General FAQs

  • A three-day student hackathon at MIT, November 6-8, 2026, now in its 12th year. Companies present real energy and climate challenges, and teams spend the weekend on their assigned challenge. Each team pitches to judges, and the top team per challenge advances to the finals. Winners receive prizes.

  • Students of all backgrounds, majors, and levels of study (undergraduate, Master’s, PhD, MBA). Recent graduates are also welcome. You must be 18 or older.

  • Registration for the 2026 Hack closed on October 16. You can still apply to join the waitlist through Luma: https://luma.com/y097td45. Waitlisted applicants are considered as spots open up, and we’ll email you if one becomes available.

  • No. Challenges are written for many fields, and the strongest teams usually mix engineering, data, policy, business, and design.

  • No. Teams of up to 4 form at the event during Friday night’s networking session. If you have a partial team or no team, we’ll help you find teammates. Accepted hackers can also meet teammates early in our Discord server (see the Accepted Hacker FAQs).

  • No. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided throughout the weekend, thanks to our sponsors. Registration is limited to approved students.

  • No. The Hack is fully in person.

  • The 2026 theme will be announced soon. Challenge statements are revealed at Friday’s opening ceremony.

  • At MIT in the Great Dome, Cambridge, MA. Specific rooms will be shared with accepted hackers before the event. If flying, arrive at Boston Logan and take a taxi or rideshare to campus, or take the Silver Line to South Station and the Red Line to Kendall/MIT. If taking the train, come to South Station and take the Red Line to Kendall/MIT.

  • The schedule on this site is tentative. Official updates will come by email through Luma before the Hack and on Discord during it.

  • Photographs and/or videos may be taken during the Hack. By attending, you agree that your likeness may be used by MIT in communications about the MITEC Hack or other MIT communications.

  • Use the post-acceptance form linked in your Luma approval email by October 30. It covers food, t-shirt size, visa letter requests, travel reimbursement, and coffee chat interest. Check your spam folder if you can’t find it.

  • Request it on the post-acceptance form. Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis and paid after the event. Funding is limited, so we can’t guarantee full coverage. If your school or another group can support your travel, please use that so we can help others.

  • We unfortunately can’t offer on-campus housing. Use #travel-accommodations on Discord to find roommates and share costs.

  • Yes! Accepted international hackers can request one on the post-acceptance form. We can’t guarantee visa approval or timing, so start the process early.

  • Discord is a free chat app we use to meet teammates, share accommodations, and post live updates during the weekend. Join with the link in your acceptance email and set your server nickname to your full name as it appears in Luma. Before the Hack, official updates will also come by email through Luma.

  • A photo ID (government-issued if you’re not an MIT student, since you can’t check in without it), a laptop and charger, a reusable water bottle (we won’t provide single-use bottles), and anything you need to stay in Cambridge.

  • Some sponsors will offer short coffee chats. Indicate interest on the post-acceptance form, and we’ll email details once slots are confirmed.

  • Please cancel your registration through Luma as soon as you can, or email mitec-hack@mit.edu, so we can offer your spot to someone on the waitlist.

  • Have them register on Luma and email us their name. We’ll do our best to accommodate.

 Accepted Hacker FAQs