I recall selecting tech/CS related options on the initial form a few weeks back - so my question is, are the projects for labs potentially tech/cs related? (I,e something I can put on my resume)
Hi everyone,
this is my first time doing Riipen Labs and I recently got accepted into the June 2026 cohort. However, I noticed they require “proof of enrolment for the Spring/Summer term” during verification.
I’m a University of Waterloo student and my Winter term officially ended on May 11, and I’ll be continuing school again in Fall 2026, but I’m not taking courses during the Spring term.
I’m a bit worried now and wanted to know if this has happened to anyone else before. Were you still able to participate? What did you use for verification / what did Riipen say?
Also, if someone ends up being ineligible for this cohort because they aren’t enrolled in Spring/Summer courses, does that negatively affect their chances for future Riipen opportunities?
Any help would really be appreciated 😭
Has anyone else noticed that the number of hours associated with open FuturePath projects have drastically been reduced?
I'm talking ~420 -> ~80 (or less?!)
The project details and deliverables remain the same in all cases from what I've seen. Ridiculous!
Hi this is my first time applying to Riipen LevelUp and I had applied on the day it opened w my profile already ready from before. It’s now 2 days before closing and none of my applications have moved forward. Is there a way to withdraw and apply to smtg else or do I just wait and hope for the best?
My friend linked his Riipen account to Google, and soon after, his Riipen password was suddenly changed. Later, he noticed suspicious login attempts on other accounts like Microsoft, which makes it seem like someone may have gotten access to his Riipen password and started trying it on other websites.
I’m not saying this is 100% caused by Riipen, but please be safe. Do not reuse the same password across different accounts. If your Riipen password is the same as your email, Microsoft, school, banking, or any other account, change it immediately.
Also turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible and check your recent login activity on your important accounts.
Has anyone gotten accepted to any future path projects or even got an interview and do you know how likely it is to get a project?
is it just me or is landing projects harder now? Hopfully cause new 1cohirt a year next one is easier
How are your searches for projects on level up going, may cohort, i keep getting ghosted.
i've just had one interview out of my 4 applications. others didnt respond. what about you guys?
I was in the march cohort and didn’t get paid (they said to wait until the 15th) and i contacted them last night and all they said was my reflection wasn’t sufficient and linked a help page article?
Seems like riipen is trying to find any excuse to not pay lol
I received an invoice yesterday, but both of the other girls on my team received a notification that their deliverable is incomplete and cannot process payment? We all uploaded the same exact powerpoint and obviously a reflection too. Work was very even, and reflection was submitted. Unsure what the issue is.
Is this normal? I feel so bad that I have an invoice created and they don't. Any advice I could give them?
These projects are a ton of work. I've done a similar project with the same requirements before. And guess what they offered me?
9000 CAD plus the tools I needed for 3 months.
It actually took me 4 and a half months to get it working in the system.
Here's what I think about these projects:
If you don't deliver a fully working system, you shouldn't get an invoice for only $1400.
Who approved these kinds of projects for students? These are totally professional jobs.
You should watch the video, it'll make more sense then.
Lately, I've been looking at the Riipen Level Up and Future Path project requirements, and I feel like they're asking for way too much for what they're offering.
I'm really tempted to tell them off. I mean, a single project that includes AI, SaaS, a website (not just a simple WordPress site, but one that works with AI), setting up a business model, and all that jazz? Those are huge projects! And they're expecting students to do them for only 50% of Riipen's funding, plus another 50% from the so called employers themselves, which adds up to about approximately 9700 CAD.
And get this, you don't even get any money from them unless you meet all their requirements. Students should totally report them to Riipen and explain what these employers are really expecting from us. Honestly, Riipen should be screening these projects before they even post them.
Advice on getting project, im making well crafted applications and am skilled yet no responses. Also very few project open now.
is there any use to applying to jobs that have nothing to do with my major? would i get selected because i don’t wanna keep wasting my time when i keep getting rejected
Hello, I completed advanced ontario feb-apr on april 10 . I also completed Level up March-May on may 8. I just received my invoice for Level up yet my invoice for advanced ontario is nowhere to be found, is this normal??
Not gonna lie, some of these Riipen Level UP projects are wilding😭
You click on a project thinking it’s a student learning opportunity, then suddenly the company wants:
market research, competitor analysis, social media strategy, branding plan, customer acquisition plan, implementation roadmap, final report, pitch deck, reflection, and probably a handwritten apology to their Q4 revenue.
Like bro… this is not a “student project” anymore, they just doing cheap labour cause payment is capped at 23/hr or around that and no overtime
😭
I’m not saying every company is bad. Some are actually fair. But some of these project scopes feel like companies discovered a student labour cheat code.
Anyone else seeing projects with like 8–10 deliverables and thinking, “wait… am I getting experience or am I being outsourced?”
I'm a bit of an unc who has work experience before going back to grad school. I was in Riipen Labs in March, and I got into FuturePath and Level UP.
Looking at the job postings, they are exploitative. They're from obscure companies or startups looking for cheap labor. The projects relevant to my industry are way beyond the competencies for a new grad, let alone a student still in school. They want deliverables with a workload of a team or at the very least someone experienced in a short time frame. Even for a rush job the compensation for expedited work is expected to be higher.
Labs doesn't provide actual work experience but at least it was low commitment. I want to put it out there especially for younger students to carefully look at the job description, what they're expecting, research the company and consider if that’s worth the money being offered. Your well being is worth more than a measly 1k-3k job for the summer. You wouldn't have the same labour protections as a person employed as this is a contract or subcontract job.
Personally, I'm not applying to the postings as they don't look worth it.
So I was stupid and didn't realize they capped the applications you could send to only 4. I was just wondering how long it usually takes an employer to respond to your application? I don't want to miss out on applying to some of the other projects that I find really interesting and want to do.
Also, will more projects be posted from now until May 22nd, or is that everything already available?