Question 1

Who is Build Young for?

Accepted Answer

Build Young is for high school students. A parent or guardian completes enrollment on the student's behalf. No prior experience is needed.

Question 2

Does my teen need to know how to code?

Accepted Answer

No. Students build their product using AI tools, so they don't need to know how to code beforehand. They learn to build by building, with AI as the tool.

Question 3

What will my teen actually do in the program?

Accepted Answer

Over 12 weeks they find a real problem, build a real product with AI, take it live, grow it with a funnel and metrics, and go get their first customers — finishing with a capstone presentation that parents are welcome to join.

Question 4

What does going live and getting customers mean?

Accepted Answer

Going live means publishing the product they built so it's a real, working thing anyone on the internet can use — not just a class exercise. Getting customers means putting it in front of real people who want it: they learn go-to-market — a simple funnel, metrics, and outreach — to land their first real users, and ideally their first paying ones.

Question 5

Will this help with college applications?

Accepted Answer

It gives your teen something real to show for it — a live product they built, often with real users, and a genuine founder's story to tell in essays, the activities list, and interviews. Colleges value initiative and real-world impact, and 'I found a problem, built a product with AI, and went after my first customers' is a specific, memorable story most applicants can't tell. We're honest about what it is: real evidence and a story to point to, not a guarantee of admission — and it works precisely because your teen built something they genuinely cared about, not to pad a résumé.

Question 6

How long is the program and what is the schedule?

Accepted Answer

It runs 12 weeks, meeting twice a week (about 3 hours total per week), 100% live online over Zoom. Families choose a cohort that meets either Mondays & Wednesdays or Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Question 7

What does a class actually look like?

Accepted Answer

Picture 90 minutes, live on Zoom, capped at 10 students — a studio, not a lecture (no slides). We open with a quick goal for the day (about 5 minutes), then you spend most of class actually building your own product with AI while we go around coaching: looking at what you're making, helping you get unstuck, and pushing you to make it better. People share screens, show their progress, and trade ideas with the group, and we wrap by lining up what's next. You're building the whole time — not watching — and you walk out of every class with your product further along than when you joined. Just bring your laptop and your questions.

Question 8

Is there homework, and what is expected between classes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it's real work, not busywork. A couple of days before each class students get a short heads-up on what to prepare, and between the two weekly sessions they keep building their own product. Plan on the two ~90-minute live classes plus a few hours of building on their own each week — the more they put in, the more they walk away with.

Question 9

How much does it cost, and what is the refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Tuition is $999. You get a full refund if you cancel before the cohort starts, and a flat 75% refund through the first week of class; it is non-refundable after that.

Question 10

Are there any costs beyond tuition?

Accepted Answer

A little. During the build weeks your child will need Claude Pro (about $20/month) — the AI they build with; a free account won't keep up. Everything else we use (GitHub, Vercel, email) is free. Later, a custom web address (domain) is optional — about $10–20/year if you want one.

Question 11

Do you offer scholarships?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes — it depends on funding. When we have sponsorship to cover seats, we open a limited number of scholarship places for that cohort, awarded by application, so it isn't offered every time. When it is, you'll see a scholarship cohort on the enrollment page. If cost is a barrier, tell us who you are and what you'd build — we read every application ourselves, and selected students get the full program, the same classes, dashboard, and support, at no cost.

Question 12

Why are both paid and scholarship cohorts sometimes open at once?

Accepted Answer

They run side by side, on purpose. Paid cohorts are always on the schedule. A scholarship cohort only opens when we have sponsorship to cover the seats — and even then, the places are limited and awarded on merit by application, so they aren't guaranteed and not everyone who applies will get one. Keeping a paid cohort open at the same time means there's always a way in: if you apply for a scholarship and aren't selected, you can still enroll in a paid cohort and do the exact same program — the same classes, dashboard, and support.

Question 13

Is there really a way to earn the tuition back?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the First-year builder prize. In each cohort, the first student to land a real, paying customer for what they built within a year of enrolling earns their tuition back. It takes proof of the payment and a short, parent-approved video. It is how we reward builders who take it all the way to a real sale.

Question 14

Can we talk to someone before enrolling?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every family can book a free 15-minute call with us before enrolling — no pitch, no pressure.

Build Young — build real, working things with AI, made for who you are

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