Drop out of school and start a startup or do business after graduation? (Possible solution)
3 days ago, I was wondering what the future of universities would be in this AI world (and education in general).
I didn't know that YCombinator was going to bring an alternative solution:
Y Combinator (YC) has launched Early Decision, a new application track for students who want to start companies without dropping out of school. The program lets students apply, get accepted and funded while still in school, and then defer participation until after graduation (e.g., apply in fall 2025, join YC in summer 2026).
TL;DR 👉 YC is betting the next generation of founders can finish school and build startups.
I think this could be a possible pattern to help students succeed in both ways (academic + professional).v
My concerns are that:
– This is more applicable only for the "local" level (US), not global, because such an open approach had only YC
– During the studies, the priorities of students applying for a program may change as they will be influenced by two environments.
Do you see any possible improvements or ways to expand this program to Europe (or other parts of the world) as well?
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Really interesting move by YC!
It feels like a middle ground between “drop out now” and “wait until you graduate.”
You’re right, priorities do shift during studies, and having two environments (school + startup prep) can be tricky.
But maybe that’s also the strength of the model, students get to validate their ideas without the huge risk of dropping out.
As for Europe (or beyond), I think local accelerators and universities could partner to replicate this approach, funding + mentorship without forcing early exits from education.
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@ritik_ranjan The thing is that I do not know many local VC funds, most of them are in the US :D
@busmark_w_nika Totally get that! The US definitely dominates the VC scene. Maybe the way forward in other regions is more about universities and local accelerators stepping up, creating that bridge with mentorship and small funding, so students can experiment without leaving school.
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@ritik_ranjan I can imagine that the US unis could collab across continents with VCs + EU unis.
@busmark_w_nika That’s a great point, cross-continent collaborations could be powerful. If US VCs partner with EU universities, it could bring both capital and a stronger global network for students. Would make the ecosystem less siloed and give student founders a bigger stage to validate their ideas.
@ritik_ranjan Totally agree — it lowers the barrier without removing the safety net.
What I like about this is that it acknowledges the reality of being a student: you’re juggling learning, exploring, and sometimes stumbling on ideas worth pursuing.
Having structured mentorship + funding at that stage feels like a more natural on-ramp than the usual “all or nothing” startup path.
Would be great to see more ecosystems outside the U.S. experiment with similar formats — maybe even add symbolic touches, like a custom stole or small recognition gift from the program, to give students a sense of achievement without forcing early exits from education.
@lily_elliott Exactly, Lily, I love the way you put it, “a more natural on-ramp.” It respects the student journey while still opening doors to entrepreneurship. The symbolic touches you mentioned could make it even more meaningful, recognition without the pressure of “go all in or nothing.” Hopefully more ecosystems catch on and adapt this model in creative ways.
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@ritik_ranjan @lily_elliott I remember that at university I learnt most when we had workshops with people from the industry. They were practical and gave me so much.
@lily_elliott @busmark_w_nika That’s such a great point. Practical exposure from industry professionals often bridges the gap that textbooks can’t. It not only makes learning more engaging but also helps students see how their knowledge applies in the real world.
Would love to see more universities integrate that kind of hands-on collaboration with structured mentorship programs, it feels like the best of both worlds.
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@lily_elliott @ritik_ranjan I pray for EU universities :D
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That's actually a much-needed and really interesting move by YC.
It finally feels like a true middle ground. Europe has some options like EWOR, Seedcamp, Rockstart, and a few others, but funding and reach still lag behind the US.
On your concerns, I think the priorities will shift, and some students might lose steam.
In my opinion, the model only works if there’s hands-on mentorship and flexible funding, all about keeping the excitement alive and not just writing checks.
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@sanskarix Wow, thank you for the list for Europe. Now, I am googling like crazy :D
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@busmark_w_nika Got you ;)
Not sure about possible expanding ways, but the whole concept sounds curious, to my mind. And I'm convinced that the current generation is already much more intelligent and smart than we are, so they've got to handle it 😅
It could be a great experiment for others to see how it's going to go - probably adoption ideas will pop up later.
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@helga_impalpable I would like to have this program during my studies. It is only 10 years late :D And in a totally different continent.
@busmark_w_nika same here! With only difference that it's 13 years in my case (how come?!)
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@helga_impalpable We were just better at relying on ourselves lol :D
Now that's an interesting move by YC, nice to see that they are on the side that encourages students to finish their degrees! Would be curious to know what other ideas they were exploring while planning this.
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@andreitudor14 I second this approach. There is nothing better than a young, successful entrepreneur with proper education :)
Really interesting topic. YC Early Decision feels like a smart bridge between academia and entrepreneurship but you’re right, it’s very US-centric for now. Do you think European VCs/incubators could adopt a similar ‘accept now, defer participation’ model?
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@eliza_eliza To be honest, I do not know about incubators in my country, but maybe Antler is for Scandinavian countries, but these are so proficient for the whole time. Totally different mentality.
I got curious when you asked these questions about Europe so I looked around a bit and I found that at least both Germany and UK already have this.
In Germany they have EWOR and in UK they've got Seedcamp that do virtually the same thing as YC's Early Decision, so it seems Europe is already ahead.
I also read Station F in France and Rockstart in the Netherlands got something similar, but I am uncertain about the amount of funding you can secure pre-grad – it seemed a bit lower than EWOR and Seedcamp.
On your second point, I fully agree that the students might get influenced. Personally, I wouldn't want to fund someone who wouldn't be enthusiastic enough about their project that they want to start working on it as soon as possible, and even drop out of school for it. But having listened to some mentors that are working with big financial firms, I have heard that there is so much cash "laying around", losing its value to inflation, that big investors just want to put the money wherever there is an opportunity for the chance of keeping their money's value (not even earning anything on top of it, just keeping its value), so I guess they don't really care whether interest/enthusiasm change among the funded students.
Also, personally, I think many forms of education are entirely redundant. Most people would probably be better off if higher education in their fields didn't exist, and they started to work instead, and hence got working experience earlier and wouldn't graduate with (as much) debt. What do you think about that?
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@john_wern I think you are partially right about those redundant programs... like... how many philophs do we need? :D Regarding similar programs within Europe, those are common for the most "rich" parts of this continent, but we can barely see anything for Central or Eastern Europe.
@busmark_w_nika Your reflection on correlation with "rich" parts got me thinking about a theory I recently heard that postulated that the level of sophistication of institutions in different regions depend on how cold the weather is: the colder the weather, the more sophisticated the institutions.
The theory assumed, which I find very logical, that this is because producing food is harder the colder it is, and hence to be able to produce enough food to last over 1 year, you also have to plan 1 year ahead and create (more) sophisticated institutions that helps you succeed, which a warmer climate does not require. Over the course of millennia, such a society gets better and better at planning earlier in processes/further into the future, and creates more and more sophisticated institutions, which today helps it get "rich".
These programs ("institutions") like 'Early Decision' that essentially "plans the creation of building companies by funding students before they even leave school" seem to mirror what this theory states, since these programs have first appeared in the coldest parts of the world, and are closely related to 'sophistication of planning'.
Just something that struck me when I read your comment...
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@john_wern I am not so sure whether this one is true. Let's take Russia, there are only a few solid institutions near the capital... the rest... I do not think I would find a sophisticated institution in Siberia. 😅 And maybe yes, I dunno :D
I like that YC’s approach doesn’t force people to choose one path too early. You can still get your degree, then dive into building once you’re ready.
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@min_ko1 I second that, too. I mean, to be studied and have more knowledge is always a plus :)