Rules

Use common sense and good judgment. To be extra clear:

  • How many people can be on a team?

    • Teams may have up to four (4) members. You may also participate individually.

  • Can I submit the same project to another hackathon?

    • No. Projects submitted to MHacks may not also be submitted to another hackathon taking place during the same weekend.

  • Does my project have to be created during MHacks?

    • Yes. Your project must be substantially created during the hackathon. You may use existing libraries, frameworks, APIs, development tools, and other publicly available resources.

  • Do I have to submit my code?

    • Yes. Your Devpost submission must include access to your code, such as through a GitHub repository, Replit project, Google Drive link, or similar.

  • Can I use AI tools?

    • Yes. You may use tools such as ChatGPT, coding assistants, LLM APIs, and other AI tools.

  • Can I submit multiple projects?

    • No. Each participant may be part of only one submitted project.

  • Can I submit to multiple tracks?

    • You may submit to only one main MHacks track, but you may enter as many eligible sponsor tracks or prizes as you would like.

  • When is the submission deadline?

    • Sunday, October 4th @ 12:00PM

  • How will judging work?

    • Judging will take place in person, science-fair style. Teams must remain at their assigned table during the judging period.

  • Who is allowed to participate?

    • Students who are at least 18 years old may participate. Mentors, volunteers, organizers, and other event staff may not submit projects on Devpost.

  • Are any categories restricted to a specific demographic?

    • No.

Projects that violate these rules may be deemed ineligible for judging or prizes.

Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

Judging falls into 4 main rubric points.

Innovation

  • Originality and uniqueness of the idea or solution.
  • Creative problem-solving and novel approaches to challenges.
  • Demonstrated innovation in addressing real-world issues or needs.

Technical Complexity

  • Depth of technical implementation and sophistication.
  • Effective utilization of advanced technologies, tools, and programming languages.
  • Robustness and scalability of the technical solution.

Usability

  • Intuitiveness and user-friendliness of the project.
  • Accessibility and inclusivity in design and functionality.
  • Consideration of the end-user experience and potential impact on a broader audience.

Adherence to Theme

  • Alignment with the specified hackathon theme or challenge.
  • Clear demonstration of how the project addresses and contributes to the theme.
  • Creativity in interpreting and incorporating the theme into the project.