The Unspoken Struggle of Getting Into Hackathons: Why Talent Often Gets Filtered Out Too Early

Hackathons.

An exciting and overstimulating word for any fresher when they first step into their college. Students making a group of 3-5 and thousands groups trying to get into, is it actually worth for a while?

When I first entered my first year, just two weeks in, I came to know there is a hackathon being conducted in a college in my city. Meanwhile I was struggling to make friends and adjust to an entirely new environment — people from different cultures, places, and mindsets. I was extremely new to the word “hackathon”. I googled it, read articles, and thought I understood — but not deeply enough. Not until I gained real experience. I considered trying, but without a team, I didn’t register.

The next hackathon I remember was hosted by my own college. Over 100 teams registered — more than 400 students from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years participated. Only 14 teams were selected. My team wasn't one of them.
I was devastated. All those late-night brainstorming sessions, deck designing, and idea refining felt wasted. But eventually, I told myself — we move on.

Then came.

Rejection after Rejection.

Every hackathon we tried to get into, we were turned down. What we waited for, every single time, was approval — an email, a message, a list — anything that said “Yes, your idea matters.” But more often than not, that moment never came.

And here's the thing that kept bugging me: how can it be fair to reject someone without even reviewing their idea? I completely understand that organizing a hackathon is tough — limited slots, limited mentors, limited infrastructure. You can’t host everyone.

But if selections are made purely on a random basis, or without even a basic review of submissions, doesn’t that mean many potentially great solutions never get the chance to be built? Doesn’t that mean we’re turning away raw creativity and talent simply because we’re short on time to evaluate it?

It made me wonder — how many ideas like mine were left unread, unnoticed? How many first-time participants, excited and hopeful, were discouraged before they even started?

What Could Change?

This isn’t about blaming organizers — they work hard to create opportunities for students like us. But maybe it’s time we rethink the way selections are handled. A few simple improvements could go a long way in making hackathons more inclusive and fair.

1. Review the ideas, even briefly.
Even a 100-word summary or a single-slide pitch deck should be enough to understand if a team has potential.

2. Use categories or tracks.
If hundreds of teams are applying, divide them into themes — like healthcare, education, sustainability — and shortlist top ideas from each. This helps compare ideas more fairly rather than lumping everything into one big pool.

3. Let beginners have a fair shot.
Maybe have a separate beginner track, or give special consideration to first-time participants. Not everyone will have the most polished pitch — but sometimes, the freshest minds come up with the boldest solutions.

To Every Beginner Who’s Been Rejected

If you've ever been rejected from a hackathon before you even got the chance to speak, present, or build — I see you. I’ve been there too.

To every idea that didn’t get picked, it still taught you something.
To every presentation that didn’t get heard, It made you a better thinker.
To every rejection, It made space for your resilience.

So no matter how many times you get turned away- keep going. Because hackathon is not just about a 36 hours event, it is a journey on what skills you build and what version you find yourself.

One day your ideas will be heard, just don’t stop writing.