What Is the LEINN Admission Process? Our Famous Casting Explained Step by Step

The LEINN casting is the gateway to one of the most transformative university experiences in Spain. If you’re looking into how to get into LEINN, you’ve probably already figured out that this official university degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation from Mondragon Unibertsitatea doesn’t work like a conventional degree — and neither does its admission process. What LEINN looks for in candidates is something impossible to measure with a number: your attitude, your curiosity, and your ability to work as part of a team.

In this article we break down the LEINN admission process at TeamLabs/ step by step — what exactly gets evaluated in the casting, how to prepare, and what mistakes to avoid. If you’re thinking about applying, this is the most complete guide you’ll find.

What Is the LEINN Casting and Why Is It Called That?

The LEINN admission process is called a “casting” because it is not an exam or a standard academic test. It is a full-day experience where you spend time with other candidates, take part in group activities, and have a one-on-one interview. It feels more like an immersive experience than a traditional selection process.

Why this format? Because LEINN is a degree where everything revolves around teamwork. From day one, every person is part of a team company (a real company built by a team of roughly 20 young people). That’s why the admission process needs to observe how you relate to others — not how much you’ve memorized.

The casting takes place in person at the TeamLabs/ learning labs in Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga. There is also an online option for candidates who live outside Spain. Passing the casting is a requirement for reserving your place and enrolling in the LEINN degree.

The LEINN Admission Process Step by Step

The LEINN admission process is structured in several phases. It is not a single day or a single test: it is a journey that lets you get to know LEINN while the selection team gets to know you.

Phase 1: Online Application Form

Everything starts with filling out the application form on the TeamLabs/ website. It is a simple step where you provide your basic details and express your interest in applying. Once your form is received, the TeamLabs/ Talent team will reach out to walk you through the next steps and answer any questions.

To access the casting you must be currently enrolled in the final year of Bachillerato (Spanish high school), the second year of Higher Vocational Training (Spanish CFGS), or another university degree — or have already completed your pre-university studies. You can access the official LEINN degree from Bachillerato by passing the Spanish university entrance exam (EvAU), from Higher Vocational Training, from another university degree, or from an international Baccalaureate with accredited equivalence.

Phase 2: Presentation Video and Creative Materials

Before arriving at the in-person casting, you need to prepare a video of up to 3 minutes where you introduce yourself, share what you’ve done so far, and explain why you want to do LEINN. The video must also feature 2 people who vouch for your profile: they can be family members, friends, teachers, coaches, or anyone who knows you well.

Those two people do not need to appear in the same frame as you. They can record their part separately and you can combine everything into a single file. What matters is not production quality — it’s the authenticity of what you share.

Important: you cannot access the casting without having started the process first and submitted your presentation video.

Phase 3: The Casting

Casting day is the central phase of the process. It runs for a full day (typically a Saturday morning) at one of the TeamLabs/ learning labs. From the very first minute you will experience the TeamLabs/ learning methodology and meet current LEINNers already in the degree.

The casting consists of two main blocks:

• Team activities: group dynamics where you work with other candidates on collaborative challenges. The goal is not to compete against anyone — it is to show how you operate within a team.
• Individual interview: a personal conversation with members of the TeamLabs/ team to go deeper into your motivations, interests, and profile.

Phase 4: Decision and Confirmation

After the casting, the selection team evaluates your participation in the group activities, your interview, and the materials you submitted. You will receive their decision within a short time. If you pass the process, you will be able to pay your seat deposit and, later on, complete your enrollment in LEINN through Mondragon Unibertsitatea.

What Gets Evaluated in the LEINN Casting?

This is the question we hear most from people preparing for the LEINN casting. The answer might surprise you: what gets evaluated is not what you know, but who you are and how you relate to others.

The TeamLabs/ selection team looks for a set of attitudes and skills that are essential for thriving in a learning model built on team entrepreneurship.

Ability to Work in a Team

This is the most important factor. During the group activities, the team observes how you collaborate, how you listen, how you contribute ideas, how you handle disagreements, and how you help the group move forward. They are not looking for the person who talks the most or who leads with an iron fist. They are looking for someone who knows how to build alongside others.

Initiative and Proactivity

LEINN is a degree where knowledge is built by doing, not by memorizing. That’s why it matters that you show drive — the urge to propose, to take action, to get moving. Don’t wait to be told what to do: demonstrate that you have the energy of someone who wants to create things.

Curiosity and Eagerness to Learn

You don’t need to know anything about business, marketing, or finance. What’s valued is a genuine attitude of wanting to discover, of asking questions, of not settling for the first answer. Curiosity is the engine of learning in LEINN.

Authenticity and Honesty

Trying to perform a version of yourself that isn’t real is the worst mistake you can make in a LEINN casting. The selection team has enough experience to spot scripted presentations. What they want to see is a real person — with their strengths and also with their uncertainties.

Resilience and Comfort with Uncertainty

In LEINN you will face constant uncertainty. You won’t know whether your project will work, you’ll have to pivot ideas, manage conflict, and learn from failure. The casting observes how you react when things don’t go as expected.

What Is NOT Evaluated

• No business experience required: you don’t need to have started a company or worked before.
• No academic knowledge is tested: there will be no general knowledge questions, no math, no economics.
• Your background or socioeconomic situation does not matter: LEINN looks for diverse profiles, not homogeneous ones.

How to Prepare for the LEINN Casting

Even though the casting doesn’t test memorized knowledge, that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare. Good preparation makes a real difference. Here are the most useful tips we can give you, drawn from the experience of hundreds of people who have already been through the process.

What TO DO Before the Casting

• Learn about LEINN: read about the methodology, the projects students build, the international Learning Journeys, and more. The more you know about the degree, the more natural your voice will be in the interview.
• Attend a Puertas Abiertas (Open House): it is the best way to get a feel for the environment, talk with current LEINNers, and get your questions answered. TeamLabs/ runs these regularly in Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga.
• Make your video with honesty: don’t produce a “perfect” or over-edited video. Tell your real story: what drives you, what you’ve done, why LEINN. Authenticity comes through.
• Choose your two supporters carefully: pick people who genuinely know you and can speak with authority about who you are. A family member, a teacher, someone who has seen your potential.
• Get a good night’s sleep: the casting is an intense day. Resting well the night before will help you enjoy it more and show up as your best self.

What NOT TO DO in the Casting

• Don’t try to dominate the activities: talking more than anyone else is not the same as leading. Listening, integrating others’ ideas, and helping the team advance is valued far more than pushing your own agenda.
• Don’t recite a rehearsed script: be natural in the individual interview. If you’ve memorized answers, it shows. It’s better to be clear about your motivations than to have a rigid script.
• Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not: if you’re an introverted person, don’t force an artificial extroversion. LEINN needs diverse profiles. Show who you are — confidently and without apology.
• Don’t undermine other candidates: the casting looks for people who know how to build in a team, not compete. Any negative competitive attitude works against you.
• Don’t worry if you have no entrepreneurial experience: you don’t need it. A genuine eagerness to learn and an open attitude is more than enough.

Myth to Bust: “You Have to Have Started a Business Before Getting Into LEINN”

There is a widespread misconception among high school students: the idea that to get into LEINN you need to have already built a company, have a revolutionary idea, or be “that entrepreneurial type” you see in movies.

The reality is very different. LEINN is not looking for people who are already entrepreneurs — it’s looking for people who want to learn how to become one. That distinction is enormous.

Many people who enter LEINN have never run a business or sold anything. Some come from sciences, others from humanities, others from Higher Vocational Training in completely different fields. What they share is not a specific background but an attitude: curiosity to create, willingness to work in a team, and the courage to choose a different path.

In fact, one of the greatest strengths of LEINN teams is precisely their diversity. Teams where people with technical, creative, communicative, and analytical skills work side by side tend to build more innovative and complete projects.

Comparison Table: LEINN Admission vs. Traditional University Admission

When Are the LEINN Castings and Where Do They Take Place?

TeamLabs/ runs several casting sessions throughout the academic year, typically between October and June, for entry in September of the following year. Castings take place at the three TeamLabs/ labs:

• Madrid LAB/: Plaza San Martín, 1 (entrance via Calle Hileras, 18), 28013 Madrid.
• Barcelona LAB/: Carrer de la Ciutat d’Asunció, 16, 08030 Barcelona.
• Málaga LAB/: Calle Steve Jobs 2, Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía, 29590 Málaga.

Exact dates for each casting are published on the TeamLabs/ events calendar. We recommend checking the website regularly or filling out the interest form to receive direct notifications from the Talent team.

⚠️ Important note: spots per lab are limited. If you know LEINN is for you, starting the process early gives you more options.

Frequently Asked Questions About the LEINN Casting

Can I repeat the casting if I don’t pass the first time?

If you don’t pass the LEINN casting, you cannot retake it in the same academic year. You can apply again the following year for the next cohort. In that case, the selection team will take into account your growth and your persistence — which in itself says a lot about your attitude.

Are LEINN spots limited?

Yes, spots are limited at each learning lab (Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga). Each LEINN generation is organized into teams of roughly 20 people, and the total number of spots depends on the capacity of each lab. That’s why it’s a good idea to start the application process early and not wait for the last casting session of the year — you could end up on a waiting list.

When are the next LEINN castings?

Castings take place throughout the academic year, typically between October and June. Exact dates for each session are published on the TeamLabs/ website and events calendar. The best way to stay informed is to fill out the interest form on the LEINN casting page, so the Talent team can notify you directly.

Is the online casting the same as the in-person one?

TeamLabs/ offers the option of completing the casting online for candidates who live outside Spain. Both formats evaluate the same competencies and attitudes. That said, the in-person experience lets you feel the learning lab environment firsthand and meet current LEINNers. If you have the option, the in-person experience tends to be richer. If you live outside Spain and will be doing it online, the TeamLabs/ Talent team will guide you through the process.

Conclusion: The Casting Is Just the Beginning

The LEINN admission process perfectly reflects what awaits you inside the degree: an environment where what matters is not how much you know, but who you are, how you connect with others, and how much you want to learn by doing.

If you’ve read this far looking for how to get into LEINN, you’ve already taken the first step. The casting is not an obstacle — it is an opportunity to discover whether this educational model fits you. And at the same time, for TeamLabs/ to discover whether you fit into a team where you will build real companies, go on Learning Journeys to Finland (to immerse yourself in Team Learning at its source), Costa Rica (to experience intercultural business firsthand), and South Korea and India (to navigate high-complexity international environments), and graduate with an official Mondragon Unibertsitatea degree and real experience as an entrepreneur.

Keep in mind that a LEINN team of 20 young people will have generated a minimum cumulative revenue of €300,000 and launched more than 30 to 40 projects by graduation — proof of what genuine learning by doing produces. That doesn’t start with an entrance exam. It starts with the decision to take the leap.

Next step? Come to a Puertas Abiertas Open House in Madrid, Barcelona, or Málaga. Feel the energy of the labs, talk to people already in the degree, and if it feels right — sign up for the casting. The worst mistake is not failing the casting. It’s never trying.

Keep Reading

If you want to know what day-to-day life looks like once you’re inside the degree, we recommend our article on what it’s like to study LEINN day to day, where we cover what a typical week looks like, how your learning is assessed, and what’s different from a traditional university degree.