Draper University

Great program. Its a lot like many other educational experiences, You simply get out what you put in. In order to increase your chances of getting in, Be sure to put my name down as someone that referred you. (Steven Osborn) Always happy to help.

I graduated from Draper Universities Fall 2014 cohort. I received numerous requests from family, friends, and potential future students about my time at Draper, and I wanted to write an all-​encompassing review of my Draper experience and the general thoughts of my peers.
Application: The application process itself was the first hint that Draper University is a unique experience. There is really no secret here, just be yourself. They recommend being between the ages of 18 – 28, but my cohort included a few individuals who were slightly older. All of peers were truly passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and had a spark in their eye to do something big. The key being successful at anything is to do something you’re passionate about. In my opinion, it’s critically important you tell them what your passions are and why. If you don’t have a business yet, or have a very rudimentary idea of what you want to do, don’t worry. Almost every single person in my cohort changed his or her business idea multiple times (this is to be expected!). VC’s will tell you they invest in people not ideas. Draper University is no different.
Housing: Tim bought the old Benjamin Franklin Hotel, which lies in the heart of downtown San Mateo. The building itself can use some renovation, but overall it’s a great place to work. All of the walls are whiteboards, which makes it incredibly easy to brainstorm and collaborate on projects. There are also a few office spaces, a lounge, and of course the bean bag room. Overall I was very pleased with the living conditions. The rooms are standard singles, and you can choose to either have your own room or share it one with a roommate (bunk beds). I chose a shared room and I was happy I did. You really don’t spend much time in the room itself (they keep you very busy), and when you are in the room its with another entrepreneur with very similar interests. There were very little complaints from my cohort in regard to housing. The building is connected to the restaurant Three, which caters breakfast to all the students each morning at 9am. It’s also a good place to grab lunch/​dinner or drinks when you’re not in session. The food is wonderful, and there were enough options that nobody had any major complaints throughout the program. One of the biggest complaints students did have was the lack of a kitchen. There is a BBQ outside near the pool, and a microwave/​fridge in the lounge, but don’t plan on making your own meals very often. Although there are lots of restaurants and shops near the hotel, be prepared to spend a little extra money having to eat out every day.
Okay, now for the actual program itself. I can’t dive into a lot of the specifics because there is a lot that should to be kept secret as to not ruin the experience for future cohorts. For students interested in attending, all I can really say is do it. I grew up in the Silicon Valley and have been studying business since I was about 10 years old. I left college because the senior business courses I was dropping in on were not challenging me enough and I felt like I would get a better education on my own running startups. Needless to say, I was skeptical of attending a school with the name «Draper University of Heroes». But something told me to just do it. I trusted my gut, went, and it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. Draper University brings in top speakers in every field imaginable, and has them speak to you for an hour and share what they have learned through their own successes and failures. You get to network and talk to the best researchers, investors, and entrepreneurs in every field, which for me alone justified the cost. With Tim investing in over 1000 businesses, he knows what makes a business successful and the whole curriculum is designed to come together in the end and give you an incredibly well rounded knowledge of entrepreneurship that you wont find in any business or MBA program. It’s not accredited, and not known well enough yet to speak volume on a resume, but that shouldn’t matter. You will walk away with a network and new knowledge base that is invaluable to your future success. The other huge take away is the peers in your cohort. Everyone in the program went in trying to start this huge business, get funding, and become super successful. I’m not saying that this isn’t a good goal to have, but what you should really focus on is getting to know and absorbing everything you can from the people around you. After living with each other day in day out for weeks **plus survival week** I can truly say that I walked away with friends I will have for life. Not just because we spent so much time together, but also because each one of us has the same passion for entrepreneurship and making the world a better place. You put a bunch of visionaries and ENTP/​ENTJ personalities in a room together great thing happen. And Draper University is the breeding ground for those great things.
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DU changed my life — from aspiring, wide-​eyed thinker to active, get-​stuff-​done entrepreneur. This school is not your normal by-​the-​books, study-​late-​for-​exams institution — and rightfully so. After decades of learning to get straight A’s and never make a mistake, DU helped me understand a few things about business (and life):
— That it’s ok to fail and try again.
— Taking the unconventional route is often faster and more fun.
— You’ll never have all of the answers. Embrace uncertainty.
I went to a 4-​year college, and I loved every bit of it. I was in clubs, fraternities, bands, studied abroad, etc. So why did I need further education? Well there’s one thing that I doubt any 4-​year institution will teach, but DU does: to think different and to think big.
I come from a sleepy neighborhood in suburbia California, and now I’m traveling the world for my business.
DU might not be for everybody, but I guarantee you that it will drown you in new ways of thinking and teach you how to walk on water.

Draper University helped my company increase evaluation from $ 60k to 3M in 4 months. I met almost best lifetime friends and mentors I can get on earth from this school, and i got opportunities to work with the best VCs, attorneys and famous entrepreneurs in silicon valley and industry. I came here with no team, no product, no connections, no leadership skills, and now I am confident to build a world class empire with best people on the planet. I learnt how to build a company and I did it the way they taught me, it worked. And I got lots of respect as a founder and CEO by coming here.
It is a place to make you a successful CEO if you have the desire to be.

No matter how innovative mind you have or a creative person you are or an entrepreneurial idea you get. They only look for student from age 18 to 26. If you are «slightly» out of this range, their website says «you should still apply and let them know why an exception should be made 4u»?! Well, do really wish your program is special though~