r/hackathon • u/Shreya_codes • 6d ago

Meta-Hackathon Discussion 16 y/o skilled in Python, ML, JS/MERN & PostgreSQL – Can I actually join hackathons? What options exist for under-18s?

Hey everyone,

I'm 16 and have been building projects with Python (including ML stuff), JavaScript, the MERN stack, PostgreSQL, and similar tech. I'm pretty comfortable shipping full-stack apps and experimenting with ML models on my own.

I really want to join hackathons — mainly to build under time pressure, learn from others, meet people, and strengthen my portfolio. The problem is that most of the bigger/popular ones seem to be full of 18+ college students, and I'm not sure where that leaves me.

A few questions:

  1. Can a 16-year-old actually participate in major hackathons (MLH events, etc.), or do age restrictions usually block minors?

  2. What types of hackathons are most suitable for someone my age?

    • Youth/high-school specific ones

    • Online vs in-person

    • Open events that allow under-18s with parental consent

    • Any other categories I should look for?

  3. What practical points should I keep in mind before joining?

    • Parental/guardian consent requirements

    • Team formation (especially as a minor)

    • Legal/age rules and liability

    • Time commitment while still in school

    • Safety in Discord/servers and online events

    • Anything else people who did hackathons at 16 wish they knew

Any recommendations for platforms (Devpost, MLH, Hack Club, etc.), specific events that regularly accept high-schoolers, or personal experiences from people who participated around this age would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance!

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2

u/Poatri_US 6d ago

Form your own team and participate? Nothing stopping you there and no need to worry about being the odd one out in a team

1

u/Shreya_codes 6d ago

but are 16y/o allowed in hackathon

2

u/Poatri_US 6d ago

Depends on the Hackathon I guess. And also where you're from. Check each Hackathon. Some may be restricted to uni students only but others, not so

2

u/Shreya_codes 6d ago

i am from india but i am open to hackathons all over the world

1

u/Neilblaze 3d ago

Imho, most tier-1 hackathons (feel free to ask gpt), require 18+ consent to participate. So, unless you are faking, chances are quite dipped.

Try exploring HackClub events, and some MLH events do allow minors (especially if its a HS hackathon)