The Chicago Booth Private Equity Case Challenge (PECC), generously supported by Chicago-area private equity firm Water Street, is a case competition that enables teams from Chicago Booth to assess the potential for a leveraged buyout of a publicly-listed company.

To participate, Chicago Booth students must form teams, select from a list of case options posted in the early fall term, and apply with a case and financial model.

From the pool of applicants, five to six teams are asked to interview with a panel of private equity investors. Interviews consist of brief presentation and Q&A session. Following the interview process, three teams are selected to advance to the PECC Finals, where they formally present their proposals to a panel of private equity judges, who select a winner.

The winner of the PECC is given the opportunity to compete against teams from other elite business school in the Oxford Global Private Equity Challenge for a cash prize of $5,000. Teams participating in the Oxford Global Private Equity Challenge additionally participate in treks to top private equity firms in London, attend Oxford’s annual Private Equity Forum, and network with faculty, students, and alumni of Oxford University.