Student Startup Madness announces extended application deadline for nationwide collegiate digital media entrepreneurship tournament

Student Startup Madness (SSM) has announced the early admission application deadline for the collegiate digital media entrepreneurship tournament has been extended to Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. In addition, the final application deadline has been extended to Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. (UPDATE: Rolling application period open till Nov 26)

RELEASE Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 — “While we finalize our regional host arrangements, we are making adjustments to our deadline accordingly,” says Sean Branagan, Student Startup Madness concept developer and director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Branagan says the new application deadline offers an opportunity for more students to participate.

The benefits of early admission include less competition for the 20 “early admission” spots and more time for student teams to plan trips to the regionals if they are selected. Early application also affords the SSM Selection Committee more opportunity to consider applications versus those that are submitted close to the Nov. 2 application deadline. (UPDATE: Rolling application period open till Nov 26)

Student Startup Madness is open to all student digital media startups from any college/university in the United States. Students can apply at https://studentstartupmadness.com/apply-now/.

SSM is a fun and exciting nationwide tournament offering college student startups the opportunity to “live the entrepreneurial dream”: compete against fellow student entrepreneurs, grab the attention of potential investors and leaders in the startup community, and build an elite professional network.

Competition format

Each round of the nationwide tournament will build momentum, awareness and social media buzz, drawing attention to colleges and universities as sources for innovation, entrepreneurship and talent while showcasing university entrepreneurship and encouraging college students to start businesses.

Of the online applications, the SSM Selection Committee will choose competitors for the first round, which will take place online in the Gust.com platform.

From the first-round competitors, selected teams will advance to the semi-finals—in-person team presentations at regional locations across the country.

From the regionals will emerge the “Entrepreneurial Eight” (or “E8″), the top eight student teams that will be invited to pitch to a celebrity panel of well-known entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and investors at the Student Startup Madness national finals in Austin, Texas, in March 2013.

About Student Startup Madness

The Student Startup Madness concept was developed by Sean Branagan, director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, in conjunction with SXSW. Syracuse University is the organizing institution for the national tournament in 2013.

Student Startup Madness, along with its sponsors and host universities, believes in American entrepreneurship and on-campus startups—and wants to help young student entrepreneurs succeed and become a part of the SXSW experience.

For more on Student Startup Madness, visit the website (https://studentstartupmadness.com) and follow SSM on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StudentStartupMadness.