Columbia Software Solutions 290C

A competition team
at Columbia.

Remote programming and AI competitions.
A small roster, working together across the semester.

About the team

The first semester

In formation

We’re putting together a small team of Columbia students for remote programming and AI competitions.

290C is a proposed team within Columbia Software Solutions. We want to give competitive programmers and strong builders a regular way to work together on problems outside class.

The plan is three to five competitions each semester, roughly one a month, with a roster of five to seven people. We’ll focus on Kaggle- and OpenAI-style competitions that can be done entirely remotely, without travel costs or event overhead.

One roster.
Different squads.

Each competition sets its own team limit. We’ll rotate the people who enter to suit the event.

Illustration: a seven-person roster
Team limit

For this example, three people compete. Four remain in the roster for another event.

Team structure and prize sharing

Two captains lead the team and join the CSS board. Each serves two semesters, with one captain elected per term. Outgoing captains choose their replacements directly, without a broader vote, so the team keeps experience across semesters.

The proposed prize split is 50% to the competitors, divided evenly with no distinction between captains and members, and 50% back to CSS and 290C.

Joining the team

If you like solving difficult problems with other people, we’d like you to be part of this.

We’re looking for competitive programmers and builders who can turn an idea into working software. The team will have its own application process, separate from regular CSS recruiting.

Members should be ready to contribute consistently through a semester: choosing competitions, building with their squad, and learning from each submission.

Applications are not open yet.

The founding team and first competition schedule are still being formed.