Rules Dates

Event Date: Saturday, November 15th, 2025

Event Times:

  • Check-in: 8:00 AM
  • Hacking Begins: 10:00 AM
  • Submissions Close: 7:30 PM (HARD DEADLINE)
  • Winners Announced: 8:30 PM

Total Hacking Time: Approximately 9.5 hours

Eligibility

Who Can Participate:

  • University students (undergraduate and graduate)
  • Working professionals
  • Anyone 18 years or older with valid government ID
  • Individuals of all skill levels, from beginners to experts

Team Requirements:

  • Teams can be 1-4 people
  • Solo participants are welcome
  • Teams can be formed before or during the event (team formation at 8:00 AM)
  • All team members must register individually on Devpost
  • Team members do not need to be from the same school or company

Location:

  • This is an in-person event
  • All participants must be present at the venue to compete
Project and Submission Requirements Building Your Project

Must:

  • Be built during the hackathon (10:00 AM - 7:30 PM)
  • Be your team's original work
  • Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
  • Follow the MLH Code of Conduct (https://mlh.io/code-of-conduct)

Cannot:

  • Be pre-existing projects or code you wrote before the event
  • Violate intellectual property rights
  • Include plagiarized code or content (except properly attributed open-source libraries)
  • Be offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate
Use of AI and External Resources

Allowed:

  • Using AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
  • Using open-source libraries and frameworks
  • Using APIs and cloud services
  • Referencing documentation and tutorials
  • Getting help from mentors

Required:

  • Disclose any significant use of AI tools in your project description
  • Properly attribute any code snippets or resources you use
  • Write your own core logic and understand all code in your project
Submission Deadline
  • All projects must be submitted by 7:30 PM on Devpost
  • No late submissions will be accepted
  • Submissions cannot be edited after the deadline
  • Make sure to hit "Submit" before 7:30 PM!
Prizes Main Cash Prizes (Total: $1,000)

🥇 1st Place: $500

  • Awarded to the overall best project
  • Split equally among team members

🥈 2nd Place: $300

  • Awarded to the second-best project overall
  • Split equally among team members

🥉 3rd Place: $200

  • Awarded to the third-best project overall
  • Split equally among team members
Special Track Awards

🌟 Best Rookie Hack

  • For teams where all members are first-time hackathon participants
  • Recognition and certificate
  • Must self-identify as "rookie team" in submission

💚 Best Social Good Hack

  • For projects that create positive social impact
  • Must address a real-world problem affecting communities
  • Recognition and certificate

🤖 Best Use of Google Gemini API

  • Must meaningfully integrate Google's Gemini API (via Google AI Studio or Vertex AI)
  • Prize: Exclusive Google Swag Pack for all team members
  • Recognition from Google

🍃 Best Use of MongoDB

  • Must use MongoDB Atlas as your database
  • Recognition and certificate
Prize Distribution Rules
  • Projects can win multiple awards (e.g., 1st Place + Best Social Good)
  • Cash prizes are split equally among team members
  • Winning teams must be present at 8:30 PM awards ceremony to claim prizes
  • Prizes will be distributed within 2 weeks of the event
  • All prize decisions are final
Judging Criteria and Winner Selection Main Prizes (1st, 2nd, 3rd Place)

Projects will be evaluated on:

  1. Innovation & Creativity (30%)

    • How original and unique is the idea?
    • Does it approach a problem in a novel way?
    • Is it something that hasn't been done before?

  2. Technical Execution (25%)

    • Does it work as demonstrated?
    • How well is it built technically?
    • Code quality and architecture
    • Effective use of technologies

  3. Design & User Experience (20%)

    • Is it intuitive and easy to use?
    • Visual design and polish
    • Accessibility considerations
    • Overall user experience

  4. Impact & Usefulness (15%)

    • Does it solve a real problem?
    • Who would benefit from this?
    • Potential for real-world application
    • Scalability

  5. Presentation (10%)

    • How clearly is the project explained?
    • Quality of demo/video
    • Completeness of submission
    • Overall presentation
Track-Specific Criteria

Best Rookie Hack:

  • Completion of a working project (40%)
  • Demonstration of learning (30%)
  • Creativity despite limited experience (20%)
  • Presentation and documentation (10%)

Best Social Good Hack:

  • Potential positive social impact (40%)
  • Addresses a real community need (25%)
  • Technical execution (20%)
  • Feasibility and sustainability (15%)

Best Use of Google Gemini API:

  • Creative and meaningful use of Gemini API (40%)
  • Technical implementation quality (30%)
  • Demonstrates unique AI capabilities (20%)
  • Overall project quality (10%)

Best Use of MongoDB:

  • Effective database design and usage (40%)
  • Technical implementation (30%)
  • Demonstrates MongoDB strengths (20%)
  • Overall project quality (10%)
Judging Process

  1. Initial Review (7:30 PM - 8:00 PM)

    • Judges review all Devpost submissions
    • Projects are evaluated against criteria
    • Top projects are selected for live demos (if time permits)

  2. Finalist Selection (8:00 PM - 8:20 PM)

    • Judges deliberate and select winners for each category
    • Conflicts of interest are disclosed and managed
    • Final decisions are made

  3. Awards Ceremony (8:30 PM)

    • Winners are announced publicly
    • Projects are showcased
    • Prizes are awarded
Judge Panel

Judges will include:

  • Industry professionals
  • Hackathon organizers
  • Sponsor representatives
  • Technical mentors
  • Special guest judges

All judging decisions are final.

Code of Conduct

All participants must follow the Major League Hacking Code of Conduct: https://mlh.io/code-of-conduct

Key points:

  • Be respectful and inclusive
  • No harassment or discrimination
  • Follow venue rules and organizer instructions
  • Report any concerns to organizers immediately

Violations may result in disqualification and removal from the event.

Intellectual Property
  • You own the code and content you create
  • By submitting, you grant Hack RUC permission to showcase your project (name, description, images) in event promotions and recaps
  • Projects must not violate any third-party IP rights
  • Use of open-source code must follow the respective licenses
Liability and Safety
  • Participants are responsible for their own belongings
  • Organizers are not liable for lost, stolen, or damaged items
  • Follow all venue safety rules
  • Report any safety concerns immediately
Changes to Rules

Organizers reserve the right to make changes to these rules if necessary. Any changes will be announced to all participants via Discord and email.

Questions?

Contact us via:

  • Discord: https://discord.gg/mef5Ex6Sz8
  • Email: acmhackruc@gmail.com
  • In person at the organizer desk

Have fun, build something amazing, and good luck! 🚀