Last updated: October 2026
The Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship is a paid, four-month program in New York for high school graduates who aren't enrolled in college. Fellows spend five weeks in seminars, then join Palantir engineering teams with the responsibility of a full-time engineer. It pays an estimated $5,400 a month. Applications for the fall 2027 cohort (August to December) are open now on Palantir's Lever posting, with no published deadline.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Palantir's Lever posting |
| Status | Open for the fall 2027 cohort; no published deadline. Applications opened around October 15, 2026 |
| Who it's for | High school graduates who aren't enrolled in a U.S. university and haven't earned an undergraduate degree |
| Dates | August to December 2027, full-time |
| Location | On-site in New York, NY |
| Pay | Estimated $5,400 a month |
| Application | Resume, SAT or ACT score upload, and a 250-word essay on something that interests you |
| Outcome | Palantir says fellows who excel get offers to join full-time |
The detail most applicants miss: college students can't apply. Palantir's posting rules out anyone enrolled at an accredited U.S. university or holding an undergraduate degree, and fellows can't take college classes during the program.
Palantir wants evidence that you can build things, and its posting values experience with Python, R or SQL. A remote Externship like the Breaking Games SQL & Database Architecture Externship gives you a finished technical project to link on your application.
What Is the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship?
The Meritocracy Fellowship is Palantir's alternative path into tech for students who'd rather start working than go straight to college. It runs for four months in the fall at Palantir's New York office. The first five weeks are a seminar curriculum: fellows read major works, visit institutions and discuss questions about Western civilization and American exceptionalism, with guest lecturers that have included MIT's Sara Seager and former OpenAI research chief Bob McGrew. After that, fellows join Palantir's development or forward deployed engineering teams and work alongside customers. Palantir's posting is blunt about it: fellows aren't given internship projects, they're given the responsibility of a full-time engineer. The first class ran in fall 2025. The New York Post reported that about 700 people applied for 26 spots last cycle, and that Palantir hopes to take up to 50 fellows in the next class.
Who Can Apply to the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship?
Palantir's Lever posting lists these requirements:
• High school diploma: you must have a high school certificate of graduation by the start of the program
• Not in college: you can't be enrolled at an accredited U.S. university
• No degree: you can't have already earned an undergraduate degree
• Full availability: you must spend August to December 2027 at Palantir exclusively, without taking college classes at the same time
• Test scores: the application requires an SAT or ACT score upload
• Work authorization: the form asks about authorization and future sponsorship; Palantir doesn't state a citizenship requirement
No GPA or major is required. Palantir says it values agency, maturity, clear communication and experience with programming or statistics tools like Python, R, Matlab or SQL. The graduation-year menu runs from 2020 to 2030, so recent graduates who never enrolled in college can apply too.
Is the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship Open for 2027?
Yes. Palantir's Lever posting for the fall 2027 cohort was live on October 30, 2026, and the application form was accepting submissions. Palantir hasn't published a deadline. The New York Post reported that applications for the next class opened October 15. In past cycles the posting stayed open for months, but with hundreds of applicants for a few dozen spots, applying earlier is safer.
Applications are open for the fall 2027 cohort. Get your SAT or ACT score report ready and draft the 250-word essay.
Palantir launched the fellowship and posted the first application.
The first class ran in New York. The Wall Street Journal reported 22 fellows.
The second class is in the program now.
Applications for the fall 2027 class opened, per the New York Post.
The fall 2027 cohort runs in New York: five weeks of seminars, then work on engineering teams.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and the employer's own postings. Treat future dates as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The program's official page is always the most current source. If it's posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
How Do You Apply to the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship?
There's one Lever application:
1. Open Palantir's Lever posting and click apply. Upload your resume. LinkedIn, GitHub and portfolio links are optional but worth adding.
2. Confirm both eligibility statements: you'll have a high school diploma by the start date, and you're not enrolled at an accredited U.S. university.
3. Enter your high school and graduation year, and upload your SAT or ACT score.
4. Write the essay: "Write about something that interests you," 250 words max. Pick something you know deeply.
5. Answer the work authorization and sponsorship questions, then submit. Palantir says selected applicants are invited to interview based on merit and academic excellence.
Palantir doesn't publish its interview stages for this fellowship, so prepare as you would for any technical interview: be ready to walk through something you've built.
Does the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship Lead to a Job?
It can. Palantir's posting says fellows who excel will get offers to join Palantir full-time; its careers page puts it more softly, saying they get the chance to interview for full-time roles. The New York Post reported that two first-class fellows, ages 19 and 20, now work at Palantir full-time. Palantir hasn't published how many fellows got offers. Some fellows treat it as a replacement for college and others plan to enroll afterward. For Palantir's internships for college students, see our Palantir internship guide.
How Do You Stand Out for the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship?
Palantir selects on merit, academics and evidence that you can handle real engineering work. The SAT or ACT score covers academics. The rest comes from what you've built and how you write about it:
| What to show | Why it matters here | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Working with data in SQL or Python | The posting values experience with Python, R, Matlab or SQL | Breaking Games SQL & Database Architecture |
| Solving an open-ended technical problem | Fellows take on the responsibility of a full-time engineer | Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense |
| Thinking about a user's problem | Fellows work alongside Palantir's customers | BeReal Product Management |
Use the essay to show how you think. A specific, well-argued interest reads better than a list of achievements.
What Similar Programs Should You Consider?
If you're looking at the Meritocracy Fellowship, these are worth a look too:
- PalantirPalantir's internships for college studentsGuide →
- Palantir Neurodivergent FellowshipPalantir's other fellowship, open at any career stageGuide →
- High school programsinternships and summer programs open to high school studentsGuide →
- Andurildefense technology internships with heavy government workGuide →
- Scale AIAI data and engineering roles for early-career buildersGuide →
Other non-college paths into tech include the Thiel Fellowship. For the wider field, see our tech internships guide.
FAQ
Can college students apply to the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship?
No. Palantir's posting says candidates can't be enrolled at an accredited U.S. university or have earned an undergraduate degree, and can't take college classes during the program. College students should look at Palantir's regular internships instead.
How much does the Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship pay?
Palantir's posting estimates the salary at $5,400 a month. Over the four-month program, that's roughly $21,600. The New York Post described the money as meant to cover housing in New York.
Is there a deadline?
Palantir hasn't published one. The fall 2027 posting was live and accepting applications on October 30, 2026, and press reports say applications opened October 15. With about 700 applicants for 26 spots last cycle, apply early.
Is the fellowship remote?
No. It's on-site in New York from August to December 2027. The first five weeks are seminars, and then fellows work on Palantir engineering teams alongside customers.
Do you need SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. The application requires an SAT or ACT score upload, along with your resume, high school details and a 250-word essay about something that interests you.
Does the fellowship lead to a full-time job?
Palantir's posting says fellows who excel get offers to join full-time. Its careers page says they get the chance to interview for full-time roles. Two first-class fellows now work at Palantir, but Palantir hasn't published an offer rate.
Can you go to college after the fellowship?
Palantir doesn't say either way. The New York Post reported that some fellows chose the program instead of college, while others plan to attend afterward. The only rule is that you can't be enrolled during the program.
There's no published deadline, but last cycle drew about 700 applicants for 26 spots. If you don't have a technical project to link yet, a remote Externship gives you finished work to show before you apply.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
