Eligibility · Ascent Winter ’26
Who can compete.
Students at the institutions below have a direct path to Round 1. If your university is not listed, you can still apply. We review your profile for a place in the same round.
Registration is free and open to candidates in India and across the Asia-Pacific region. Places for candidates outside India are limited to 100 for this edition.
01 · Listed institutions
Direct entry to Round 1.
Select your institution and campus when you register. Your entry is accepted on submission, and you go through to Round 1.
See the 40 institutions →02 · Other institutions
Apply through profile review.
Don’t worry if your university is not here. Submit your application with evidence of your skills. If your profile is approved, you join Round 1 alongside entrants from the listed institutions.
How profile review works →Direct entry · 40 institutions
Find your institution.
The list is campus-specific. Choose the institution and campus you attend when registering.
- IIT Bombay
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Madras
- IIT Kanpur
- IIT Kharagpur
- IIT Roorkee
- IIT Guwahati
- IIT Hyderabad
- IIT Indore
- IIT Mandi
- IIT (BHU) Varanasi
- IIT Ropar
- IIT Bhubaneswar
- IIT Gandhinagar
- IIT Patna
- IIT Jodhpur
- IIT Tirupati
- IIT Palakkad
- IIT Bhilai
- IIT Goa
- IIT Jammu
- IIT Dharwad
- IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
- Chennai Mathematical Institute
- Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
- Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi
- Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
- IIIT Hyderabad
- IIIT Delhi
- IIIT Bangalore
- Delhi Technological University
- Netaji Subhas University of Technology
- BITS Pilani, Pilani campus
- BITS Pilani, Goa campus
- BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus
- NIT Tiruchirappalli
- NIT Warangal
- NIT Karnataka, Surathkal
- NIT Rourkela
University not listed? You can apply through profile review.
For students at other institutions
Show us what you can do.
Your university’s absence from the list does not close the door. Use your application to show the work and skills you would bring to Ascent.
01
Submit your profile
Enter your institution in the registration form, even if it is not listed. Include your resume and, if you have them, your GitHub profile and Codeforces handle. Use these to show your relevant projects, programming experience and problem-solving work.
02
We review your application
The Ascent team reviews your profile for relevant skills and readiness for the competition. A strong profile can earn you a place in Round 1. Admission through this route depends on the review outcome.
03
Receive your decision
We email the outcome to your registered address. Approval confirms your place in Round 1. If you are waitlisted, your place is not yet confirmed; we will email you if that decision changes.
Under review and waitlisted are different. An unlisted institution sends your entry for review. Waitlisted is a possible outcome of that review, and does not confirm a Round 1 place. Applications may also be declined.
You can check your latest decision on the entry status page. Both entry routes lead to the same Round 1; advancement after that depends on your competition results.