A Practical MLH Fellowship Guide
Following Jake, 23 | January 1st, 2025
This guide follows a fictional applicant named Jake, age 23, starting on January 1st, 2025, as he prepares to apply for the MLH Fellowship.
Jake:
- Is 23 years old
- Knows the MERN stack
- Has no major physical or financial hardships
- Has never applied to MLH before
- Wants a realistic plan, not hype
This is an end-to-end guide, from planning to potential acceptance.
What Is MLH Fellowship, Really
The MLH Fellowship is a remote, paid, cohort-based program where you:
- Collaborate with other developers
- Work on open source or MLH partner projects
- Learn industry workflows
- Build public, reviewable work
It is competitive, but not mysterious.
Official site:
https://fellowship.mlh.io
Step 1: Understanding the Application Windows (2025)
As of recent cycles, MLH Fellowships typically run multiple cohorts per year.
Common pattern:
- Spring Fellowship
- Summer Fellowship
- Fall Fellowship
Typical timing looks like this:
Exact dates change every year. Always verify on the official MLH Fellowship site.
Likely 2025 Timeline (Approximate)
-
January to February
Applications open for Spring and Summer cohorts -
March to April
Interviews and selections for Spring -
May to June
Interviews and selections for Summer -
September
Fall Fellowship applications open
Jake's first action on January 1st, 2025 is simple:
- Bookmark the MLH Fellowship site
- Subscribe to email updates
- Follow MLH on Twitter and LinkedIn
Step 2: Setting Up a Reminder System That Actually Works
Strong applicants do not rely on memory. They rely on systems.
Jake sets up:
- Google Calendar reminders
- One Notion page called “MLH Fellowship 2025”
- A checklist with deadlines and links
Recommended Reminder Setup
- Calendar reminder 2 weeks before application deadlines
- Calendar reminder 3 days before deadlines
- Monthly reminder to check the MLH site for date changes
Dates shift. Programs evolve. Missing updates is a common reason people miss cycles.
Step 3: Deciding What to Build (January to March)
Jake knows MERN. That is fine.
MLH is not testing how many languages you know.
They are testing how you build, collaborate, and explain decisions.
What Kind of Project Jake Should Build
Jake chooses one solid, opinionated project, not many small ones.
Good project traits:
- Solves a real problem
- Has users, even if small
- Is deployed
- Has a clean README
- Shows iteration over time
Example project ideas:
- Developer tool for tracking pull requests
- Study group platform with real users
- Open source contribution dashboard
- API-first application with documentation
One well-documented project beats five unfinished demos.
Project Timeline
January
- Decide project idea
- Write a short project plan
- Set up repository and README
February
- Build core features
- Deploy early
- Fix bugs in public
March
- Polish documentation
- Add tests if possible
- Write a clear “What I Learned” section
Step 4: Who Jake Should Talk To (And Why)
MLH applications ask reflective questions.
Jake does not need trauma. He needs clarity.
People Jake should talk to:
- Friends who have applied to programs
- Former hackathon teammates
- Family members who understand his work ethic
- Mentors or seniors in tech
Questions Jake asks them:
- What strengths do you see in me?
- Where do I struggle?
- What kind of teams do I work best in?
These answers help him write honest essays.
Step 5: Writing the Essays (Without a Hardship Narrative)
MLH does not require suffering stories. Forced narratives are obvious and hurt applications.
Jake does not have major financial or physical barriers. That is okay.
His essays focus on:
- Growth
- Curiosity
- Collaboration
- Learning in public
- Consistency
Types of Essays Jake Writes
Personal Motivation Essay
- Why he enjoys building
- What excites him about collaborative learning
- What he wants to improve
Teamwork Essay
- A time he worked in a group
- A conflict or disagreement
- How it was resolved
Learning Essay
- A hard technical concept he struggled with
- How he figured it out
- What changed in his approach afterward
MLH values reflection more than perfection.
Step 6: Should Jake Learn a New Language
Short answer: no, not urgently.
Long answer:
Jake should deepen his fundamentals before chasing novelty.
What matters more than a new language:
- Clean Git history
- Readable code
- Tests
- Clear documentation
- Comfort with code reviews
Optional expansions if time allows:
- TypeScript mastery
- Basic Python for scripting
- Familiarity with Docker
- Reading other people's code
Depth beats breadth for MLH.
Step 7: Applying and Interview Phase
Jake submits early.
He double-checks:
- Links work
- GitHub is public
- README explains his thinking
- Essays answer the actual questions
If invited to interview:
- He prepares examples
- He speaks honestly
- He asks questions about mentorship and expectations
Step 8: After Submission (The Part People Ignore)
Jake does not stop building.
Even after applying:
- He continues improving his project
- He contributes small fixes to open source
- He documents learning publicly
If accepted, this momentum helps immediately.
If rejected, he is already stronger for the next cycle.
Final Reality Check
The MLH Fellowship rewards people who show up consistently, communicate clearly, and build in public.
Jake does not try to impress.
He tries to be reliable, curious, and thoughtful.
That is what gets people in.
Useful Links
- MLH Fellowship: https://fellowship.mlh.io
- MLH Main Site: https://mlh.io
- GitHub: https://github.com
- Notion: https://notion.so
Closing Thought
This process is not about luck.
It is about preparation, honesty, and follow-through.
If you can build steadily, reflect clearly, and collaborate respectfully, you are already aligned with what MLH looks for.