The deadline for the 2015 Summer YC Batch is on Mar 27. What advice do previously successful applications have to offer founders applying for this batch?
Here is are some past YC applications that I have saved over the years. These may help. Lot's of great applications to learn from. The recent course, "How To Start a Startup" run by Sam Altman has tons of actionable lessons from past founders many of which are YC companies and partners.
I does help. I'm looking more specifically for recent successful applicants to say what was special about their application that got them through to the interview stage.
1. http://www.scribd.com/doc/111078156/Yc-Application
2. Dropboxes Application - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27532820/app.html
3. http://blog.zactownsend.com/our-yc-s13-application
4. https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-muses-successful-applicat...
5. A failed but insightful one - https://open.bufferapp.com/buffers-y-combinator-application/
6. http://alexisohanian.com/our-y-combinator-summer-05-applicat...
7. http://www.nancyhua.com/2014/10/08/successful-y-combinator-s...
8. https://medium.com/@mattangriffel/getting-into-y-combinator-...
Hope this helps. Best of luck!