Harvard Student Agencies Ladder Case Competition
A business case competition for ambitious high school students. Build a strategy, pitch it to real judges, and win prizes worth up to $4,690, including cash and a scholarship to Ladder's Startup Internship Program.
August 17 - December 6, 2026
HSALCC is run by Ladder Internships, in partnership with Harvard Student Agencies, the largest student-run company in the world.
What is a business case competition?
You'll step into the shoes of a consultant, solving a real-world business problem and pitching a strategic recommendation to a panel of judges. You don't need prior business experience or a team to apply - workshops and webinars will teach you the fundamentals along the way.
Round 1 - Strategy Deck
Participants receive a business case prompt and submit a written strategy deck responding to it.
Decks must be a maximum of 10 slides, excluding the title page and any appendix, submitted as a PDF. Most students spend 4-6 hours on their submission.
Submission window: August 17 - October 31, 2026.
Round 2 - Video Pitch
Shortlisted participants advance to a video submission round, pitching a refined recommendation.
Pitches must be 3-5 minutes long, submitted as an unlisted YouTube link or direct video upload. Going over 5 minutes will affect your Time Discipline score.
Submission window: November 9 - November 22, 2026.
Refer to the judging criteria to understand how submissions will be evaluated.
Aidan Zaphiris Managing Director, Harvard Student Agencies
"The Harvard Student Agencies Ladder Case Competition gives high school students the chance to tackle real business case studies and go above and beyond in their extracurriculars. Along the way, they'll build tangible skills, earn global recognition, and be mentored by current Harvard students."
Cash, scholarships, and recognition
+ $3,190 scholarship to any Ladder Internships program
+ $2,500 scholarship to any Ladder Internships program
+ $2,000 scholarship to any Ladder Internships program
To any Ladder Internships program.
To any Ladder Internships program.
To any Ladder Internships program.
Scholarships are awarded as a tuition reduction upon acceptance into a Ladder Internships program. Receiving a scholarship does not guarantee admission.
Timeline
Any student who is enrolled in high school as of December 31, 2026 is eligible to register. HSALCC is strictly an individual competition (no teams).
Judging Criteria
All Round 1 entries undergo a double-blind review by two judges. Top scorers advance to Round 2 to pitch videos to a new panel. Final rankings combine Round 2 (70%) and Round 1 (30%) scores.
Round 1 - Strategy Deck (100 points)
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Problem diagnosis | 20 |
| Depth of analysis | 25 |
| Recommendation quality | 25 |
| Evidence & quantification | 20 |
| Clarity & structure | 10 |
Round 2 - Video Pitch (100 points)
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Strategic depth | 40 |
| Communication | 30 |
| Persuasiveness | 20 |
| Time discipline | 10 |
Your name and school are kept completely confidential throughout the evaluation process.
Meet the Judges
Stephen Turban
Co-Founder, Ladder Internships
Harvard graduate and former McKinsey consultant whose research has appeared in Harvard Business Review and The Economist. His work has also been covered by BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and The Washington Post.
- McKinsey & Company
- Harvard Alum
Molly Rizkallah
Co-Founder & CEO, Cincy Carbon
Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, previously at Procter & Gamble. Her green chemistry startup transforms industrial carbon emissions from an environmental liability into a commercial asset.
- Forbes 30 Under 30
- Procter & Gamble
An Luong
Former Data Scientist, Masan Group
Stanford graduate and former data scientist at Microsoft and Masan Group, one of Vietnam's largest consumer conglomerates.
- Microsoft
- Stanford Alum
Idicula Mathew
Co-Founder & CEO, Hera Health Solutions
Georgia Tech engineer and Forbes 40 Under 40 honoree building a venture-backed biotech that's pioneering biodegradable drug-delivery implants.
- Georgia Tech Alum
- Forbes 40 Under 40
Workshops & webinars
Free preparatory sessions for registered students, taught by Ladder Internships and Harvard Student Agencies.
Case Competition 101
Kickoff session - what judges look for, how to read a case prompt, and an overview of the two rounds.
Cracking the Case
Structuring the problem, doing the analysis, landing on a defensible answer.
Anatomy of a Winning Deck
Turning that analysis into a persuasive deck, plus what separates strong submissions from weak ones.
Become a Student Ambassador
Ready to get paid to gain real world experience in marketing and outreach? Earn cash or Ladder Internships credit for every friend who registers through your referral link.
What you get as an Ambassador
Real marketing experience + cash
Run outreach campaigns in your school and network, guided by training sessions from Ladder's team and earn real money.
Exclusive community access
A private WhatsApp group of global like-minded ambassadors to learn, network, and grow with personally and professionally.
Ambassador Milestones
Ladder Ambassador
$10 cash or $50 in Ladder Internships credit, plus an official certificate signed by the HSALCC organising team.
Senior Ladder Ambassador
$25 cash or $150 in Ladder Internships credit, plus an official certificate signed by the HSALCC organising team.
Lead Ladder Ambassador
$60 cash or $250 in Ladder Internships credit, plus an official Letter of Recommendation signed by the HSALCC organising team.
Beyond 15 registrations, every additional registration earns $5 cash or $15 in Ladder Internships credit.
Ambassador of the Year
The top 3 ambassadors each term win an Internship at Ladder Internships. The #1 ambassador is named Ambassador of the Year; the two runners-up are named Distinguished Ambassadors.
Only completed, paid registrations count toward milestones and earnings. Referral links are personal and non-transferable.
Any student enrolled in high school as of December 31, 2026, anywhere in the world. There are no grade, country, or prior-experience restrictions.
HSALCC is strictly an individual competition. Every submission is your own work, and every award is earned by one student.
HSALCC is run in partnership with Harvard Student Agencies (HSA), the largest student-run company in the world, operated by Harvard College students.
HSALCC gives you real, verifiable achievements you can list: competition awards, ambassador titles, and skills-based work you can speak to in essays and interviews. We make no claims about admissions outcomes (no competition honestly can) but consulting-style case work is a recognized way for students to demonstrate analytical and communication skills.
The registration fee is non-refundable.
HSALCC is fully virtual. Both rounds are submitted online, workshops are held over video call, and the Award Ceremony on December 6, 2026 is streamed live, so students can compete from anywhere in the world.
Your work is judged against the published rubric in the Judging Criteria section on this page. Every deck is scored blind (judges don't see your name or school) and independently by at least two evaluators.
You may use AI tools for research, brainstorming, and feedback the same way working consultants do. But the analysis, decisions, and final work must be your own. You must be able to explain and defend every claim in your deck. Submissions that are substantially AI-generated will be disqualified. All decisions in this regard are final.
Deadlines are firm and enforced automatically by the submission system. We strongly recommend submitting at least 24 hours early. We cannot make exceptions for technical issues in the final hours.
Yes, every student who submits a Round 1 deck receives a digital certificate of participation, and award winners receive award-specific certificates.
Winners and recipients of scholarship and merit awards will receive redemption instructions by email after the Award Ceremony. They are non-transferable and have no cash value.
All payments are made once registrations close. We'll send every ambassador a payment form to collect your payment details and your cash-or-credit preference, and your total earnings based on the registration milestones you've reached will be transferred after verification.
No. Judging is blind and evaluators never see your name, school, or ambassador status. The competition and the ambassador program are entirely separate.