Join the original student-run venture fund.


Apply Now!

Applications close 09/15 for Philly & Southeast, NY & Midwest, and Boston & Northeast, and 9/29 for SF & West Coast.

Meet us at an event

Join our team

We're accepting applications for our investment teams until September 15 (*or 9/29 if you’re on the West Coast team).

my image
Dorm Room Fund retreat in April 2024.

#DRFforLife

Join us.

Joining the DRF family leads to a world of opportunities. But don't just take our word for it —78% of our alumni become founders or VCs after graduation, and nearly all of the rest are operators at incredible tech companies.

Real responsibilities, real decisions

Student founders are building the future, and we're looking for curious, confident, and driven students to join our team to find and back them. DRF is the first and only program to give students 100% of the decision making power (an opportunity most don't get until many years into a successful VC career). Your average scout program this is not. DRF partners get the chance to build a real investing track record.

Meet world-class peers

You learn the most from the people around you. At DRF, you are surrounded by brilliant, diverse peers ready to learn from you and share their own interests, ideas, and expertise. You'll build deep and long-lasting relationships with your most talented peers from across the country— well outside your university bubble.

Our network becomes yours

Our ever-growing community of alumni, founders, and investors is made up of some of the best in the world. As an investment partner, you'll work with leading experts in fields to inform your investment decisions, and enhance your perspectives on emerging markets, products, and emerging technologies. Once you're part of the family, you're DRF for life: alumni hire, invest in, and consult with members of this community long after they graduate.


And with DRF IV, we're excited to bring on even more partners. We have investors from over 90 funds ready at the waiting to help Dorm Room Fund partners—and founders—succeed.

Learn what it takes to build

Considering building a startup? Dorm Room Fund is both a community of builders and a way to get a front row seat to different business models, understand what venture scale looks like, and meet like-minded builders.

Be with the best

We turn exceptional students into industry leaders.

Look anywhere and you'll find DRF alums making their mark on the world. Our best-in-class education, network, and community come together to accelerate exceptional students towards careers in startups and venture capital.

| 120+

of the best VC funds are in the DRF fam—between our alumni & our investors, we have friends in the right places.

| 79%

of DRF alumni go on to
become founders or VCs.

| 49%

of our partners female or nonbinary (vs. 15% industry average).

Events

Meet us!

Still have burning questions? Want to meet the DRF family? Stay up to date with events with The Syllabus Newsletter! Our back to school events will be posted shortly.

Our community is our competitive advantage

Hear From Our Alumni

Talia Goldberg

Talia Goldberg

Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners


“Hands down I would encourage any aspiring VC to join DRF— no brainer!”

Alex Immerman

Alex Immerman

Partner, a16z


“Looking to build lifelong relationships and friends with the most entrepreneurial students out there? Dorm Room Fund is that community.”

Toni Oloko

Toni Oloko

Co-Founder, Dandy


“Dorm Room Fund was the best thing I did in school. I still rely on this community as friends, advisors, and investors.”

Angela Winegar

Angela Winegar

Head of Growth, Carta


“DRF is the place in grad school where I learned the most, grew the most personally and professionally, and had the most fun. The best part is, the community gets bigger and better every year.”

FAQs

FAQs

Should I apply if my school has a few or no Dorm Room Fund partners?

Yes! We're always looking to expand into new schools and highly encourage that you bring your expertise and school spirit to our team.

What do investment partners do?

You meet and find great founders, evaluate companies, work with regional investment partners through weekly meetings, invest capital in founders, and build the Dorm Room Fund community. We expect partners to commit roughly 10-15 hours per week.

Who makes a good DRF partner?

  • First the basics: you must be enrolled or on a gap from a full-time university program: college, MBA, PhD, JD, masters', MD — we've seen 'em all and love 'em all.
    • No, sorry — no high schoolers right now.
  • Being super smart, super curious, and super motivated is table stakes.
  • We love folks who love tech — who nerd out on the latest company being started or the some crazy new business model, or maybe even a really cool new idea or founder you just met.
  • We love to see distance traveled: where have you gone off the beaten path? Tried something new? Made a risky choice? Or beaten the odds?
  • We love open-minded folks who are eager to learn and grow: one of our values is “we bring the energy of first years everywhere we go”. You get the gist?
  • We love people who follow-through: a resume stamp or a flake-fest this is not. It's a serious commitment (10-15 hours/week, on average), and only a few spots open up each year, so we want folks who are going to squeeze the every last drop from the experience.
  • We love people who want to be founders. And people who want to be VCs. And people who are not sure! Mostly we love people who love meeting people.
  • We love a diversity of perspectives: we’ve had gallerists and professional athletes; English majors and CSAIL interns; CIA agents and telenovela stars; Crypto-obsessives and high school rockband stars. There is no one clear path to this industry, and we think smart, interested people bring smart, interesting points to every discussion.

How do I best prepare for the application and interview?

In your application, please take the time to provide responses that tell your story. We value thoughtful responses that show you've put time into our application. If you receive an interview offer, be prompt to your interview and ensure you're in a well-lit, noiseless area. We don't expect a full tux and gown, but double check that your unmade bed isn't distracting the interviewer, and triple check your computer's audio beforehand.

How do I know what regional team I should apply to?

Regional Teams are based on the location of your school!

New York Team & Midwest: New York, Montana, North & South Dakota, Nebraska, Connecticut, and the Midwest (Minnesota, lowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois)

San Francisco & West Coast Team: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, & Texas (Hint: we moved Texas this year! Please submit accordingly)

Boston & Northeast Team: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island

Philadelphia & Southeast: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Missouri, Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, North & South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee, Arkansas, Delaware

If I applied to Dorm Room Fund before, can I apply again?

Yes! We value grit. Many of our current investment partners applied and entered the team on their second or third tries.

Do I need a referral?

The short answer is no. While we allow people to put referrals as an option, we don't require, nor do we expect investment partners to obtain one. We value people from all walks of life, regardless if they know anyone in the DRF community.

Should I apply if I'm a freshman?

We encourage students of all grades to apply but expect that they have shown interest in venture capital or startups. As new students entering college, freshmen may have less experience. That said, we've accepted freshmen before, and it never hurts to try!

Can I apply if I am a recent graduate?

No, investment partners must be current students.

Can I apply as a gap year student?

Yes, but you must plan to return to college (not drop out).

Can I apply as an international student?

We require that international students attend a U.S. or Canadian college so they can play active roles in the startup communities on US-based campuses.

Do I need to have a technical background?

No, the majors and programs of our investment partners run the gamut, and we value diversity of thought brought to the discussion table.

How long does an investment partner position last?

Until you graduate from your university institution. That means freshmen have up to four years with us, first-year MBAs have two years, seniors can finish their final year, PhDs are with us practically forever 😉.

Is this year's program virtual or in person?

We ask that folks who are based in the SF, NYC, Philadelphia, and Boston metro areas plan to attend weekly meetings in person; partners at schools not within reasonable commuting distance will serve as fully-remote partners. Throughout the year, regional teams also host in-person social events open to the Dorm Room Fund alum and current community. Dorm Room Fund will cover travel expenses for folks from out of town to make sure that our remote partners get to know the rest of the fam without a ding to their wallets.

Application Timeline

What to expect?


The deadline to apply is 11:59PM ET on 9/15 for applicants to NY & Midwest, Philly & Southeast, and Boston & Northeast teams, and 11:59PM PT on 9/30 for applicants to SF & West Coast team. Apply ASAP, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis!

Please look at the detailed timeline below to see what to expect throughout the process. Each team (Philly & Southeast, Boston & Northeast, NY & Midwest, SF & West Coast) have their own set dates which will be published and sent to applicants as the interview process progresses. Please reach out to [email protected] for any questions.

Application Opens (Rolling)

Now!

Events and Office Hours

September 5th ~ September 16th

Application Due for Philly & Southeast, Boston & Northeast, and NY & Midwest Investment Partner

September 15th 11:59PM ET

Application Due for SF & West Coast Investment Partner

September 29th 11:59PM PT

Interviews

Note: Our process has two rounds prior to Super Day!
September 15th-October 10th

Superday

Boston & Northeast Super Day: September 28th
NY & Midwest Super Day: October 5th
Philly & Southeast Super Day: October 5th
SF & West Coast Super Day: October 12th

Results

Expect to hear back about final results about a week after your region's Super Day.

Ready to join us?

Our application takes minutes to
fill out. Apply now!

Apply Now!

Still have questions?

Get in touch

[email protected]

@DormRoomFund

Dorm Room Fund 2024. All rights reserved.