My Journey at JP Morgan Chase & Co. Code for Good Hackathon 2024

Introduction

I am Vedant Patel, a third-year B.Tech-CSE student at Nirma University(as per 2025), Ahmedabad. My journey to the JP Morgan Chase & Co. Code for Good 2024 Hackathon started with a stroke of luck and a last-minute decision. I had just returned to my hostel after celebrating Holi at my hometown when my roommate casually mentioned that JP Morgan was hiring through their hackathon. The time? 11:00 PM. The application? Closing at midnight. With barely an hour to spare, I rushed to submit my application. Had I been even a little late, I wouldn’t have even had a chance to participate.

The next day, excitement buzzed throughout the college as students discussed their applications and the roadshow conducted by JPMC to explain the selection process. The eligibility criteria were stringent: only B.Tech./B.E. students from Computer Science, IT, or allied branches with a minimum CGPA of 8.5 were allowed to apply. Since it was an on-campus hiring process, there was a little less competition as compared to off-campus. But this was just the beginning of an intense yet rewarding journey.

What is Code for Good?

Code for Good (CFG) is JP Morgan Chase & Co.’s flagship hackathon, designed to bring together talented students from top universities and challenge them to solve real-world social issues using technology. The event serves as both a recruitment opportunity and a platform to foster innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Selection Process

After about two weeks, we received our HackerRank Online Assessment (OA) links. Given the strict eligibility criteria, only high performers were competing, making it a cutthroat selection process.

Online Assessment (OA)

The assessment consisted of two coding problems, selected from a question pool. While some students received easy-to-medium level problems, others faced challenging ones. My set included one question based on Arrays and another on Dynamic Programming (DP).

Thankfully, these were familiar topics, and one can solve them using techniques from Striver’s A-Z Sheet. However, some of my peers were unlucky and received two extremely difficult problems, which reduced their chances of clearing the round.

AI-based virtual Interview

After clearing the OA, we were invited to complete the HireVue AI-based behavioral assessment, which featured two key questions:

1. Describe a mistake you made, how you fixed it in real time, and what you learned from the experience?
2. Describe a time when you helped someone in academics or skill development?

Following this round, everything went silent. There were no emails, no updates — it was as if the entire process had come to a halt. Life resumed as normal, and by the time summer vacation began, most of us had almost forgotten about it. Then, out of nowhere, a week into vacation, boom! — the list of shortlisted participants was released. To my surprise, my name was on it! I had been selected to participate in Code for Good 2024 in Mumbai. With newfound excitement, I began my preparations.

Pre-Hackathon Preparation

Once I was shortlisted, I knew I had to be ready. I scoured the internet for past experiences, read blogs, connected with people on LinkedIn, and sought advice from seniors. The overwhelming advice? “Learn Web Development.”

I consulted my senior cousins and friends for resources and dedicated the next 15 days to learning Backend & API Development, specifically Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB and some other stuff.

Team Formation & Training

JP Morgan sent out a preference form where we had to choose our technical expertise — Front-end, Back-end, or Full-Stack. While front-end seemed an easier choice, I decided to go with Back-end, and in hindsight, it was the best decision I made.

As the team assignments were revealed, I discovered that my teammates were primarily front-end developers, making me the sole Back-end & Integration Developer. This gave me a clear edge, as I would handle the API development, a crucial part of the project. JP Morgan also ensured no two teammates were from the same college, which made things exciting yet slightly daunting.

Leading up to the hackathon, we attended Git/GitHub training sessions, briefings on hackathon rules, and interactive team-building sessions on Slack. These Slack channels weren’t just for discussions — they were filled with memes, jokes, and casual conversations, making the environment more relaxed and fun.

The Hackathon Experience

Arrival at Mumbai (June 14, 2024)

We arrived in Mumbai, taking some time to explore the city and relax before the big event. But the real action began on June 15, 2024 — hackathon day. Adrenaline was at its peak.

Upon reaching the JPMC office:

• We were greeted with our T-shirts, ID cards, and a gadget check-in.
• The first agenda? FOOD. If there’s one thing JPMC does well, besides coding challenges, it’s keeping participants well-fed.
• We came to know that we were the first batch of Code for Good that happened offline, before that it used to happen online.
• Post brunch, we were introduced to NGOs who presented us with real-world problems they needed help solving.

Our Problem Statement — Vowels of the People Association (VOPA)

Our assigned NGO, *VOPA* (Vowels of the People Association), aimed to ensure that children in rural areas could read, write, and speak any language fluently by the third grade**.

To address this, we developed a multilingual, user-friendly website where:

• Children would read on-screen prompts, and their responses would be recorded and analyzed in real-time.
• The system would evaluate accuracy, pronunciation, hesitation, and expression.
• A weighted average score would determine a child’s reading proficiency level (letters, words, sentences, paragraphs).
• A dashboard would provide class-wide analytics, enabling NGOs to track students’ progress effectively.

The Process

• Each team was assigned mentors (JPMC employees) for guidance.
• We scanned a QR code to rank our project preferences.
• Unfortunately, we got our last preference, which was initially disappointing, but we embraced the challenge and made the most of it.

Coding, Debugging & Midnight Hustle

• We brainstormed workflows and started coding immediately.
• Unexpected integration issues popped up, but we tackled them one by one.
• Although NLP would have been ideal, we were only 2nd-year students then, so we built a robust non-ML API solution instead.
• One highlight? The unlimited food supply. From lunch and dinner to midnight snacks and beverages, JPMC made sure we were energized throughout the night.

Judging Rounds & Final Presentation

• Round 1: An initial evaluation by JPMC employees at our table.
• Round 2: A more technical review where teams were scrutinized in detail.
• Final Round: The top two teams per track presented their projects to JPMC managers, HR, NGO leads, and other dignitaries.

Our team didn’t make it to the final two, but one of my friends’ teams won iPads as prizes. Regardless, all participants received amazing JPMC goodies — a branded backpack and a T-shirt.

Key Takeaways & Lessons Learned

JPMC’s Unmatched Hospitality

• From top-tier infrastructure to seamless logistics, JPMC made sure we had a memorable experience.
• The Slack interactions, memes, and casual chats helped break the ice before the event.

Mentors: The Key to Selection

• They closely observed teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability.
• Pretending to know something? They’ll catch it. It’s better to be honest and solid in what you do rather than faking out skills.
• A deep understanding of one domain is far more valuable than shallow knowledge across multiple areas.

Post-Hackathon Reflections

As I traveled back home, I reflected:

• Did I contribute enough?
• Did my ideas make an impact?
• Would I get the internship?

Months later, my inbox had the answer: I had made it. 🎉

Final Tip

If you’re preparing for Code for Good:

• Learn Web Development basics.
• Be authentic in behavioral rounds.
• Focus on teamwork & problem-solving.
• Keep it real — no faking skills!

At the end of the day, it’s the experience that truly matters. 🚀

You can catch me on linkedIn for further doubts and insights : https://www.linkedin.com/in/vedant-patel-machine-learning/