Hi guys! My name is Claire, and I’m an alum of the LaunchX summer program. I’ve been involved with LaunchX for a few years now, and if you guys have any questions about it I’d be happy to answer them.
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Hi Claire!
I’ve been waiting for a post like this to pop up lol. I’m planning to apply early this year as I was rejected during regular admissions last year. I’ve just started the admissions progress but I was wondering if you have any general tips you could share that you feel like would be helpful helpful for admissions? Thanks!
Why did the program cut its aid for internationals? I’ve been preparing for the video and other application stuff since the first day of my summer vacation and I felt so good about it till last week when I knew about this.
Are there any exceptions, or they’re strict about it?
Hey Claire! I’m thinking about applying for RD to give myself some more time for the application. What extracurricular did you have that you think helped you get in? Also, any information about the application or admission process would be great! Thank you (:
Hey @tempest000! As far as general advice goes, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that the admissions team is looking for an entrepreneurial mindset above anything else. If you take a look at their website (www.launchx.com), you can see a little bit more in detail about what they’re looking for. Some specific things I’ve noticed that they want are students who are passionate, determined, and problem solvers. These are the essential characteristics of an entrepreneur, and the admissions committee is more concerned with finding the right personality fit for their program than maybe finding the most accomplished students. This means that they’re going to be looking a lot at your applicant video and extracurriculars, with less of a focus on your grades. Whatever your passion is, make sure that this shows in your application and make sure you show why you think you’d be a great entrepreneurial fit for the summer program!
I’ve never been involved directly with the admissions process, but I know that LaunchX is looking specifically at getting students who are a good match for the company. For a more detailed description of what they’re looking for, check out the website and the blog (I know they have some good resources there) or take a look at the response I wrote for @tempest000.
For extracurriculars, the program is looking for anything that shows your entrepreneurial spirit and your seriousness about your work. My major extracurricular was that I had worked in my community with local nonprofits to create a STEM-based after-school academy and implement it into an 8-week summer camp working with at-risk kids. This consisted of creating and implementing hundreds of pages of curriculum, which showed my dedication, and it showed how I was willing to put in effort for what I cared about.
@claireoxner Thank you so much for your help!
@tempest000 No problem! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with!
Another Launch alum here! Just thought I’d mention it because it seems relevant – LaunchX is having a live instagram q&a tomorrow (@launchxed) so if you have any questions that’d be a great place to ask 
@stemoctober I’m not sure exactly what the company’s policy is on this, but you’re welcome to contact them at info@launchx.com and they should be able to answer your questions.
Following thread
Is it less advantageous to apply regular decision? I really needed finanicial aid, but I found about the “one week in advance” policy (to show need) too late.
@9JAGALoYekeBrown I thought the one week in advance policy was only for the fee waiver?
@9JAGALoYekeBrown Only the fee waiver (to waive the application fee of $50) is due a week before! You can still apply early for financial aid for the tuition cost of the entire program.
Does anyone know how long it takes after you submit an application to get an interview if u quality?
@kimbokjoo Interviews are only given if the admissions team wants clarification on some part of your application, so most applicants don’t get an interview. Getting one isn’t good or bad, it just means that admissions wants to get to know you a little bit better before making a final decision! Interviews are given out on a rolling schedule as the team goes over applications, so timing can be pretty variable. However, the earliest applicants could probably expect one is in 3-4 weeks.
@claireoxner Hi Claire, thanks for taking your time answering our questions! I noticed that in my account, even after I applied for early decision, I could still apply for regular decision. I would like to update my video and apply again. Do you think it the admission officers would consider my RD? Thanks so much!
@szhang5040 I’d email info@launchx.com just to make sure, but I’m pretty sure you could withdraw your early application and then resubmit it for regular.
Hello! Thanks for your willingness to help. I already applied to the early admission portion of the application and was feeling good about my application. I focused primarily on the values I bring in the marketing and logistics sides of the business and labeled myself as a brander rather than a business developer. Will this hurt my application? I feel like my strengths are more that of a business developer than a brander, as I am now rereading the criteria for a brander and it puts heavy emphasis on digital design etc., and I did not submit anything for the innovator portfolio. Thanks for any input/insight on this.
@claireoxner Thank you so much for your response!