Setting Up Your Replit

  • Replit is an online platform designed to make coding accessible, enjoyable, and interactive. It’s very user-friendly for beginner coders, and that’s one of the main reasons we like to use it for our Admissions Code Challenge.

    You will create, test, and store all of your Admissions Code Challenge code in Replit. Read the next section for set-up guidelines.

  • Step 1: Visit Replit

    Go to replit.com (use your web browser instead of a phone or tablet).

    Step 2: Sign Up or Log In

    If you don't have an account, sign up for a Replit account. If you already have one, log in.

    Step 3: Create a New Repl

    Once logged in, click on the "+Create Repl” Button on the middle left side of your home page. You should then have a “Create a Repl” pop-up appear.

    Step 4: Choose Your Coding Language (Make Sure You Choose JavaScript!)

    In the left “Template” section of your “Create a Repl” pop-up, select "JavaScript" as your programming language. You can find this by typing "JavaScript" in the search bar or scrolling through the available options.

    Select Node.js as your Template.

    Give Your Replit the Title Marcy.F25CC.YourFirstNameYourLastName (ex: Marcy.F25CC.JohnDoe)

    Step 5: Start Coding!

    You'll be taken to a code editor. This is where you can write your JavaScript code. You'll see a file named index.js where you can begin writing your code.

    Make sure you disable AI before you begin coding (guidelines to disable AI in Replit are in the section below this one).

  • Before you start coding, make sure to turn off Replit’s AI features in your Replit.

    If you don’t, Replit will suggest code for you, and that will (1) prevent you from gauging what you really understand (2) prevent you from coding creatively. In addition, this could set you up for a challenging interview, if you move forward to that phase, because we - and you - may have an inaccurate understanding of whether you enjoy coding, what you understand, and where you need support (that we are more than happy to provide - it’s our job after all!).

    Here’s how you turn off Replit’s AI Features:

    1. In your Replit, scroll to the bottom of your editor.

    2. Look for a small box that says “AI Autocomplete.”

    3. Click AI and uncheck the Enable checkbox. Your AI box should look like this.