Quick Question: Does founding a seed-funded startup add value for graduate school applications (particularly for MS programs)?


Quick Answer: It really just depends. A startup can be a good experience in that you often have the opportunity to take on more responsibility and greater leadership roles than you would in a larger company. On the flip side, the adcom will most likely have never heard of your startup (so it won’t have the name recognition or brand strength of a well-known company) and many startups never become profitable. (If you happen to be at one that is profitable and you’ve had a direct contribution to that success, all the better). At the end of the day, there’s no black and white answer as to how it helps or hurts your application since it depends on the unique circumstances of the startup, your experience there, and the value each school and program places on the experience.