In this episode of Get the Check, the hosts break down Trump’s letter to Columbia and Harvard threatening to revoke billions in federal funding unless the schools comply with a sweeping list of demands aimed at dismantling DEI initiatives. They explore the very different responses from each university and whether there’s any legal precedent for such federal action. The conversation then zooms out to examine how the tech world’s view of college admissions, especially in the wake of Cal AI’s founder being rejected from most top schools and Palantir launching a new program for high school grads.

Later, the hosts unpack the story of Roy Lee, a Columbia student suspended after creating Cluely, an AI tool that helps users cheat on coding interviews. After dropping out, he raised $5.3M in seed funding to “cheat on everything”. The episode closes with a broader discussion on how AI is reshaping the value of a college education and how institutions should adapt to a world where students are increasingly using AI.

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00:00 Intro

01: 48 Trump's demands to Columbia and Harvard

40: 03 Leetcode cheating tool Cluely raises $5.3M seed round