Datathon

Held during Winter Quarter, WinterThon is our annual beginner-friendly datathon designed exclusively for first and second-year students interested in data science. You'll work with your team to analyze real-world data and present your findings to a panel of judges. This event is perfect for building hands-on experience and preparing for larger competitions like DataFest in Spring Quarter.

To help you succeed, we also offer a datathon prep workshop before the event, check out the workshop here and the workshops page for more resources!

Logistics and Format

When: Winter Quarter (exact date TBD)
Duration: TBD
Team Size: TBD

Event details are still being finalized. Check back in Winter Quarter for updates!

Logistics and Format

When: Week 7, February 20-22, 2026
Duration: 36 hours total
Team Size: 3 members

Schedule:
  • Friday, 12:00 PM: Kickoff and dataset release
  • Saturday, 11:59 PM: Presentation submission deadline
  • Sunday: 5-minute team presentations to judges

How it Works:
  • All teams receive the same dataset, guidelines, and prompt
  • Analyze the data and create slides showcasing your insights
  • Present your findings on Sunday

How to Sign Up

Registration for WinterThon 2027 is not open yet. More information, including registration dates and team formation details, will be posted here soon.

No prior experience is required; beginners are encouraged to participate!

How to Sign Up

Registration is now open! Sign up here! Don't have a team? No problem, we'll match you with others at your skill level when you fill out the form. No prior experience is required; beginners are encouraged to participate!

For questions, contact Annabelle Lee, Erin An, or Ayush Varma, and join our Discord server for ALL event updates and announcements.

Find the FAQ here!

Past WinterThon

In 2025, teams analyzed a scraped dataset from the Reddit homepage to uncover the secrets of achieving "Reddit fame." Participants explored patterns in upvotes, engagement metrics, posting times, and content characteristics to determine what makes posts go viral. Teams presented creative insights ranging from optimal posting strategies to content themes that resonate with Reddit's audience.

©2026-2027 Statistics Club at UCLA