Computer science is one of the most popular majors across all top universities, as the endless cycles of tech boom propel ever more students with the glittering allure of Silicon Valley beckoning in the distance. Of course, this increase in popularity also leads to an increase in competition, as computer science programs and majors are often the most competitive, even at already extremely competitive schools. This leads to students in high school looking for ways to show off their programming prowess. This is something we’ve touched on before, and likely will again. In this article, we’re going to cover an especially interesting possibility: hackathons. We’re going to cover some great options, both those set up specifically for high school students, and some which simply allow students to participate. Let’s jump right in!
What are Hackathons Anyway?
Before we discuss your options for hackathons, we’re going to very briefly cover what these events are, and why they might be impressive for admissions officers. Put simply, a hackathon is a short-term high intensity programming or software engineering event where coders all work towards a specific goal; either collaboratively or alone. The goal of the event is to have created something usable by the end, and to develop skills in problem solving and collaboration.
What problem these events are attacking, and the methods they use, are as varied as the hackathons themselves. Some of these are competitive, with prizes for the best entrants, while others are more casual and collaborative. They are all short term; the longest last 48 hours, and most are far shorter (especially those aimed at high school students). The goal is to see how much you can get done, and how quickly.
Hackathons generally end with presentations of what everyone has done. Thus you can both show off what you’ve accomplished, and gain insight into how others attacked the same problem. In-person events are also great opportunities for networking, as there are many people there with similar goals and interests as you.
For admissions, hackathons serve several purposes. First, as with any competition, winning one shows off what you are capable of in comparison to a peer group. Next, the experience of a hackathon, the joy of creation in a somewhat stressful collaborative environment, is often great fodder for college essays, and shows off many of the traits and values these schools look for in students. Universities want students who can operate well under pressure, who can meet tight deadlines when needed, and who seek out academic challenges for the fun of it. Hackathons demonstrate all of these traits and more.
Top Hackathons for High School Students
We’ll give details for each event on who is allowed to compete, the format of it, and any other information we think is relevant. We are putting these in alphabetical order, for convenience.
American Computer Science League
In spite of the name, this organization offers programming events and competitions for students all over the world, all of which are free to enter and participate in. All contests are held online; they have different divisions based on age and ability level. There are four contests each season, giving students multiple chances to compete; generally different contests focus on different challenges or programming languages.
Students must take a free online programming test in order to register; this will help determine which divisions and competitions you are eligible for. These contests are great for students looking to be actively involved; the number of competitions each year gives you many opportunities to test your skills.
Hack3
This is a 24 hour free global hackathon hosted entirely online. It is competitive, and students are given a challenge to solve; they are encouraged to collaborate. There are a variety of workshops and presentations over the course of the day, and at the end, students are given a chance to present what they have made; three minutes for the presentation, and two minutes for questions.
This event happens in June, and is relatively low commitment; many hackathons are due to the short time frame. This is a good event if you are looking for an introductory hackathon, as they allow for a broad array of submitted coding projects. You must be a currently enrolled high school student to participate.
HackNYU
This competition is hosted by New York University (as the name suggests). This is primarily an event aimed at college students, but high school students aged 16 and up may participate if they are accompanied by a guardian. The event has multiple possible tracks; students choose which they are participating in when they sign up.
You do not need a team when you sign up (though all competitions are team based). There are opportunities to find teams at the event, or beforehand amongst other attendees. The event is in person; food is provided for free. There are prizes for top performing attendees. This is a good option, especially for students who are already based in New York.
HPE CodeWars
Run by Hewlett Packard, this is an annual hackathon held in March each year for students aged 13 to 18. They support several coding languages, and students submit source code to answer the challenge of the event. Students work in teams to complete this. Teams must be led by an adult sponsor; this sponsor must be associated with an accredited school.
Teams are two to three students; single teams are permitted but not recommended. There are both novice and advanced challenges available each year. This is both an in-person and virtual event. This is a three hour event where teams try to solve as many problems as possible; the team with the most points at the end wins. This is a good event to get a sense of hackathons, and to try out various coding challenges.
NASA International Space Apps Challenge
This is one of the largest global hackathons, and is open to participants of all skill levels, from students to experienced engineering professionals. Put on by NASA annually in October, this competition gives participants access to NASA’s data, and challenges them to use it to solve specific problems NASA is facing. Entrants work in teams to complete their projects, which are then submitted and judged.
This one is remarkable because it also has a lot of local events, allowing for in-person networking. These events are held globally; you can see if there’s one near you. This is a great option for students with an interest in data science or space exploration generally, on top of the CS applications.
PennApps
This was the world’s first student-run college hackathon; while it is still primarily competed in by college students, any students aged 15 and up are permitted to enter. It is held each year in September, and is run by the students at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Engineering. This is an in-person event, with students travelling from around the world to Philadelphia to compete.
This event is free to attend; you must pay for travel costs, but lodging and food are provided. You must apply to compete; this is competitive, and acceptance is not guaranteed. You will be assigned a team and an app challenge when you arrive. This is a competition, and prizes are awarded for the best apps and projects at weekend’s end.
Stanford ACM ProCo
Hosted by Stanford’s Association for Computing Machinery, this hackathon is only available to high school students in the Bay Area. This is held in March each year, students compete in teams of up to three to solve a number of programming challenges over the course of three hours. The number of questions varies each year.
There are both novice and advanced divisions, but all entrants are expected to have at least a year of programming experience. This contest is free to enter and participate in; there are prizes for the top-performing teams. You may use several different programming languages, depending on preference. This is a great option for students who are local to the Bay Area.
Final Thoughts
Hackathons are not the right choice for every student looking to get involved in computer science, but they are a relatively low-commitment way to put your skills to the test, and have a lot of potential for high rates of return. If you are interested in coding, and want to connect with like minded peers while partaking in challenges often based in real world practical scenarios, hackathons are one of the best ways to spend your time.
We hope that this article has given you needed insight into where to start finding these events. Of course, there are many other ways to get involved in computer science as a high school student, and to show off your potential to colleges. If you are looking for more personalized advice, or guidance on how to make your own accomplishments shine, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students find the best opportunities for them, and are always happy to hear from you.
