Individual Program
A flexible individual route for high school students who want to develop and launch a startup or non-profit with one-on-one support.
Program overview
The YFL Individual Program offers high school students one-on-one mentorship to develop and launch their own venture – either a startup or non-profit – making it ideal for students seeking a tailored approach.
What is included
- Weekly one-on-one mentorship session with startup coach
- 100% online and flexible timing
- 1-hour per week of personalized mentorship
- 5-hours per week of student time commitment
- Start-up idea and coding skills not required
- Fireside chats
- Remote socials with other solo founders from the cohort
Choose the venture you want to build.Choose theventure youwant to build.
Startup Founders
With 12 hours of personalized coaching and a flexible start date, the Startup Founders Program pairs students with highly experienced mentors who guide you through each step of our curriculum — from early problem identification through the launch of a revenue-generating business.
Non-Profit Founders
For students looking to explore social or environmental impact, the Non-Profit Founders Program guides you through a 3-month curriculum covering each stage of organizational development — from needs assessment to fundraising, culminating in the launch of a thoughtfully designed non-profit venture.
A global student communityA globalstudycommunity
- Exchange ideas and brainstorm with the student cohort
- Access to exclusive opportunities
InternshipsReference lettersAlumni network
Continuous guidance & mentorship
- Renowned instructors and guest speakers
- Weekly office hours
Start-up mentorsInvestorsFounders
Program Structure: Fundamentals to Demo Day
Kickoff
Meet your cohort or mentor and choose the problem space you want to explore.
Phase 1
Learn core business fundamentals and shape the start-up idea you will build.
Phase 2
Run market and user research, then build your first prototype or MVP.
Phase 3
Launch for traction and learn growth, marketing and sales skills.
Demo Day
Present your venture, pitch and next steps with live mentor feedback.
Mentorship from a world-class network of young founders and industry leaders.World-classmentorshipfrom young foundersand industry leaders.
Students receive close guidance from mentors, startup founders and professionals with backgrounds across top universities and companies.
Our alumni go on to the world’s top universities.
A survey of 340+ alumni who applied to universities in 2022–23 showed that 20% of our alumni who applied to an Ivy League university or Stanford got in — 4× higher than the general rate of acceptance at these universities.
UC Berkeley17acceptances
Cornell15acceptances
UPenn9acceptances
Columbia8acceptances
Yale7acceptances
Stanford4acceptances“YFL guided us through building a startup from the ground up. We created an MVP and pitch, then continued developing the venture with support from our mentor.”“YFL helped us turn an idea into an MVP and pitch. With our mentor’s support, we kept developing the venture after the program.”
Aalia Deora“YFL gave me hands-on experience in the field I want to pursue. Working with an experienced mentor taught me how entrepreneurship and innovation work in practice.”“YFL gave me practical experience in the field I want to pursue and showed me how entrepreneurship and innovation work in the real world.”
Neha Bhalla“YFL was invaluable. I developed practical skills, met ambitious peers and loved building alongside my teammates throughout the program.”
Reeyaa Ajay“YFL was an amazing experience. I learned so much about starting a business and even got to launch one by the end!”
Ronak ChughQuestions, answered.
What is the time commitment?+
The time commitment is 6–8 hours per week.
What flexibility do I have when scheduling with my mentor?+
The mentor and the student choose a mutually convenient time for their meetings. Based on our experience of running the program for over 100 students, finding an appropriate time has never been a problem.
Are there assignments involved?+
Every two weeks students need to submit an assignment based on the readings that are part of the weekly curriculum.
Is the start date fixed for all cohorts?+
The Individual Program effectively has a rolling start date and can be begun at any time of the year.
Building a start-up is hard. That’s why we only take the best.
Fill out application formFill out application form
Share your motivation, interests and why YFL is a strong fit.
Admissions evaluation
Wait as the admissions team evaluates your application.
Interview with our team
Meet a senior member of the YFL team and talk through your goals.
Receive decision
The admissions team shares your outcome and next steps.
Begin your journey
Start building with your mentor, cohort or team.
Explore other YFL routes