Hack
Illinois

Find your inner explorer

February 27 - March 1

Hacks!

Frequently Asked Questions

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What

HackIllinois is a 36 hour event where college students from across the country create technical projects ranging from websites and mobile apps to Wi-Fi connected microwaves. You can work on creating a useful tool that you wish existed or learning a new skill or language — anything goes! Check out last year's event.

When

Buses will arrive by 5pm on Friday, February 27th, 2015 for a sponsor fair, opening ceremony, and other activities. Hacking will begin at 10pm and will last until 10am on Sunday, March 1st. A more detailed schedule will be released closer to the event.

Where

HackIllinois will occur at the Siebel Center for Computer Science (201 N Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801) and the Electrical & Computer Engineering Building (306 N Wright St, Urbana, IL 61801). The judging expo will be opened to the public at the Illini Union (1401 W Green St, Urbana, IL 61801) around 12pm on Sunday.

Who

University students of all skill levels are eligible to compete. We're looking for a diverse mix of technical students from any major to create exciting, eclectic hacks. If you are an interested high school student, please fill out the application; we will contact you if there are any troubles.
What should I bring?

You should bring a student ID, a change of clothing or two, personal items (toiletries), a laptop & charger, and any required hardware for your hack. Essentially, bring anything you would need for a normal weekend. Due to power concerns, please do not bring extra monitors or desktop computers.

How do I get there?

We will be providing buses from across the Midwest. Last year, we had buses from schools in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio. Some travel reimbursement will be provided to select hackers. This information will be released with decision results.

How can my school get a bus?

Send us an email at [email protected] and get your peers to sign up! Buses will be provided to schools with a large number of participants, and hacking is more fun with friends!

Do I need a team?

Single person teams are allowed, but we encourage you to work in a group! Teams can have up to four people spanning any schools.
Will there be food?

All meals, snacks, and drinks will be provided for the entire weekend. If you have a dietary restriction, please make sure to mention it on the application. There will be a wide variety of food.

Who do I contact for help?

Mentors from leading technology companies will be on-hand to provide support and troubleshoot problems. We also encourage all hackers to help each other!

Where do I sleep?

Sleeping rooms will be furnished with air mattresses and pillows. We want you to be comfortable!

Is there hardware?

We'll have high-level hardware like Oculus Rift, the Myo armband, and Microsoft Kinect for hardware hackers. We'll also have low-level hardware like resistors, transistors, and ESC with BEC circuit, as well as wood, building materials, and power tools for you to tinker with. To gauge interest, please select any hardware that you might use in your application.
What are the prizes?

We will be releasing detailed prize information closer to the event, but feel free to look at the prizes from last year here. Judging will be split into hardware and software categories. There will be prizes directly provided by HackIllinois and by our sponsors.

Are there other similar events?

Yes! See mlh.io and here to find events near you!

More questions?

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]!

Expedition Itinerary