Sprott Competes Tryouts

Sprott Competes
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Selection for Sprott’s international case competition teams and Development Squad takes place through an open Sprott Competes tryout process. Students do not need previous participation in Sprott Competes, ACE, the Sprott Student Consulting Group, or another case competition to be considered.

We are looking for students who demonstrate strong potential in one or more areas of case competition performance — including analysis, business judgment, customer and market insight, quantitative reasoning, creativity, communication, teamwork and leadership. No candidate is expected to be equally strong in every area. Strong case teams bring together people with different and complementary abilities.

How the Selection Process Works

1. Submit an Application

Interested students begin by completing the Sprott Competes application form.

The application provides some background on your academic program, interests, relevant experience and availability. It is not intended to function as a résumé competition. Students from all Sprott programs and concentrations are encouraged to apply.

Applicants may indicate interest in:

• the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) Worldwide Case Competition;
• the Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SGFECC);
• either competition; or
• Sprott Competes more generally.

Students who are not selected immediately for an international competition team may also be considered for the Sprott Competes Development Squad.

2. Initial Screening, If Required

Our preference is to give every interested and eligible student an opportunity to participate in the full tryout process.

If the number of applicants exceeds the number we can reasonably accommodate, we may use the individual case-analysis exercise described below as an initial screening stage. In that situation, performance on the individual case would be used to identify candidates who advance to the team exercise, presentation and Q&A stages.

Any screening decision will emphasize demonstrated case-analysis potential rather than previous competition experience, grades alone, or the strength of a résumé.

3. Individual Case Analysis

All candidates participating in the tryout process will complete an individual case-analysis exercise. Where applicant numbers are high, this exercise may also serve as the initial screening stage described above.

You will receive a short business case and a limited amount of time — approximately 45–60 minutes — to identify the central problem or decision, determine the most important issues, analyze the available evidence and develop a recommendation.

This exercise helps us see how you think independently. There is no expectation that everyone will approach the case in the same way.

4. Team Case Exercise

Candidates will then be placed into temporary teams to analyze a second case.

Teams will normally have approximately 60–75 minutes to prepare. Evaluators will observe portions of the preparation process as well as the final presentation.

This stage is not simply about whether the team reaches the “right” answer. We are interested in how individual students contribute to the work of the group.

That may include structuring the discussion, finding important evidence, performing quantitative analysis, generating ideas, identifying customer or stakeholder needs, challenging assumptions, resolving disagreements, keeping the team on track, or helping others perform at their best.

5. Presentation and Q&A

Each team will present its analysis and recommendation, followed by questions from the evaluators.

We anticipate approximately 10 minutes for the presentation and 8–10 minutes for questions and answers.

This allows us to assess communication skills, command of the case, ability to respond under pressure and willingness to adapt when challenged.

6. Holistic Evaluation

There is no single profile of an ideal Sprott Competes student.

Across the individual and team exercises, evaluators will consider such qualities as:

• problem identification and prioritization;
• analytical ability and use of evidence;
• quantitative and financial insight;
• customer, market and stakeholder insight;
• creativity and strategic thinking;
• business judgment;
• quality and practicality of recommendations;
• written and oral communication;
• teamwork, listening and constructive disagreement;
• leadership and contribution to group performance;
• performance in Q&A; and
• coachability, reliability and potential for development.

Students will not simply be ranked from first to last. Team composition matters. A student with exceptional financial-analysis skills, for example, may complement someone whose particular strengths are customer insight and creativity.

7. Team and Development Squad Selection

Following the tryouts, Sprott Competes will select students for:

NIBS: a four-person team representing Sprott in the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition.

SGFECC: a separate four-person team representing Sprott in the Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition.

Development Squad: students who demonstrate strong case potential and will participate in advanced case training and development, with opportunities to compete in future events or serve as alternates where appropriate.

Because NIBS and SGFECC reward somewhat different forms of business judgment, selection will take into account both overall case ability and the fit between a student’s strengths and the needs of each team.

8. Training Begins

Once teams and the Development Squad have been selected, students will begin structured case training and coaching through Sprott Competes.

The immediate priority will be preparation for the NIBS Qualifying Round in November, followed by preparation for the international competitions taking place during the winter term.

Students selected for advanced competition opportunities should expect regular case practice and a meaningful time commitment. Details will be discussed with candidates before final team commitments are confirmed.

Timing

The 2026 selection process will take place during October, allowing the NIBS team to begin preparing quickly for its November qualifying round.

The anticipated sequence is:

Specific application deadlines and tryout dates will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

Who Should Apply?

Consider trying out if you enjoy tackling ambiguous business problems, working under time pressure, developing recommendations and collaborating with other strong students.

Previous case-competition experience can be helpful, but it is not required. We are interested both in students who are already accomplished case competitors and in students with the potential to become excellent competitors with coaching and practice.