4 weeks

Earn your way in. Build something real first.

Earn your way in by building something real

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Before you're accepted, you build. We give you a project brief, an eCommerce app, and you have 4 weeks to complete it. We evaluate code quality, GitHub commit hygiene, README, deployment, and design decisions. Not just whether it works.

Common challenges

  • No clear signal on what hiring managers actually look for in a first project
  • Portfolio full of tutorial clones and class assignments
  • No feedback loop on why applications keep getting rejected
  • Hard to gauge whether your code is good enough by professional standards

How this track helps

  • Build a full-stack project under a real brief with defined requirements
  • Get evaluated on code quality, commit hygiene, and documentation. Not just 'does it run.'
  • Receive specific written feedback on your submission
  • Walk away with a real project on your GitHub whether you're accepted or not

What the project looks like

We give you a brief for an eCommerce app. You have 4 weeks to scope it, build it, and ship it. We evaluate the result the way a senior engineer would review a pull request. Not just whether it works, but how it was built.

  • Full-stack app with frontend, backend, and a database
  • Public GitHub repo with a real commit history
  • README explaining architecture decisions and how to run it
  • Deployed and accessible at a public URL

Admissions Project Brief

eCommerce App

4 weeks

Deliverables

User authentication (sign up / login)
Product listings with search and filter
Shopping cart and checkout flow
Seller dashboard for managing listings
Deployed to a public URL
github.com/alex-chen/marketplace

How we evaluate your work

We look at five dimensions. Code quality matters, but it's not the whole picture. How you document decisions, keep your commit history clean, and handle edge cases tells us more than whether the app is feature-complete.

  • Code organization, naming, and readability
  • Commit hygiene (no 'final final v3' commits)
  • README and inline documentation
  • Design decisions and tradeoffs you made and can explain
  • Deployment and environment configuration

Submission Review

In review

Alex C. - eCommerce App

Code Quality

Clean structure, good naming

Commit History

52 commits, logical progression

README

Architecture decisions documented

Deployment

Live on Render, ENV vars set

Design Decisions

Awaiting written explanation

4 / 5 criteria reviewed Decision within 5 business days

What you get out of it

Concrete outcomes you take with you when this track is complete.

A real project on your GitHub regardless of outcome
Feedback on your code quality and professional habits
Clear signal on whether you're ready for the program
Your first structured code review from a working engineer, with written notes

Ready to start the Admissions Project track?

Apply now and show us what you can build. The admissions project is how we get to know you.

Apply Now See all tracks

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about the Admissions Project track.

What happens if I don't get in?
You still have a real project on your GitHub with specific written feedback. Many applicants use that feedback to improve and reapply. The project is yours regardless of outcome.
Can I choose what I build?
We provide a brief with defined requirements. You have flexibility in implementation choices, stack, and design. The constraints are intentional. They mirror how real projects work.
Is there a specific tech stack I need to use?
No. We evaluate approach and quality over framework preference. Use what you know well enough to build something solid.
How long does the review take?
We review submissions and send decisions with written feedback within 5 business days of submission.