Registration Opens January 6
We’re excited to announce the return of the Wharton High School Data Science Competition for its second year! Last year’s competition showcased incredible talent, and we can’t wait to see the innovative solutions students bring to this year’s challenge.
This immersive, free competition is a unique opportunity for high school students to sharpen their data science skills, apply analytics to sports data, and collaborate with peers. This year’s theme is basketball, and participants will work with statistics like those used by sports teams worldwide.
The competition is open to high school students (ages 14-18) globally. Start forming your teams now! Mark your calendars and sign up to be notified when registration opens on January 6. Don’t miss out on your chance to compete, collaborate, and connect with future leaders in data science!
Important Dates
Congratulations to the 2024 Winning Team!
During the winter of 2023 and spring of 2024, more than 215 teams of high school students from around the globe competed in the inaugural Wharton High School Data Science Competition. The competition saw teams of three to five students competing to make predictions about the playoff outcomes of the North American Soccer League – a synthetic professional league with 30 teams and an extensive dataset including win-loss records and more.
We are proud to announce that HW_AnalyticsFC from the Harvard-Westlake School has been selected to feature their paper in a special edition of the Wharton Sports Analytics Journal. This is an incredible opportunity for these talented students to showcase their work in student sports analytics research.
Check out their research, Calculating Win Probabilities of Any Matchup of Soccer Teams below!
Reasons to Compete
Participating in the Wharton High School Data Science Competition is a fantastic way to develop your data analysis and prediction skills through the lens of sports, all while having fun with your friends. The experience and problem-solving skills you develop through this competition are applicable to your every day life outside of sports analytics.
Additionally, teams that perform the best will be recognized on the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative’s website, which could be a great addition to your resume.
How it Works
Who Is Eligible?
This competition is open to high school students worldwide. “High school” is typically secondary-level (no younger than 14, no older than 18 at the start of the competition), pre-university education, as defined by country (e.g., generally 9th – 12th grade in the United States). We suggest participants have completed Algebra 1. There is no cost to participate.
Get Your Team Ready
Each team should have 3-5 students who are currently enrolled at the same high school. Teams are required to have one advisor, who is an employee of the school or school district the team attends. If the high school has various branches, teams must be comprised of students and an advisor from the same branch.
Register
Advisors are responsible for registering their team(s). Students are NOT permitted to register for the competition on their own behalf or on behalf of their team. Teams in violation of this rule will be ineligible to compete.
Analyze
Data will be released to participants. Along the way, we will share videos and other educational resources to help you with this part of the competition.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.