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Questions

General Competition Questions

 
 

What are the General Requirements for the Imagine Cup?

If a student does not attend a four-year university, can she/he participate in the competitions?

Can I compete in the Imagine Cup if I recently graduated from school or am working as a graduate student?

If a student is currently studying abroad, can she/he compete for their native country or is she/he obliged to compete for the country in which she/he is studying?

 

How do I register for the Imagine Cup?

How do I sign in and out of the website?

How do I view and update my personal profile?

How do I change my username/password?

I registered, but I never received a confirmation e-mail. What should I do?

How do I delete my profile?

 
 

How do I form a new team?

How do I join an existing team?

Are team members required to attend the same school?

How do I find a mentor for my team?

I am interested in mentoring a team.  Do you have any quidelines or resources for mentors?

 
 

Competing

How do I participate in my regional/local competition?

How do I download software?

How do I compete in Round 1? I cannot see where I can take a test or submit my Round 1 entry.

What is the difference between a competition and an award?

 
 

How do I sign up to receive the Imagine Cup E-newsletters?

What is the Imagine Cup E-newsletter?

What are the individual competition newsletters?

Where can I find additional learning resources for the competitions?

Where can I find the Imagine Cup press resources?

I am a non-US person, why am I being asked to fill out a W8-BEN US tax form?

I’m a US person, why am I being asked to fill out an “Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability, and Publicity Release (substitute W9)”?

 
 

Answers

 

General Competition Questions

What is the Imagine Cup?

The world’s premier student technology competition, Imagine Cup is one way Microsoft is encouraging young people to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world – today. Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a global event. In 2008, more than 200,000 students from 100 countries entered the Imagine Cup competition.

What is the theme of the Imagine Cup 2009?

This year’s theme is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today." If you would like to research this theme further, please refer to the 2009 Theme page or access the information on the Millennium Development Goals at the United Nations Web site.

Where and when will the Imagine Cup 2009 Worldwide Finals be held?

The 2009 Worldwide Finals will be held in Cairo, Egypt from July 3-7,2009.

How does Microsoft choose the location of the Worldwide Finals and choose possible host cities each year?

The location of the Imagine Cup has rotated from year to year. The finals have been held in locations all across the world.  Location in 2003: Spain, 2004: Brazil, 2005: Japan, 2006: India, 2007: Korea, and 2008: France. A selection committee representing Microsoft and competition captains evaluate applications from countries interested in hosting. Many factors are taken into consideration, including the resources available at the hosting country. However, the selection process is not an exact science.

Why are more students in some Competitions sent to the Worldwide Finals than in others?

Each Competition is unique in terms of how many students actually compete. Some require more onsite competition at the finals than others. Microsoft makes these requirements clear in advance and set limits on the number of participants on a single team.

How are the judges chosen and where do they come from?

Judges are invited to participate from a mix of industry partners, sponsors, and academic institutions from around the world.

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Eligibility

 
What are the General Requirements for the Imagine Cup?
  1. You are 16 years of age or older; and
  2. You are actively enrolled as a student at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees any time between January 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009; and
  3. You are not an employee of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
  4. You are not involved in any part of the execution or administration of this Contest; and
  5. You are not an immediate family member of (parent, sibling, spouse, 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 Contest; and
  6. You are not a resident of any of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
  7. If you are a Microsoft campus representative, such as Microsoft Student Partner http://student-partners.com or Microsoft Intern, and you meet the eligibility criteria set forth above, you may enter, but you are prohibited from using Microsoft property or resources, including without limitation, Microsoft networks, hardware tools and technology resources and/or the counsel of Microsoft employees, in connection with the creation or execution of your entry.
  8. If you have previously placed first in the Worldwide Finals of an Imagine Cup competition, you are not eligible to enter that same competition again, but you may enter any of the other competitions.
  9. This Contest is void where prohibited by law.

If a student does not attend a four-year university, can she/he participate in the Competition?

Absolutely, any student attending an accredited high school or college either full or part-time can participate.

Can I compete in the Imagine Cup if I recently graduated from school or am working as a graduate student?

Yes, you are eligible to compete if you meet the applicable age requirements, and you enrolled as a student at any time between January 1, 2008, and May 31, 2009.  Additionally, the school at which you are enrolled must be an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees. Graduate and PhD students are also able to compete, however they may not use unpublished research.

If a student is currently studying abroad, can she/he compete for their native country or is she/he obliged to compete for the country in which she/he is studying?

For team events, like the Software Design competition, the team has to choose one nationality (either their native country or the country in which they currently reside) that the team as a whole will represent, but not all members need to be from that country or be living in that country. However, once they make their decision, they need to abide by that country’s official rules.

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Registering and Configuring Your Profile

How do I register for the Imagine Cup?

In order to compete in the different Imagine Cup Competitions you must be a registered user. Registration is easy. First be sure to have read the Terms of Use, the Code of Conduct, and the Privacy Statement, and then proceed to the Imagine Cup Registration page.

How do I sign in and out of the website?

If you are using a public terminal such as at a school library, you will want to log off, or sign out, before you leave the computer. Here’s how:

  1. Click the link on the top-right of the home page that says "Sign Out."
  2. Close the browser to prevent your name or settings from appearing on the public terminal.
  3. Once you have done this, your name will be removed from the home page, and your settings will be inaccessible to anyone using the same computer after you.

We recommend that you sign out only when you feel that you must. If we can’t identify you, it will be difficult for us to identify information that might be of interest to you.

How do I view and update my personal profile?

In order to edit your user profile you must be a registered user. Once you have logged in, you can use the "My Profile" link located in the top right corner of the screen to edit your profile.

Your profile contains important information that enables us to offer you information and news that’s targeted to your role, invitational, and location. Your Profile page is also where you can tell other members of the Imagine Cup community about yourself. The information you add in the Community Preferences area will appear in the Search pages (such as when competitors search for team members and mentors to join their teams) and the forums. It’s therefore very important to configure your profile fully and keep it up-to-date. To update your profile:

  1. Sign in to the Imagine Cup Web site.
  2. Click the “My Profile” link on the top-right of the home page.
  3. Update your information as you wish.
  4. Be sure to click the Update button at the bottom of each section for your new settings to take effect.

How do I change my username/password?

Unfortunately, there is no way to change a username or password once an account is created.

I registered but I never received a confirmation e-mail. What should I do?

Check your spam filter, as the registration e-mail may have been filtered as spam. If you currently use an anti-spam program or service, we ask that you take just a minute or two to add our publication to your "safe" or permitted e-mail sender list. This usually involves simply adding our sending address (From:) to your whitelist, safelist, or list of privileged senders. This is commonly known as whitelisting a publication.

Please refer to the following whitelisting instructions so you can whitelist Imagine Cup, depending on the filtering solution you use:

AOL:

  1. Go to keyword: Mail Controls.
  2. Select the screen name we’re sending your Imagine Cup e-mail to.
  3. Click Customize Mail Controls For This Screen Name.

AOL Version 9.0:

  1. Open your latest Imagine Cup e-mail.
  2. Click the Add Address button (on the right) to add to your "People I Know" list.

Alternatively, you can just send an e-mail to: admin@imaginecup.com and that will add us to your "People I Know" list automatically. To do this:

  1. Open your latest Imagine Cup e-mail.
  2. Click the Reply button (it’s in the top right corner).
  3. A new e-mail window opens with the wrong address in the "Send To" box.
  4. Replace the address in the Send To box with: admin@imaginecup.com
  5. Click Send Now (in the top right corner).
  6. Even if the e-mail you send doesn’t get through to us, the act of sending it does the job of putting us into your "People I Know" list.

CleanMyMailbox:

  1. If Imagine Cup is filtered, from the spambox,
  2. Click on the white "W" icon on the left column of the mailing.
  3. When the pop-up window comes up, simply click the Add to Whitelist button.

Alternative whitelisting methods:

  1. Click on the White List button.
  2. Add: admin@imaginecup.com to the bottom of your existing list.
  3. Click the Submit List button.

Cloudmark SpamNet:

  1. Select Cloudmark | Options... from the Cloudmark SpamNet toolbar in Outlook.
  2. Click Advanced.
  3. Go to the Whitelist tab.
  4. Click the Add button.
  5. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Click Yes.
  9. Click OK.

Hotmail:

  1. Click the Options link, on the main menu tabs, then Safe List.
  2. Type: admin@imaginecup.com in your Safe List.
  3. If you see a message that should not be in your Junk Mail folder, click ’This is not Junk Mail’ to avoid having e-mail from the same source sent to the Junk Mail folder in the future.

Mailblocks:

  1. Click the Addresses tab.
  2. Click New.
  3. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  4. Make sure ’Accept Mail From This Address’ is selected under Receiving Options.
  5. Uncheck ’Display in People Picker’ under Other options.
  6. Click Submit.
  7. Click OK.

MailShield:

  1. Click Friends from the toolbar.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  4. Click OK.

MailWasher:

  1. Click Tools, then Blacklist & Friends.
  2. Click Add... on the right, the Friends list side.
  3. Make sure Plain e-mail address is selected.
  4. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click OK.

McAfee Spamkiller:

  1. Click Friends from the sidebar.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  4. Click OK.

oddpost:

  1. Check your ’Probably Spam’ folder.
  2. If you see that ImagineCup was incorrectly filtered out,
  3. select it, and click the ’Move to Inbox and Mark as Not Spam’ button.

SpamAssassin:

  1. Add the following entry to your user_prefs file, which is found in the .spamassassin subdirectory on your web/mail server: whitelist_fromadmin@imaginecup.com
  2. Save the user prefs file or move the updated copy to your .spamassassin subdirectory.
  3. If you have no user prefs file in this subdirectory, create one:

http://spamassassin.taint.org/doc/Mail_SpamAssassin_Conf.html

http://www.cleanmymailbox.com/sa

SpamButcher:

  1. Click the Configure button.
  2. Go to the Known Senders tab.
  3. Click Add under ’Known Good Senders and Recipients’.
  4. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click OK.

Spameater Pro:

  1. Click Filters from the sidebar.
  2. Click the Approved Senders tab.
  3. Click Add Filter.
  4. Type: admin@imaginecup.com under Address.
  5. Choose ’Full E-mail Address’ under Address Type.
  6. Select E-mail Domain.
  7. Click OK.

Spam Inspector:

  1. Select Spam Inspector, then ’Manage Friends List’ from either the Spam Inspector toolbar or from the Outlook menu.
  2. Make sure E-mail is selected under ’Add a New Friend’.
  3. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  4. Click the >> button.
  5. Click Close.

Spam Interceptor:

  1. Follow the Trusted link under > Authentication Lists. Enter the e-mail address: admin@imaginecup.com
  2. Click Add.

SpamPal:

  1. Click on the SpamPal system tray icon with the right mouse button and then click ’Add to Whitelist’ from the menu.
  2. Type: admin@imaginecup.com
  3. Click Add.
  4. Spam Sleuth:
  5. Select File, then Configure.
  6. Go to the Friends category.
  7. Make sure Active is checked.
  8. Type: admin@imaginecup.com on a line by itself in the entry field. Click OK.

Yahoo! Mail

  1. Open your Yahoo! mailbox.
  2. Click Mail Options.
  3. Click Filters.
  4. Click Add Filter.
  5. In the top row, labeled ’From header:’ make sure Contains is selected in the pull-down menu.
  6. Click in the text box next to that pull-down menu, then enter the address: admin@imaginecup.com
  7. At the bottom, where it says "Move the Message To:" select Inbox from the pull-down menu.
  8. Click the Add Filter button again.
  9. If ImagineCup has been filtered to your "bulk" folder, simply open the message and click on the "This is not Spam" link next to the "From" field.

Other providers:

  1. If ImagineCup is being filtered, try adding admin@imaginecup.com to your Address Book or Contact list.
  2. If this option is not available, try moving the message to your inbox’ or forwarding the message to yourself.
  3. If subsequent messages continue to be filtered, call or e-mail your ISP’s technical support and ask how you can be sure to receive all e-mail from admin@imaginecup.com

    ·         Domain: If they need to know the domain the Imagine Cup is mailing from, tell them: imaginecup.com

    ·         IP Address: If they ask for our sending IP address, tell them: 67.212.131.91

How do I delete my profile?

If you don’t want to participate, you can remove yourself from the competitions you signed up for. To do so, you need to update your profile. Once you have logged in, you can use the “My Profile” link in the top right corner of the screen, or in the submenu of the “My Stuff.”

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Forming, Joining or Mentoring a Team

Recommendation:

·         We recommend that competitors in the following competitions create a team and find a mentor: Software Design, Game Development, Embedded Development, Short Film, Photography, MashUp and Design.

·         Robotics and Algorithm and IT Challenge competitors compete as individuals and should not form teams.

·         There are two different ways to form a team in the Imagine Cup. You can either form a new team, or you can join an existing team.

How do I form a new team?

Your competition panel on the top-left of your competition page will guide you through the steps necessary to compete in the Imagine Cup. The following exercise will help you to explore the way the message you see changes depending on your competition and the steps that you take.

To create a team:

  1. Register for the Imagine Cup and sign in.
  2. Go to the page of your selected competition. You will see that there is a panel on the top-left side of your competition page. Once you register, but before you sign up for a competition, you will see a message on the top-left of your page prompting you to sign up for a competition.
  3. Click Sign Up Now! You will be taken to your Profile page. Sign up for the competitionon the My Profile page. Click Update Profile.
  4. Return to your competition page. You’ll see that the top-left message has changed. Now it is prompting you to return to your Profile page and provide your Personal Information.
  5. Click the Provide Info button. Update all the fields in your Profile page under Personal Information and click Update Profile.
  6. When you return to your competition Page, the Create a Team message will appear in your entry panel.
  7. Click the link to Create a Team. On the Create a Team page, fill in the requested information including: Team Information, Team Links, Team Logo, and Team Photo Gallery. You can always go back and update this information later if you wish.
  8. To add team members and mentors, either add their e-mail address or username, or search for them using the magnifying glass. You can search by User Name, Location, School, and Competition. We recommend you find team members who live near you or attend your school to make it easier to collaborate and meet in person. Your team will be affiliated with a country name, even if your members come from different areas.
  9. When you identify a team member or mentor to add, click Add to Team.
  10. Click the Create Team button. Your new team page will appear.
  11. You can edit your team page or delete it from here.
  12. Your team has been created and will now appear on the top right side of your Competition page. Team members and mentors whom you invited will see an invitation appear on their Competition Page which they can accept or decline.
  • Teams must be completely formed prior to submitting an entry. A team cannot add (or delete) a team member, after its first submission is uploaded for a competition or an award, or after Round 1 closes. Any outstanding team invitations will become invalid at the time a team uploads a submission or Round 1 ends.

How do I join an existing team?

If you wish to join a team, you should ask someone on that team to invite you using the steps outlined above. You may want to send them a private message from the Forums. Once this person sends you an invitation, it will appear on your Competition page under My Team Invitations.  You can then either accept or decline the invitation.

Are team members required to attend the same school?

No. However, you must choose a country for your team to be affiliated with, even if you are of different nationalities. Additionally, we highly recommend choosing team members who live nearby because collaboration is important in building your project. You will need to be able to meet face-to-face regularly.

How do I find a mentor for my team?

To find and add a team mentor, follow Step 8 under the question above, "How do I create a team?" We recommend you find mentors who live near you or attend your school to make it easier to collaborate and meet in person. Here are some more tips for working effectively with your team mentor. Once you invite a mentor to join your team, they’ll receive an invitation which they can either accept or decline.

I am interested in mentoring a team. Do you have any guidelines or resources for mentors?

Great! A list of resources and commonly asked questions about the responsibilities of mentors is posted here.

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Competing

How do I participate in my regional/local competition?

Local/regional competitions are run by a local subsidiary of Microsoft, and a list of the individual websites can be found here.  For additional information, we recommend you attempt to contact your local Microsoft representative or local Microsoft Student Partner for more information.

How do I download software?


After you have registered for a competition, you will receive an e-mail the following Monday providing a username and password that will grant you access to the MSDN Academic Alliance Software Center page. Here, you can download software. For more information, click here.
 
How do I compete in Round 1? I can’t see where I can take a test or submit my Round 1 entry?

In order to submit an entry, you must be a registered user, must have registered as a student, and must be signed up for the competition. The Competition Checklists and corresponding messages in your Entry Panel on your Competition page will guide you through this process. Before you can submit a Round 1 entry, there are several steps you must take:

  • Once you have registered as a student, competition checklists will appear on your Competition pages. Note that some boxes are checked off automatically as you complete the steps outlined below. Other boxes (such as the step for Finding a Mentor or Learning), must be checked manually by you as you complete them.
  • Sign up for your chosen Competition on your My Profile page.
  • Provide your personal information.
  • Confirm your Imagine Cup account.
  • Create a Live ID and associate it with your Imagine Cup account.
  • Form a team (not applicable to the IT Challenge and Robotics & Algorithm competitions)

You can tell if you have completed these required steps by looking at the competition checklist on your Competition page, and the corresponding message displayed in the "Entry Panel" in the top left corner of your chosen Competition page.

  • If it says "Sign Up for the Competition", click the button to be taken to your Profile page where you can sign up for the competition.
  • If it says "Provide Personal Information", click the button to be taken to your Profile page. You must fill in all the fields in the Personal Information section and click Update in order to compete. If a particular field is not applicable to you (for example, your country does not use postal codes), put "NA" or "Not Applicable."
  • If it says "Confirm Your Account", click the button to have a registration confirmation mail sent to you. Once you receive it, click on the included confirmation link to confirm your account.
  • If it says "Create a Live ID Account", click the button to be taken to the Windows Live ID Web site, where you can create a new Live ID or log in with an existing one. After you have done that, you will be returned to the Imagine Cup site and asked to supply your Imagine Cup credentials to link the two accounts.
  • If it says Join or Create a Team you should create a team following the steps outlined in the Support FAQ.

There are a number of messages that would indicate you are ready to compete in the Imagine Cup, but depend on the competition:

  • For Embedded Development, Game Development, Photography, Short Film, or Interface Design: If it says Submit an Entry you are all set! You can click the button to submit an entry.
  • For Algorithm: A message that states when the next match is and invites you to come back at that time to compete.
  • For IT: A message that states when the next quiz is and invites you back at that time to compete.
  • For Software Design: A message that tells you to click to get information on your local competition. (Please see the FAQ on the Software Design page for more information on the regions hosting Software Design local teams in 2008.)

What is the difference between a competition and an award?

A competition is one of the key 9 categories that make up the Imagine Cup. An award is an opportunity for you to incorporate additional elements to your designed solution; thus providing your team more chances to win cash and prizes. The nine competitions are: Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Development, Robotics & Algorithm, IT Challenge, MashUp, Photography, Short Film and Design. The 5 awards are: Accessibility, Parallel Computing, Unlimited Potential Design for Development, Unlimited Potential MultiPoint Education, and Interoperability.

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Competition Information and Other Resources

 
How do I sign up to receive Imagine Cup e-newsletters?

The Imagine Cup team sends out communications via e-mail throughout the competition. You can access your Communication preferences directly through your My Profile page. There are two types of newsletters: the Imagine Cup e-Blast newsletter (which offers general competition news) and individual competition-specific announcements.

What is the Imagine Cup E-Blast Newsletter?

The Imagine Cup e-Blast newsletter is a monthly newsletter sent to students, mentors, and guests. The e-Blast offers information on the Imagine Cup as well as updates from Microsoft on news and special offers of interest to students and faculty. To receive the monthly Imagine Cup e-Blast newsletter:
  1. Sign in to the Imagine Cup Web site and click My Profile.
  2. Scroll down to the Communication Preferences section.
  3. Select the checkbox next to: Would you like to receive e-mail updates?
  4. If you’d like to receive Sponsor offers, select the checkbox next to: Imagine Cup sponsors may contact me with information and offers exclusive to Imagine Cup participants.
  5. Select your preferred e-mail format.
  6. Click Update Profile.

What are the individual competition newsletters?

Each separate competition sends out e-mail announcements to students who have registered to compete. These updates can include tips from Microsoft experts, updates to the rules or competition dates, advice from former competitors and winners, information on new resources available, and more. The competition specific announcements are currently only available to registered student competitors. To sign up for a competition newsletter, you must be registered as a student, not a mentor or guest. Once you have registered:

  1. Sign in to the site and click My Profile.
  2. Scroll down to Communication Preferences.
  3. Select the checkbox next to: Would you like to receive e-mail updates?
  4. If you’d like to receive Sponsor offers, select the checkbox next to: Imagine Cup sponsors may contact me with information and offers exclusive to Imagine Cup participants.
  5. Select your preferred e-mail format.
  6. Click Update Profile.
  7. Next, under Competition Sign Up, select the competitions you wish to compete in and select Update Profile.

You will now receive competition-related e-mail announcements and be able to submit entries in this competition.

Where can I find additional learning resources?

There are a number of resources at your disposal. Aside from the forums, learning resources can be found here.

 

Where can I find Imagine Cup press resources?
 
A list of available Imagine Cup press-related resources can be found here.

I am a non-US person, why am I being asked to fill out a W8-BEN US tax form?

Microsoft is required by the IRS to collect a W8-BEN tax form from you (or your legal guardian if you are a minor) to establish residency during your participation in Imagine Cup 2009. While no US taxes will be withheld because your entry creation and WW Finals activities are held outside of the US, you should consult a local tax professional to determine whether or not additional taxes will be withheld or charged to you in your own country. For further information on IRS rules, please visit the IRS website FAQs.

 

I’m a US person, why am I being asked to fill out an “Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability, and Publicity Release (substitute W9)”?

This form has multiple purposes. It collects tax information Microsoft is required to report to the IRS, it verifies your eligibility, it allows you to give Microsoft permission to use your name/photo/likeness in connection with the promotion, and it contains a standard liability clause that releases Microsoft from harm should there be any accidents/personal injuries, etc. Microsoft is required to collect this form from you (or your legal guardian if you are a minor) if you receive prizes, including travel, from Microsoft Corp (Redmond, WA) valued at $600 USD or greater during the course of Imagine Cup 2009. Based on your tax status (individual, corporation, university, etc), the prize(s) you receive may be considered “taxable income” by the IRS. If so, you will receive a Form 1099 tax form from Microsoft in January 2010, for the actual value of all prizes you received during Imagine Cup 2009. If you have further questions, you should consult a local tax professional to understand the tax implications of accepting a prize.

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