InSITE Application Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
Please review the application instructions.
- I have a great idea for a company. Should I join InSITE?
- I know of a great company that would be a good fit to work with InSITE, what should I do?
- What kind of commitment is expected of InSITE Fellows?
- I only have one year — two semesters — left in my program. Am I eligible to apply?
- I think I will be too busy to participate in InSITE this semester. Can I apply next semester?
- I previously applied to InSITE. What are my chances of being accepted?
- Are business school students disadvantaged in the Spring admission cycle?
- Why does InSITE limit the number of Fellows it accepts? Why is there an application process?
- What are my chances for being accepted as a Fellow?
- What is the timeline for the application cycle?
- Can I have an extension for my application?
- Will I receive a confirmation that my application has been accepted?
- What are you looking for in the application?
- Who reads my application?
- What is the interview format?
- Why are interviews on a Saturday…morning…?
- I didn’t get an interview or invitation to be a Fellow. Can I appeal?
- Can I get feedback on my application and/or interview?
- I have more questions.
I have a great idea for a company. Should I join InSITE?
We encourage students with an interest in entrepreneurship to join InSite as they will gain exposure to working entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. However, some students are far enough along in their own entrepreneurship that they would like to benefit from InSITE’s services for their own companies. The Fellows process and the Companies process are separate—if you would like your company to be considered for selection as an InSITE Company, please contact the VP of Companies at vp.companies@insiteny.org. Please note that a high proportion of the companies that we work with are full-time endeavors for their entrepreneurs and are at an operational stage of development. Applications for companies can be found here. (Return to top.)
I know of a great company that would be a good fit to work with InSITE, what should I do?
Please refer them to the VP of Companies at vp.companies@insiteny.org. Application instructions for companies can be found here. (Return to top.)
What kind of commitment is expected of InSITE Fellows?
InSITE Fellows are expected to be part of the program for at least three semesters. For J-term and second-semester business school fellows, this means you are expected to play an active role in the organization for the remainder of your business school career. For law students, it means you are expected to stay until at least the beginning of your 3L year (or longer if you are a second semester 2L). This commitment encompasses not only your contribution to your team and attendance at all mandatory events (approximately 4 hours/week including work between team sessions), but a commitment to take on a leadership role in your second year with the organization, either as a team leader or member of the executive board. (Return to top.)
I only have one year — two semesters — left in my program. Am I eligible to apply?
Due to an overwhelming number of applications from highly qualified first-year business and first- and second-year law school students who each have at least three semester left on their programs, we unfortunately cannot consider applications from second year business school students, third year law school students, or other categories of students with less than 3 semesters remaining. (Return to top.)
I think I will be too busy to participate in InSITE this semester. Can I apply next semester?
Unless you are a law student or other professional degree student who will have at least three semesters of school remaining next semester, you cannot apply next semester. (Return to top.)
I previously applied to InSITE. What are my chances of being accepted?
We encourage re-applications from prospective fellows, particularly from law students. However, a re-applicant does not necessarily receive an advantage in the process. Please make a note of your reapplication status in your personal statement as we destroy all applications after each cycle. Re-applicants are strongly encouraged to submit new personal statements and must submit new write-ups. They may also want to alter their resumes to highlight entrepreneurial, early-stage, tech or VC experience. A previous invitation to interview does not guarantee that a re-applicant will move on to the interview stage in a re-application. (Return to top.)
Are business school students disadvantaged in the Spring admission cycle?
While business school students are not specifically disadvantaged, we give additional weight to applications from Columbia J-Term students during the Spring admission cycle, as they have not yet had the opportunity to apply to InSITE. Other business school students have already had at least one application cycle to apply. (Return to top.)
Why does InSITE limit the number of Fellows it accepts? Why is there an application process?
We wish we could take every student that was interested in the mission and objectives of InSITE into the program, and that we could open up all of our events to all interested members of the Columbia and NYU communities. Unfortunately, we are under significant restraints in terms of the space we have for hosting events, the quality/quantity of the companies and venture capital firms we work with, and the commitment levels required to run the organization. We need every Fellow to have the opportunity to take on a leadership role during their time in the program, and expect that they will do so. This requires keeping each working team limited to a reasonable size (never more than 6 people), and limiting the overall size of the organization. We encourage applicants that do not become Fellows to take advantage of the myriad complimentary resources and programs available at both Columbia Business School and Stern. Our Fellows are often involved in many of these programs as well, and would be happy to provide introductions into the academic entrepreneurship communities for interested law students and other professional school students. Please visit http://insiteny.org/who-we-are/ for more information on our Fellows. (Return to top.)
What are my chances for being accepted as a Fellow?
We don’t have a set target for numbers of Fellows accepted during a given application cycle, but do have particular overall size constraints. In general, we seek to have a reasonable balance of students from across the business and law schools of NYU and Columbia. The process is quite competitive, and, historically, fewer than half of the applicants extended interviews are invited to become Fellows. This ratio is often lower in the Spring semester, as many business school candidates have already had an opportunity to apply to the program. (Return to top.)
What is the timeline for the application cycle?
Applications are due by 11:59pm on Monday, January 25, 2010. The applications will then be reviewed by current Fellows, and interview invitations will be extended no later than 12 pm on Thursday, January 28. Interviews will be held on Saturday, January 30, and all interviewed applicants will be notified of their status by Sunday, January 31. New Fellows will attend their first training session on Monday, February 1. (Return to top.)
Can I have an extension for my application?
No. Due to the tight turnaround on applications from review to interview, we cannot offer any extensions on the application deadline. Applications received later than 12am Tuesday morning/Monday night will not be considered. We suggest submitting your application no later than 10pm Monday night to ensure our receipt by midnight. NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. (Return to top.)
Will I receive a confirmation that my application has been accepted?
Yes. (Return to top.)
What are you looking for in the application?
The Application consists of three parts: the personal statement, the resume, and the company write-up. For business school students, the resume should be fairly straightforward, though we suggest emphasizing any relevant experience that may not be on your traditional resume (such as any entrepreneurial activities in college). For law students, emphasis should be placed on any relevant non-legal work or on specifically relevant legal work, if available. The Fellows understand that, in general, law students may have less direct experience in these areas than business school students. The personal statement is an opportunity for applicants to discuss their interest in InSITE, how they believe they will be able to contribute to the organization, and their willingness to make the necessary commitment to the program. We also recommend highlighting any specific elements of your resume whose direct or specific relevance may not be readily apparent. For more information on the write-up, please refer to the application itself. (Return to top.)
In general, we try to have applications from Columbia students read by NYU students and vice versa. Your classmates are typically not the readers reviewing your application, and we expect Fellows to recuse themselves from reading a particular application if they are personally familiar with a candidate beyond the InSITE process. (Return to top.)
The interview is a 15-minute discussion with 2-3 interviewers. These interviewers are current or alumni fellows. Candidates typically arrive in business formal attire, but don’t feel bound by that—we won’t be in suits. (Return to top.)
Why are interviews on a Saturday…morning…?
We traditionally conduct interviews on a Saturday morning in order to have as few conflicts as possible with prospective Fellows’ academic commitments. As an applicant, you are expected to be in town and available for an interview the morning of Saturday, January 30. It is entirely at the discretion of InSITE whether to make alternate interview arrangements for you should you advance to the interview round. (Exceptions will be made for religious observance.) If you have an unavoidable conflict, please note this as an addendum to your personal statement.
A Saturday morning interview also signals the commitment that we expect from our Fellows and the importance of the program to alumni, who often make the effort to come in and conduct interviews alongside current Fellows. (Return to top.)
I didn’t get an interview or invitation to be a Fellow. Can I appeal?
All decisions to extend interviews/invite Fellows to join the program are final and cannot be appealed. (Return to top.)
Can I get feedback on my application and/or interview?
Due to the overwhelming number of applications and applicants, we do not give feedback on applications or interviews, neither pre-submission nor post-decision. (Return to top.)
Please feel free to reach out to Fellows in your respect school, or send an email with your question to the appropriate VP for Recruiting: vp.col.recruiting@insiteny.org or vp.nyu.recruiting@insiteny.org. (Return to top.)