

Ask PG and YC Founders: Why doesn't YC do rolling admissions? - malandrew

What is it about how the 3 month long program functions that (1) makes a semester approach ideal and/or (2) prohibits a rolling admissions process?<p>Press around demo day? Getting all the important investors in one room for three days? YC program activities are designed to be experienced in order? Comraderie among founders of the same "class"? Analyzing applications in bulk? Interviewing in bulk? etc.<p>What are the downsides of the "semester" approach?<p>What would be the benefits if YC were to move to rolling admissions?
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pg
You want to preserve the cycle. That's really valuable. You could in principle
make deadlines a bit more flexible while still preserving the cycle. The
reason we don't is that we're too busy helping startups during the cycle to
read applications and do interviews.

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mgallivan
If the number of quality mentors grows to such a size that you can handle both
tasks at the same time, will you run simultaneous/staggered cycles?

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pg
I suppose it's possible, but we don't have any immediate plans to.

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malandrew
have you every made an exception when a startup came very well recommended by
YC alumni, other YC partners or colleagues in the market you respect very
much? Or if the startup had the right hockey stick growth curve?

