Frequently Asked Questions

General

Is Google Summer of Code (GSoC) a recruiting program?

No. If you are interested in working for Google, please visit the Google jobs website.

Is GSoC considered an internship, a job, or any form of employment?

No. GSoC is an activity that the student performs as an independent developer for which they are paid a stipend.

Are mentoring organizations required to use the code produced by students?

No. While we hope that all the code that comes out of this program will find a happy home, we don’t require organizations to use the student's' code.

Where does GSoC occur?

Google Summer of Code occurs entirely online; there is no requirement to travel as part of the program.

What can I do to help spread the word about GSoC?

You can download flyers to post around your campus. You can also tweet about the program, make YouTube videos, or host a meetup or information session in your area. We also have a template email you can use to distribute to your community (school, developer, etc.) and other contacts.

How do I organize or host a GSoC information session or meetup?

You are welcome to schedule an online session or meetup at whatever time and place is convenient for you! Please review the Program Rules first and utilize our presentation template and flyers.

Can I participate in GSoC as both a mentor and a student?

No. We want to make sure that each project and student receives sufficient attention, and we feel this could create a bad experience for those involved. Please choose whether participation as a mentor or a student is more appealing to you and plan to apply accordingly.

What if I have more questions?

Check out the Student Guide and other pages on this site.

If after reading through all the documentation you still don't have an answer please consider reaching out to the GSoC community via IRC or the discussion list. Visit the Contact Us page to find out how.

Students

When can students apply for GSoC?

Please see the program timeline for more detailed information.

What programming language(s) should I know to participate in GSoC?

The programming language you need to know depends on which organization you are interested in working with. You should be familiar with the programming language(s) used by that organization.

Can I submit more than one proposal?

Yes, each student may submit up to three proposals. However, only one per student may be accepted. No more than one proposal per student will be accepted, no matter how many proposals you submit.

Can students already working on an open source project continue to work on it as part of GSoC?

Yes, but students should be sure to note their previous relationship with the project in their proposals.

Can a group submit a proposal together to work on a single project?

No, only an individual may work on a given project.

Should I send proposals directly to the mentoring organizations?

No, all proposals should be submitted to the program site. Proposals submitted outside of the Google Summer of Code program site will not be considered for Google Summer of Code. You are encouraged to reach out to the mentoring organization early to discuss your ideas and get feedback and a better understanding of the work they do before submitting your final proposal.

What are the eligibility requirements for participation?

You must be at least 18 years of age when you register
You must be enrolled in or accepted into a post-secondary academic program, including a college, university, masters program, PhD program, undergraduate program, licensed coding school or similar type of program as of May 17, 2021 or have graduated from the program between December 1, 2020 and May 17, 2021.
You must be eligible to work in the country you will reside in during the program.
You have not already been accepted as a Student in GSoC two or more times.
You must reside in a country that is not currently embargoed by the United States. See Program Rules for more information.

Will you make an exception for me?

No. We cannot make an exception if you do not meet the eligibility requirements, no matter how talented or interested you are. Thousands of students apply, and making an exception for you wouldn't be fair.

What forms will I need to provide?

All applicants will need to provide current proof of enrollment to an eligible program or show proof of graduation from an eligible program between December 1, 2020 - May 21, 2021.

Accepted participants will also need to provide appropriate tax forms.

I am an accepted student in the United States on an F1 visa. How do I get authorization to participate?

Please talk to your school's international student affairs office for more details. Google can not provide you with any kind of CPT or OPT authorization. It is your responsibility to determine if your visa allows you to participate in a program like GSoC, please check before applying.

All accepted participants will receive an email confirmation of acceptance. We do not offer customized letters.

I attend a community college (or a junior college) can I still participate?

Yes, we hope you do! You just need to show the proof of enrollment in your college program.

I graduate in the middle of the program. Can I still participate?

Yes.

Do I get paid for participating in GSoC?

Yes! Google will provide a stipend to those students who successfully complete the program.

Will I get paid even if the organization does not use my code?

Yes, so long as the student passes their evaluation(s). Whether or not the project uses the produced code does not impact the student stipend.

What does a good student proposal look like?

The Student Guide has a section on "Writing a Proposal".

The best proposals are from students who took the time to interact and discuss their ideas with the organization before submission. Be sure to include the following: detail on exactly what you're proposing, why you're proposing it, the reason you're qualified to do it, and your development methodology. It should also include details of your academic, industry, and/or open source development experience.

How much time does GSoC participation take?

The GSoC 2021 program is 10 weeks long and students are expected to spend on average 18 hours a week on the program. Depending on your skills and the difficulty of your project it may take you more or less than 18 hours a week to meet the goals of your project.

Can I earn course credit for participating in GSoC?

Possibly, that depends on your school's requirements. Google can not provide you with any additional paperwork or sign paperwork for you.

Can the schedule be adjusted if my school ends late/starts early?

The program start and end dates and dates of the evaluations cannot be changed. You and your mentor may jointly agree to adjust the scheduling of milestones or weekly work schedule to allow for some flexibility within the overall program framework.

The evaluation dates cannot be changed.

Mentors/Organization Administrators

I want to learn more about participating as a mentor in GSoC. Where can I find more information?

Read the Mentor Guide and the Program Rules for more information on becoming a GSoC mentor. You must already be an active community member of the organization that you wish to mentor for.

What are the eligibility requirements for a mentoring organization?

To be eligible to participate as a mentoring organization, you must be a group running an active free/open source software project, e.g. BRL-CAD. The project does not need to be a legally incorporated entity. Mentoring organizations must have already produced and released software under an Open Source Initiative approved license and have at least two contributors to serve as organization administrators and/or mentors for the entire program in order to participate in the program.

Do organizations receive any money for participating in GSoC?

Organizations in good standing will receive 400 USD per accepted student at the end of the program. This is regardless of whether the student passes or fails.

Organizations are free to use these funds as they wish.