MBA Student Shines in Banking Simulation Event, Securing Top Honors

Kaya Can Kaya, a final-year MBA student at NJIT with a concentration in finance, recently achieved success in the AmplifyME Investment Banking Simulation, earning first place out of 107 participants. Kaya also ranked second in the AmplifyME Banking Accelerator Simulation Experience, which included a competitive M&A analysis segment, achieving a perfect accuracy rate in Excel financial modeling.

These simulations, sponsored by global investment bank UBS, offer participants a chance to tackle real-life scenarios and gain insights into the fast-paced world of finance. For Kaya, who has always harbored a deep interest in investment banking, the competitions were both a learning experience and a proving ground.

"The competition in the simulation was extremely high because not only students from U.S. universities, but also students from European top-notch universities such as LSE, Bocconi, etc. participated," Kaya said. The level of competition is informative and rewarding because it mirrored real-world scenarios.

Creative thinking, strong Excel skills and resilience are what set Kaya apart in the competition. NJIT’s courses in corporate finance and decision analysis played a foundational role, as did access to NJIT’s Bloomberg terminals.“The formulas used in the simulation aligned perfectly with what I learned in class,” he noted.

Despite its age, Excel remains an indispensable tool in the finance industry. Kaya emphasized its versatility, calling it "functional and robust" and noting that no tool has yet been able to fully replace it for financial modeling. Excel skills are “absolutely critical for success” in the competition, as they provide the tools needed to solve complex problems quickly and effectively.

Looking ahead, Kaya aims to further his expertise in the field, with aspirations to pass both CFA Level 1 and Level 2 exams within the next year. Currently interning with the Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation, he is already applying his financial acumen to support local businesses through loan portfolio analysis and market benchmarking.

Kaya encourages other students to take advantage of opportunities like the AmplifyME simulations, highlighting their value as preparation for interviews and as a way to explore career paths in finance.

“I highly recommend that other students, particularly those aspiring to build careers in finance, banking, or investment banking, participate in simulations and other free learning opportunities. After taking part in a simulation myself, I wished I had done so earlier during my undergraduate years.”