How I got selected for MLH Fellowship?
This blog is all about How I got selected for MLH Fellowship? my interview experiences, my project submission, and my application. Before getting into this I would like to tell everyone this blog is all about my experience and the process through which I had gone. You can have an overview about the whole process of getting into the Fellowship in this blog (Not a proper guidance blog!). At every stage I have added some tips which helped me to get the fellowship.
How did it start?
It all started last year in September 2020, when I first came to know about MLH Fellowship through a YouTube video. I was in a search to learn new tech stacks, contribute to open source and make networks at that time and the Fellowship came in front of me. Further, wasting no time I went on to their website and read about what the fellowship is all about. Later selecting a particular program I went on with filling their form.
So the form was Lil bit lengthy, it asked various kinds of details, some essays, project descriptions, and many more. I would like to tell you that, the form filling differs from person to person, Every person has their perception. What I would suggest is while filling the form be real as well as clear with your talent, skills, and thoughts. What they want is an applicant who is real with his skills and talent; who can be a real asset among the bunch of highly talented people. This was all about how to fill the application.
In the application, one of the most important part is the project submission. I would recommend don’t copy or try to imitate the same project which someone else has already submitted because that won’t make any impact on the interviewer. What they want from your project is a gist of how good you are in a particular tech stack and how good are your ideas. So try to submit a project which denotes your thought and skills.
My Project!
In my case, as I have mentioned, I filled the form last September 2020, during those time I was experimenting with machine learning in iOS Apps. During that experimental time I made an app called COVID TODAY, COVID TODAY was a COVID detection app which detects COVID using users chest Xray. The app also provides real time stats of covid cases, guidelines for COVID, quick call/message to covid centres near to user and etc.
Want to know more about the project, then you can visit the project repository, where I have added a detailed documentation about the whole project.
So this was all about my application filling and the project I submitted. But the twist comes here since I was late for that particular cohort which was soon to be started, they differed my form to the next cohort. So for 2–3 months, I didn’t get any info about my application status, but like a blue moon on 18th of December 2020, I got a mail regarding the selection of my application in the first round and to book an interview for the phone screen interview. I got excited and booked the nearest slot possible.
Tip: MLH follows a policy of first cum first serve, so try to submit your application as soon as possible.
Initial(Phone Screen) Interview Experience
To be frank I was really worried about my interview because I never had such a virtual interview. I was going through various websites to know about how to talk with the interviewer? how should be my posture? , etc. But I feel that all was not at all required, since my interviewer Mr. Arsalan Dilawar was quite cool, he made me comfortable at the beginning by asking how am I? how are my studies going? etc. The initial interview was all about our personality, communication skills, and technical facility. What I meant by personality is, how determined you are for the fellowship, how good can you convey your thoughts, etc. Since the whole fellowship is virtual due to the pandemic, it’s mandatory to have proper video call support for students. So having a proper video call facility is really important. For me, my first interview was really good. I had a good talk with Mr.Arsalan, I answered all my questions confidently with a Lil bit pinch of determination for the fellowship(to show my eagerness towards the fellowship).
Tip: Be real and transparent with your talent, skill and answer the question confidently(Not overconfident) . The interviewer must feel your determination towards the fellowship.
Almost after a week(on 29th December 2020) I got a mail from MLH regarding booking a slot for the technical interview as I got selected in my first interview. As usual further not wasting time I scheduled an appointment on the next day itself.
Technical Interview Experience
When I booked my slot for the technical interview I got to know that my interviewer is Mr. Kunnal Kushwaha. I used to watch his YouTube videos before this whole fellowship process, so meeting him personally and giving my interview was exciting but at the same time I had small nervousness too.
My technical interview was on 30th December 2020, The interview started with a casual introduction, my skills, and knowledge in particular tech stack, etc. After that Mr.Kunnal asked me to present my screen and show the project code which I submitted. He asked me to explain, what it was all about? How it works? etc. Later he pointed a particular line of code and asked me why I have added it and told me to explain it. I explained it and gave a small gist of what that particular line of code is used to. Later he asked me what I have learned new in this project, where did I faced a problem while working on it, etc. The technical interview was quite smooth and interesting. Since I was able to present my skills in front of him deliberately. Other than that I was appreciated by him for the documentation provided for COVID TODAY, he told it is quite explanatory and impressive. So adding readme is quite important! and if you want to have an idea on how to document your project, then you can refer to my project.
Tip: Always add proper documentation for your project, it would create a good impact on the interviewer.
Final Selection
Till now all the stages were quite smooth but the real validation was here. I was told that they would contact me within 1–2 weeks but on the same day when I gave my technical interview, on that day after 3–4 hrs of my interview I got a mail from MLH regarding the need for an iOS App Developer(my tech stack) for their externship program. It was flabbergasted when I got the mail. I accepted the offer and I was quite happy, but twists were quite common in my journey so here I got a twist again. I got a mail from Mr.Will Russell who is the Fellowship program manager that due to time difference they won’t be able to provide me that particular offer for which they contacted me. I felt really bad, They told me they would contact me as soon as they find a proper pod for me.
After that every morning I would wake and check my emails in expectation of getting the selection letter. This went on for 20–25 days. Later at the end of January 2021, I got a mail from Mr. Mike Swift who is the CEO of MLH that because of not getting a proper pod that would match my tech stack they had differed my form for the next cohort.
Months passed I didn’t I got any reply , I almost left the hope of getting it. Suddenly on 9th June 2021, I got a mail from MLH regarding my selection into the Pre-Fellowship. I was really shocked, I was not able to believe it. Later on, I was supposed to fill an application of confirmation.
So this was my journey how I started with the application filling in September 2020, getting almost selected by December 2020, but getting my final selection on 9th of June 2021. A long journey of 10 months(7–8 months if we count from the first interview), it sounds really easy to wait for 10 months, but you need strong patience to wait for this long.
Conclusion
This was my journey, though my selection was really quick but waited for months to get a proper pod. I would like to thank Mr.Will Russell who constantly replied to my emails. Whenever I sent him a mail he did his best and replied to me with the best possible answer. The whole MLH team is really cool and supportive. So don’t worry if you are getting late to get informed about your application/interview status, they would contact you as soon as possible.
Things that helped me
- Being real and clear while filling the application.
- Submit a genuine project which shows your talent and ideology.
- Add proper documentation for your project.
- Be confident while giving your interview and always have the determination of getting the fellowship.
- Understand your project from top to bottom, you must know why each and every line of code is used for.
- Keep patience, because good things take time :)
At last I would like to tell, give your best shot and I am sure you will achieve it. All the best to you :).
If you have any doubts regarding the fellowship selection process, you can contact me here. I would love to help you :).
