I’d grow the HFC community the same way I’ve seen other accounts grow on Reddit: by actually acting like a person, and not a brand. From scratch, I would spend time engaging in the same college- and Gen Z-focused subreddits I already read, answering questions and joining conversations around internships and early career stress in a way that’s genuinely helpful and authentic. Trust comes first on Reddit, and without that, nothing else works. Once there is a real presence, I’d begin bringing HFC into conversations at appropriate times where it naturally fits—especially when people are frustrated with unpaid internships or don’t know how to get experience during the school year. I wouldn’t lead with links or “check this out” language because as a redditor, no one likes to likes an advertisement when looking for genuine advice. I will mention HFC the same way I’d mention anything I’ve actually used or seen work, and let people ask follow-up questions if they’re interested. Additionally, I would also build out a small group of Reddit content creators who already understand the platform and spend time in these communities. I’d focus on coordinating tone and values rather than scripting posts, so everything still feels organic and human. At the same time, I’d work on growing a dedicated HFC subreddit that feels more like a resource than a promo page, things like AMAs with the founder, advice threads, and real student stories. Overall, my approach would be very hands-on and iterative. I’d pay close attention to what people are responding to and adjust based on that feedback by keeping everything transparent and conversational. After being on Reddit for years, it’s clear that growth only happens when people feel like you’re actually listening and contributing.

I’d focus on subreddits I already spend time in and genuinely understand, like r/college, r/collegegrad, r/internships, and r/ApplyingToCollege. I’ve been in those communities during decision season, internship hunts, and late-night stress scrolling, so I know the tone and the kinds of questions that come up over and over again. A lot of people aren’t actually looking for a perfect answer, and just want to hear from someone who’s been in the same position and figured something out. That’s why I’d show up as a regular user first and not try to “promote” anything because I understand what it is like to constantly have something being advertised when not needed. I’d answer questions the way I normally would, based on what I’ve seen and experienced, and only bring up Home From College when it genuinely fits the conversation. I also spend time in school-specific subreddits, where people are more candid about campus jobs, side income, and summer plans, and those spaces are especially sensitive to anything that feels fake or sponsored. I’m really intentional about how Reddit works, so I wouldn’t drop links unless someone asked, and I’d never copy-paste comments or push the platform where it doesn’t belong. Most of the time it would just come up naturally, like sharing how I was tired of unpaid internships and found short-term brand work that actually fit around classes. My goal would be to contribute in a way that feels real and helpful, because after being in these communities for years, it’s obvious that authenticity is what people respond to and trust.

On my old Reddit account (lost the email), I made a post during Ivy League decision season that unexpectedly blew up. It was about Yale admissions, with some comparisons to Harvard and the Ivy League more broadly. I wrote about how I had initially framed myself as a “Harvard-type” applicant that was stacking prestige and trying to sound impressive, and how that mindset completely backfired. I contrasted that with Yale’s emphasis (at least from my experience and interviews) on intellectual curiosity, and community engagement not just what you’ve done. It hit the front page of the subreddit, got thousands of upvotes, and turned into a massive comment thread with people arguing Yale vs. Harvard admissions philosophy. A few days later, I got a message from someone with a yale.edu email address saying they’d seen the post circulating internally in their office and appreciated how thoughtfully it captured what they try (and often fail) to communicate to applicants. They didn’t say it affected anything formally, but they thanked me for writing it and encouraged me to keep sharing that perspective.