Because the main LauzHack event typically receives far more applications than we have physical space to host, we cannot accept everyone. Our acceptance process is a random draw done in batches that balances EPFL and non-EPFL participation. Because the process is done in batches, the earlier you finish the application process, the more chances you have to be accepted.
The process does not take into account your CV, so uploading it or not has no influence on your chances. Your personal details such as dietary restrictions also have no impact on the decision.
If you apply as a group, we guarantee that if one member of the group is accepted, then all others are also accepted. You can form a team with whoever you want during the event, regardless of who you applied with. Accepted participants may not be replaced by someone else nor add someone to their group after acceptance.
Application decisions are final. If you are rejected, the decision is about space constraints, not about you personally. Please do not contact us asking if you could participate anyway.
We have a limited number of places in a sleeping area near the venue. These are free and available on a first-reserved-first-served basis to participants who have been accepted to the event.
The sleeping area is only available if you arrive before 23:00 at EPFL on Friday, which means landing before 21:00 at Geneva Airport. Once you arrive, send a message on the event Discord channel and we will meet up with you and show you the sleeping area. Do not message or email individual staff members, since not all staff members are available at any given time.
After acceptance, you will receive a link to the reservation form. We cannot guarantee there will still be space when you are accepted, since participants accepted earlier may have already filled the space. If the space is already full, you can include the cost of a hotel in the travel reimbursement up to the relevant limit, see below.
You will be able to check in and get your swag bag on Friday, which includes a travel blanket. Please bring a sleeping bag. We also have showers available to everyone, for which you need to bring toiletries.
During the event, the sleeping area is available in the night between Saturday and Sunday on a first-come-first-served basis. It is not available on the night following the event. If you have no flight home before Monday, you may include the cost of a hotel in the travel reimbursement up to the relevant limit, see below.
We reimburse the following upon presentation of receipts, at the end of the event, in cash:
For car travel, rental, fuel, and parking are all covered up to the limit. In case of sharing, which we encourage, we will reimburse each person’s fraction of the total expenses, so long as the entire group comes as a whole at reimbursement time.
If you must stay at a hotel from Friday to Saturday, either because the free hosting above has run out or because you cannot arrive early enough, this counts as travel. Similarly, if you must stay at a hotel from Sunday to Monday, it also counts.
Your receipts must show the travel date, origin and destination of trips when relevant, and the price paid. The receipt currency doesn’t matter, we’ll convert. It’s OK if a single receipt has info for multiple participants.
On Friday and during the event, you’ll be able to send your receipts to a designated committee member on Discord, to speed up the process. We strongly recommend you do this early, since the queue to do so in person on Sunday will likely be long.
You do not need to let us know about the need for this reimbursement. It will not impact anyone’s chances of being accepted to the event.
If you are currently living in a different place than your university, such as for an internship, please provide some basic proof that this is the case, such as a badge of a company you’re interning in.
We do not reimburse food nor travel-related purchases such as sleeping bags or mobile data.
We only reimburse costs for accepted participants, please do not make any travel expenses before you receive an acceptance confirmation.