The Competition Team
​​​​Each fall, the Competition Team represents New York University in the Federal Reserve's National College Fed Challenge. Over 100 teams compete and present a monetary policy recommendation to senior officials at the Federal Reserve every year. NYU's Competition Team analyzes current conditions in the U.S. economy and financial markets using public and private data. The team develops a near-term forecast of macroeconomic and financial conditions, identifies key risks, assesses how those risks may affect different segments of the population, and then determines what action the Fed should take.​
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Eligibility: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors
Applications for the Competition Team will open in the late spring. Participation in the Training Program is not required to apply for the Competition Team; however, students who successfully complete the Training Program will be directly accepted.
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Program Structure (May-November):
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Starting at the beginning of the summer, team members meet twice per week to discuss updates on the US economy & financial markets and present individual write-ups on their respective coverage groups. In the fall, members create and submit a 15-minute video presentation to the College Fed Challenge. If the Competition Team advances, they participate in the semifinal Q&A round, responding to questions on policy recommendation, macroeconomic theory, and hypothetical scenarios. If the Competition Team wins the semifinals for the New York region, they will present to senior Fed officials during the final round in Washington, DC.​​ Through this process, the Competition Team develops in-depth expertise in monetary policy, sharpens their analytical and presentation skills, and gains experience with real-time thinking like policymakers.
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Competition Team members are split into coverage groups based on interest and expertise:
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Markets:
1. Fed Programs: Quantitative Easing/Tightening, Balance Sheet Dynamics, Liquidity, Repo Markets
2. Rates: U.S. Treasury Market, SOFR, Foreign Central Bank & Sovereign Debt, FOMC Sentiment Analysis
3. Capital Markets: Corporate Bonds, Equity Markets, Volatility Indices (VIX & MOVE), Private Credit
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Real Economy:
1. GDP: Consumption, Investment, Manufacturing, Housing, International Trade
2. Employment: U-3 & U-6 Unemployment, JOLTS, Beveridge Curve, NFP, NAIRU, Sahm Rule
3. Inflation: CPI, PPI, PCE (Goods, Services, MCT), Sector Analyses (Energy, Housing)
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2025 NYU Presentation - Advanced to the Semifinals, Top 18 Nationally (Out of139 Universities):
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