Inquiry About Late Pre-Proposal Submission for MDAnalysis GSoC 2025

[tutou2356]

Dear MDAnalysis Team,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Emily and I am a graduate student in chemistry with a strong passion for computational science. I have been actively exploring the intersection of these fields, with experience in Materials Studio, Python, and NumPy. When I came across the MDAnalysis project for GSoC 2025, I was immediately captivated by its relevance to my background and interests—particularly its focus on molecular dynamics, which aligns closely with my academic and professional aspirations.
Unfortunately, I only discovered your project today, April 2, 2025, after the pre-proposal deadline of March 21, 2025, as outlined in your contributor guidelines. I deeply regret missing this cutoff and understand the importance of your multi-stage application process. However, I am writing to kindly inquire if there might still be any opportunity to get involved with MDAnalysis for GSoC 2025, even at this late stage. Among all the GSoC projects, I feel a unique connection to yours due to its blend of chemistry and computational innovation.
I would be grateful for any guidance or alternative pathways you might suggest—whether for GSoC or other ways to contribute to MDAnalysis. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I truly appreciate the inspiring work your team is doing.
Warm regards,
Emily

[jennaswa]

Hi @tutou2356,

Welcome to the MDAnalysis community!

Out of fairness, we will unfortunately not be able to consider an application from you for GSoC 2025. We hope this direct feedback gives you time to focus your efforts on applying to other GSoC 2025 organizations if you would like.

That said, you are a welcomed and valuable member of the MDAnalysis community, and we'd love for you to stay involved and possibly apply for GSoC next year (if you are eligible, and if MDAnalysis participates as a mentoring organization), or to contribute to MDAnalysis outside of the GSoC program. For more information on how to do so, please visit our 'Contribute' page on our website, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

[tutou2356]

Thank you so much for your prompt response ! I completely understand your decision regarding GSoC 2025, and I truly appreciate the clarity and fairness of your process.

I’m genuinely excited to be part of this community and I’d also love to prepare for a potential GSoC 2026 application with MDAnalysis (if eligible). In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything specific I can do to get started or if there’s a good place to ask questions as I dive in.

Thanks again for your time and encouragement—it means a lot to me!