I am a new student. Can I still participate? Yes, the Kellstadt Case Competition is open to any current MBA/MS student. This is an opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and apply your knowledge and skills to a real-world case. This is a learning event for all participants -- we don't expect you to be perfect, but we expect students to do their best.

I don't have a team, how will I be placed in a group? Individuals who submit a complete application will be randomly assigned into teams with other applicants. This is a great way to make new friends, and often the best groups are the ones formed random. So why not, right?

What if we have less than 3 team members? If you do not have a full team, sign up as individual participants and we will randomly assign each person to a team.

What if we have more than 4 team members? Each team can only consist of 4 members to maintain fairness, due to the specific number of internships being awarded. If you have more than 4 members, you can sign up as individuals, or find a few more people and create 2 teams!

How will you assign questions to each team? Cases will be randomly assigned to each group using Excel. Teams will be notified of their selected case on January 12, 2019.

Do we have to submit a written report?   A written report is required to advance to the final round. For the presentation (final round), a written report is not needed. However, remember that the presentation should include evidence- based recommendations and storytelling. Pretend you are pitching a business strategy to executives. Make sure you are knowledgeable and have supporting evidence during the presentations.

What is the time commitment for this competition? While it may vary from team to team, developing a good strategy and presentation does take time. As such. this will require ample time for you to do background research, brainstorm ideas with the team, develop a story, create a presentation, etc. You will have roughly 1 month to work on research, 3 weeks to prepare your executive summary, and 2 weeks to prepare the final presentation.

Is there anything I can do now to help me prepare? Check out our "Additional Resources" section and explore the background research for each of the three questions. Cisco will also be providing additional resources in January, and we will send out specific instructions when these are made available.

What happens when I submit an application? You will receive a follow-up email once all applications have been reviewed with additional instructions. Note: all information on the application form needs to be completed to be considered for the competition. 

I am not a Kellstadt MBA/MS student. Can I still participate? While the competition and awards are designed with business school students in mind, we welcome graduate students of all concentrations to participate. We will also consider making special exceptions for DePaul honors students and combined degree students. Please email us directly at kellstadtmarketinggroup@gmail.com.

Can I come watch the competition? Of course! We encourage you to come support fellow students and partake in the networking reception after the event. We will have a separate RSVP link for audience member soon. Make sure to follow "Kellstadt Marketing Group" on your favorite social media platform to stay informed.

Any other words of advice? Do your background research — you will need this to develop a strong strategy and to ensure to you are confident speaking on the topic. As a team, you will need to organize quickly— set up meeting times, split up the work, create team goals and deadlines. Also, we encourage you to reach out to one of our Kellstadt faculty or find a professor of your own to gather feedback, as that will help you prepare.