Hacking Hackathon Admissions: Part 2

The best hackers I know always find a way into hackathons and do not take no for an answer. If you make it there, you belong there.

MHacks Director

Thought Process:

Organizers want the most passionate hackers. They want to know you being there will change the world or change your life. The best way to show passion is through persistence and most organizers would rather admit you than reply to all your messages.

tl;dr: Show Passion: Be Persistent.

Here’s how I got to YC Hacks:

YC Hacks Rejection #1

1. Contact organizers right away:

• Offer to volunteer (you can still hack).
• “Is there still room for any teams, I’m going to build a world-changing product — Uber for Dogwalkers.”
• “Attending Bitcamp changed my life, me attending Pennapps will change the world(awesome hack coming).”
• “Hey Vikram, Avi Romanoff and I hacked at BoilerMake. We’re on fire right now and are going to hack so hard at MHacks?”

Still Rejected ☹

2. Write, write, write

• Thought Process: Organizers want press.
• Send Organizers a message letting them know you want to write about their hackathon. Link to your previous posts.

3. Get friends to recommend you

• You want organizers to hear about you from as many angles as possible.

4. Facebook/Twitter

Dan’s appeal on Hackathon Hackers

5. The Waitlist

• Try to get on the waitlist:

If all else fails:

So I’m really not getting into YC Hacks…

6. Just Show up:

Disclaimer: doesn’t always work.

• No one cares if you didn’t get accepted. You being there means you belong.
• Usually you can just walk in confidently. Having a friend on the inside doesn’t hurt.
• You can submit hacks on challengepost without being registered for a hackathon.

If things still don’t work out, message Dave… Or find the Dave of that hackathon/region/country

Hacking hackathon admissions: Part 3

So you figured out how to get in, now how do you get there?

Check out Part 3 over here.