Business Analytics Competition

REGISTER. COMPETE. WIN.

Compete to win cash prizes totaling $3,250 while winning the confidence to deliver results employers seek. Work with challenging and meaningful business data sets to gain real-world business analytics experience. The Business Analytics Competition at Saunders College of Business is organized by Saunders business analytics programs, including Undergraduate Minor, Master of Science and MBA Specialization.

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Awards

Round 1

The top three teams of Round 1 will be recognized with the following awards.


First place: $500


1st Runner Up: $250


2nd Runner Up: $250

Round 2

The top three teams in Round 2 will be recognized with the following awards.


First place: $1,500


Second place: $500


Third place: $250

Winning teams also receive trophies and/or certifications of achievement to recognize their accomplishments. Additional honorable mentions will also be recognized.

Why Compete?

  1. Gain real-world business analytics experience that makes you stand out with employers
  2. Receive invaluable coaching and guidance from renowned mentors
  3. Strengthen your credentials when applying to graduate programs

For students who are ranked in the top three teams in the Business Analytics Competition, we also provide the following incentives for them to apply to the Saunders MS in business analytics program.

  1. Application fee waiver
  2. Opportunity for GMAT/GRE waiver
  3. At least 40% of tuition scholarship guarantee
  4. Opportunity to work with faculty on exciting research projects after enrolling in the program

If you have any questions about the MS in business analytics program, please contact:

Peggy Tirrell
Senior Associate Director Grad Business Prog and Admissions
585-475-2795
Manlu Liu
Professor
585-475-3984

Eligibility

The competition is open to teams of up to 5 students that consist of:

Full-time students from both US and non-US universities
Undergraduate and graduate students but not PhD students

2024 Timeline

The 2023-2024 competition is organized into two closely-related parts.

Round 1
A challenge focused on descriptive analytics and business problem solving. Suitable for all levels of technical skills.

Round 2
A challenge focused on predictive analytics and business problem solving. Suitable for students who want a harder challenge. Completion of Round 1 is NOT a requirement for Round 2.


Submission Deadline
March 8, 2024
11:59 p.m.


Final Presentation
March 29, 2024
10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Competition Format

The competition will feature two rounds, and both will use similar datasets. The judging for each part will be different. RIT students who wish to volunteer for the competition can contact the leadership of the Business Technology Professionals (BTP) student club or join the club on RIT Campus Groups.

Round 1

A challenge focused on descriptive analytics and business problem solving. Suitable for all levels of technical skills.

  • Kick-off event: All teams will get access to the competition dataset. Teams will apply different descriptive analytics techniques to address the business questions posed in the challenge.
  • Technical Workshop: All teams are encouraged to participate in the technical workshop to receive guidance from the judges.
  • Submission: Each team will prepare a PowerPoint report of their analysis and answers to the business questions in the challenge. A panel of professors and experts will judge the quality of the report.
  • Results Announcement: The panel will identify a small set of teams who win this Round 1 and award them recognitions. 

Access Round 1 Data and Challenge

Submit your entry for Round 1

Round 2

A challenge focused on predictive analytics and business problem solving. Suitable for students who want a harder challenge. Completion of Round 1 is not a requirement for Round 2.

  • Kick-off event: All teams will get access to the competition dataset and instruction for Round 2. Teams will apply different analytics techniques to address the business questions posed in the challenge.
    • Students who wish to find a teammate can email their self-introduction and what they looking for to btp@saunders.rit.edu
  • Technical Workshop: All teams are encouraged to participate in the technical workshop to receive guidance from the judges.
  • Submission: Each team will prepare a ten-page summary of their analysis and answers to the business questions in the challenge. A panel of professors and experts will judge the quality of the report.
  • Results Announcement: The panel will identify a small set of teams who win Round 2 of the competition.
  • Final Presentation: The finalist teams will prepare an in-depth presentation. Additional questions may be provided to guide the preparation. Teams will present their presentations to a panel of industry experts. The judges will award the top three teams for the competition.

Access Round 2 Data and Challenge

Submit your entry for Round 2

How to Participate

  1. Sign up to receive updates and register to attend several events for the Competition.
  2. Form a team of up to 5 students to participate in the Competition.
  3. Students who wish to find a teammate can email their self-introduction and what they looking for to btp@saunders.rit.edu
  4. Work on the dataset and challenge with your team once they are available. Registration is not required to start.
  5. Attend workshops to receive guidance from mentors and have your questions answered.
  6. When you are ready, submit your solution using online submission system. 

FAQs

Team Composition and Participation

No, you only have to provide the team information in the cover page of your submission.

Yes, you can participate as an individual.

Yes. As long as there are no more than 5 students.

No. You do not need to register to participate in the competition. Simply form a team or work individually on the challenge. Your submission is the entry in the competition.

Competition Dataset, Software, and Procedures

There will be a workshop in which teams will receive guidance and clarification. Teams can submit a one-page action plan for feedback. But there are no team-designated mentors.

Students can check out the submission of last year winner. However, there is no guarantee your team will succeed this year if you apply the same approach.

See submissions for previous year winners

No, you can use additional data to augment your analyses.

There is no limit to the technological tool and software you can use. However, your solution will partly be evaluated based on the sophistication of your solutions and tools.

Previous Competitions

In Spring 2021, Saunders College of Business launched the inaugural Business Analytics Student Competition. Over 120 undergraduate and graduate RIT students across four global campuses competed for $1,750 in cash prizes while gaining experience analyzing real-world data sets. Now undergraduate and graduate students from any university are eligible. View competition winners for past years below.

2023 winners

2023 Competition Winners

Explore the winning team's
Submission

Slide Deck

Presentations

1st Place

Simon Miracle Team

3rd Place

What is Salmon Team

2022 Competition Winners

2022 Competition Winners

Explore the winning team's
Submission

Slide Deck

Presentations

1st place

From RIT Rochester campus

2nd place

From RIT Rochester campus

  • Usama Tariq '23 (business analytics)
  • Kaltrine Miftari '18 (applied mathematics), MS '22 (business analytics)
  • Dren Gara '21 (computing information technologies) 

3rd place

From RIT Rochester campus

2021 Competition Winners

2021 Competition Winners

Explore the winning team's
Submission

Slide Deck

Presentations

1st place

From RIT Rochester campus

  • Anna Loso '21 (management information systems), '22 (MBA)
  • Nathan Parker '22 (management information systems)
  • Ansel Amanna '21 (supply chain management), MS '22 (global supply chain management)

2nd place

From RIT Dubai and Kosovo campuses

3rd place

From RIT Rochester campus

 

4th place

From RIT Weihai campus

  • Haoyang Zhou
  • Liruijie Fu
  • Ruiying Jin
  • Qinnan Wang
  • Xudong Chen

Contact Us

Quang Bui
Associate Professor
Department of MIS, Marketing, and Analytics
Saunders College of Business
585-475-4411

Sponsors

The Saunders Business Analytics Competition is brought to you by:

Saunders MS in business analytics program