Competitions

In partnership with both UChicago experts and industry leaders, Career Advancement offers several industry-themed competitions to help students demonstrate their skills to employers. Students team up to design a solution to a business, technical, or policy challenge. Through these competitions, students build teamwork, problem solving, and communication skills that are in demand with employers. Students also receive coaching and feedback from experts.

October 10 | Rural Innovation Challenge (Applications Closed)

The Rural Innovation Challenge provides students the opportunity to come up with a venture, innovation, or solution targeted at rural communities with the goal of benefitting the community. These benefits could include improving quality of life, strengthening the local economy through job and/or business creation, or attracting more people to the community. Students at all levels of experience are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this valuable learning experience (as part of a team or request team assignment)!

The Rural Innovation Challenge is generously sponsored by Byron (AB'81, MBA'82, University Trustee) and Tina Trott.

October 23 | Fall Policy Competition: Tax Policy - Register Here and Complete This Form

Join Careers in Policy, Government, & Nonprofits for our Fall 2025 Policy Competition! This policy competition allows students to brainstorm effective solutions for the most pressing issues affecting the communities they live in.

For this competition, students will work in team to explore a policy solution that addresses Chicago local budget and tax reform. We will be joined by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA).

The CTBA is a nonprofit organization that is a credible source for objective and relevant analysis of local, state and federal policies. CTBA is committed to fostering social and economic justice through evidence-based, best practice public policy solutions that are sustainable over time and adequately funded to generate desired outcomes.

Students from all class years and majors are welcome to join! To register, RSVP on UChicago Handshake and complete this form.

November 14 | American Bankruptcy Institute Corporate Restructuring Competition (New York City)

The prestigious ABI Corporate Restructuring Competition provides students from leading schools an opportunity to solve a hypothetical realistic business case of a distressed company before an audience of experts in the turnaround, crisis management, and restructuring industries. Judges this year include experts from Alvarez & Marsal, Guggenheim, Jefferies, B Riley, Hilco/Getzler, and more. Students participate in the competition in teams of 4, and prize money is awarded to winning teams by the ABI Endowment Fund. The top three teams receive prize money; 1st place receives $7,000, 2nd place receives $4,000 and 3rd place receives $3,000. On Thursday, November 13, there will be a cocktail party in NYC where students can meet many professionals in the restructuring industry and local members of the ABI. The competition is the entire day of Friday, November 14 in NYC. If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Fatima Chughtai (fchughtai@uchicago.edu).

November 14 | UChicago Fixed Income Investment Competition (Applications Closed)

The Fixed Income Investment Competition offers students a unique opportunity to delve into the world of fixed income investing by developing a comprehensive investment recommendation. Teams of three to four students will conduct in-depth analyses and present a fixed income strategy, showcasing their proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Participants will also demonstrate their ability to effectively communicate complex financial concepts. This competition serves as an excellent platform for students to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, receive constructive feedback from industry professionals, and enhance their understanding of the fixed income sector. Students at all levels of experience are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this valuable learning experience (as part of a team or request team assignment)! Students must submit a resume on Handshake and complete this form to register. Applications are due October 6.

November 15 | College Venture Capital Investment Competition (CVCIC) - Registration to Open Late October

Working in teams, students take the role of VCs and hear pitches from real startups. You will assess the investment opportunities and pitch an investment strategy to a panel of judges who are practicing venture capitalists. The winner of the UChicago College event will advance to the February regional event at Columbia University and compete for a chance to participate in the global final in April with a $5,000 prize! Co-hosted by Midway Ventures, this day-long competition is an incredible hands-on opportunity for students interested in VC!

November 24 | UChicago APAC Healthcare Investment Competition (Applications Closed)

The UChicago APAC Healthcare Investment Competition is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in public equity healthcare investing by constructing a detailed analysis of an investment recommendation. Students will benefit from skill-building workshops, mentorship, and networking opportunities. The finalists will present their recommendations to our partners, the CBC Group, in Singapore. Students at all levels of experience are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this valuable learning experience (as part of a team or request team assignment)!

January 14 | Winter Policy Competition: Transportation Policy - Register on Handshake and Complete This Form

Join Careers in Policy, Government, & Nonprofits for our Winter 2026 Policy Competition! This policy competition allows students to brainstorm effective solutions for the most pressing issues affecting the communities they live in.

For this competition, students will work in team to explore a policy solution that addresses Chicago transportation policy, We will be joined by an employer partner in the transportation industry.

Students from all class years and majors are welcome to join! To register, RSVP on Handshake and complete this form.

January 16-19 | UChicago Game Jam - Registration to Open in December

All artists, composers, writers, game designers, and programmers are invited to join the UChicago Game Jam! Over the course of a single weekend, teams of students will immerse themselves in the design and development process and create an original, playable game. This event is open to undergraduate students of all experience levels!

January 23-25 | AI Hackathon - Registration to Open November 3

This weekend-long hackathon-style event will challenge students to develop and pitch an AI project in one of four tracks: Economics & Data Science, Legal Tech & Document Security, Campus Life & Student Security; and Productivity & Automation. Students will engage in a training workshop before competition weekend to learn key tools to develop their ideas and will have access to AI mentors to support their projects.

March 6 | College New Venture Challenge (CNVC) - Applications Open Now

The CNVC is the dedicated track of the Polsky Center’s nationally ranked New Venture Challenge program. It supports UChicago students who are interested in launching a startup. Teams receive training to develop and pitch their business ideas during the Winter quarter. Startup investors and successful founders coach and evaluate each startup, and winners receive seed funding to support their venture. Students at all levels of experience are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this valuable learning experience! Applications are due by Thursday, November 6 at 3:00pm Central Time.

March 16-17 | UChicago Sports Business Competition – Registration Open Now!

The UChicago Sports Business Competition is your chance to step into the world of sports management, marketing, and analytics. This competition is designed for students who are eager to explore careers in the sports industry through real-world challenges, networking opportunities, and team-based problem-solving. Whether you're a business major, a sports enthusiast, or someone looking to break into a dynamic and competitive field, this event is for you. Students will collaborate with peers to propose a strategy to take U.S. sports international! Winners of the competition will have a chance to attend the final round from March 16-17 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Students at all levels of experience are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this valuable learning experience (as part of a team or request team assignment)! Applications are open from now until November 7, and you can apply by uploading your resume on Handshake and completing this form. The Kickoff will take place on November 21 and first-round thesis submissions will be due on January 21.

April 1 | Spring Policy Competition: Environmental Policy - Register on Handshake and Complete This Form

Join Careers in Policy, Government, & Nonprofits for our Spring 2026 Policy Competition! This policy competition allows students to brainstorm effective solutions for the most pressing issues affecting the communities they live in.

For this competition, students will work in team to explore a policy solution that addresses environmental justice in Chicago. We will be joined by an employer partner in the environmental policy industry.

Students from all class years and majors are welcome to join! To register, RSVP on Handshake and complete this form.

April 10-11 | UChicago Trading Competition – Registration to Open in Winter

The UChicago Trading Competition is the nation’s premier algorithmic trading competition. The competition features case studies designed to challenge participants in multiple aspects and themes of trading. Participants are asked to develop algorithms to make automated trading decisions, and will have their technical programming skills, financial acumen, and ability to adjust based on algorithm performance tested. The competition is supported by the leading companies in algorithmic trading.

April 17 | Digital Assets Trading Competition – Registration to Open in Winter

The Digital Assets Trading Competition is an opportunity for students to outline and complete a trading approach for managing a digital assets portfolio. This is a great opportunity for students to gain practical experience in the digital assets and crypto currency space.

April 24 | UChicago Stock Pitch Competition – Registration to Open in Winter

The UChicago Stock Pitch Competition is an opportunity for you to explore public equities investing by constructing a detailed analysis of an investment recommendation. Teams of 3-4 UChicago undergraduate students will analyze and present a stock investment opportunity, demonstrating skills in research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and ability to effectively communicate their findings. This is a great chance for students to gain practical finance experience and receive feedback from industry experts on their application of finance knowledge. Participants will benefit from preparation workshops, mentorship, and office-hour coaching resources. Students of all experience levels are encouraged to apply (as part of a team or request team assignment)!

May 8 | UChicago Impact Competition - Registration to Open in Winter

The UChicago Impact Competition is a “Shark Tank” style competition where teams of students pitch ideas to address a policy challenge. Each year features a different policy theme. Winning teams receive funding to implement their policy solutions.

August | Tech Summer Showcase - Registration to Open in Spring

This is a Hackathon-inspired event where undergraduate computer science students have the chance to work on technical projects during the summer quarter and present to a selection of judges, advisors and mentors and compete for awards. This is an excellent resume-builder opportunity to show real-world skills applied outside of the classroom.