Nerd Apply
Nerd Apply is a Manhattan-based college and career counseling company that uses proprietary data from 500,000+ student applications to provide personalized guidance to grades 7-12 students, democratizing access to quality counseling traditionally available only through expensive private advisors.
Backed by RiverPark Ventures, Alumni Ventures
Work at Nerd Apply?
- Team size
- 1-10
- Founded 2023
- Total raised
- $3.2M
- Seed · last round Jan '26
About Nerd Apply
Nerd Apply is a Manhattan-based college and career counseling company on a mission to democratize access to quality guidance for students in grades 7 through 12. The company delivers personalized counseling reports powered by a proprietary data infrastructure built from over 500,000 real student applications and career outcomes, representing insights across 11,000+ US high schools, 2,000+ colleges, and 23,000+ careers. Founded to ensure every student—regardless of socioeconomic background—has access to the caliber of guidance traditionally available only through expensive private counselors, Nerd Apply is transitioning from a free platform to direct enterprise sales with school districts. Operating from its Manhattan headquarters with a focused team of approximately five people, the company is building the data infrastructure needed to scale personalized college and career counseling to students nationwide.
Culture & values
Small, tight-knit team of approximately 5 people
On-site in Manhattan, New York, five days a week
Culture defined by high ownership, hunger, and a no-ego mentality
Everyone wears multiple hats and takes direct responsibility for outcomes
Values entrepreneurial spirit and looks for people who demonstrate initiative and drive
Values coachability and the ability to take feedback and apply it immediately
Values continuous improvement
Values mission alignment and genuine desire to make a difference in students' lives
Work directly alongside the founders daily
Part of shaping go-to-market strategy from the ground up
Prioritizes slope over pedigree
Cares more about curiosity, hunger, and judgment than years of experience
Funding
$3.2Mtotal raised
- Jan 2026 · SeedRiverPark Ventures, Alumni Ventures$3.2M
- RiverPark Ventures
- Alumni Ventures
Company at a glance
The team at Nerd Apply
1-10 peopleSee everyone on LinkedIn
Location
Team Composition
10 people- Entrepreneurship3 senior3
- Information Technology2
- Engineering1
- Marketing1 senior1
- Operations1
- Sales1
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