The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition (WGHS), officially hosted by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is one of the world's most prestigious high school investment competitions. Participation is completely free, and it carries exceptional weight as a core academic credential for students applying to top-tier universities in business, finance, and economics.
I. Core Registration Rules
Students cannot register individually on the official website. Registration must be completed by an in-school teacher (Advisor) who logs into the Wharton Global Youth Program official website, creates an account, and establishes the team. Students then complete their registration by filling in their information through a unique link generated by the teacher.
Prerequisites for Registration:
Students: Must be in grades 9–12. Each team consists of 4–6 members, all from the same school. One member, who must be at least 16 years old, is designated as the team captain.
Advisor: Must be a full-time teacher or educator at the school. One advisor may supervise a maximum of 5 teams.
II. Registration Fees
The WGHS is officially hosted by the Wharton School and is completely free of charge. There are no registration or application fees.
Official Participation: $0. Both students and advisors register for free directly on the Wharton official website.
Advancement Costs: If a team advances to the Global Finale (held in Philadelphia), travel and accommodation expenses must be covered by the team. Teams may also choose to participate virtually.
III. Registration Process (Five Steps)
Advisor Registers Master Account (Starting August 10): The advisor visits the Wharton official website → clicks "Register Your Team / Register" → fills in the required information, requests the number of teams (≤5) → creates the Advisor account.
Teacher Creates Team and Generates Link: After the advisor's school information is verified in the backend, the system generates a unique team registration link/invitation code. The advisor sends this link to the team captain.
Students Complete Form and Bind (Captain + Members): The captain clicks the link, fills in the form, and binds the advisor's information. All team members sign the Academic Integrity Pledge online.
Teacher Confirms Roster: Minor adjustments can be made before the interim report is submitted. Once the interim report (typically in early November) is submitted, the roster is permanently frozen.
Activate WInS Trading Account: After registration is confirmed, the Wharton official team sends the WInS (Wharton Investment Simulator) login credentials. After the trading period begins, teams must complete at least one simulated trade; failure to do so will result in disqualification from advancing.
IV. Regional Divisions (2025–2026 Season)
The WGHS covers multiple regions globally. Teams are automatically assigned to a region based on their school's geographical location during registration. Each region is judged independently, and advancement slots are allocated proportionally:
Region 1 (China Region): Covers Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As one of the regions with the highest number of participants, competition is particularly fierce, with a large number of teams advancing to the Global Semifinals each year.
Region 2 (Asia-Pacific Region): Covers other parts of Asia including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, as well as some countries in the Middle East.
Region 3 (Americas & Europe, Middle East, and Africa Region): Covers the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and Latin America, as well as Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, and Africa.
Note: Regional divisions are subject to change annually. Please refer to the official rules for the 2026–2027 season.
V. Team Composition Recommendations: Operate Like an Investment Fund
Imagine your 4–6 person Wharton investment team as a miniature, top-tier investment fund. The captain acts as the CEO, and each member is a core employee with distinct responsibilities:
Analyst: Like a researcher, responsible for industry research and individual stock analysis.
Trader: Like an executor, responsible for developing trading strategies and executing trades.
Writer: Like a copywriter/strategist, responsible for drafting investment reports.
Presenter: Like a roadshow manager, responsible for the final investment proposal presentation.
A team typically should cover these five roles. A 6‑person team can add an additional assistant analyst; a 4‑person team can combine the roles of Presenter and Writer.
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