Our signature program, members attend the Academy during their first semester in TCMS. This fast-paced, semester-long program builds from the ground up to make sure all members have a detailed understanding of the industry.

Topics covered include but are not limited to:

• Intro to High Finance (Investment Banking, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, etc.)

• M&A Process

• Accounting and the Financial Statements

• Financial Ratios and Metrics

• Enterprise Value

• Relative and Intrinsic Valuation

• Time Value of Money

• Leveraged Buyouts

• Deal Assumptions

• Financial Modeling

• Bloomberg and S&P Capital IQ

• Effective Networking

• High Finance Recruiting

After covering this material, the Academy wraps up with a sell-side M&A pitch project. In teams, Academy members act as investment bankers and complete thorough research and analysis to “pitch” to an assigned company pursuing a sell-side transaction. Students present their pitches to a panel of several of our top finance faculty members.

This project is a great way for members to put the concepts learned in the Academy into practice and provides a tangible project to discuss with employers and industry professionals.

Recruitment Prep helps members become better prepared for the intense high finance recruiting process through technical and networking preparation. All TCMS members participate in this program during the later part of their Sophomore Fall and early part of Sophomore Spring, when interviews begin.

Recruitment Prep takes concepts previously covered in the Academy and goes deeper, addressing how these topics might come up in interviews. Members will also practice common interview questions.

TCMS members have the option to participate in this two-semester program following their completion of the Academy. Volunteer Capital takes students on a deep dive into hedge funds and public equities.

Students will meet to discuss the markets and macroeconomic environment and pitch investments with a three to six-month time horizon. Students will also analyze the success of their “investments” and track their performance over time.

This program will assist in preparation for case competitions, pitch competitions, and future participation in the Torch Fund program.

While all TCMS meetings have historically been invite-only and reserved for admitted members of the organization, beginning in Spring 2026 TCMS will begin offering occasional open seminars, which will be available to all students.

These seminars will provide an overview of high finance careers such as investment banking as well as key insights into the recruiting process. Students will also learn more about TCMS’s offerings, our application process, and additional clubs/resources to pursue.