Successful applications can come in many forms. You should approach the organization application like you would a resume: this is the avenue through which you convince Google’s program administrators that you are qualified for the job of mentoring students.

The most important part of GSoC is providing the GSoC contributor an excellent experience over the summer, and Google chooses organizations that they feel confident can do this based on their application.

The Ideas Page

The ideas page is the most important part of the organization application. Please see the Ideas Page chapter of this guide for more information. Be sure to adjust any project ideas from the previous year to adjust for the small (90 hour), medium (175 hour) and large (350 hour) scope. Google strongly encourages organizations to have a mix of medium and large (and if possible, small) projects.

What is Google looking for in a good organization application?

  1. We can’t say it enough - a solid Ideas list. (see above)
  2. Active community - your org needs to have a good community to support your GSoC contributor(s). You need at least 5 active people in your community. We won’t accept orgs with just a few people that have submitted code to the org in the past year.
  3. Active project - have their been commits in the last few months?
  4. Solid understanding of GSoC and its goals - we can see this in your answers to the Org Application questions
  5. Established project - is the org at least 18 months old?
  6. Quality application - did you take the time to answer questions fully? Org apps with just 1 sentence answers show us you don’t want to put in the time for the org app so why would Google trust you to devote the time needed to mentor a GSoC contributor?

Past Success

Each year Google will ask the ever important question: how many of your GSoC contributors from the previous year (or your most recent GSoC participation) are still active in your community? This is a question that is important for Google and for your organization to consider. As an organization are you engaging the GSoC contributors and getting them excited about staying in your community? Are you selecting the right GSoC contributors for your community who are interested in staying after their GSoC program ends? If your percentage of long term contributors from GSoC is consistently low what can your organization do to adjust? The program is about bringing contributors into your community and getting them to stay long after GSoC ends, thus keeping your ecosystem healthy. It is okay if your numbers are low, but your goal is to increase the number year after year, and adjustments are likely going to be necessary from your organization to successfully retain more of your GSoC contributors long term.

New Orgs vs. Returning Orgs

Every year Google tries to make room for new organizations in the open source world who can provide a different perspective or different opportunities to the GSoC contributors. This can often mean rejecting an org that has successfully participated in years past to allow space for new organizations. Often these decisions are very difficult for Google to make, because they don’t have much to do with the returning orgs’ success in previous years. Also sometimes Google chooses to let an organization that has been participating for many years have a year off to let a new organization participate. It doesn’t mean that Google is upset with that veteran organization, there just needs to be new blood and things need to get mixed up every now and then. The veteran organization should certainly apply again for the next year’s program.

What Not to Do

Incomplete applications are common and result in an automatic rejection by Google. Don’t submit an Ideas List or a document Google administrators don’t have access to. Do not make your Ideas List a link to a list of bug tracker issues, that will be a rejection. Google doesn’t have the time or capacity to iterate with you on your application. Take the time to create a thoughtful proposal. Don’t miss the application deadline, there are no extensions even if you just forgot to hit Save.

Just Because You Did Everything Right

…doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted. Every year Google receives many more applications for organizations that want to participate in GSoC than it has capacity to accommodate. Some of the decisions about which organizations are accepted and which aren’t come down entirely to space available in the program. Google receives 450+ applications from open source organizations each year that wish to be a part of GSoC and usually only accept around 150-200 organization applications. Thus more than 50% of the organizations that apply each year will be rejected.

A Note on Umbrella Orgs

Umbrella organizations are organizations that have many sub-projects underneath them. Think Python Software Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, etc. Umbrella orgs serve a dual purpose: they allows Google to accept more organizations in the “space” of just one, and also gives an opportunity to accept a marginally-topical org by putting it under the umbrella of a related org. Also the heavy load of organization administration is handled by the often experienced and veteran organization administrators of the umbrella org, allowing the smaller sub-project to focus on mentoring and their GSoC contributors.

If your application is rejected, the following you may want to consider reaching out to an accepted umbrella org that might be able to accommodate you.

What’s On the Application?

The questions vary from year to year, but will be similar to:

  • Why does your org want to participate in GSoC?
  • What would your organization consider to be a successful GSoC for your org?
  • How will you keep mentors engaged with their GSoC contributors?
  • How will you help your GSoC contributors stay on schedule to complete their projects?
  • How will you keep your GSoC contributors involved in your community during and after GSoC?
  • Has your org been accepted as a mentor org in GSoC?
  • If so, when and how many GSoC contributors are still actively involved in your community today?
  • Where does your source code live?
  • Link to your Ideas List (this is the most important part of the application!)

You’ll also be asked to complete a profile for your organization including the following:

  • Organization name
  • Short description
  • Long description
  • Logo
  • Primary open source license
  • Contact information
  • Organization website
  • Social media links
  • #Tags for technology and topics
  • Organization specific application information
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