss
• Kunal Gupta
• Agentdex
• Jack Luo

Photographs