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  • Summer Startup
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    • Summer Startup
    • Collegiate Pitch
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"*" indicates required fields

1Student Info
2Parent & School Info
3Experience
4Recommendations
5Program Interest and Outreach
6Agree & Apply
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*
Email*
This will be the email used for all communication moving forward. Please DO NOT use your Kentucky school email.
Address*
Birthdate*
Grade*
Have you applied for GSE Summer Startup before?*
Has someone in your family attended GSE Summer Startup?*
If yes, what is their first and last name?*
Parent/Guardian 1 First/Last Name*
Parent/Guardian 2 First/Last Name*
If your high school is not listed, please select the "Other" option.
School Counselor's Name*

Your Experiences, Skills, and Accomplishments

In this section, you'll provide information related to your experiences, skills, and accomplishments.
Check the boxes below that correlate with areas in which you have experience. You may check up to 4 areas.*
Check the boxes below to indicate the extracurricular clubs and activities in which you participate.*
If you do not participate in any of the activities listed below, please select "Other". You will be able to describe any other activities that help make you a valuable team member in the next question. Note: Your application will not be negatively impacted if you don't participate in any of the specific clubs/activities listed below.
e.g. STEM, Entrepreneurship, Job Experience

In this section, you’ll paste the link to your 90-second video. You have two options for sharing your video:

  1. Upload to YouTube — Make sure the link is viewable (not private). Please note: YouTube Shorts are not an acceptable format. Upload your video as a regular YouTube video.
  2. Upload to Google Drive or Dropbox — Set the sharing permissions so that anyone with the link can view.

Video Guidelines

Your video should introduce you and highlight your interest in entrepreneurship. Think of it as a pitch for why you’d make a strong addition to a company-building team. Be creative and authentic as you showcase yourself.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you get started:

  • Are you good at sales, marketing, programming, or graphic design?
  • Are you an engineer, computer scientist, or tech guru?
  • Are you a number cruncher or good at building stuff?
  • Can you figure out a process for accomplishing a task?
  • Do you already have your own business? Tell us about it!

Remember: we are looking for ALL skill sets. Innovation must exist in every industry and content area. Entrepreneurs are everywhere — show us what you bring to the table!

Do you have a business or something similar?*

Recommendations

To complete your application, you’ll need two Recommendations. Remember, these Recommendations cannot come from family members or friends.

Once you submit your completed application, each of your Recommenders listed below will automatically receive an email from [email protected] with a link to the Recommendation Form.

You’ll also receive a confirmation email from [email protected] after submitting your application. That email will include a link to the Recommendation Form, which you can forward to your Recommenders if needed.

If your Recommenders can’t find the email, they can also access the form directly on our website here: https://kentuckygse.com/summer-startup/recommenders/.

Recommender 1 - Name*
Recommender 2 - Name*

Insights and Outreach

Are you also applying for the Governor’s Scholar Program (GSP) and/or the Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) this summer?*
If yes, which Governor’s School would you consider your first choice for this summer?*
This helps us better understand applicant interest across the programs and will not impact the evaluation of your application for GSE Summer Startup.
We’re interested in understanding how students use technology in their application process. Did you use any AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, or others) when preparing your responses?*
This question helps us learn how applicants engage with new tools. It will not impact the evaluation of your application.
How did you hear about GSE? Check all that apply*

Selection Process and Agreement

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on a number of criteria. Building a company is hard work and we will select participants who show us they will apply themselves wholeheartedly to the experience, so let us see your passion and creativity! The best applications are sincere expressions of who you are and why you want to be an entrepreneur. GSE will select students in a manner that allows the program to form business teams of no more than five. Effort is made to select students from all areas of the state. If you are in 9th or 10th grade and you do not make it in the first year you apply, try again the next summer – many successful entrepreneurs have failed the first time. Resilience and persistence are essential qualities. Remember: Students cannot be absent from GSE for any reason except emergency, illness, or an overriding personal reason. There is no appeal process for decisions made concerning GSE.
Consent*
RULES AND CONSENT The program’s few regulations are governed by law, safety, and common concern for the total GSE Summer Startup community. RULES (1) Student automobiles or other motorized vehicles are prohibited, in addition to riding in unauthorized vehicles, or leaving campus for unauthorized trips. (2) No drugs, including alcoholic beverages, are allowed. (3) No firearms or other deadly weapons are allowed. All of these rules will be strictly enforced. A student will be dropped from the program and immediately sent home for violation of any of these rules. CONSENT In order to be selected to attend GSE Summer Startup, each student must sign a consent form agreeing: (1) To stay for the entire three weeks without interruption (except for illness or emergencies); and (2) To abide by GSE rules which include attending sessions daily, while participating fully in sessions and in the life of the community. This includes weekdays and weekends on campus. Before applying, you and your parents or guardians should understand that you are expected to stay for the full term of three weeks without interruption. Your teammates are counting on you to help build a successful product and company. Students who know of scheduling conflicts in advance should contact GSE to discuss the conflict or should not apply.

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PO Box 6476
Louisville, KY 40206
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