MLH Fellowship vs Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams

Comparing two highly competitive STEM opportunities. MLH Fellowship is a internship while Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is a competition.

MLH Fellowship Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Prestige Tier Tier 2 — Highly Competitive Tier 2 — Highly Competitive
Type Internship Competition
Organization Major League Hacking (MLH) Lemelson-MIT Program at MIT
Acceptance Rate Not publicly disclosed; competitive program but exact rate unknown Approximately 8-10% (based on 8 teams selected annually; suggests 80-100+ applications per year, though exact applicant count not publicly available)
Applicants Not publicly disclosed; appears to have multiple cohorts annually Estimated 80-100+ schools apply annually (extrapolated from 8 selections)
Deadline Rolling Rolling
Award $7,000
Cost to Apply Free Free
US Only No / International Yes
Grades College students and above (program appears designed primarily for undergraduates; high school eligibility unclear) High school students (9-12)
College Impact Highly valued in college admissions and recruiting. Shows: (1) Real-world experience with production-grade code, (2) Demonstrated commitment to open-source/collaborative development, (3) Recognition b... Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is viewed very favorably in college admissions, particularly for STEM programs. Selection as an InvenTeam demonstrates: (1) exceptional innovation and problem-solving ability; ...