?

FAQ

About HackTJ

What is HackTJ?

HackTJ is a student-run hackathon where you will have 24 hours to learn how to code and/or work with your friends to make your idea come to life.

When is HackTJ?

Save the Date! HackTJ 12.0 will be held March 8-9th 2025!

Isn't hacking illegal?

In the context of a hackathon, "hacking" is to build a real application over the length of the event. It's important to not confuse this with illegal hacking, which is gaining unauthorized access to a computer.

Is there a code of conduct?

Yes, good question! We have adopted the MLH code of conduct, which all attendees will be required to adhere to.

Registration

How do I register?

  1. On January 24th, a button will appear at the top of this site. Click it.
  2. You will be redirected to a page where you can click the appropriate form.
  3. Fill out the questions. Near the end, there will be a few questions where you can upload your forms.
    • In order to speed up the registration process, print out these forms, fill them out, and scan them beforehand.

Is there a deadline?

Registration for participants, volunteers, mentors, judges, workshop hosts, and photographers opens on January 24th .

Registration for participants closes on February 10th — will be a hard deadline; we do not accept submissions after this time.

Judges, mentors, and volunteers will be able to register until the start of the event.

How are ticket decisions made?

Tickets decisions are made based on a variety of factors, including the registration time. Sign up quickly to increase the chance that you are given a HackTJ 12.0 ticket!

Is there any cost?

Nope! Thanks to our sponsors, HackTJ is completely free!

Prizes and Eligibility

What prizes can I win?

HackTJ hosts prizes for the best projects in the following categories:

  • Overall Hack
  • Web App
  • Mobile App
  • Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence
  • Best UI/UX
  • Social Impact
  • Beginner Hack (first-year coder teams)
  • and perhaps more ...

Major League Hacking and some of our partners also host their own Sponsored Prizes, which you can explore when the 12.0 Student Guide goes live.

Who can attend?

HackTJ is open to all current high school students attending Fairfax County Public Schools. If you're not a high school student but would like to attend, consider coming as a judge, mentor, or volunteer.

Do I need a team?

If you already have a team of 2-4 people you want to work with, that's awesome! If not don't worry because we'll have an opportunity for people to join a team if they need one.