About the Fellowship

The first Thiel Fellows were announced in May 2011. Applications for the 2012 class are due by 11:59 PM, December 31, 2011. Applicants must have been born after December 31, 1991 to qualify. We will select the finalists in the spring and expect to announce the fellows in May.

Two Years. $100,000. Some Ideas Just Can’t Wait.

The Thiel Fellowship is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. The Fellowship brings together some of the world’s most creative and motivated young people, and helps them bring their most ambitious ideas and projects to life. Thiel Fellows are given a no-strings-attached grant of $100,000 to skip college and focus on their work, their research, and their self-education. They are mentored by our network of visionary thinkers, investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs, who provide guidance and business connections that can’t be replicated in any classroom. Rather than just studying, you’re doing.

“Every tech story is different. Every moment in history happens only once. All successful companies are successful in their own unique way. It’s your task to figure out what that future history will be.” – Peter Thiel