The College Fed Challenge is team competition for undergraduate students. CMC's Federal Reserve Challenge team will research current economic trends and financial conditions, and ultimately provide a recommendation on monetary policy. The team will summarize findings into a presentation modeled after the workings of the Federal Open Market Committee. Students will benefit from improving their analytic and speaking skills, through analyzing and presenting findings, and by working with peers and economic advisors.
Involvement in the CMC Fed Challenge team will:
- Expose students to advanced macroeconomic theory
- Illuminate the functions of the Federal Reserve
- Provide insights into macroeconomic conditions of the United States
2024 Fed Challenge Team:
- Gabriel Yang '25- Student Leader
- Magdalena Gavahan '27
- Violet Henderson '27
- James Cullers '26
- Kiefer Tierling '26
- Rowan Gray '26
- Ebenezer Paa Thompson PZR '25
Fed Challenge Academic Advisor:
- Julio Garin
Eligibility Requirements
Per Fed Challenge rules, each member of the CMC Fed Challenge team must be enrolled as a student the Claremont Colleges.
Duration: The team will meet in Spring 2024 to share information about the Challenge and set up the schedule for preliminary work. The hourly commitment to team meetings and the Challenge will be 5 to 10 hours per week once the Fall 2024 semester begins.
The virtual competition starts in early October 2024 and completes in November 2024.
Useful Skills: Proficiency in Excel, Tableau (helpful), forecasting, research and analysis, verbal communication skills
Pre-Requisite Classes: Completion of Econ 50 is required for all Fed Challenge team members. Rising junior and senior candidates should be currently enrolled in or have completed intermediate macro and/or advanced macro. Money and banking studies are valued.
There is no compensation for Fed Challenge team members, per the Challenge rules.
Research from the 2022 CMC Fed Challenge Team
A team of five CMC students collaborated to enter the 19th Annual National College Fed Challenge in 2022. Watch the research video that the CMC Fed Challenge team submitted, which included their analysis of current economic conditions and monetary policy recommendations.
Watch the video of 2022 CMC Fed Challenge team presenting their research.
CMC was represented by the following students:
- Kara Hagler ’24
- Viola Hernandez-Derbez ’23
- Nicolas DeMello ’23
- Aryan Totowat ’24
- and Gabriel Yang ’25
The CMC team placed second in the West Coast region in the 2022 Challenge, after UCLA.
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