I was a GSoC in Summer 09. Don't think of it as a GSoC application. It really isn't. You are applying to a particular group (or two or three at most) to work wi

I was a GSoC in Summer 09. Don't think of it as a GSoC application. It really isn't. You are applying to a particular group (or two or three at most) to work with them as an intern on their specific project. A less relevant fact is that Google is going to be paying you. Direct your application to them _directly_, and convince them to hire you. The golden rule of internships is that internships are a lot of work for the people doing the hiring. Convince them that you're going to not be a pain to mentor, and are competent at execution. Even though they're not burning cash (Google is), it still is significant work for them to mentor you. Make it worth their time.