The default advice within EA is to err on the side of applying. I think that is generally good advice, at least as a starting point.
Do you need to tell your family about applying before doing so? If not, at what point in the process do you think you would need to? If my memory serves, the acceptance rate for the incubation program is pretty low, so you may be experiencing anxiety over something (telling your family) that has a low probability of happening even if you apply. It may be more efficient to just apply and defer consideration of whether to tell your family unless and until you progress in the selection process.
One reason I think the default advice is often correct is that EA application processes are unusual. I don’t know what jobs you’ve applied for in the past, but it’s likely the process here would be significantly different. If you’ve taken a standardized test, you probably didn’t do as well on your first exposure as you did after getting to a certain level of comfort and familiarity. I think that’s probably true of most EA application processes as well.
The other advantage of applying would be that the application process can itself help you determine fit. You might learn that the incubation program just isn’t a good fit for you at all. If so, that’s good to realize—it isn’t for everyone, for most people, or for me personally! Learning that now would help you narrow down what would be a good fit for you and would help you prioritize the skills needed for better-fit paths. Or you might decide after learning more that it is a potential good fit for you in the abstract, but that you have specific skill gaps to work on. That would also be good information to have.
The default advice within EA is to err on the side of applying. I think that is generally good advice, at least as a starting point.
Do you need to tell your family about applying before doing so? If not, at what point in the process do you think you would need to? If my memory serves, the acceptance rate for the incubation program is pretty low, so you may be experiencing anxiety over something (telling your family) that has a low probability of happening even if you apply. It may be more efficient to just apply and defer consideration of whether to tell your family unless and until you progress in the selection process.
One reason I think the default advice is often correct is that EA application processes are unusual. I don’t know what jobs you’ve applied for in the past, but it’s likely the process here would be significantly different. If you’ve taken a standardized test, you probably didn’t do as well on your first exposure as you did after getting to a certain level of comfort and familiarity. I think that’s probably true of most EA application processes as well.
The other advantage of applying would be that the application process can itself help you determine fit. You might learn that the incubation program just isn’t a good fit for you at all. If so, that’s good to realize—it isn’t for everyone, for most people, or for me personally! Learning that now would help you narrow down what would be a good fit for you and would help you prioritize the skills needed for better-fit paths. Or you might decide after learning more that it is a potential good fit for you in the abstract, but that you have specific skill gaps to work on. That would also be good information to have.