TL;DR — The MLH Fellowship is a 12-week remote program with three tracks: Open Source, Software Engineering, and Production Engineering (SRE). You work in small pods with professional mentors. Need-based stipends of 5,000. Three batches per year (Spring, Summer, Fall).
What is the MLH Fellowship?
Major League Hacking (MLH) runs a fellowship program that places developers into small pods (~10 fellows) to work on real projects under professional mentorship. Unlike GSoC where you work solo on one project, the MLH Fellowship is a cohort-based experience with daily standups, code reviews, and structured learning.Available Tracks
Open Source Track
- Contribute to high-impact open-source projects like React, Flask, Jest, scikit-learn
- Focus on building features, fixing bugs, and improving documentation
- Best for developers who want to contribute to projects used by millions
Software Engineering Track
- Work with corporate partners on real-world engineering problems
- Gain experience with production codebases and industry practices
- Best for developers who want industry-style experience
Production Engineering / SRE Track
- Focus on DevOps, infrastructure, and site reliability engineering
- Work on CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, containerization, and scalability
- Best for developers interested in infrastructure and operations
Eligibility
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Age | 18+ (or 13+ with parental consent) |
| Residency | Open globally (except US-embargoed nations) |
| Language | Fluent English required |
| Skills | Intermediate to advanced coding ability |
| Time commitment | 20–30 hours/week (Summer batch: 30–40 hours/week) |
| Education | No degree requirement — self-taught developers welcome |
Timeline & Batches
The MLH Fellowship runs three batches per year with rolling admissions:| Batch | Program Dates | Application Window |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Late January – Mid April | October – December (previous year) |
| Summer | June – Late August | February – April |
| Fall | Mid September – Early December | June – August |
Stipend
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Amount | 5,000 USD |
| Type | Need-based educational stipend |
| Basis | Adjusted for regional cost of living |
How to Apply
Step 1: Prepare Your Profile
Before applying, make sure you have:- A strong GitHub profile — Active repos with clean code and good READMEs
- Feature-complete projects — Not tutorial clones. Think: full-stack SaaS apps, scalable APIs with testing, developer tools
- A polished resume — Highlighting your technical experience and projects
Step 2: Submit Application
Apply at fellowship.mlh.io. You’ll need:- Resume
- GitHub profile link
- Essay responses explaining your motivation and experience
- Preferred track selection
Step 3: Behavioral Interview (10–15 minutes)
If your application passes initial screening, you’ll have a short interview covering:- Why you want to join the fellowship
- Your experience working on teams
- Your goals and what you hope to learn
- Communication and collaboration style
Step 4: Technical Interview
The final step is a technical interview focused on:- Your code sample — Be prepared to walk through a project you’ve built
- Problem-solving — You may be asked to debug or extend code
- Technical knowledge — Related to your chosen track
What the Program Looks Like
Daily Structure
- Daily standups — Share progress and blockers with your pod
- Coding sessions — Work on your assigned project
- Code reviews — Review and get reviewed by pod members
- Mentor check-ins — Regular 1-on-1s with your professional mentor
Weekly Structure
- Sprint planning — Set goals for the week
- Tech talks — Learn from industry professionals
- Demo sessions — Present your work to the cohort
- Retrospectives — Reflect on what went well and what to improve
Time Zones
Pods are organized by time zone so standups and meetings work for everyone:- Eastern Time (ET)
- Pacific Time (PT)
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
- India Standard Time (IST)
Why Choose MLH Fellowship?
| Factor | MLH Fellowship | GSoC |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Cohort-based pods | Individual contributor |
| Mentorship | Daily interaction | Varies by mentor |
| Tracks | 3 specialized tracks | General open source |
| Structure | Very structured (standups, sprints) | Self-directed |
| Networking | Strong alumni network + MLH community | Org-specific community |
| Batches | 3 per year | 1 per year |
After the Fellowship
- MLH Alumni Network — Access to a global community of past fellows
- Job referrals — MLH partners with companies for hiring
- Portfolio — Real contributions to major open-source projects
- References — Your mentor can serve as a professional reference
Resources
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Website | fellowship.mlh.io |
| Application Portal | fellowship.mlh.io/apply |
| MLH Community | mlh.io |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply if I've done GSoC before?
Can I apply if I've done GSoC before?
Yes. The MLH Fellowship is a completely separate program.
How competitive is the MLH Fellowship?
How competitive is the MLH Fellowship?
Very competitive. Thousands apply each batch, and only a few hundred are accepted. A strong GitHub profile and good interview performance are essential.
Can I work part-time while doing the fellowship?
Can I work part-time while doing the fellowship?
The time commitment is 20–30 hours/week (more for Summer). A light part-time job might be manageable, but you need to be upfront about it.
What happens if I don't get a stipend?
What happens if I don't get a stipend?
The stipend is need-based. You can still participate even if you receive a lower stipend amount. The experience and networking are the primary value.
Do I need a CS degree?
Do I need a CS degree?
No. Self-taught developers, bootcamp grads, and non-CS students are all welcome. Your skills and projects matter more than formal education.