1. Eligibility

  • Student Status: All participants must be currently enrolled college students (undergraduate or graduate).

  • Age: Participants must be 18 years of age or older by February 21, 2026.

  • Exclusions: Mentors, volunteers, and organizers are not eligible to participate as hackers or win prizes.

  • Identification: You may be asked to show a valid student ID or proof of enrollment during check-in.

2. Teams and Registration

  • Team Size: Teams must consist of 1 to 4 people.

  • Solo Hackers: You are allowed to participate solo, but we encourage collaboration!

  • Track Selection: Each team may only submit to one specific track. Teams may select one Yconic category as well. Teams can select as many MLH categories as they'd like. 

  • The "Splash Zone" (Beginner Track) Requirements:

    • To be eligible for the Beginner Track, at least 50% of your team must be first-time hackers.

    • A "first-time hacker" is defined as an individual attending their first-ever hackathon.

    • Example: A team of 4 is eligible if 2 or more members are first-timers. A team of 3 is eligible if 2 or more members are first-timers.

3. Project Requirements & Submission

  • Submission Format: All projects must be submitted via a Public GitHub Repository. Submissions via Google Drive, Repl.it (unless linked to GitHub), or private repos will not be accepted.

  • Code Requirement: You must submit the source code for your project.

  • Original Work: Projects must be built entirely during the hacking period.

    • No Crossposting: You may not submit a project that was submitted to another hackathon happening on the same weekend.

    • No Pre-existing Projects: You cannot submit work you started before the event.

  • Frameworks & Libraries:

    • The use of publicly available frameworks, APIs, and libraries is permitted and encouraged.

    • Mandatory: All frameworks and third-party tools used must be clearly listed in your project’s README.md file.

  • AI Policy: The use of LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, etc.) and AI tools is permitted. However, the core logic and integration must be your team's own work, and AI usage does not exempt you from the README disclosure requirements.

4. Timeline

  • Hacking Starts: Saturday, Feb 21 @ 10:00 AM

  • Hacking Ends / Submission Deadline: Sunday, Feb 22 @ 11:00 AM

5. Judging Process

Judging will be conducted in a two-stage process:

  1. Round 1 (Science Fair Style): All teams will set up at their stations. Judges will circulate through the room to view live demos and ask questions.

  2. Round 2 (Live Demos): Finalists selected from the Science Fair round will be invited to the main stage to give a live presentation/demo to the full panel of judges and the audience.

6. Code of Conduct

All participants are required to follow the MLH Code of Conduct. In short:

  • Be respectful. Harassment and abuse are not tolerated.

  • Respect the venue and your fellow hackers.

  • If you see something, say something—reach out to an organizer immediately.

7. Standard MLH Policies

This event adheres to the MLH Standard Hackathon Rules regarding:

  • Ownership: You own the software you create.

  • Privacy: How your data is handled for the purposes of the event.

  • Fair Play: Cheating, plagiarism, or sabotage of other teams will result in immediate disqualification.