The Honors Finance Program at UIC
The High Finance Academy (HFA) is an elite honors program designed for ambitious students pursuing careers in investment banking, wealth management, corporate finance, consulting and other highly competitive finance fields. Through a small cohort experience, an accelerated curriculum based on industry-specific coursework, career mentoring, and access to industry leaders, HFA equips students with the knowledge, network, and professional experience needed to stand out in the finance recruiting process.
Why Join the High Finance Academy
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Exclusive Cohort An honors path with its own application, for top students who intend to compete for the most demanding and sought after jobs in finance.
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Rigorous Curriculum A more rigorous sequence than the standard major, aligned to finance recruiting cycles, and built on the work these firms test in their interviews.
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Embedded Recruitment Firm access, practitioner interviews and an alumni network that exists to put our students into those jobs.
High Finance Academy Curriculum and Training
The most competitive finance internships recruit in the winter of sophomore year. The HFA moves the courses relevant to recruiters to your first three semesters, so students are prepared for technical interviews earlier than traditional finance programs.
What Makes the Curriculum Unique
- A HFA-only foundations course in your first fall: career paths, Excel, financial statements and networking
- Core accounting and finance coursework completed in freshman year
- Valuation and financial modeling coursework before sophomore recruiting
- Industry modeling and Bloomberg certification, plus valuation, M&A and LBO bootcamps
- Presentation, pitch-page and professional writing training
- Responsible, practical AI training built into all four years
- Mock interview preparation
- A senior capstone of live cases judged by finance professionals
Program Overview: Your Four Years
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1 Core Skills: Accounting, Excel for Finance, and financial statements in year one
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2 Technical Core: Valuation and modeling, plus certification, before recruiting begins
High Finance Academy Second and Third Year
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3 Applied Work: Practitioner-led case work and advanced electives
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4 Capstone: Senior cases judged by industry professionals
How to Join
The Application Process
For incoming freshmen, the HFA application is a short supplemental application, separate from the Common App. Qualified students receive it after they are admitted to the UIC College of Business Administration. Applying to the Academy does not affect your UIC admission decision.
For current freshmen, apply online through the High Finance Academy Application.
1. Attend an Info Session
Meet the Director, learn how the program works, and ask your questions.
2. Submit the application
Incoming freshmen: complete the application form and an essay of up to 650 words. If you are selected for an interview and have not already submitted a letter of recommendation with your UIC application, you will be asked for one.
3. Interview
Finalists are invited to one 30-minute interview with two interviewers. No technical preparation is expected.
4. Decision and Commitment
Admitted students accept by signing the Academy commitment, requiring attendance, participation and maintaining 3.50 GPA.
Apply Now
How We Select Incoming Students
- Academic readiness, including course rigor and grade trend
- For incoming freshmen, an unweighted GPA of 3.7, SAT of 1230, or ACT of 26 is recommended
- Applications without test scores will still be reviewed and transcripts can be used to show equivalent strength in math
- Your essay
- A letter of recommendation. Incoming freshmen who are selected for an interview and have not already submitted one with their UIC application will be asked for one
- One interview, for finalists
Application Deadlines
For Current Freshmen
- October 26, 2026: Applications due for current freshmen, for spring 2027 start
For Incoming Freshmen
Admissions are rolling, and once the cohort is full, it is full, so apply early.
If you applied to UIC through Early Action, you can expect a decision within one month of completing your HFA application.
- April 1, 2027: final deadline to apply.
- May 1, 2027: admitted students commit to the Academy.
Connect with Us
High-Finance Academy Information Session
High-Finance Academy Information Session
High-Finance Academy Information Session
High-Finance Academy Information Session
High-Finance Academy Information Session
Jonathan Moog, Director
Jonathan Moog is the inaugural Director of the High Finance Academy. He is Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager at Lizard Investors, a Chicago investment adviser managing international small and mid-cap and emerging markets equity strategies, where he has worked since the firm's founding in 2008 and led a management buyout in 2023. Earlier in his career he worked at HIG Capital and Loomis Sayles.
FAQ
Do I need finance experience to apply?
No. The application asks about your interest in finance and what you have done to explore it, but no technical knowledge is expected. Training is what the Academy exists to provide.
Do I need an SAT or ACT score?
No, you don’t. But Academy seats are for students who can prove their commitment to academic and professional excellence. If you apply without a score, the Director reviews your transcript for equivalent strength in math.
Who should apply?
High school seniors applying to the UIC College of Business Administration, and current UIC freshmen, who intend to major in finance and want to compete for internships and jobs in banking, investing, corporate finance and related fields.
How much time does it take to be an HFA student?
Several hours a week on top of classes, including weekly sessions and workshops. Students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.50 or higher.
Will being an HFA student delay my graduation?
The High Finance Academy is designed to fit within the standard four-year finance degree. [Confirm once the curriculum proposal is approved.]
I was not selected. What now?
You can apply again at a later entry point, and the Academy’s open programming remains available to all College of Business students.