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DeltaHacks Portal

DeltaHacks Portal is the official hackathon management system for DeltaHacks, an annual 36-hour hackathon hosted at McMaster University. This platform provides a unified solution for managing all aspects of a hackathon, from hacker applications to judging, check-ins, and equipment tracking.

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What is DeltaHacks Portal?

DeltaHacks Portal is a comprehensive SaaS hackathon management system that consolidates multiple dashboards and tools into a single, unified platform. Instead of maintaining separate systems for hackers, volunteers, judges, and sponsors, DeltaHacks Portal provides a cohesive experience with a single source of truth for all data.

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Philosophy

In the past, the DeltaHacks team used a variety of different tools to manage the hackathon, including creating, updating, and maintaining several dashboards for different user groups. The Portal represents a different approach: a single, unified system that serves all participants while maintaining role-based access control and specialized views for each user type.

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Key Features

DeltaHacks Portal provides comprehensive hackathon management capabilities:

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Authentication & Access Control

  • OAuth2 Authentication - Secure sign-in with multiple providers (Discord, Google, GitHub, LinkedIn, Azure AD)
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) - Granular permissions for Hackers, Admins, Reviewers, Judges, Food Managers, Event Managers, and Sponsors
  • NextAuth.js Integration - Industry-standard authentication with session management

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Application Management

  • Hacker Applications - Comprehensive application forms with custom fields
  • Application Review System - Multi-reviewer workflow with scoring and comments
  • Status Tracking - Full application lifecycle: In Review → Rejected/Waitlisted/Accepted → RSVP → Checked In
  • Resume Upload - Integrated file storage with Cloudflare R2

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Event Operations

  • QR Code Check-in - Fast attendee check-in with QR code scanning
  • Meal Ticket Management - QR-encoded meal tickets with tracking and limits
  • Event Logging - Station-based check-in system for workshops and activities
  • Equipment Tracking - Check-out system for sleeping bags and hardware items

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Judging System

  • Project Submissions - Teams submit projects with descriptions and links
  • Track-based Judging - Organize projects by category/topic
  • Rubric Scoring - Customizable rubric questions with point values
  • Judge Assignment - Assign judges to tables with time slot scheduling
  • Real-time Results - Track judging progress and scores

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Admin Dashboard

  • User Management - View and manage all registered users
  • Application Review - Review, score, and update application statuses
  • Analytics - Track registrations, check-ins, and event participation
  • Configuration - Customize settings and feature flags
  • Data Export - Export data for analysis and reporting

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Additional Features

  • Apple Wallet Integration - Generate digital passes for attendees
  • Email Notifications - SendGrid integration for automated communications
  • Analytics Tracking - PostHog integration for usage analytics
  • Calendar Integration - Event scheduling with FullCalendar
  • Responsive Design - Mobile-friendly interface with TailwindCSS

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Tech Stack

DeltaHacks Portal follows the T3 Stack architecture and axioms:

Next.js

React framework with App Router for modern web applications

TypeScript

End-to-end type safety across the entire application

Prisma

Type-safe database ORM with CockroachDB

tRPC

End-to-end typesafe APIs without code generation

NextAuth.js

Complete authentication solution with OAuth providers

TailwindCSS

Utility-first CSS framework for rapid UI development

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Infrastructure

  • Database: CockroachDB (PostgreSQL-compatible distributed SQL)
  • Hosting: Netlify for serverless deployment
  • File Storage: Cloudflare R2 (S3-compatible object storage)
  • Email: SendGrid for transactional emails
  • Analytics: PostHog for product analytics

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Get Started

Quick Start

Get up and running quickly as an organizer or admin

Installation

Set up a local development environment

Hacker Guide

Learn how to apply, RSVP, and participate in the hackathon

Organizer Guide

Manage applications, judging, and event operations

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Project History

DeltaHacks Portal is the successor to the DeltaHacks ‘My’ Portal which was in use for three years. The current version represents a complete rewrite with modern technologies and an expanded feature set.

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Support

Need help or have questions?

Get In Touch

Open an issue on GitHub or contact the team at [email protected]
DeltaHacks Portal is open source and built by students, for students. Contributions are welcome!

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