Hi Prospective Applicant!

Welcome to the Spring 2025 application cycle for Startup Shell.

The application deadline has been extended to Sunday, February 23rd at 11:59 pm. Take advantage of this extension to edit, refine, or complete your application. If you already completed your application, you're all set!

Before you get started on your application, here's some essential information. Our application is atypical to what you're used to -- we don't care about your GPA, school year, or resume. We're looking to see why you want to be a part of Startup Shell, including how you'll use our resources and become an active member of our community of builders, creators, and entrepreneurs.

Beyond submitting the application form, we also consider the number of event check-ins you have. We see a high correlation between the number of event check-ins an applicant has and their application quality. Put simply, people who visit us have a better understanding of what they're applying to. While highly suggested, there is no requirement to have any event check-ins to have your application considered.

Once the application deadline has passed, your application is read by two Shellers at random. Their rating will benchmark you against other applicants and determine whether you will advance to the interview stage. While we wish we could interview everyone, with limited resources we typically interview 80 to 90 applicants each semester.

If invited to interview, you will be sent an email with all necessary information. All interviews occur in-person at Startup Shell over the course of four days.

Once interviews are complete, all interviewers convene to make final acceptance decisions. We typically accept around 30 applicants each semester.

Please take the time to read through the Frequently Asked Questions section below. If you have a question that isn't listed, don't hesitate to ask us in person or email hello@startupshell.org.

With all of that covered, we're excited to read your application! Remember to submit it by February 23rd at 11:59:59 PM ET and expect an update via email on March 1st.