Building an Evaluation Rubric

The rubric defines what every reviewer sees for each applicant. Configure it from the program's Settings, in the Settings & Rubric step.

The section is headed “Define criteria for reviewers to score applications. Total weight should sum to 100%.” A running Total Weight is shown beneath the criteria as you build.

1. Open the program's Settings and go to Settings & Rubric.
2. Select Add Criteria. Each criterion is added as a row you fill in inline.
3. Set the Question Type — Scored question for a 1 to 5 rating, or Dropdown question for a choice such as an overall recommendation.
4. Enter the Criterion Name, for example Founder-Market Fit, Problem Clarity, Solution & Differentiation, or Traction & Validation.
5. Set the Weight (%). New criteria start at 10%; adjust until the Total Weight reads 100%.
6. Write the Description / Guide for Reviewers explaining what a reviewer should look for.
7. Repeat for each criterion. Use Remove on a row to delete one.

Please note: You cannot leave the Settings & Rubric step with an empty rubric. Either add at least one criterion or turn the evaluation rubric off — the Next button stays disabled and explains this on hover.

Evaluators score each criterion from 1 to 5 and see its weight and guidance while they review.

Please note: Four criteria at 25% each is a common, workable rubric. Too many criteria make reviews slow and push everyone toward the middle of the scale.