

Applying to Y Combinator as an undergrad - myoung8

I'm seriously considering applying for Winter '08 as a rising junior. 
Has anyone else applied as an undergrad (other than the guys at Loopt)? 
How did they (you) fare? <p>Thanks in advance.
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gyro_robo
If you feel strongly about something, you have to strike while the iron is
hot. You'll do better with enthusiasm but no experience than with experience
but no enthusiasm. Most of the big success stories have junky back-ends anyway
(Flickr is PHP; YouTube's player can't skip forward; MySpace is a pile o'
tinker toys and duct tape). A tin can that does something beats a perfect
blueprint that just sits there.

Oh, and the point of college, actually, is tagging co-eds. Comp. Sci majors
tend not to realize this at the time.

And human biological feedback loops ensure that stays interesting. Hacking
doesn't, so do it while you still find it novel and exciting!

~~~
dhouston
+1 to above...

also, you can start a startup whenever, and have the rest of your life to live
the 'startup life' (i.e. worksleepworksleepworksleep until/while good things
happen :)), but only 4 years of college.

i would argue that tagging coeds and having a social life also helps you later
as a founder to get along with the non-engineers, who often bond over drinking
and talking about tagging coeds :) (not to mention the recent spate of
articles about parallels between dating and startups..)

and taking time off is good (i took a year off but still lived with my college
friends) but the longer you take off, the more coming back sucks, because all
your friends have graduated.

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nmeyer
I was an 08' at MIT and I'm a current summer founder. I dropped out, and it's
going well. There are a few other undergrads in this session -- but no one who
plans on going back to school.

Really, everyone fares really well, and whether you were an undergrad/grad/35
years old never comes unto play -- unless it's while joking around over
dinner.

It's a great time and you should definitely apply!

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rms
It helps to be able to honestly say "We are putting our educational on hold
for the company, whether or not we are accepted into YC."

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sama
Do it. It is awesome.

Sam from Loopt

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ronrja
I have and awsome idea for a web site that I really think can be successful.
The thing is though, will the fact that I am only a Freshman, Comp Sci student
prevent me from being accepted right of the bat?

I really how it won't because I really feel like I have a hit.

~~~
rms
It definitely won't automatically cross your name off the list. I'm sure your
application will be treated seriously. Remember that ideas don't go as far
with YC as they used to, I believe a link to a screencast is the preferred way
to demo your product.

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naivehs
I don't think it will hurt to submit an application even if you don't get an
interview. Writing up the application gives you a different understanding of
your project, and you are probably going to get some great feedback as a
bonus.

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drusenko
we applied as seniors with 1 semester left each, and got accepted in w2007.
i've since graduated, and chris and dan will be graduating very soon.

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petervandijck
"Junky backend" - "Flickr is PHP", ahem. Flickr's backend is actually an
object lesson in how to do a good backend and scale it.

