18 September 2023: The Eller College of Management, a reputed business school at the University of Arizona is excited to announce its upcoming Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge 2023 (MECC). This international program is designed to enrich college curriculums by offering students engaging and gamified Microsoft Excel training and challenges. Students can enhance their Excel skills by learning new tools and techniques while leveraging innovative approaches to build new models and solve problems. The program is open to students from India, who can register online to learn and compete.
Co-organised by the Financial Modeling World Cup, known for its financial modelling competitions, MECC offers students a unique blend of learning and competition opportunities. This year, the second edition of the competition aims to better prepare students for their careers by providing courses and training in Excel, Data Analysis, and Business Analytics aiming to foster logical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. The program is open to students worldwide, with no specific criteria or deadlines for application.
The online competition is scheduled from September 30th to October 14th which is to take place in two rounds where students can choose to engage in one or both rounds and do not require any topic-specific knowledge to participate.
Prior to the online rounds, students can sharpen their Excel and analytics skills by participating in monthly online challenges which are supported by comprehensive walkthrough videos from the University of Arizona experts and faculty. Completing at least two-thirds of the challenges earns participants a Certificate of Completion, enhancing their resumes and opening doors to network with program organisers seeking MECC-acquired skills.
The pinnacle of the MECC experience is the Annual In-Person Finals, taking place at the University of Arizona in Tucson on December 2nd. Top-performing students and teams from various schools will compete for cash prizes totaling US $30,000.
“Built upon the incredible success of MECC 2022, which saw over 3,000 participants hailing from 596 colleges across 96 countries, we are seeing MECC 2023 as an even greater opportunity for students worldwide to improve their Excel and data analytics skills and seize the chance to compete on a global stage,” said David Brown, Associate Professor of Finance and Director of the Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge. “The university is proud to host the MECC to foster more developmental skills in students, provide them with unique learning opportunities and promote the spirit of healthy competition in them”, David added.