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Overview

What Is Google Summer of Code (GSoC)?

Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is a global open-source mentorship program started by Google in 2005.

Its main goal is not money, not internships, and not certificates.

The real goal of GSoC is to: - Help open-source organizations - Train new contributors - Build long-term open-source developers

In simple words:

GSoC pays beginners to learn open source properly, under mentorship.

Why Does GSoC Exist?

Before GSoC: - Open-source projects struggled to find new contributors - Beginners didn’t know how to start - Students had time but no guidance - Organizations lost contributors after short periods

Google created GSoC to solve this problem.

GSoC exists to:

  • Bring new contributors into open source
  • Provide structured mentorship
  • Reduce contributor drop-out
  • Support open-source sustainability

Google benefits because: - Open source powers Google’s infrastructure - Strong open source = strong internet ecosystem

What GSoC Is (And What It Is NOT)

GSoC IS:

  • A mentorship program
  • A learning experience
  • A real-world open-source project
  • A long-term contributor pipeline

GSoC IS NOT:

  • An internship replacement
  • A guaranteed job offer
  • Only about coding
  • A shortcut to success

What Happens in GSoC?

  • You work on a real open-source project
  • You are guided by experienced mentors
  • Your work is reviewed publicly
  • You communicate regularly with the community
  • You become a trusted contributor

How Long Is GSoC?

GSoC duration depends on project size:

  • 12 weeks (short)
  • 22 weeks (long)

But in reality:

You start months before selection and often continue after completion.

GSoC Timeline and Phases

January – Organization Applications

  • Open-source organizations apply to Google
  • Google reviews their history and mentor capacity

February – Organizations Announced

  • Accepted organizations are published
  • Each organization lists project ideas

March – Community Interaction Period

  • Contributors interact with organizations
  • Discussions, small contributions, and mentoring happen
  • This phase often decides selection

April – Proposal Submission

  • Contributors submit detailed project proposals
  • You can submit up to 3 proposals
  • Quality matters more than quantity

May – Results & Community Bonding

  • Accepted contributors are announced
  • Community bonding period starts
  • You finalize timelines and goals

June to August – Coding Period

  • Actual development begins
  • Weekly or bi-weekly mentor meetings
  • Regular progress reports

November – Completion (Long Projects)

  • Long-duration projects finish
  • Final evaluations completed

Eligibility

To apply for GSoC, you must:

  • Be 18 years or older
  • Be a beginner in open source
  • Be legally allowed to work in your country
  • Not be previously accepted more than once (depends on rules)

GSoC is open to: - Students - Fresh graduates - Self-taught developers

Stipend & Effort

Project Size Hours Stipend
Small 90 $750
Medium 175 $1500
Large 350 $3000

Important: The listed hours are minimum estimates.
Most contributors work significantly more.

How Is the Payment Made?

  • Payments are handled through Payoneer
  • You must create and verify a Payoneer account
  • Payments are split into phases:
  • After passing midterm
  • After passing final evaluation
  • Taxes depend on your country

What Happens After Selection?

After selection, you:

  • Sign participation agreements
  • Set up communication channels
  • Finalize milestones
  • Begin community bonding
  • Start coding according to the plan

Selection is just the beginning, not the end.

Evaluation and Feedback

GSoC has two formal evaluations:

Midterm Evaluation (45%)

  • Are you making consistent progress?
  • Are milestones being met?
  • Are you communicating regularly?
  • Are mentors satisfied?

Failing midterm usually means program termination.

Final Evaluation (55%)

  • Did you complete the project goals?
  • Is the code merged or usable?
  • Is documentation complete?
  • Can the organization maintain your work?

Passing final means successful completion.

What Evaluators Actually Care About

Evaluations are not about perfection.

Mentors evaluate: - Consistency - Communication - Effort - Reliability - Willingness to learn

Missing deadlines without communication is the biggest red flag.

Common Reasons People Fail GSoC

  • Disappearing for days or weeks
  • Poor communication
  • Over-promising in proposals
  • Not asking for help
  • Treating GSoC like a job instead of a learning program

Life After GSoC

After GSoC: - Many contributors become long-term maintainers - Some get job offers - Some continue as volunteers - Some become mentors in future years

The real reward is:

Open-source credibility + experience + network