View source for Top tips for GSOC applications

==Frequently asked questions==

; Do I first have to do the coding challenge and only then I get selected?

The way it works is this: First you need to find a mentor, then you need to write a proposal, then you need to submit the proposal to the Google Mélange site. After this, we read and evaluate the proposals, and we rank them. Then Google tells us how many slots we got, and we take the top ''n'' ranked slots, where ''n'' is the number of slots we got. 

You don't have to do the coding challenge, but it will help you with (a) finding a mentor, and (b) writing your proposal. You are unlikely to be able to write a good proposal without knowing something about Apertium -- which the coding challenge will help you with. And by asking questions, hanging out on IRC, you will get to know the mentors, increasing the chances of finding one who is interested in your proposal.

; Is it possible to see applications from previous years?

Some of the applications from previous years are available on our Wiki under the category [[:Category:Student proposals for the Google Summer of Code]].

; How can I get an account on the Wiki?

There are a couple of options, either email our mailing list (<tt>apertium-stuff@lists.sourceforge.net</tt>) or come on [[IRC]] and ask one of the mentors to add you an account. In both cases you will need an email address and a username.