Rotman Microsoft Excel Hackathon | November 28, 2024 & March 19, 2025
Students are invited to participate in the Rotman Microsoft® Excel® Hackathon 2024 & 2025 supported by CCI Learning® facilitated by the BMO Financial Group Finance Research and Trading Lab at the Rotman School of Management (Rotman FRT-Lab).
This year, the Excel® Hackathon will be a hybrid event and open to universities worldwide. For University of Toronto Students, this will hosted at labs on your home campus. See Location(s) below. This year we will hold two sessions – a Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 session. As always, there is no cost to participate in this hackathon.
Attending an Excel Hackathon offers numerous benefits for personal and professional growth. Firstly, it provides an excellent opportunity to enhance your skills. By working on real-world problems, you gain practical experience that goes beyond theoretical knowledge. You can learn new techniques, master advanced Excel functions, and improve your problem-solving abilities. This hands-on experience is invaluable and helps you see the direct impact of your solutions.
Moreover, Excel Hackathons are fantastic networking opportunities. You can connect with a diverse group of participants, including students, professionals, and industry experts. These events foster collaboration, allowing you to work in teams, share knowledge, and leverage each other’s strengths. Many hackathons also provide access to mentors who offer valuable insights and advice, further enriching your experience.
In terms of career advancement, participating in a hackathon allows you to showcase your skills in a competitive environment. This can attract the attention of potential employers and help you stand out in job applications. Adding a hackathon project to your portfolio demonstrates your ability to apply skills in practical scenarios, giving you a significant advantage in job interviews. Additionally, some hackathons are sponsored by companies looking to hire talent, providing direct job opportunities for participants.
Hackathons often come with attractive prizes, such as cash rewards, gadgets, and software licenses. Winning a prize not only provides financial support but also enhances your credibility and reputation within the community. Even if you don’t win, performing well gives you valuable recognition.
Personal growth is another significant benefit. Hackathons challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and tackle complex problems, fostering resilience and adaptability. Successfully completing a project and presenting it to judges boosts your confidence and helps you become more comfortable with public speaking.
Lastly, Excel Hackathons are fun and exciting. The dynamic atmosphere, team spirit, and sense of achievement make these events highly rewarding. Whether you are looking to improve your skills, advance your career, or simply enjoy the thrill of competition, an Excel Hackathon offers something valuable for everyone.
What are the benefits of attending the Excel Hackathon?
Skill Enhancement
Personal Growth
Career Advancement
Practical Experience: An Excel Hackathon provides a hands-on environment where you can apply your theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems. This practical experience is invaluable as it allows you to see the direct impact of your solutions.
Learn New Techniques: You’ll be exposed to advanced Excel functions, formulas, and features that you might not have used before. This could include data analysis tools, pivot tables, macros, and Power Query.
Problem-Solving: Working on complex challenges improves your analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. You’ll learn to break down problems into manageable parts and develop effective solutions.
Challenge Yourself: Stepping out of your comfort zone to tackle challenging problems helps you grow personally and professionally. You’ll learn to handle pressure and think creatively under tight deadlines.
Boost Confidence: Successfully completing a hackathon project and presenting it to judges can significantly boost your confidence. This experience can make you more comfortable with public speaking and presenting your ideas.
Resilience and Adaptability: Hackathons teach you to be resilient and adaptable, qualities that are valuable in any professional setting. You’ll learn to adjust your strategies quickly and keep moving forward despite obstacles.
Showcase Your Skills: Demonstrating your abilities in a competitive environment can catch the eye of potential employers. It’s an excellent way to highlight your skills beyond what’s listed on your resume.
Portfolio Building: Adding a hackathon project to your portfolio shows that you can apply your skills in practical scenarios. This can be a significant advantage in job interviews and applications.
Job Opportunities: Some hackathons are sponsored by companies looking to hire talent. Excelling in these events can lead to job offers or internships.
Prizes and Recognition
Awards and Prizes: Hackathons often offer attractive prizes, including cash rewards, gadgets, software licenses, and more. Winning a prize can also provide financial support and access to premium tools.
Recognition: Performing well in a hackathon gives you recognition within the community. This can enhance your credibility and reputation in the field of data analysis and Excel expertise.
Networking Opportunities
Professional Connections: Hackathons attract a diverse group of participants, including students, professionals, and industry experts. This is a great chance to expand your professional network.
Collaborative Experience: Team-based challenges foster collaboration. You’ll learn to work with others, share knowledge, and leverage each other’s strengths to create a better solution.
Fun and Excitement
Engaging Experience: The dynamic atmosphere of a hackathon is exciting and engaging. The energy and enthusiasm of participants create a vibrant environment that can be both enjoyable and inspiring.
Sense of Achievement: Completing the challenges and presenting your solution provides a great sense of achievement. The recognition and feedback from judges and peers add to this fulfilling experience.
The Hackathon Challenge Cases
Microsoft Excel Core
In this project, you will create a workbook titled “Summer Work” to track your earnings from summer jobs and expenses over five weeks. The first worksheet, “Job Record,” will document your daily earnings for the first two weeks of July, including details like the job description, customer names, hours worked, and total earnings. The second worksheet, “Weekly Expenses,” will track various spending categories (e.g., movies, food, gasoline, clothing, concerts) over a five-week period. Both worksheets will be populated with relevant data, including entries for earnings and expenses, even if some values are zero.
Microsoft Excel Expert
This project involves analyzing electricity consumption, generation, and costs using Excel. You will work with datasets to track usage trends, automate tasks with macros, and apply conditional formatting. Key tasks include identifying peak consumption years, removing duplicates, sorting data, modifying pivot tables, and categorizing energy sources. You will also create charts, set up a cost calculator for electricity, and estimate vehicle loan payments. Additionally, worksheet protection and data validation will be implemented to ensure structured analysis and accuracy.
Awards
1st Place - $1,500 CAD
2nd Place - $750 CAD
3rd Place - $500 CAD
Sponsors
Registration Dates
Registration Opens (Winter 2025)
February 28th, 2025 at 12:00 pm (EST)
Registration Closes (Winter 2025)
March 9th, 2025 at 11:59 pm (EST)
Fees
This competition is free to attend.
Competition Timeline
Winter 2025 - Schedule
March 19th, 2025 | 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm EST
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Introduction and Practice Session
- 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Case Study # 1
- 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Break
- 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Case Study # 2
- 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Awards Ceremony
Qualification
- Participants must be current undergraduate or graduate students in a degree program at a university.
- Students will participate individually.
NOTE: Spots are limited at each campus. If you register, but your schedule is changed and can no longer attend, please email financelab@rotman.utoronto.ca to cancel your registration.
Location (Cross Campus Initiative)
St. George Campus (Lead Organizer)
BMO Financial Group Finance Research and Trading Lab
In-person or Virtual
Rotman School of Management
Room 290, North Building
105 St. George St.
Toronto, ON M5S 3E6
Canada
Mississauga Campus
Li Koon Chun Finance Learning Centre
In-person or Virtual
Innovation Complex
Room L1245, Lower Level
University of Toronto Mississauga
3359 Mississauga Road
Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6
Canada
Scarborough Campus
The BRIDGE Finance and Data Lab
Virtual
Instructional Centre
Room IC 108
University of Toronto Scarborough
1095 Military Trail
Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4
Canada
Virtual
Online – Join via Zoom Meeting
*A meeting link will be sent to you via email upon registration
*Competition Day is Hybrid. If you plan to attend in-person, please attend the session at your home campus; space is limited. Please note, if you are from the Scarborough campus, only virtual attendance is available.
Co-Curricular Record (CCR)
Once awarded with the Certificate, students may also claim for CCR recognition.
The Co-Curricular Record (CCR) is designed to help students find opportunities at U of T beyond the classroom and to have their skills and experiences captured on an official document. For more details about this CCR position, CLICK HERE.
Benefits of Co-Curricular Record (CCR) Recognition:
- Highlight and reflect on the skills you’ve gained.
- Get engaged in a variety of workshops and track your progress.
- Record your participation on an official university document.
- Connect with your CCR community, build your network, and enhance your resume.
If you are ready to claim your CCR, CLICK HERE.
Take your finance career to the next level
In addition, this year, RMSC is part of a groundbreaking initiative at Rotman School of Management – The Rotman Finance Analytics and Decision-Making League (RFADML). Your registration fee will not only automatically give you an all-access pass to Rotman’s new specialized themed conferences which include topics on Finance, Machine Learning and Analytical Skills, this initiative allows you to earn qualification points for additional rewards to ultimately earn the prestigious title of international academic champions.
To know more about RFADML:
Dress Code
Excel Hackathon is a professional business competition, so participants are expected to dress in business casual or business formal attire.
Health and Safety | COVID-19
Competition participants are responsible for following health and safety measures where applicable. Individuals should report health and safety concerns to the competition committee via email at financelab[at]rotman.utoronto.ca, who will promptly review, assess and implement measures to address the concern where appropriate.
Measure to reduce risk of exposure:
- Individuals who are sick or who have COVID-19-related symptoms should stay home/hotel/accommodation.
- Isolate until there is no fever and symptoms improve for 24 hours (48 hours for gastrointestinal symptoms), regardless of testing results or no testing.
- Refer to: Ontario COVID-19 Self-Assessment and Procedures in the Event of a Confirmed Case and/or COVID-19 Symptoms.
- Avoid touching your face, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Practice proper respiratory etiquette, such as sneezing and coughing into your elbow.
- Face masks are encouraged, and we ask everyone always to respect the decisions of others, their comfort levels, and their health needs.
Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Excellence
Equity and Human Rights
The purposes of this statement are to express the University’s values regarding equity and diversity, and relate these to the institution’s unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.
At the University of Toronto, we strive to be an equitable and inclusive community, rich with diversity, protecting the human rights of all persons, and based upon understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of every person. We seek to ensure to the greatest extent possible that all students and employees enjoy the opportunity to participate as they see fit in the full range of activities that the University offers, and to achieve their full potential as members of the University community.
Our support for equity is grounded in an institution-wide commitment to achieving a working, teaching, and learning environment that is free of discrimination and harassment as defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code. In striving to become an equitable community, we will also work to eliminate, reduce or mitigate the adverse effects of any barriers to full participation in University life that we find, including physical, environmental, attitudinal, communication or technological.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Our teaching, scholarship, and other activities take place in the context of a highly diverse society. Reflecting the intersectionality in our community is uniquely valuable to Rotman, as it contributes to the diversification of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives that enrich our teaching, scholarship, and research activities. We will proactively seek to increase inclusion and feelings of belonging among our community members, with an aim to having a student body, teaching and administrative staff that mirror the diversity of qualified applicants. For more information, please click here.