• Created by Unknown User (jdailey) on Mar 15, 2026 4 minute read

SUMMARY PAGE

Your Project: [Project Title]
Candidate: [Full Name]
Relevant Ticket(s): [FINERACT-XXXX]
Repository / Module: [repo or module name]

1. Candidate Overview/ SUMMARY PAGE 

Full name:
Preferred name:
Email:
GitHub handle:
LinkedIn / portfolio / personal site:
Location and time zone:
Preferred contact method:
University / employer / current role:
Current area of study (if applicable):

Prompt to answer:
Introduce yourself briefly. Summarize your background, your current focus, and the technical experience most relevant to this proposal. 

Less than 250 words. 

2. Project Idea  

Project title:
One-sentence summary:
Relevant Apache Fineract issue / idea / discussion links:
Why this project matters to Apache Fineract:

Prompt to answer:
State clearly what project you are applying for and what outcome you intend to deliver.  Less than 350 words. 

3. Background and Problem Statement

What exists today:
Current limitation / gap:
Why this problem is worth solving now:
What can be reused from the existing codebase:
What must be changed, added, or redesigned:

Prompt to answer:
Explain the present state of the relevant Fineract functionality, the identified need, and the architectural or product gap your project addresses.

4. Proposed Design and Technical Approach

Architecture / module impact:
Key classes, services, APIs, or subsystems likely involved:
Data model / schema changes, if any:
Testing strategy:
Backward compatibility considerations:
Risks / unknowns:
Alternative approaches considered:

Prompt to answer:
Describe how you plan to implement the work. Be specific enough to show that you understand the Fineract architecture, but keep it readable.


5. Scope of Work

Essential Deliverables

  1. [Essential deliverable 1]

  2. [Essential deliverable 2]

  3. [Essential deliverable 3]

Optional / Stretch Deliverables

  1. [Optional deliverable 1]

  2. [Optional deliverable 2]

Prompt to answer:
Separate the must-have outcomes from the nice-to-have ones. Apache explicitly recommends showing which parts are essential and which are optional.


6. Implementation Plan and Timeline

Community Bonding / Pre-coding

  • [environment setup]

  • [deeper code reading]

  • [final design refinement with mentors]

Coding Phase 1

  • [milestone]

  • [expected pull requests / outputs]

Coding Phase 2

  • [milestone]

  • [expected pull requests / outputs]

Coding Phase 3

  • [milestone]

  • [expected pull requests / outputs]

Final Phase

  • [documentation]

  • [testing and polish]

  • [handoff / demo / final report]

Prompt to answer:
Provide a chronological project plan with milestones, outputs, and checkpoints.


7. Community Engagement

Have you joined the relevant public channels?

  • Matrix: [yes/no]

  • Mailing list: [yes/no]

  • Relevant JIRA ticket comments: [yes/no]

Mentors or contributors you have interacted with:
Links to mailing-list posts / ticket comments / discussions:


Questions you asked publicly:


What feedback from the community has already shaped your proposal:

Prompt to answer:
Show that you have already engaged with the Fineract community. Proposals are stronger when the candidate has already worked with the project community. 


8. Local Setup and Technical Readiness

Have you set up Apache Fineract locally?
Environment details:

  • OS:

  • Java version:

  • Gradle version:

  • Database:

  • Docker / other tooling:

What you successfully ran:
Screenshot or log snippet reference:


Any blockers encountered and how you resolved them:

Prompt to answer:
Demonstrate that you have done real setup work, not just read the docs. 


9. Prior Contributions

Open source projects contributed to:
Apache / Fineract contributions so far:

  • PR links:

  • JIRA links:

  • commits / reviews / bug reports:

Small fixes or exploratory work completed before applying:


What those contributions taught you about the codebase:

Prompt to answer:
List actual contributions. Even a small but relevant patch is better than a vague statement of interest. 


10. Skills and Fit

Relevant languages / frameworks:
Experience with Java / Spring / Hibernate / SQL / APIs / frontend / testing / DevOps:
Experience with financial systems, if any:
Why you are the right person for this project:

Prompt to answer:
Connect your skills directly to the work proposed. Do not just send a résumé or CV. 


11. Availability and Other Commitments

Weekly availability during GSoC:
Exams, travel, internships, job commitments, or holidays:
Expected periods of low availability:
How you will communicate schedule risks early:

Prompt to answer:
Be honest. Disclose in advance.  


12. Motivation and Career Goals

Why Apache Fineract specifically:


Why this project specifically:


What motivates you about open source and this domain:


Career goals and how this project fits them:


Would you like to remain involved after GSoC? If so, how:


Prompt to answer:
We're interested in the "why?" Why this project, why you, why now? 


14. Prior Program Participation

Have you participated in GSoC before?
If yes, with which organization and what project:


Are you applying to multiple organizations this year?


If yes, is Apache your first choice? Why or why not:


Any prior Mifos / Apache / internship-program participation:

Prompt to answer:
Keep this direct and transparent.


15. Links Appendix

Include all relevant links in one clean list:

  • Proposal issue(s):

  • Mailing-list introduction:

  • JIRA comments:

  • PRs / commits:

  • Repositories:

  • Demo video or screenshots:

  • Resume / portfolio:

Suggested instructions for candidates

Please keep your answers brief and concise.   Treat these as a guide to what to answer.  

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