<p>How long do you plan your business plan to be? It says no maximum…so…</p>
<p>The [NOVA</a> Challenge](<a href=“http://www.novachallenge.org%5DNOVA”>http://www.novachallenge.org) doesn’t have too many rules. It’s pretty awesome. They let you do the essay how you want. I’m sure people get pretty creative with the ideas.</p>
<p>the only thing that bothres me about this site is how open ended the prompts are…really keeps you guessing.</p>
<p>Did you guys see the update? … The Investment Banking II event has been updated…I took a look at the prompt and it really is rigorous… I wonder who would be crazy/smart enough to know all of these answers and prompts.</p>
<p>take a look at all the requirements ( definitely like no other NOVA prompt). It’s also named as the </p>
<p>“most prestigious award on NOVA Challenge”…</p>
<p>I think this really reflects the intensity of the investment banking career too…</p>
<p>^^ Yea, I saw the IB prompt just now… crazy</p>
<p>I’m going to do it :D</p>
<p>I really want to do Investment Banking II; Financial Enterprise, you guys ): I want to be an IBer when I grow up…except the prompt seems so ridic hard:</p>
<p>“A NOVA Challenge distinguishing potential investment bankers through rigorous prompt requirements which test financial expertise in corporate banking, personal values, and formal qualifications for the investment banking career path. The Investment Banking I award is a simplified, easier event to its counterpart, the Investment Banking II: Financial Enterprise Award. To apply for this event, you must retain a “B” average or higher on your transcript instead of a “C”. There will only be National Awards for this event instead of W/C/E National Awards. ** You may only apply to one of the two Investment Banking competitions **”</p>
<p>I wonder if I can ask them to make it a team event :)</p>
<p>seriously, I can totally imagine some geniuses out there who have decided they want IB from birth and creating a total write-up that gets 1st place automatically…I know many of these people myself.</p>
<p>for me, i dont even know where to start w/ answering those prompts…they’re so…tough haha and kinda open ended if you get what i mean. the other problem is that they really look at your resume (thats what they say) and im not sure i have any financial experience?</p>
<p>can anybody help me? :(</p>
<p>I created a google group for this competition. PM me for invites.</p>
<p>Hey Alucard, I sent you some IB ideas…and some other ideas for enterprise</p>
<p>Thank you. Does anybody have any past/experience and recommendations for applying? </p>
<p>since I’m just about to apply.</p>
<p>the thing is, everything is so open ended on the prompts (except for the investment banking)</p>
<p>champ7, you said you knew some of the three national winners: Delos Chang, muaz siddiqui, and igor akimenko. do you have any information that could help me out?</p>
<p>Posting this thread on here probably increased competition by 1000%</p>
<p>Where is the FAQ? Im a HS Senior about to go to college in a few months. But im going to do this anyway. This will look great on my Harvard Business School app.</p>
<p>Hello, all. </p>
<p>My name is Cho Li Heung and I was one of the East National Placers in NOVA Challenge. (East National = eastern zone; nova divides it up that way)</p>
<p>I can answer or try to answer any questions any of you might have…since everybody seems rather confused here.</p>
<p>first, yes, this contest is definitely open to mid school students. my brother applied a while back but he did not place.</p>
<p>Yes, the prompts are very open-endeed but I believe this incorporates the fun and creativity elemetn taht allows you to place</p>
<p>For tips on how to place well… I would recommend being VERY creative with your approach. I know of a few other NOVA placers (east national also, nobody national) but they all wrote something very creative for their applications. For my business plan, it focused on weird but interesting information talking about a cure-all for obesity through an adhesive band.</p>
<p>My business plan was very dry and sardonic, but I think that added to the creativity of the approach. This is what I believe got me the award.</p>
<p>So, I really would advise to be creative as possible. NOVA seemed to not take my business plan seriously ( it was obviously satirical), apprecaited it and placed me 1st </p>
<p>thank you. this is my first post. i hope you learned something.</p>
<p>if you have any more questions, please reply and i will try to replyl back.</p>
<p>Could a college student do this?</p>
<p>And Wow, I bet the NorthEast is the hardest one. A lot of Ivy Leagues over here – Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, etc… Ouch :(</p>
<p>yea, last I checked. College students in undergrad? (not sure) can do this. You should best check w/ NOVA but I remember a friend of mine was sa freshman in college and he applied but did not place.</p>
<p>East National is definitely tough. I’d say West National is tougher though (silicon valley kids)</p>
<p>:( I’m from the East Coast. This will hurt me! Do you have to place in East National to go to National? Can you place in both?</p>
<p>The way I remember it, lolilaughed is that it works like this:</p>
<p>NOVA takes the top 3 in the nation and puts them</p>
<h1>1 in nation, #2 in nation, #3 in nation</h1>
<p>Then NOVA takes…the best 3 from west national, best from east national, and best from central national</p>
<p>this could mean that your area is stacked. For example, if the pool for best applicant is like this in order of national qualifications/winning:</p>
<p>1) bob - east
2) joe - east
3) kelly - east
4) billy - east</p>
<p>5) chris - west
6) helen - west</p>
<p>In this case billy > chris in terms of winning but Chris will win #1 in west national because nobody from west national is better than him. Billy, however, will not place in anything because he is #4 in esat national –> no place even if he is better than the #1 in West Nationals</p>
<p>Stern kids (and prospective) doing this.</p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>And how is it an easy competition? Only 3 people can win. Thats very difficult.</p>
<p>in my humble opinion, i don’t really believe that the west/central/east national system is fair at all. </p>
<p>because (see above this post for my explanation). The #4 in east national can be better than #1 in west national but #4 won’t get recognized because the East National section is so stacked.</p>
<p>the only to beat it is to be so good you place in Nationals anyways.</p>
<p>I believe that the people I talked to and myself think that the competition is easy because CREATIVITY can get you a long way. I believe this is the key to the contest.</p>
<p>be creative and you’ll place. most other people who don’t read this will post some boring resume and talk about why they’re awesome because they were born into business etc.</p>
<p>make it creative and im sure you can place.</p>
<p>Wow. I emailed them at 9:28 and got a response at 9:35.</p>
<p>Good stuff.</p>
<p>wow thank you cho for the analysis…and AMGLeague, that’s incredible response timing…last time i shot them an email they replied in an hour and i thought they were just coincidentally quick!</p>
<p>does anybody have any advice for ibii (cho?)</p>