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?
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!
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.
Totally unrelated to the author of this post. My apologies! now going back to what gyro said. You mean to tell me Flickr, YouTube and Myspace have junky backends?? Makes me feel a little bit better about the app I'm working. How'd you know about this?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!