> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://resources.devweekends.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# MLH Fellowship
> Complete guide to the MLH Fellowship — open source, software engineering, and SRE tracks with paid stipends
**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 $1,000–$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 |
Admissions are **rolling** — pods fill up as applications are reviewed. Apply early.
## Stipend
| Aspect | Details |
| ------ | ------------------------------------ |
| Amount | $1,000 – $5,000 USD |
| Type | Need-based educational stipend |
| Basis | Adjusted for regional cost of living |
The stipend is designed to support participation rather than serve as a salary. It's need-based, meaning your financial situation and location are considered.
## 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
**Weak profiles that get rejected:**
* Repos that are just forked tutorials or bootcamp exercises -- reviewers check if repos are original work
* No README files or documentation -- this signals that you do not care about code presentation
* No commit history beyond initial commits -- a single "initial commit" with thousands of lines suggests you do not use version control properly
* Basic CRUD apps without any distinguishing features -- a todo app or weather app does not demonstrate engineering depth
**What strong profiles look like:**
* 2-3 original projects with proper READMEs, CI/CD pipelines, and deployed demos
* Meaningful commit history showing iterative development, not just one massive commit
* Evidence of collaboration: PRs to open-source projects, code reviews, or contributions to team projects
* At least one project that solves a real problem or demonstrates a non-trivial technical concept (rate limiting, caching, real-time sync)
### Step 2: Submit Application
Apply at [fellowship.mlh.io](https://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](https://fellowship.mlh.io/) |
| Application Portal | [fellowship.mlh.io/apply](https://fellowship.mlh.io/) |
| MLH Community | [mlh.io](https://mlh.io/) |
## Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The MLH Fellowship is a completely separate program.
Very competitive. Thousands apply each batch, and only a few hundred are accepted. A strong GitHub profile and good interview performance are essential.
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.
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.
No. Self-taught developers, bootcamp grads, and non-CS students are all welcome. Your skills and projects matter more than formal education.