Deadline: March 16, 2016 | Apply here
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Eligibility: at least 16 years of age
Prize: $50,000 and a trip to World Finals
Imagine Cup World Finals location: Seattle, USA

About Imagine Cup
Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition that provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up and create applications, games and integrated solutions that can change the way we live, work and play and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US). Create a desktop or tablet project using Windows, or a mobile project using Windows Phone, or a browser project using Windows Azure and you could win big at the Imagine Cup World Finals in Seattle 2016.

Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Students Competition 2016

This competition is the doorway to your success. If you can win here, you can go anywhere. If you’ve got a great idea, assemble a great team and work hard to bring that idea to life. Your project could be on devices all over the world, changing lives and giving people the thrill of seeing the future come to life right in front of them.

Imagine Cup is your chance to:
žBreak new ground, solve tough problems facing the world today, and maybe even turn your ideas into a business
žGet involved in the next wave of games and applications – the future is in your hands
žLearn new technological skills
žTest yourself against the brightest students around the world
žMake new friends
žWin cash and prizes, and even access to exclusive Boot Camps.

Eligible student teams will once again compete with thousands of others from across the globe by developing a technology project from start to finish in the following categories:

Games Competition: The Imagine Cup Games Competition is your opportunity to be part of the global games revolution. It’s a global contest for the best new student games and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US).
Innovation Competition: The Imagine Cup Innovation Competition is here to help you take the first steps. It’s a global contest for the most original student applications, and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US).
World Citizenship Competition: The Imagine Cup World Citizenship Competition is a global contest for the best new software to address social issues, and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US).
Big Idea: Pitch Challenge: The Big Idea challenges are online competitions intended to help you develop your project from an idea into a reality.
Big Idea: Plan Challenge
Big Idea: Design Challenge
Hello Cloud Challenge: Master cloud computing with Microsoft Azure and you could win $1,000!
Every month, one student will win in the $1,000 sweepstakes. To compete, you just complete one or more of our Hello Cloud activities. Each activity you complete gives you another chance to win!
Imagine Cup Earth Challenge: Imagine Cup Earth is a new contest for students ages 6-18 in which you’ll use computer programming to create a game, simulation, or story inspired by the kinds of earth science that NASA and other researchers do every day. 18 winning students will win prizes totaling $36,000!

Eligibility:

• You are at least 16 years of age as of July 31 2015 and are actively enrolled as a student at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees (including home schools) at any time between 1 January 2015 and 31 May 2016;
• žIf you are considered a minor in your place of residence, then you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Competition;
• You are NOT a resident of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria; and or U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Therefore residents of these countries/regions are not eligible to participate;
• You are not an employee or intern of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, at any time between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2016;
• You are not involved in any part of the execution or administration of this Competition; and
• You are not an immediate family member of (parent, sibling, spouse/domestic partner, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Competition between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2016.

Application process: To participate in Imagine Cup 2016, you must first create an account at www.imaginecup.com.Once you have registered you can sign up for the competition categories you would like to compete in and start building your team. Every competition’s requirements are different, so check the Official Rules to find out what you’ll need to submit. Good luck, and have fun!
Want more details? Please check out the FAQ.

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