Interested in joining Hack4Impact?
If you have programming experience at or above the level of an introductory level computer science class (such as CIS 1100 or AP Computer Science), and you want to apply your classroom knowledge to the real world — making a concrete improvement in people’s lives — then Hack4Impact is the club for you.
We place a strong emphasis on peer mentorship and learning, so we’ll teach you everything you need to know about designing and building web applications. No experience beyond programming fundamentals is required to join Hack4Impact.
As part of the team, you will learn how to identify user needs in order to design and build a working product. You’ll have a chance to experiment with and build new technologies.
Application and Development Process
Info Sessions
At the beginning of the fall semester we will hold info sessions and be active at the SAC and ESAC club fairs, so come say hi and learn more about Hack4Impact!
Fall 2024 Important Recruiting Dates:
September 2nd:
What: Information Session
Learn more about club culture, weekly meetings, and what we do everyday! Meet and talk with current club members.
Where: Towne 100
When: 7-8 pm
September 3rd:
What: Information Session
Learn more about club culture, weekly meetings, and what we do everyday! Meet and talk with current club members.
Where: JMHH F60
When: 7-8 pm
September 4th:
What: GRC x Hack4Impact Social Impact Seminar
Hear from board members of Wharton GRC and Hack4Impact about how they use the skills they’ve learned at Penn for social impact!
Where: TBD
When: 7-8 pm
September 5th:
What: Game Night 🎲
Hear from board members of Wharton GRC and Hack4Impact about how they use the skills they’ve learned at Penn for social impact!
Where: Radian Lounge
When: 9-10 pm
Written Application
We will release a written application here that should take about an hour to complete. We want to learn about what you have done, what you hope to do, and why you would be a good fit for Hack4Impact. Please include any side projects, open source contributions, or anything else you think we should see.
Behavioral Interview
If your written application is accepted, we will contact you to schedule a behavioral interview with two Hack4Impact members. We want to know more about you, your passion for social impact, and what you can bring to the Hack4Impact community. This is also a great time to ask questions and get a sense of what being a member of Hack4Impact is like from your interviewers.
Technical Interview
The last portion of the application process is a technical interview with two Hack4Impact members. Don't worry about grinding Leetcode for this one, we only require a CIS 110 level of knowledge, but it will focus on Web Development (the actual technical work that we do!) We want to get a better idea of how you approach problems, implement solutions, and explain your work.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a Hack4Impact member, you can shape the organization's initiatives (or start your own!) in areas such as impact assessment, diversity & inclusion, career development, and more. As an organization and as a community, we care about and actively support the individual development of each member, be it professional or personal. In addition to our social impact projects, we focus on building a tight-knit community of students passionate about social change. As a member of the Hack4Impact family, you will bond with the community and become part of the Hack4Impact family, receive mentorship and guidance from a strong network of accomplished and amazing alumni, watch movies, join in for board game nights, and make memories with your Hack4Impact friends 😊
Class of 2026, 2027, and 2028. You do NOT have to be a CS major to apply!
1hr full group (mandatory) meeting every Wednesday. ~4 hours outside of that inclusive of social and technical development activities!
We usually do not recruit for any positions in the Spring, but we will be recruiting in Fall 2024. Check back in August for any updates about recruitment!
Yes, grad students are welcome to apply as long as you are not Class of 2025. On the application form, please indicate your latest graduation year from Penn as your "class year".
If you have taken CIS 110 or AP Computer Science, you are qualified to join Hack4Impact! We have a huge focus on education and will make sure that you have the resources and mentorship opportunities to learn how to build software products. If you are eager to learn the technologies, and are passionate about social impact and community-building, we are excited for you to apply! Developers with web development knowledge are a plus, but please apply even if you don’t know!
We are looking for people who are excited about working in social impact and tech and who resonate deeply with our mission and values: http://hack4impact.org/about! If you are passionate about software and social impact, a self-starter, want to learn, and are eager to apply your skills to affect real lives, please submit an application! If you are on the fence, please reach out to us. We're super friendly <3
This year, we are changing up the technical interview from years past. It focuses on implementing business logic and interacting with data, and will be individualized. In total, it should take no longer than 45 minutes. We will providing complete instructions with what to expect after the first round interview.
YES! Please re-apply. So many of our members did not get in the first time, and we strongly encourage you to submit another application!
No worries if you don't have a super structured project that you've worked on. Feel free to write about some of the work that you've done in the courses or through self-learning. The point of the project question is for you to explain and demonstrate the work that you've done with CS, and often, people will write about "projects"/assignments they've completed as part of their classes as examples of it. Also, if you feel like this isn't the best time for you to apply and want to wait to get a bit more experience/work, we 100000% encourage re-applying or applying the following year. A lot of our members entered as sophomores and juniors, and even one of our current co-directors applied twice! Though, we would encourage you to submit an application this year, EVEN if you are unsure about your skills/experience!
We don't have an official design position (yet), but many of our developers do have extra skills they like to work on outside of developing. Design is definitely one of them, and this year, internally, we will be putting together a design committee to build out a lasting team. That said, we do not recruit for designers. For those of you who are interested but not too knowledgable about design, Figma is a collaborative design tool similar to photoshop/illustrator that is ~free~. (Also, a ton of our alum work there so we love it 🥺 )
Technical developers drive forward Hack4Impact’s mission by building software that meets important social and humanitarian needs. As a technical developer, you will have the opportunity to develop and ship a project with tangible impact each semester. Within the organization, you can also work on various open-source software initiatives and learn from mentors around you to gain skills necessary to becoming a full-stack developer.
We source and work on new projects every semester normally in teams of 5-6 people. Each team has a PM (project manager) who handles the majority of client communications and a TL (tech lead) who helps develop and distribute tasks weekly.
For all inquiries of partnership or sponsorship, please contact us at penn@hack4impact.org.